Earth Science Final Exam Review

List four volcanic activity zones

-Continental rift valley -Oceanic-continental plate convergent -oceanic-oceanic plate convergent -Sea floor spreading -Hot spot volcano

List three forms of physical weathering ______________, ________________, and _______________.

-frost action (freeze-thaw action) -salt-crystal growth (crystallization) -pressure-release jointing

The oceanic crust thickness is about _____km, and the average continental crust thickness is ______km.

5km, 30km

Which of these is incorrectly matched? a.) radioactive decay heat-exogenic energy source b.) weathering-exogenic breaking and dissolving the crust

A (Radioactive decay is endogenic)

Steep slopes and some relief generally produce which drainage pattern? A) dendritic B) deranged C) parallel D) annular

C) parallel

Four pieces of evidence used to prove continental drift were:

Coastal lines, fossils, rock types/mountain belts, and ancient climates

In 1912, German geophysicist and meteorologist, Alfred Wegener first proposed the ________________________ hypothesis about the Earth's land mass migration.

Continental Drift

________________ separate drainage basins and send flows to the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantics, Hudson Bay, or the Arctic ocean.

Continental divides

A ___________, or heartland region, is an old and stable part of the continental crust.

Craton

Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in the Earth, from the surface to the center? (Core, crust, asthenosphere, lower mantle)

Crust, asthenosphere, lower mantle, core

The oceanic crust is less dense than the continental crust T/F

False

shearing = stretching, T/F

False (Shearing = twisting laterally)

Physical weathering dominates in warm and wet climates. T/F

False (cold and dry is true)

The moment magnitude scale is based on energy released and is less accurate than Richter's scale which is based on the amplitude of seismic waves. T/F

False (moment magnitude is more accurate)

First crustal order of relief

First order of relief: The coarsest level, consists of continental landmasses and ocean basins.

_____________threshold is the point at which there is enough energy to overcome resistance against movements.

Geomorphic

The decay rate is expressed as ________, the time required for one half of the unstable atoms in a sample to decay into "daughter" isotopes.

Half-life

The youngest epoch in the geologic time scale is _________

Holocene

Fire-formed, molten rocks are called

Igneous

An interruption in a stream's longitudinal profile of equilibrium is called __________.

Nickpoint

People often say that California is going to "fall into the ocean". This idea is totally wrong because the San Andreas fault would have to be a _________fault associated with ________ forces for this to happen. (Normal or reverse; tension or compression)

Normal, tension

In reality, a landscape behaves as a(n) ________ system.

Open

Wegener used ____________to name a supercontinent approximately 225 million years ago.

Pangaea

What are the two types of time?

Relative and absolute

List two types of scale to rate earthquakes

Richter scale and moment magnitude scale

What is the principle of superposition?

Rock and sediment always are arranged with the youngest bed "superposed" toward the top of a rock formation and the oldest at the base, if there have not been disturbed.

Rocks formed from settling out

Sedimentary

List the three types of stress

Shear (transform), Tension (divergent), and Compression (convergent)

The Earth's dominant materials are _____ and ____

Silica and Iron

The two most abundant chemical elements in Earth's crust are:

Silicon and oxygen

The combination effects of _____________(powered by internal energy) and ___________ (powered by the sun through motion of air, water and ice) create Earth's continental crust.

Tectonic energy, Weathering and erosion

The geologic cycle is composed of three subsystems, what are they?

Tectonic, rock, and hydrologic

Second order of relief

The intermediate level, includes mountain masses, plains, lowlands (continental features), mid-ocean ridges, oceanic trenches.

Third order of relief

The most-detailed level, includes individual mountains, cliffs, valleys, hills, and other smaller scale landforms.

A hypsographic curve is a graph that shows the Earth's surface by area and elevation in relation to sea level.

True

A residual "synclinal ridge" may form within a trough of a fold. T/F

True

A slope is stable if its strength exceeds the weathering and erosion process. T/F

True

A watershed is an open system. T/F

True

Although Nile River is the second longest river on Earth, it is not the largest river in terms of discharge. T/F

True

Depth of earthquake focus increases with increasing distance from ocean trench. T/F.

True

Earth was once in a molten state, during which materials became sorted based on density T/F

True

Earth's core is composed primarily of Iron T/F

True

Most streams flow into the ocean. T/F

True

Ocean floor subducts under continents because the ocean floor is denser than continental material. T/F

True

Orogeny means mountain generating T/F?

