Geology 101 Midterm
Which of the following does NOT tend to increase biodiversity in an ecosystem?
extreme disturbance
As a tsunami approaches land, the height of a tsunami wave ____.
increases primarily because the water depth and velocity decreases.
The life story of most oceanic lithosphere is the same. It's created at ____ and gets destroyed at _____
mid ocean ridges, subduction zones
What does the concept of environmental unity state?
one action leads to subsequent actions in linked systems
vent
opening through which lava is erupted
How do engineers define soil?
solid Earth material that can be removed without blasting
A group of individuals capable of interbreeding is called a(n)
species
As an ecosystem evolves following disturbance, it follows the path of
succession
Which of the following statements is CORRECT?
the largest use of freshwater in the United States is for thermoelectric power generation
Which of the following statements about the lithosphere and asthenosphere is CORRECT?
the lithosphere is composed of crust and the uppermost mantle and forms rigid plates
Why is it necessary to keep cooling water flowing through a nuclear reactor core?
without the water, heat will build up in the reactor core, which may lead to a meltdown
What can trigger a tsunami? Select ALL the possible events that can cause a tsunami.
- underwater volcanic eruption - landslide into the ocean - An underwater earthquake
Put these detrital sediments/sedimentary rocks in order of increasing particle size and increasing energy of the environment in which they were deposited. Put the sediment/rock with the smallest particle size and lowest energy environment first, and the sediment/rock with the largest particle size and highest energy environment last.
1 (smallest particle size): Clay 2. Silt/Siltstone 3. Sand/sandstone 4 (largest particle size): pebbles
What is the percent probability of having a '100-year flood' every year?
1%
When Charles Keeling began monitoring CO2 at the Mauna Loa Observatory in 1960, he recorded CO2 levels at around 320 ppm. What is the rate of change in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels between 1960 and 2017?
1.5 ppm/yr
Between 20,000 - 800,000 years ago, there were several ice ages (periods of global cooling interspersed with periods of warming). During these extended periods of cooling (we call these glaciations), ice advanced over the land and CO2 concentrations decreased. During warming periods (we call these interglacials) CO2 concentrations increased. What was the average atmospheric CO2 concentration during the ice ages?
185 ppm
Approximately what year did CO2 levels start to noticeably increase from the pre-industrial levels? This part of the animation moves quickly so you will have to pause and rewind.
1850
The percent probability of having a '50-year flood' every year?
2%
Over the last 800,000 years before industrialization (between the year 1800 and 800,000 BCE), 1) What was the highest concentration of CO2? 2) When did that peak in CO2 occur?
300 325,000 years ago
What was the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in January, 2017?
406 ppm
If I say a flood has a recurrence interval of 100 years (a 100 year flood), what does that mean in terms of how frequently that magnitude flood can occur? What is the formula that is used to estimate the recurrence interval for a particular magnitude flood?
A 100 year recurrence interval means that a flood equal to or greater than a given magnitude will occur about every 100 years. It also means that there is a 1% chance a flood of this magnitude will happen each year. R=(n+1)/m
Which soil horizon is known as topsoil?
A Horizon
Why did Mount St. Helens erupt in a lateral blast on May 18, 1980? Pick the most correct answer.
A bulge formed on the flank of the mountain. An earthquake triggered a landslide that that dislodged the bulge, triggering a lateral eruption
Fill in the blanks in the following four statements. 1. [A] crust is denser and thinner than (B] crust. 2. The [C] is the weak layer in the mantle that allows the tectonic plates to slip, collide, and separate. 3. Oceanic lithosphere is created at [D] and returns to the mantle at [E]. 4. At convergent plate boundaries, the subducting oceanic plate grinds along the base of the overriding plate, generating large [F
A. Oceanic B. Continential C.Asthenosphere D. Mid Ocean Ridges E. Subductions Zones F.Earthquakes
You are relocating to a seismically active area and are looking to buy a house. Should you buy a house built on bedrock or one built on soft sediments like clay-rich soils? Why?
Bedrock because it will experience less ground shaking than soft sediments like clay-rich soils.
