Unit 4 - APES

The Atlantic Ocean is expanding as a result of plate tectonics. Which of the following explanations best identifies the type of plate boundary and processes occurring at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as shown in the diagram below?

A divergent plate boundary exists at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge where plates move away from one another, leading to seafloor spreading.

Based on the map above, which of the following best explains why the Atacama Desert has a consistently arid climate?

It is in the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains.

Based on the map, which of the following best explains the area of the Andes Mountains that would have the greatest number of rivers?

More rivers would be located on the east side of the Andes Mountains because the trade winds are coming from the east.

Which of the following describes the DEPENDENT variable in this investigation?

Percentage of each particle size in each soil sample

The Mississippi watershed is the largest in North America, draining all or part of thirty-two states in the United States and two Canadian provinces. A new apartment complex is being built on a steep slope near the source of the Mississippi River outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Which of the following measures should be taken to best reduce erosion at the construction site to protect the Mississippi watershed?

Plant grass and shrubs on the slope.

A developer wants to develop a large tract of land near a watershed, which will require the removal of several large trees. Which of the following statements best describes the impact that the development would have on the watershed?

Removing large trees would cause an increase in temperature and keep the surrounding water and soil warmer.

Which of the following describes the INDEPENDENT variable in this investigation

Soil samples taken from different locations

Based on the map above, which of the following best identifies and explains the region of South America that would have a more moderate climate?

The east coast would have a more moderate climate because of the Brazil Current.

The map above shows the locations of known volcanoes and earthquakes. Which of the following explains what is being illustrated in the enclosed area in the northwest portion of the map?

The enclosed area shows a hot spot in the middle of the Pacific Plate in the Hawaiian Islands.

Which of the following statements best describes the boundary between the two tectonic plates seen in the map?

The map illustrates a transform boundary, where tectonic plates slide past each other as the Pacific Plate moves northwest and the North American Plate moves southeast.

Which statement is best illustrated in the diagram above regarding how the Sun's energy affects the Earth's surface from June through September in the Northern Hemisphere?

The season changes from summer to autumn, daylight hours decrease, and infrared radiation is the strongest during the June solstice.

A student claims that soil sample B would be classified as a loam. Which of the following best describes the method used by the student to reach this conclusion?

The student used a soil triangle to determine where the lines intersect for sand, silt, and clay for the soil sample.

During an El Niño event, farmers in the southwestern United States often benefit from which of the following climatic changes?

Wetter and warmer weather that increases soil moisture

Which of the following is a dependent variable in the experiment?

percent change in mass of the soil

Which of the following is the control group for this experiment?

soil with no grass

The vast majority of ozone (O3) is found in a thin layer due to a lack of circulation in which of the following atmospheric layers?

sratosphere

Which of the following abiotic factors, when graphed on the x-axis, leads to the curved line in the graph due to variation in the different layers of the atmosphere?

temperature GRADIENT

Which of the following layers of the atmosphere contains charged gas molecules that glow and produce light when hit by solar energy, leading to glowing gases such as the northern lights, found over 90 kilometers above Earth's surface?

thermosphereas