True

River discharge usually increases downstream because the area being drained increases. T/F.

True

Stream discharge is calculated by multiplying the velocity of the stream by its width and depth for a specific cross section of the channel. T/F

True

Temperature in the core reaches several thousand degrees. T/F

True

Temperatures and pressures are higher in the inner core than in the outer core. T/F

True

The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge. T/F

True

The angle of repose depends on the size and texture of the grains. T/F

True

The fluid outer core generates 90% of Earth's magnetic field. T/F

True

The magnetic stripes found around mid-Atlantic ridge were due to the magnetic reversal. T/F.

True

The mean sea level is at 0m. T/F

True

The pressure-release jointing is a physical weathering process that does not always involve water. T/F

True

The salt crystal growth is primarily found in arid environments. T/F

True

cfs is a unit of stream discharge and stands for cubic feet per second. T/F

True

compression = shortening or folding, T/F

True

strain = stress-induced, T/F

True

tension = stretching or faulting, T/F

True

Uniformitarianism assumes that the same physical processes we see today are a key to understand the processes that have been operating throughout the geologic time. T/F

True ("The present is the key to the past.")

The Moho mirrors the surface topography, i.e., high places on the surface of the Earth overlies areas in which the Moho descends to greater depths, and vice versa. T/F

True (Isostatic Adjustment)

The Hawaiian Islands were formed as a result of a rising plume of magma from the mantle. T/F

True.

The dynamic equilibrium model refers to a) a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation by weathering and erosion in a given landscape b) a theory involving the cyclic or evolutionary development of a landscape c) a sequential development of landforms

a) a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation by weathering and erosion in a given landscape

Watersheds are defined by a) drainage divides b) stream orders c) fluvial units

a) drainage divides

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of a) higher mean annual rainfall and temperature b) low mean annual rainfall and temperature c) temperatures below freezing

a) higher mean annual rainfall and temperature

A graph of stream discharge over time for a specific place is called ____________ a) hydrograph b) hypsometry c) water table

a) hydrograph

Earth's magnetic field a) is variable, and it has phased to zero some nine times during the past 4 million years b) is constant in its intensity c) remain a mystery as to its cause d) is principally generated in the inner core

a) is variable, and it has phased to zero some nine times during the past 4 million years

When rock is broken and disintegrated without dissolving, the process in operation is a) physical weathering b) chemical weathering c) hydrolysis d) carbonation

a) physical weathering

A central peak, such as volcanic mountain, generally produces a _________drainage pattern. A) radial B) trellis C) parallel D) annular

a) radial

Vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as a) relief b) topography c) crust

a) relief

Several large, linear lakes are formed in East Africa. This is evidence of what process? a) rifting b) subduction c) compression d) isostatic uplift

a) rifting

Divergent plate boundaries are characteristics of: a) sea-flooring spreading centers b) collision zone between plates c) transform plate boundaries

a) sea-flooring spreading centers

Heat energy and new materials are brought to the surface from the interior by the a) tectonic cycle b) rock cycle c) hydrologic cycle d) mineral cycle

a) tectonic cycle

Normal faults are associated with a) tension forces b) compressional forces c) plate convergence d) transcurrent forces

a) tension forces

Which of the following are located along the mid-ocean ridge? a) volcanoes b) outcrops of granite c) old oceanic sediments d) none of the above

a) volcanoes

The most active tectonic regions of North and South America are on the a) western coast b) eastern coat c) southern coast d) mid-continent

a) western coast

Knowledge of Earth's interior is derived from a.) indirect evidence involving the analysis of seismic waves b.) direct sampling of the interior using deep-test wells

a.) indirect evidence involving the analysis of seismic waves

Approximately what percentage of Earth's surface is exposed above sea level? a) 18% b) 29% c) 49%

b) 29%

After a threshold is crossed, the landscape a) remains unstable thereafter b) adjust to a new equilibrium condition c) looks identical to the landscape that existed prior to the crossing of the threshold d) all of the above

b) adjust to a new equilibrium condition

At which of the following locations does subduction occur? a) along collision zones between two continents b) along collisions zones between continental and oceanic plates c) at sea floor spreading zones