Why do some faults "creep" with slow, constant movement and others are "stuck" and aren't moving?
Both A and B the ones that are slowly creeping are lubricated by either fluids or slippery rocks the ones that aren't moving are stuck together by friction
What is albedo? What effect does high albedo have on global temperature? Give one example of a surface with low albedo and one example of a surface with high albedo
The reflection coefficient or the light reflectivity of a surface It raises the global temperature Trees Snow
Transform plate boundaries are marked by
Two plates sliding relative to one another
Which country uses the most oil?
United States
How does urbanization increase flooding in small drainage basins?
Urbanization increases runoff
Why can monitoring seismic activity help forecast volcanic activity? Give a complete explanation.
Volcanic eruptions are almost always preceded by increased seismic activity. Increasing seismic activity (harmonic tremors) tell us the magma is moving close to the surface within the plumbing of the volcano and an increase in this seismic activity often indicates that the volcano is preparing to erupt.
Which of the following statements about obtaining natural gas through the process of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") is CORRECT?
a horizontal well is drilled into a shale unit, which is then artificially fractured, and the fractures are held open with a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals
What is a theory?
a hypothesis that has withstood extensive testing
Drainage basin
a region drained by a single river or river system. Also known as a watershed
When the water table intersects the ground, it will discharge as
a spring
Why is topographic monitoring sometimes useful in forecasting a volcanic eruption?
a volcano sometimes swells as lava moves into the edifice
Rare earth elements are used in which of the following?
all of the above
Synthetic organic chemicals like PCBs, dioxins, MTBE, etc.
all of the above
Which of the following fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, when burned?
all of the above
Why is human population growth considered an environmental problem?
as the population increases, more resources are needed and more waste is produced, causing greater amounts of disruption to the environment
In an ionic bond,
atoms are joined by negatively or positively charged ions
How might increasing biodiversity influence the health of a stream?
both a and b
What is a seismic gap?
An area along an active fault that has not generated an earthquake recently so it is likely to produce a large earthquake in the future.
Clay minerals are used in the manufactures of
Bricks, ceramics, landfill liners
Which country uses the most coal?
China
What type of volcano is associated with volcanic arcs built over subduction zones?
Composite volcanoes
There are many different kinds of hazards associated with volcanic eruptions. Select all the problems that are the direct result of an ash fall.
Damage to building by the increased load on roofs Irritation of the respiratory system and eyes from the volcanic glass Surface water contamination
What is the difference between how detrital and chemical sedimentary rocks form?
Detrital sediments are composed of visible pieces of rock or mineral grains eroded out of preexisting rocks. Chemical sediments are precipitated or evaporated out of solutions.
The volume of water moving by a particular location in a river per unit time is called ______ and it is calculated by multiplying the channel ____, ____, ____
Discharge width, depth, water velocity
Why are native trees more diverse in North America than in Europe?
European trees were trapped between the ice sheet and E-W trending mountain ranges
Desalination is a low-cost, low-energy alternative to conventional water resources. True or False?
F
Crust is consumed at transform boundaries
FALSE
Land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley of California resulted mostly from oil extraction.
FALSE
The magnitude of an earthquake is a function of how far away you are from the earthquake.
FALSE
Cinder Cones form on oceanic plates above hotspots.
False
Limestone is a detrital sedimentary rock
False
Silicate minerals are the most common minerals in the outer core.
False
The Hawaiian Islands are a volcanic arc atop an oceanic subduction zone.
False
When detrital sediments are transported for long periods of time, the proportion of feldspar decreases while the proportion of quartz increases. Why?
Feldspar chemically weathers to small clay particles during transport. The quartz particles are more resistant to weathering and can be transported longer and farther
Which type of flood is typically caused by intense rainfall of short duration?
Flash Flood
The ______ is the location at depth where the rocks rupture and release the energy to produce an earthquake. The _____is the point on the earth's surface that is directly above the location of the rupture.
Focus Epicenter
Do large pyroclastic eruptions cause short-term global warming or global cooling? Why?
Global cooling, because the particles and gases ejected into the atmosphere create aerosols that block solar radiation
What environmental problem is associated with the mining and processing of sulfide ores?
