Earth Space Science
Which of the following materials is NOT produced by erupting volcanoes?
sandstone
At mid-ocean ridges, as two plates diverge
solid mantle in the asthenosphere rises toward the surface and begins to melt due to decompression.
The place in the crust or mantle where igneous rocks begin to form is called the
source area.
Volcanic domes commonly are partially destroyed when
steep parts of the dome collapse and cause small pyroclastic flows.
Potentially explosive composite volcanoes are most common above
subduction zones.
The process of one plate sliding beneath another plate is called
subduction.
How does an observation become valid?
A series of specific measurements is made, repeated, and recorded
What type of volcanic eruption is probably shown in this photograph?
basaltic lava flow
Hot spots in continental settings typically produce
basaltic lava flows or explosive calderas.
If bubbles cannot escape easily from a magma, the resulting eruption is likely to
be explosive.
Intense geologic activity occurs at plate
boundaries.
Continental mantle plumes that are composed of felsic magma tend to be explosive when the Earth's surface is reached. These explosive eruptions create
calderas.
Which principle can be used to determine the relative age of an igneous intrusion called a dike?
cross-cutting relations
Which principle of relative age dating can be used to determine when the river formed on the landscape?
cross-cutting relations
Which of the following changes in conditions indicates heating of the rock?
from A to B
A divergent plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)
mid-ocean ridge.
An oceanic transform plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)
mid-ocean ridge.
What setting has the thinnest cover of sediment in the oceans?
mid-ocean ridges
Missing geologic time caused by erosion is called a(n):
unconformity
What type of feature is represented by the boundary between geologic units 2 and 3?
unconformity
What type of feature is shown in this photograph of Siccar Point, Scotland?
unconformity
What type of basaltic feature is shown in this photograph?
volcanic bomb
When melting forms magma
partial melting produces a magma that is more felsic than the source.
Rocks of the continental crust contain different minerals and each mineral has its own melting point. If the minerals with the lowest melting temperatures are the only ones melted, this is referred to as
partial melting.
Which area(s) on this world map is (are) likely to have volcanoes above sea level?
A
Which of the following sites would most likely have composite volcanoes? A is on an island arc, B is in the Andes, C is near Hawaii, D is along a mid-ocean ridge.
A and B
What is associated with reversed magnetic polarity?
A compass needle would point south.
At which points on this graph is the magma under the highest amount of pressure and highest temperature?
1
Correctly complete this sentence using the numbers provided. This figure shows ages of seafloor. The oldest ocean floor is at site numbered
1
Which of the numbered features is a pyroclastic flow?
3
If a magnetic stripe is 120 km wide and formed over 4 m.y., what would the rate of seafloor spreading be?
30 km/m.y.
Correctly complete this sentence using the words provided. If the area shown in this figure is 240 kilometers wide, and the oldest crust is 4 million years old, the approximate spreading rate is ____________ .
60 kilometers per million years.
Some scientists think that Yellowstone could cause a future disaster because
All of these choices are correct.
Which data were used to develop the hypothesis of continental drift?
All of these choices are correct.
Which of the following are true of felsic magmas?
All of these choices are correct.
Which of the following is likely to be true about the magma that formed the left volcanic feature compared to the right one in this figure?
All of these choices are correct.
Which of the following is likely to be true about the right volcanic feature compared to the left one in this figure?
All of these choices are correct.
Continental hot spots are typically marked by
All of these typically mark continental hot spots.
The plate boundary on the this figure is located between:
B and C
At which of the sites shown in this figure would melting probably be caused by introduction of water into hot rocks?
C
Which of the following sites would most likely have less dangerous volcanoes? A is on an island arc, B is in the Andes, C is near Hawaii, D is along a mid-ocean ridge.
C and D
Examine this figure and correctly complete this sentence using the proper phrase.
C to B
The igneous feature shown in this figure is a
Dike
When basaltic lava reach the ocean they
form pillow basalts.