b) along collisions zones between continental and oceanic plates

Of the world's largest rivers, which has the greatest discharge (runoff) ? a) congo river b) amazon river c) yangtze river d) missouri-ohio-mississippi river

b) amazon river

The steepness of a slope made of loose material is called the a) height of the slope b) angle of repose c) mass movement gradient d) the speed of the particles

b) angle of repose

Convergent plate boundaries are characteristics of: a) sea-floor spreading centers b) collision zones between plates c) lateral motion of plates

b) collision zones between plates

When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit, displacement occurs in a process known as a) folding b) faulting c) stressing d) bending

b) faulting

Volcanic activity located away from plate boundaries is associated with a) subduction and melting of plates along collision zones b) hot spots c) rift zones d) all of the above

b) hot spots (Hawaii)

The principle of buoyancy and balance, when applied to Earth's crust, helps us to explain fluctuations in Earth's outer crust, a property known as a) Moho effect b) isostatic adjustment d) orogenesis

b) isostatic adjustment

An instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the a) land barometer b) seismograph c) the Richter scale d) tiltmeter

b) seismograph

A slow persistent mass movement of surface soil is called a) a debris avalanche b) soil creep c) a soil slide d) a rock fall

b) soil creep

Landslides occur when a) a threshold is reached b) the internal friction is overcome by the force of gravity c) driving forces exceed resisting forces d) all of the above

d) all of the above

Rocks are subjected to stress due to a) tectonic forces b) gravity c) pressure from overlaying rocks d) all of the above

d) all of the above

The San Andreas system in California is an example of a a) strike-slip fault b) transform fault c) right-lateral fault d) all of the above

d) all of the above

The form that a landscape exhibits results from a balance between a) forces acting on the landscape b) endogenic and exogenic processes c) input and output of matter and energy d) all of the above

d) all of the above

The rate at which rocks weathering depends on a) the climate of an area b) the type of rock c) the amount of vegetation in an area d) all of the above

d) all of the above

Which of the following can lead to hillslope failure? a) making a road cut in the side of a hill b) increasing the slope angle c) excessively watering a slope d) all of the above

d) all of the above

Which of the following is true of the asthenosphere? a) it contains pockets of increased heat b) it flows c) it carries the lithospheric plates d) all of the above e) none of the above

d) all of the above

Which of the following is an example of a first order of relief? a) the Alps b) the Tibetan Plateau c) the Ohio Valley d) an ocean basin

d) an ocean basin (least detailed)

As a stream velocity decreases, which of the following sizes of sediments will be deposited last? A) gravel B) sand C) silt D) clay

d) clay

The effect of urbanization on a typical stream hydrograph is to a) create a base flow b) increase lag time between storm peak and peak stream discharge c) decrease runoff d) decrease lag time between storm peak and peak stream discharge

d) decrease lag time between storm peak and peak stream discharge

Which of the following stream channel types is likely to develop on gently slopping surfaces composed of rocks or sediments with approximately the same resistance to erosion? a) radial b) annular c) deranged d) dendritic

d) dendritic

All processes that cause reduction and rearrangement of landforms are included in the term a) mass movement b) erosion c) weathering d) denudation

d) denudation

The glacial shield regions of Canada have disrupted surface drainage patterns that are called _______patterns. A) erratic B) parallel C) annular D) deranged

d) deranged

Rectangular drainage patterns form primarily as a result of a) differential resistance to erosion b) domal uplift c) flow through anticlinal and synclinal topography d) flow through faulted landscape

d) flow through faulted landscape

The motion of seismic waves is initiated in a subsurface area along the fault plane called the a) epicenter b) fault area c) Richter zone d) focus or hypocenter

d) focus or hypocenter (subsurface) (epicenter is surface)