Groundwater and surface water infiltrate the mines and combine with sulfide minerals forming acidic water with elevated concentrations of dissolved metals. The acidic water drains from the mine and pollutes surrounding streams and rivers.
Where are high-level nuclear wastes from nuclear power plants currently being stored?
In steel-lined concrete containers or pools within the nuclear power plants.
What information can be obtained from air bubbles trapped in glacial ice?
Information about atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane when the ice formed.
What is peak oil?
It is a term for the time that will come when one-half of Earth's oil supply has been extracted and used. It is likely to occur sometime between 2020-2050.
Based upon lessons learned from recent flood events (Mississippi and Missouri River), what are problems levees create rather than solve?
Levees can provide a false sense of security. Reduces the creation of floodplain surfaces and wetlands. Floodplains and wetlands help moderate the impacts of flooding events. More damage when levees fail catastrophically.
Why do some metamorphic rock become foliated? What hazard is associated with foliated metamorphic rocks?
Mineral grains become flattened and aligned in parallel sheets as a response to pressure and temperature to form metamorphic foliations. Metamorphic rocks break parallel to their folation planes, and this can create landslide hazards when foliated planes are tilted at an angle towards roads, dams, or other structures.
What is the health threat from nitrates in drinking water?
Nitrates can cause an anemic condition called "blue baby" in young children.
Identify the 2 environmental concerns associated with hydroelectric power.
Nitrogen gas enriched water can kill fish. Dams cause changes to the natural stream flow, affecting stream biota and productivity.
Which seismic wave travels the fastest?
P- waves
________ are aggregates of soil particles that comprise soil structure.
Peds
______ of pollution are confined to an area. An example is a _____ ________of pollution are intermittent and not confined to an area. An example is ________.
Point sources, leaking underground storage tank, nonpoint sources, runoff from a field
How do seismologists know the outer core is liquid?
S-waves are absorbed upon arrival in the outer core
Suspended load
Sediment that is composed mainly of silt or clay sized particles and carried in a flowing water of a stream
Why does shale that contains natural gas need to be fractured or "fracked" to extract the natural gas? (Choose the option that best answers the question)
Shale has very low permeability so the rock has to be fractured to open pathways to allow natural gas to move out of the rock
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools _____ within the interior of the Earth and the minerals crystallizing out of the magma ______ . Extrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that erupts on the surface of the Earth as lava and cools ______. Minerals crystallizing out of the cooling lava ______ .
Slowly grow large rapidly remain small
The capability of a soil to provide nutrients needed for plant life is referred to as
Soil Fertility
Table sugar, also known as sucrose (like the kind in rock candy), is NOT a mineral because... ....
Sugar is an organic compound
Which type of seismic wave does the most damage?
Surface waves
China is the world's largest consumer of total energy, but the United States is the world's largest consumer of oil. True or False
T
Any shoreline construction causes change in the beach environment.
TRUE
Why is there a "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico? What factors and processes create the "dead zone?"
The Mississippi River is draining the runoff from its watershed into the Gulf of Mexico. Much of the drainage basin is agricultural and the runoff contains large amounts of nitrogen from fertilizers. The nutrients supplied to the gulf lead to eutrophication, whereby algae blooms reduce the water quality and oxygenation.
The Mohorovicic discontinuity represents
The boundary between mantle and crust
transform plate boundary
The edges of the plates slide past each other
Floodplain
The flat surface adjacent to the river channel. It is periodically inundated by over bank flow and produced by these periodic flooding events.
Stage
The height of the water in a river at any given time
Why did cooling water stop flowing through the Fukushima Daiichi (Japan) reactors in March, 2011? Select the best answer.
The tsunami that followed the earthquake destroyed power lines, cut water lines, and took out the backup diesel generators, leaving no way to supply cooling water to the reactor cores.
What are 2 reasons nuclear reactors require cooling water to flow through them at all times?
To cool the reactor. To generate steam to run the tubines.
A concentration of minerals that can be legally mined at a profit at the current time is called a reserve. True or False?
True
As velocity and discharge of stream increase, so does capacity.
