Earth science mid sem review

The continental shelf is located ________.

landward of the continental slope

(T or F) Continents are, on average, about 2 km higher than sea level.

False

In the proto-solar system nebula, gravity pulled matter together to form larger bodies. As they collided, what happened to these bodies?

Immense heat was released within the colliding bodies as gravitational potential energy was converted to heat.

There are places on the deepest parts of the ocean where no ________ penetrates that support colonies of life.

light

Oceanography includes a study of ________. A) the ocean floor B) ocean animals C) chemistry of sea water D) the effect of oceans on climate E) all of the above

E) all of the above

Which discipline is not used within the Earth sciences? A) Chemistry B) Physics C) Biology D) Mathematics E) None of the above; Earth Science makes use of all of these sciences.

E) none of the above; Earth Science makes use of all of these sciences

The asthenosphere is the ________ layer in the upper mantle that the plates move on.

all solid

Active mountain belts are most likely to be found ________.

along the margins of continents

Haley's Comet visits Earth's atmosphere once every 76 years. What branch of the Earth sciences is the main group that studies these phenomena?

astronomy

Continental shields and platforms represent ________.

areas in the interior of continents that have not experienced mountain building for billions of years

The ________ refers to the sum total of all life on Earth.

biosphere

Internally, Earth consists of ________ shells with different compositions and densities.

circular

A(n) ________ system is one in which energy moves freely in and out, but no matter enters or leaves the system.

closed

Ocean crust is denser than continental crust because ocean crust is ________.

composed primarily of basalt

The lithosphere and asthenosphere are layers of Earth defined by their ________.

composition

Science is based on the assumption that nature behaves in a ________ and ________ manner.

consistent; predictable

The vast majority of Earth scientists are involved in ________.

exploring the features and process of Earth

Shield areas in continental interiors are characterized by ________.

flat areas that include rocks older than 1 billion years old

The first minerals to be mined (over 6000 years ago) were ________ and ________.

flint; chert

Long oceanic mountain chains typically are characterized by ________.

layers of igneous rocks

The ________ forms the relatively cool, brittle tectonic plates.

lithosphere

The ________ is the relatively rigid zone above the asthenosphere that includes the crust and upper mantle.

lithosphere

The two broad, traditional subject areas of geologic study are ________.

physical and historical geology

Mechanisms that enhance or drive change are known as ________.

positive feedback mechanisms

Geologists primarily would study which phenomenon?

rocks and minerals

The ________ is the thinnest layer of Earth.

crust

Soil belongs to the ________.

geosphere

Ocean floor averages about ________ km depth below sea level.

4

The circumference of Earth is about ________ km.

40,000

According to the nebular theory, all of the bodies in the universe evolved from a rotating cloud of gases and dust about ________ billion years ago.

5

Oceans cover about ________ of Earth's surface.

70%

Which of the following is not a planet? A) Europa B) Venus C) Saturn D) Neptune

A) Europa

Which of the following is a reasonable approximation of the rate that plates move? A) the rate of growth of human hair or fingernails B) the speed a turtle walks C) the speed of a mountain glacier D) the speed of deep ocean currents

A) the rate of growth of human hair or fingernails

In the television series "Cosmos" the astronomer Carl Sagan used to say, "We are all made of star stuff." What did he mean by that?

All of the chemical elements in our solar system were forged in an ancient star that went supernova.

Climate change is a well-known human created problem but there remains resistance to addressing the issue despite widespread scientific agreement on the issue. Although most scientists are familiar with the issues, if you were a congressman and wanted an informed analysis of the problem, which of the following would be most likely to give you the most complete analysis? A) an astronomer B) a meteorologist with knowledge of oceanography C) a geologist with knowledge of astronomy D) a physicist

B) a meteorologist with knowledge of oceanography

All of the following are possible steps of scientific investigation except for ________. A) the collection of scientific facts through observation and measurement B) assumption of conclusions without prior experimentation or observation C) the development of one or more working hypotheses or models to explain facts D) development of observations and experiments to test the hypotheses

B) assumption of conclusions without prior experimentation or observation

Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral? A) naturally occurring B) hard C) generally inorganic D) orderly crystalline structure

B) hard

Which of the following is not necessary for a hypothesis to be accepted by the scientific community? A) It must be testable. B) It must predict something other than the observations it was based on. C) There must be alternative hypotheses proposed. D) It must be based on observations or facts.

C) There must be alternative hypotheses proposed.

What is the source of the energy that powers the Earth system? A) the Sun B) heat from Earth's interior C) both A and B D) none of the above

C) both A and B

Which of the following energy sources is thought to drive the lateral motions of Earth's lithospheric plates? A) gravitational attractive forces of the Sun and Moon B) electrical and magnetic fields localized in the inner core C) heat transfer between Earth's interior and the surface of Earth D) swirling movements of the molten iron particles in the outer core

C) heat transfer between Earth's interior and the surface of Earth

Which of the following is not a system? A) the biosphere B) soil, plants, rock, soil organisms, and animals C) the study of minerals D) the Pacific Ocean and the west coast of North America

C) the study of minerals

Earth Science uses ________. A) mathematics B) chemistry C) biology D) All of the above

D) All of the above

Which of the following would not typically be considered an Earth Science study? A) studies of volcanic eruptions B) studies of impact craters on the moon C) studies of acid mine waters and the bacteria that live in those waters D) chemical refining of petroleum

D) chemical refining of petroleum

Which of the following layers in Earth has the highest density? A) lithosphere B) asthenosphere C) lower mantle D) outer Core

D) outer Core

Which of the following is a mineral as defined by a geologist? A) boulder B) concrete C) sugar D) salt E) water

D) salt

What are the basic differences between the disciplines of physical and historical geology?

