Landforms 1020 Exam 1 UofMemphis

The Precambrian Eon encompasses what percentage of Earth's total history?

87.6 percent

What type of feedback maintains stability in a system; i.e., what type of feedback keeps a system functioning properly?

negative

The transition zone from the outer core to the mantle is __________ and is known as the __________ discontinuity. A) uneven; Gutenberg B) uneven; Moho C) smooth; Gutenberg D) smooth; Moho

uneven; Gutenberg

Domes can be formed by

upwarping associated with magma movement

Which of the following is an endogenic process? a. weathering b. stream deposition c. volcanism d. glacial erosion

volcanism

Which of the following is correct? A) The age of the sea floor is the same in most areas of the ocean. B) The age of the sea floor does not follow a discernable pattern. C) The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge. D) The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a trench.

c

Which of the following is incorrect regarding Earth's inner core? A) It has a density of 13.5 grams per cm3. B) It is solid iron in composition. C) It is the source of Earth's magnetic field. D) It is about 1230 km (760 mi.) thick.

c

Continental crust is basically __________, whereas oceanic crust is basically __________.

granite; basalt

Which of following is not related to the pricipal of relative geologic time? a. Uniformitarianism b. Cross cutting relationship c. Half-life d. Original horizontality

half-life

Earth's interior is

heated unevenly by the heat of radioactive decay.

Which of the following regions is probably the most tectonically active at this time? a. the Canadian shield b. the Appalachian Mountains c. the Himalayas d. the Gulf Coast region of the United States

himalayas

Volcanic activity located away from plate boundaries is associated with

hot spots

A parallel of latitude

is used to measure distances east and west of the equator.

The principles of buoyancy and balance, when applied to Earth's crust, helps us to explain fluctuations in Earth's outer crust, a property known as

isostasy

On the Mercator projection, areas at high latitudes appear __________.

larger than areas of the same size located nearer to the equator

Earth's interior is layered because

materials became sorted based on density while Earth was still molten.

The phrase "considerable-to-serious damage to buildings" would be used in the __________ scale

mercalli

A rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as

metamorphis

Uniformitarianism assumes that

the same physical processes we see today are a key to understanding the processes that have been operating throughout geologic time.

Which of the following is not correct regarding Mount Saint Helens? A) The Cascades lie over an area of subduction of the Juan de Fuca and Gorda plates. B) It is the youngest and most active volcano of the Cascade Range. C) It is an example of a shield volcano. D) The 18 May eruption resulted in less than 100 deaths.

C) It is an example of a shield volcano.

The San Andreas system in California is an example of a A) strike-slip fault. B) transform fault. C) right-lateral motion. D) All of these are correct.

D) All of these are correct.

Where does subduction occur?

D) along collision zones between continental and oceanic plates

The nucleus of old crystalline rock in each of the principal continental masses is called a

craton.

What is the correct sequence of layers in Earth, from the surface to the center?

crust, aesthenosphere, lower mantle, core

Which of the following is incorrect? a. Earth represents a vast integrated system. b. Earth represents an open system in terms of energy. c. Earth represents a closed system in terms of matter. d. New resources and matter are being added to Earth's systems all the time.

d

Mafic minerals are __________ minerals

dark colored, high density

Terranes refer to

displaced and migrating pieces of Earth's crust.

If we burn fossil fuels, which release carbon dioxide and warm the atmosphere, as the oceans warm they will release more carbon dioxide, which warms the atmosphere. This is an example of __________ feedback. If the increased atmospheric carbon dioxide causes increased plant growth which removes carbon dioxide and cools the atmosphere, this is an example of __________ feedback

positive; negative

What has a high silica content, a high resistance to weathering, a low melting temperature, and a light coloration?

quartz

Vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as

relief

Which projection shows great circle routes as straight lines? A) Mercator projection B) Goode's homolosine projection C) any conic projection D) a gnomonic projection

Goode's homolosine projection

23. The boundary between the crust and the rest of the lithospheric upper mantle is a discontinuity known as the

Moho

A hypsographic curve is A) a graph that shows the change in temperature with depth below the surface of a continent. B) a graph that shows the change in temperature with depth below the surface of the ocean floor. C) a generalized curve showing Earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level. D) a graph that shows Earth is of relatively high relief.

a generalized curve showing Earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level.

orogenesis refers to

a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust.

The aesthenosphere can best be described as A) a rigid solid. B) a liquid. C) a plastic. D) a plasma.

a plastic

Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests. The layers near the crest form

anticline

Which of the following best describes the condition of steady-state equilibrium? a. System inputs always exactly balance outputs so the system never changes. b. System inputs and outputs fluctuate around a stable average so the system does not move far from its average condition. c. System inputs produce large, random fluctuations in output, forcing the system into a new state of equilibrium. d. Systems slowly adjust to long-term changes in input and output.

b

Which of the following describes the property of true shape on a map? A) equivalence B) conformality C) proximity D) equidistance

b

What is the correct sequence of divisions in the geologic time scale, from largest to smallest?

eon, era, period, epoch

The area at the surface directly above the subsurface location where seismic waves are initiated is termed the

epicenter

The three most abundant elements in Earth's crust are

oxygen, silicon, and aluminum

If a system responds to a change in input by moving further away from its equilibrium condition, what type of feedback has occurred?

positive

An instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the

seismograph

36. If you wanted to avoid earthquakes, which of the following areas would be the safest to live? A) convergent plate boundary B) divergent plate boundary C) island arc along a subduction zone D) shield

shield

A laccolith is actually a large version of a __________.

sill

The larger the scale of a map, the __________ the area covered by the map and the __________ detail it provides.

smaller; more

With increasing depth, the mantle becomes __________ due to greater __________.

stiffer; pressures

Normal faults are associated with

tensional forces

The layer within Earth that lies directly below the lithosphere, but above the upper mantle, is best described as

the core

Ocean floor subducts under continents because

the ocean floor is made of mafic material and is therefore more dense than continental material.