True
New oceanic lithosphere is generated at mid ocean ridges
True
P waves travel faster than surface waves
True
Beach nourishment _______________.
a coastal engineering method that provides a recreation beach and helps protect coastal properties from erosion by widening the beach
Which volcano is more likely to produce a lahar - a composite volcano like Mt. Rainier in Washington or a shield volcano like Kilauea in Hawaii? Why?
a composite volcano because ash from a pyroclastic eruption could mix with water from melted snow and ice on the summit and form a lahar
What is uniformitarianism?
a concept that states that present processes operated in the past, at similar rates
An aquifer with an impermeable layer above and below it is called
a confined aquifer
What is the best description of a '100-year' flood?
a flood that has a 1 in 100 probability (1% chance) of occurring each year
Faults are a result of [a] deformation, and folds are a result of [b] deformation.
a. brittle b. ductile
Seismic waves are used to determine that the interior of the Earth is divided into layers of rock with different properties. Seismic waves will ______ or slow down depending on the ______of the material they're traveling through. When seismic waves reach the boundary between two layers, some waves will also _____ (bounce) off that boundary and some will _____(bend) at the boundary.
accelerate Density Reflect Refract
Why is it possible for an ecosystem adapted to cool temperatures (algific talus slopes), to thrive in the warm summer climate of Iowa?
air chilled by flowing through fractured and partially dissolved limestone and dolomite bedrock creates a microclimate with cooler temperatures
A group of populations of different species living in the same area with varying degrees of interaction with each other is
an ecological community
Vegetation influences slope stability in part by
anchoring soils and other materials on the slope
An ______ is earth material capable of storing and supplying groundwater at a useful rate. A _______ is formed when a confining or impermeable layer restricts the upper surface of the zone of saturation. A _______ forms when the surface of the water table is drawn down by a pumping well.
aquifer, confined aquifer, cone of depression
Aside from recycling, the only viable source of aluminum is from which mineral?
bauxite
In the next few decades, water resources in the Colorado River Basin are expected to
be stressed even further due to anticipated population growth
Why are the impacts of coastal hazards such as erosion, storm surge, and flooding so great?
because densely populated areas are located at or near the coasts
Biotechnology can help reduce the environmental impacts of mining through
both b and c
What environmental impact does the production of shale gas and tar sands have in common?
both generate contaminated wastewater
There are two types of channel patterns: meandering and _____ . Meandering streams have repeating meander bends. Point bars occur on the ____ of meander bends when sediment is ______ and cut banks occur on the ______ of meander bends where sediment is ______.
braided inside deposited outside eroded
In what way can the construction of dams and levees INCREASE flood damage on a floodplain?
by giving a false sense of security that encourages development on the floodplain
Aquifers
can be any Earth material with high porosity and high permeability
Greenhouse gases include all of the following. Which gas is thought to have the greatest effect on global warming or increasing global temperatures?
carbon dioxide
CO2 reacts with water to form _______________, which makes the ocean more acidic.
carbonic acid
The maximum number of people Earth can hold without causing prohibitive environmental degradation is called
carrying capacity
The 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo
caused global cooling the next year because incoming solar radiation was scattered off ash particles and aerosol droplets in the atmosphere
Why do composite volcanoes consist of alternating lava and pyroclastic layers?
composite cones are created by a mixture of explosive activity and lava flows
How do point bars and cut banks differ from one another in a stream system?
cut banks are sites of erosion, while point bars are sites of deposition
Biochemical oxygen demand reflects the amount of
decaying organic matter in water bodies
Detrital sedimentary rocks differ from chemical sedimentary rocks in that
detrital sedimentary rocks are composed of visible pieces of preexisting rocks, and chemical sedimentary rocks are composed of minerals that evaporate or precipitate from a solution
Which of the following would be considered a point source of pollution?
discharge of industrial wastewater
The study of controls over the distribution and abundance of living things is called
ecology
Earthquake magnitude is the measure of the amount of ________ during an earthquake and it _____ vary with location. Earthquake intensity is a measure of the amount of ____ during an earthquake and it _____ vary with location and subsurface earth materials.