Historical geology involves the study of rock strata, fossils, and geologic events, utilizing the geologic time scale as a reference; physical geology includes the study of how rocks form and of how erosion shapes the land surface.

During the history of Earth there have been periods when all the continents were together in a supercontinent known as ________.

Pangaea

Why are the Appalachians so much smoother and lower than the Himalayan Mountains?

The Appalachian Mountains are older and thus have become more worn down.

If someone says that an idea is "only a theory" and implies that this means it can be dismissed, is this a valid viewpoint?

The viewpoint is incorrect because for an idea to become a theory it has withstood robust testing and is currently accepted.

Light elements like hydrogen and helium form a large percentage of the outer planets and Sun is made up primarily of hydrogen. Why are these elements nearly absent from the inner planets?

These light elements are blown away from the inner planets by the solar wind.

Why are boulders not a mineral?

They do not have a well-defined chemical composition.

If you want to buy a house in an area and you are worried there may be an earthquake hazard, who would be the best person to ask for advice on this hazard?

a geologist

Subduction zones are regions of convergence and the overlying plate is made of ________ lithosphere.

continental

The Andes Mountains in South America are formed as a result of ________.

continental collision

The Himalayan Mountains and adjacent Tibet are a mountain system formed by ________.

continental collision

The waterline where the ocean meets the land is the boundary between ________. A) continental crust and oceanic crust B) dry land and submerged land C) mid-ocean ridge and subduction zone D) all of the above

continental crust and oceanic crust

The thin, outer layer of Earth, from 7 to 40 km in thickness, is called the ________.

crust

A major cause of the differences in elevation between ocean basins and continents is ________.

density

Comets are made up primarily of ________.

frozen water, carbon dioxide, and methane

Sedimentary rocks with marine fossils are exposed at the top of Mt. Everest. Which scientists would make most use of this observation in their study?

geologists, because their elevation is related to physical geology and fossils are related to Earth history

Earthquakes are natural disasters. Which branch of the Earth sciences studies the impact of this phenomenon on coastal environments?

geology

The ________ refers to the water-dominated parts of Earth.

hydrosphere

The largest of Earth's spheres is the ________.

hydrosphere

Ocean surf wearing away rocks is an example of the interaction of which two of Earth's spheres?

hydrosphere and geosphere

A scientific ________ is a tentative or untested explanation that is proposed to explain scientific observations.

hypothesis

Flat, stable areas of continental crust tend to be located ________.

in the interior of continents

In correct order from the center outward, Earth includes which units?

inner core, outer core, mantle, crust

Shields and stable platforms are typically found in the ________ regions of a continent.

interior

In an open system energy and matter flow ________ of the system.

into and out

What two chemical elements are most abundant in the deep interior of Earth?

iron and magnesium

A scientific theory is the ________ step in developing an idea. It is ________ well tested.

last; very

Earth is estimated to be approximately 4.6 billion years old. Life appeared early in the history of Earth, but metazoans (multi-celled organisms) did not appear until about 600 million years ago. If the history of Earth were compressed into a single year, about when would metazoans appear?

late November

The ________ is the solid, rocky shell between the crust and outer core.

mantle

The asthenosphere is part of the ________ of Earth.

mantle

Hurricanes and tornadoes are natural disasters. What branch of the Earth sciences studies the origin of these phenomena?

meteorology

The study of Earth's atmosphere is known as ________.

meteorology

The ________ are the most prominent feature on the ocean floor.

mid-ocean ridges

Environmental science primarily focuses on any of the following except ________.

mineral classification

The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles.

nebular theory

Earth's core is largely molten ________ and ________ and convection of this molten mass generates Earth's magnetic field.

nickel, iron

Subduction zones are where ________ are descending.

oceanic plates

The most prominent features on the ocean floor are the ________.

oceanic ridges

The ________ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in Earth's interior.

outer core

The convective flow of liquid, metallic iron in the ________ is thought to generate Earth's magnetic field.

outer core

The earth is sometimes called "The Blue Planet" because the ________ appear(s) blue in sunlight.

overall surface of earth from space

Humans are ________ the Earth System ________ Earth's environment in a major way.

part of; and affect

Moving from the shoreline towards the deep-ocean basin, the first part of the continental margin you would encounter would be the continental ________.

shelf

Convergent plate boundaries are ________.

sites where oceanic plates descend beneath continental plates

The formation of the solar system from a huge cloud of gases and dispersed particles is known as the ________.

solar galactic hypothesis

The composition of Earth's inner core is thought to be ________.

solid iron-nickel alloy

Oceanic crust is generated at ________.

spreading ridges

A mineralogist studies minerals and their origins. A mineralogist studying the Earth system would ________.

study how minerals influence organisms living on them, how they react with water to produce soil forming minerals, or study how wind transports minerals as dust and influences climate

The Oort cloud is ________.

the outer solar system where planetesimals, rocky debris and comets orbit outside beyond the outer planets but cross into the inner solar system at times

Oceanography is the study of the oceans and geology is the study of Earth, so what is meteorology?

the study of the atmosphere

A ________ is a well-tested and widely accepted view that best explains certain scientific observations.

theory

The "Big Bang" is an example of a ________.

theory

The primary goal of Earth Science is ________.

to identify the patterns in nature and use that information to predict the future

Deep ocean trenches typically are not located adjacent to ________.

transform plate boundaries

The asthenosphere is a relatively ________ and rigid shell that ________ the lithosphere.

warm; underlies

The exchange of energy between the surface of Earth, the atmosphere, and space causes ________.

weather