On which part of a slope would rocks tend to fall at the highest speed? a) concave slope b) convex slope c) debris slope d) free face

d) free face

An example of chemical weathering is a) exfoliation b) the breakdown of rocks by freezing and thawing c) the wearing away of a stream bank by a river d) karst topography

d) karst topography

Which of the following is true of joints? a) joints are small, localized fault planes along which movement occurs b) joints enable more water to move through the ground c) joints enhance the rate of weathering d) only b and c are true

d) only b and c

In most areas, the upper surface of bedrock is partially weathered to broken-up rock called a) parent rock b) bedrock c) sediment d) regolith

d) regolith

Stream transport involves all of the following except A) saltation B) suspension C) traction D) sheet flow

d) sheet flow

If you were paranoid of earthquakes, which of the following area would be the safest to live? a) convergent plate boundary c) island arc along a subduction zone d) shield

d) shield

Which drainage pattern is produced by folded topography? A) radial B) dendritic C) deranged D) trellis

d) trellis

The disintegration and dissolving of surface and subsurface rock is called a) erosion b) mass movement c) landmass denudation d) weathering

d) weathering

As the discharge of a stream increases, which of the following also happens? a) stream channel narrow, become shallower, and lose velocity b) the rate of flow decreases c) channel width increases but channel depth decreases d) width, depth, and velocity all increase

d) width, depth, and velocity all increase

Which of the following is an exogenic process? a.) earthquake b.) volcanism c.) flows of heat and materials in the mantle d.) weathering

d.) weathering

Which of the following plays a role in the shaping of earth's surface? a.) gravity b.) the action of wind, water, and ice c.) the radioactive decay of atoms d.) all of the above e.) B and C only

e.) all of the above

What is the correct sequence of divisions in the geologic time scale from largest to smallest? (era, eon, epoch, period)

eon, era, period, epoch

Some streams may originate in a humid region and subsequently flow through an arid region. Thus, the discharge may decrease with distance, because of high potential evapotranspiration. Such streams are called___________________ streams.

exotic streams (Nile River)

What are the three basic rock types

igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

Two driving forces of fluvial systems are

insolation and gravity

Some streams do not reach the ocean. Water leaves the basin through evaporation or subsurface gravitational flow. Such basins are called ________________basins.

internal drainage basins

Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in the mantle, from bottom to top? (upper mantle, mantle, asthenosphere)

mantle, upper mantle, asthenosphere

Rocks transformed by any other rock through extreme heat or pressure

metaphoric

The length of the individual channels in a dendritic drainage pattern is ________and this increases energy __________ (minimized or maximized; efficiency and inefficiency)

minimized; efficiency

List three types of orogenesis

oceanic-continental collision, oceanic-oceanic collision, continental-continental collision (3 convergent plate boundaries; C-C is the only one with no volcano formation)

Uplift of the landscape creates ___________energy which is converted to _________energy when materials begin to move downslope. (kinetic or potential; kinetic, potential, or chemical)

potential, kinetic

Chapter 12 The Dynamic Planet

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Chapter 13 Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanism

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Chapter 14 Weathering, Karst Landscapes, and Mass Movement

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Chapter 15 River Systems

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The relationship between stage and stream discharge is called _______________curve.

stage-discharge rating curve

List two forms of landslides

translational and rotational

The inner core is believed to be liquid and the outer core solid T/F

False

Which of the following does not favor delta formation? A) Strong ocean currents B) Shallow ocean water along the coast C) A lack of reservoirs upstream D) A large sediment load

A) Strong ocean currents

Movement at the geomorphic threshold signals A) a conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy B) a conversion of kinetic energy to chemical energy C) a frictional resistance overcoming the degree of cohesion D) a lack of change

A) a conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy

A cutoff on meandering stream results in the formation of A) an oxbow lake B) a levee C) a point bare D) a terrace

A) an oxbow lake

A landslide differs from a debris avalanche in that A) the materials in a landslide are not saturated w water B) the materials in debris avalanche are not saturated w water C) a landslide moves more slowly than a debris avalanche D) a landslide moves much more quickly than a debris avalanche

A) the materials in a landslide are not saturated w water

List four Earth's continental shields _________, _________, _______, and __________.

African, Brazilian, Australian, Indian, or Canadian

Which of the following will favor stream terrace formation? A) A large increase in sediment load B) Tectonic uplift of the headwaters C) A rise in sea level D) A decrease in rainfall

B) Tectonic uplift of the headwaters

The suspended load of a stream consists of particles that are A) rolled and bounced along the streambed B) held aloft in the stream flow C) dragged along the stream bed D) dissolved in solution

B) held aloft in the stream flow

Which of the following is true of the longitudinal profile of most rivers? A) It always changes at a constant rate from the headwater region to the sea B) It is convex in shape C) It is concave in shape D) It is gentle upstream and steep downstream

C) It is concave in shape

Braided streams are characterized by A) sediment deposition in the channel resulting in the formation of sand and gravel bars and numerous small channels B) a heavy load in relation to discharge C) server erosion of the channel bed D) A and B only

D) A and B only

What are the three types of plate boundaries:

Divergent, convergent, and transform

What is an endogenic system?