energy released does not ground shaking does
What phase of mining generally causes the least environmental degradation?
exploration and testing
Why is flood hazard mapping considered an important step in floodplain management?
flood hazard mapping guides appropriate development in the floodplain
The statistical probability of a flood of a certain magnitude occurring in any given year is referred to as the
flood recurrence interval
What aspect of tropical cyclones tends to cause the greatest death and destruction
flooding from rain, waves, and storm surge
Some metamorphic rocks are potential environmental hazards because
foliation planes can be planes of weakness in the rock
Gypsum used in drywall and graphite used in pencils
form from sedimentary and metamorphic processes, respectively
Why does acid rain result from fossil fuel consumption?
fossil fuel burning releases nitrogen and sulfur oxides
Strong bedrock, like granite, influences the formation of what types of hillslopes?
free cliff face with talus at the base
The mineral quartz can be used in the manufacture of
glass, jewelry, abrasives
What aspect of hillside development has contributed to the frequency of landslides in southern California?
grading of hillslopes to create pads for home construction
What is exponential growth?
growth that occurs as a constant percentage of the existing amount
The ______ the silica content, the more viscose the magma. The ______ the viscosity of the magma, the more explosive the eruption.
higher higher
A strike-slip fault has what type of motion?
horizontal
A major drawback associated with the use of nuclear energy is
how to dispose of the radioactive waste
Which of the following types of renewable energy displaces people and traps sediment so that beaches aren't replenished with sand?
hydroelectric power
Which proxy records are used in reconstructing the atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations before modern direct measurements and monitoring stations?
ice cores
How do slides and flows differ?
in a slide, material moves downslope as a coherent block, and in a flow, material mixes and churns as it moves downslope
Which change is NOT expected as a result of global warming?
increase in the flow of the warm Gulf Stream toward Europe
If a stream channel is of constant width and depth, how must increased discharge be accommodated?
increased velocity
We can see the correlation between the start of industrialization (increasing manufacturing) and the increasing CO2 levels. What activity related to industrialization would add increasingly large amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere?
increasing use of fossil fuels
An indigenous ecosystem is one that
is not substantially impacted by humans
The water table
is the boundary between the vadose zone and the saturated zone
The sludge from sewage treatment plants
is used as fertilizer because it contains nitrogen and phosphorus
Why is drainage control sometimes an effective method of landslide control?
it reduces the amount of water in the hillslope materials
The "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico results from
large amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, carried by the Mississippi River to the Gulf
caldera
large depression produced by the collapse of a volcano summit in to the emptied magma chamber
How much of the Earth's water is stored as (non-saline) groundwater?
less than 1%
In what types of rock do most caves form?
limestone
The current flowing parallel to and just offshore of a beach is called
longshore current
Off-road vehicle use contributes to soil problems by
loosening soil and changing the hydrology of a site
How does earthquake magnitude differ from intensity?
magnitude reflects energy release, while intensity reflects the amount of shaking
What is sustainability?
meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
Which factors contribute to sea-level rise from global warming?
melting land ice and heating and expansion of sea water
Regional metamorphism involves ______________, and contact metamorphism involves _________________.
metamorphism of rocks over a large geographic area at convergent plate boundaries; local heating of rocks around an intrusion of magma
How do soils become fertile?
mild weathering of parent material and addition of organic matter
Lahar
mudflow produced when volcanic ash mixes with water
What are the two drinking water contaminates thought to pose an immediate health threat?
nitrate and fecal coliform bacteria
Mineral resources are
nonrenwable resources because new mineral deposits are forming too slowly to be of use on human time scales
Earthquakes
occur on faults when rocks rupture, releasing stored up stress as energy
What are the requirements for a sediment to become a source rock for oil and natural gas?
organic matter must accumulate in a low-oxygen environment
We know there are water shortages in some parts of the world and we have to use our water resources more carefully. What is the root cause of the emerging global (fresh)water shortage?
overpopulation
Why do manure spills into bodies of water result in fish kills?
oxygen in the water is consumed by the bacteria that breakdown the manure (concentrated organic matter)
Which of the following is NOT produced during a pyroclastic eruption?
pahoehoe basalt
Geyser
periodic release of steam and hot water caused by circulation and heating of groundwater
Soil taxonomy is a classification system based on
physical and chemical properties of the soil
How are the impacts of natural hazards linked to population growth?
population growth concentrates people and resources, such that the impacts of an individual natural hazard can be greater
Greenhouse gases include all of the following except ____.
radon
One result of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park is
regrowth of streamside vegetation
The smelting of sulfide ores
results in acid rain
Which of the following statements about stress and how rocks deform is CORRECT?
rocks shorten in response to compressive stresses and stretch in response to tensile stresses
The portion of rainfall that flows off the land and directly into a river is called
runoff
How does urbanization affect runoff and flooding?
runoff increases and the time between the precipitation event and water rise in local streams decreases
When you watch the segment for 1979-2011, you'll see the CO2 levels fluctuate (most dramatically at monitoring stations in the northern mid and low latitudes - around the equator) during each year. Why is this? seasonal changes in fossil fuel emissions
seasonal changes due to photosynthesis
bed load
sediment that moves by bouncing or rolling of particles along the bottom of the channel
Basalt is the dominant lava type erupted in ______ volcanoes.Andesite is the dominant lava type erupted in _______ volcanoes.Tephra, ash, and basalt are erupted from a type of relatively small volcano called a ______
shield composite cinder cone
Weather describes _____ atmospheric conditions over time spans of _____ . Climate describes ______ atmospheric conditions at a particular place or region over time spans of _______.
short term, hours to days, long term, years to decades
Which of the following may INCREASE landslide hazards?
slip surfaces, like bedding planes or foliation planes, that are tilted in the downslope direction
How do slumps and translational slides differ?
slumps are rotational, while translational slides are planar
Which of the following are environmental issues associated with the production and use of coal?
slurry impoundments, acid rain, and valley fill
Oil and natural gas originate in a fine-grained, organic-rich sedimentary rock referred to as a ______ . As these organics become hydrocarbons, they migrate upwards into porous, permeable rocks, such as sandstone or fractured limestone. This type of rock is called a _______. When upward migration is impeded by a barrier, known as a _______ , the hydrocarbons can accumulate and become trapped.
source rock, reservoir rock, cap rock
Why are most active volcanoes associated with plate tectonic boundaries?
spreading or sinking plates interact at plate boundaries with other materials to produce magma
Which of the following would be the MOST STABLE slopes?
steep, forested slopes with good drainage
Which of the following statements about storm surge is CORRECT?
storm surge is highest on the side of the rotating storm that is blowing landward
Viscosity of a magma is controlled by
temperature and silica content of the magma
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were different from most California earthquakes because
the New Madrid earthquakes were centered in a plate interior
The biomagnification of mercury occurs as mercury moves through
the aquatic food chain
What is average residence time?
the average time required for the total stock of a material to be cycled through a system
Why is the geologic history of a volcano important in hazard prediction?
the geologic history reveals the frequency and style of eruptions
Why is cyanide heap leaching used to extract gold from some deposits?
the gold concentration is too low to be extracted using traditional methods
convergent plate boundary
the plates are colliding with each other and Oceanic plates subduct under continental plats
divergent plate boundary
the plates are moving from each other at mid ocean ridges
The concept that one action leads to other actions in a linked system is referred to as
the principle of environmental unity
The shrink-swell potential of a soil is dependent upon
the proportion of clay in the soil
Darcy's Law allows geologists to calculate
the rate of discharge of an aquifer
Why does the damming of rivers sometime contribute to coastal erosion?
the supply of new sand to replenish beaches is cut off
Which of the following statements about the Ogallala aquifer is CORRECT?
the water table has dropped due to withdrawals for irrigation, domestic, and municipal use
When waves approach the shore and enter shallow water
the waves slow down and the wave height increases
What is one reason that ash fall is such a significant hazard?
the weight of the ash can cause structural damage to buildings
How do magnetic stripes on the ocean floor serve as evidence for seafloor spreading?
their symmetry on either side of the mid-ocean ridge shows that new crust is created, then split
Water discharged from power plants creates what kind of pollution?