Endogenic system encompasses internal processes that produce flows of heat and material from deep below Earth's crust (Tectonics, Earthquakes, and Volcanism). Radioactive decay is the main energy source.

What is an exogenic system?

Exogenic system involves external processes that set into motion air, water, and ice, all powered by solar energy (River, Landforms, Weathering, Erosion, Oceans, Glaciers).

Radioactivity dating only can be used to measure relative time. T/F

False

Since the Amazon River is the largest river in terms of discharge, it also produces a large delta at its mouth. T/F

False

Since the core's mass is about one third of Earth's entire mass, the volume of the core is also of one third of the Earth's entire volume. T/F

False

The density of material below the Moho is less than that above it T/F

False

Which of the following is true of the earthquake in the Liaoning Province of NE China on February 4, 1975? a) hundreds were killed b) the quake was successfully forecasted and 3 million people were evacuated c) there were no precursors or symptoms that an earthquake was coming.

b) the quake was successfully forecasted and 3 million people were evacuated

. The valley and ridge province is characterized by which drainage pattern? a) dendritic b) trellis c) deranged d) annular

b) trellis

Which of the following is not an example of an age-relationship based on absolute dating? a.) The oldest rocks on Earth is about 4.0 billion years old. b.) The Coconino formation in the Grand Canyon is older than the Kaibab formation.

b.) The Coconino formation in the Grand Canyon is older than the Kaibab formation.

When geologists dig downward into a unit of rock or sediment, they are digging "back in time." This fact is based on the principle of a.) uniformitarianism b.) superposition c.) catastrophism d.) volcanism

b.) superposition

Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests. The layers near the crest form a) a syncline b) a tension zone c) an anticline d) a thrust fault

c) anticline

Compared to oceanic crust, continental crust is a) denser c) generally more complex on content and structure d) essentially composed of basalt

c) generally more complex on content and structure (other two is ocean)

The science that specifically studies the origin, evolution, form, and spatial distribution of landforms is a) geology b) geography c) geomorphology

c) geomorphology

In which climates would rocks be weathered to the greatest depth a) cold and wet b) cold and dry c) hot and wet d) hot and dry

c) hot and wet

The transportation and deposition of materials by media powered by solar energy is the a) tectonic cycle b) rock cycle c) hydrologic cycle d) mineral cycle

c) hydrologic cycle

Which of the following is true of spheroidal weathering? a) it is a physical weathering process b) it is a type of exfoliation associated with pressure release c) it attacks the corners and edges of rocks d) all of the above

c) it attacks the corners and edges of rocks (chemical weathering)

Which of the following unit is a correct unit for stream discharge? a) light year b) half life c) m^3/s d) kg/m^3

c) m^3/s (cfs, cubic feet per second)

Which layer of planet forms 80% of Earth's total volume, and has an average density of 4.5g/cm^3 a) continental crust b) oceanic crust c) mantle

c) mantle

Exfoliation occurs because a) water combines with minerals and increased their size, thereby causing surrounding minerals to pop out of the rock matrix b) water freezes in joints and expands c) overlaying rock is removed, thereby allowing the underlying rock mass to expand and fracture d) all of the above

c) overlaying rock is removed, thereby allowing the underlying rock mass to expand and fracture

The asthenosphere can be described as a) rigid solid b) liquid c) plastic-like d) plasma-like

c) plastic-like

drainage density refers to a) the thickness of the water in the stream b) the number of channels to the area of the basin c) ratio of the total length of channels to the area of the basin d) the arrangement of channels in a given area

c) ratio of the total length of channels to the area of the basin

Human-induced mass movements produce a category of processes known as a) debris flows b) denudation c) scarification d) translational slides

c) scarification

The most detailed order of relief applies to _____ order relief features. a) first b) second c) third

c) third

Other than the rock itself, the most important chemical substance needed for the majority of weathering processes is a) oxygen b) nitrogen c) water d) carbon dioxide

c) water

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

c.) volcanism

A continental __________is a region with a craton is exposed at the surface.

continental shield