thermal pollution
What are the three largest uses of freshwater in the United States? #1 ( largest) #2 #3 (smallest)
thermoelectric power irrigation public supply
What is a drawback of seawalls?
they bounce wave energy back across the beach and cause erosion
Which of the following is NOT a criteria by which minerals are defined?
they can be solid, liquid, or gas
Sulfide minerals are potential environmental hazards because
they can combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid
Since instrumental recordings of climate only go back to the 1800's, scientists use indirect information stored in natural archives to infer prehistoric climate. From the list below, select ALL the natural archives that can be used as proxies for climate reconstruction.
tree rings, corals, ice cores, stalagmites
A transform plate boundary involves
two plates sliding past each other, such as the North American plate and the Pacific plate sliding past each other along the San Andreas Fault
As water infiltrates the ground it travels through the earth material above the water table known as the _____ . The area beneath the water table where all the pore spaces are filled with water is called the ______.
vadose zone and zone of saturation
Urbanization influences soil erosion processes primarily because of
vegetation removal and soil disturbance at construction sites
Which of the following is not a mineral?
volcanic glass
Most water pollution associated with mining operations has to do with
water passing through mine wastes
If water is so abundant on Earth, why are water resources such a big concern?
water resources are not necessarily where humans need them and when they need them
Nutrient levels in wastewater can be reduced by cycling wastewater through
wetlands
Which of the following does not influence wave size?
wind temperature
What information would you need in order to prepare a landslide hazard map?
ALL OF THE ABOVE IS THE ANSWER topography (steepness of slopes) the kinds of rocks or Earth materials present inventory of past landslides all of the above
Identify THREE environmental concerns related to coal production and use.
Air pollution from coal fires. Water pollution from coal sludge left over from coal processing. Permanant marks on the land surface from heavy equipment.
A tsunami may occur when _____.
All of the Above is the answer an earthquake occurs on or near the ocean floor. an volcano erupts underwater. an underwater landslide occurs.
Why do some faults "creep" with slow, constant movement? What keeps other faults from constantly moving?
"Creeping" faults are lubricated by either fluids or slippery rocks. Faults that aren't moving are stuck together by friction.
The oldest rocks in the continents are a little over 4 billion years old, while the oldest rocks in the ocean basins are only around 200 million years old. Explain (1) why this difference in age occurs and (2) how it supports the theory of plate tectonics.
Ancient rocks are preserved on continents because they are not destroyed through subduction, but they can't be preserved in the oceans because all oceanic crust will eventually subduct below plates made of continental crust. Oceanic lithosphere is made of denser igneous rocks (basalt and gabbro) than the continental lithosphere (lighter rocks like granite). Plates of oceanic and continental lithosphere "ride" over part of the mantle called the asthenosphere. Oceanic lithosphere will collide with continental lithosphere at some point and must subduct down into the mantle because it is so much denser than continental lithosphere. The theory of plate tectonics is supported by this evidence of the processes of sea-floor spreading and subduction that drive plate motion.
Explain with some detail how a track of volcanoes (like the islands of Hawaii) form near a hot spot?
As a lithospheric plate moves over a stationary mantle plume, melting occurs which causes a volcano to form on the lithospheric plate directly over the mantle plume. This is a "hot spot" volcano. As the plate continues to move, the volcano moves with it and eventually moves off the heat source (mantle plume) and the volcano goes extinct. A new volcano forms over the mantle plume, and eventually it also goes extinct when it moves off the heat source. A chain of volcanoes is created, with an active volcano directly over the mantle plume, and the oldest, extinct volcano the farthest away from the mantle plume.
How does no-till agriculture reduce soil erosion?
BOTH A & B ANSWER crop residue left on the fields provides a protective cover it eliminates plowing it follows the contours of topography both a and b
What are the possible effects of utility lines (electric power, gas, water, sewer) rupturing in an earthquake?
BOTH A AND B fires could be sparked by broken electric power and gas lines, and if water lines are also broken, there may not be any way to put them out loss of functioning water and sewer lines could cause sanitation problems, which may lead to outbreaks of disease