For the volcanic eruption in this photograph, complete the three missing parts of the sentence using the viscosity, composition, and resulting rock type. This figure shows an eruption of ____________ (viscosity) magma that probably has a ____________ (composition) and would form ____________ (resulting rock type).
NOT CORRECT -----
On the accompanying figure, which letter is over the oldest oceanic crust?
NOT: D
The igneous feature shown in this figure is a
NOT: Dike
The Earth's magnetic field is generated by
NOT: aligned magnetic minerals within Earth's inner core.
What occurs at mid-ocean ridges?
Oceanic crust is created.
The largest concentration of composite volcanoes on Earth is located along the
Pacific Ring of Fire.
On this map of the south Atlantic, why is the mid-ocean ridge in the center of the ocean?
Seafloor is added to both sides during seafloor spreading.
Select the statement that best describes how the process of plate tectonics circulates materials between the asthenosphere and the lithosphere.
Some asthenosphere becomes lithosphere at mid-ocean spreading centers and reenters the asthenosphere at subduction zones.
What causes magnetic stripes on the seafloor, such as those shown here?
Sometimes Earth's magnetic field points north and sometimes it points south.
On a map showing the age of the seafloor, why are the patterns symmetrical in the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific Ocean?
Spreading along the Atlantic ridge added seafloor to plates on both sides, while subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the Pacific.
Correctly complete these sentences using the words provided. Steep and unstable slopes can produce , forming Magma erupted on the surface can form a that cools quickly, resulting in . Some volcanic ash rises vertically in an, cools before accumulating on the surface, and forms deposits that are . Some volcanic ash forms that accumulate while hot and can become to some extent.
Steep and unstable slopes can produce landslides and mudflows, forming volcanic breccia. Magma erupted on the surface can form a lava flow that cools quickly, resulting in volcanic glass. Some volcanic ash rises vertically in an eruption column, cools before accumulating on the surface, and forms deposits that are nonwelded. Some volcanic ash forms pyroclastic flows that accumulate while hot and can become welded to some extent.
How is magma created in a subduction zone?
Subduction brings one plate to a depth hot enough for minerals to release water; this water causes melting in the overlying asthenosphere.
On this map of the world, drag the label for each tectonic plate to its correct position on the figure.
The Earth's magnetic field is generated by
Comparing these two photographs, which eruption has lower viscosity magma?
The fluid cascade of lava.
For the volcanic eruption in this photograph, complete the three missing parts of the sentence using the viscosity, composition, and resulting rock type. This figure shows an eruption of ____________ (viscosity) magma that probably has a ____________ (composition) and would form ____________ (resulting rock type).
This figure shows an eruption of high-viscosity (viscosity) magma that probably has a felsic or intermediate (composition) and would form rhyolite or andesite (resulting rock type).
Which of the following are ways that viscosity affects gases in magma?
Viscous magma prevents gas from escaping easily.
The type of volcanic eruption shown in this photograph is
a pyroclastic column.
A hot spot is interpreted to have formed from
a rising plume of hot mantle material.
How could a rock at point C be melted?
all of the above
A force that is important in driving plate tectonics is
all of these
Which of the following acts to keep a rock solid (instead of melting)?
an increase in confining pressure
How fast do plates move relative to one another?
centimeters per year
The igneous rocks shown in this photograph are forming
columnar joints.
The most dangerous type of volcano is a
composite volcano.
Most oceanic plateaus are
constructed by volcanic eruptions probably over mantle plumes.
Most oceanic islands and seamounts are
constructed by volcanic eruptions that first occur under water.
Which of the following plate boundaries is least likely to produce composite volcanoes?
continent-continent convergent boundary with a high mountain range (Himalayas)
The convergence of two continental masses is known as a(n
continental collision.
Some continents continue outward from the shoreline under shallow seawater, forming submerged benches called
continental shelves.
Island chains and seamounts cross parts of the ocean floor. These oceanic islands and associated seamounts are
different in character and origin from curved island arcs.
Cinder cones are composed primarily of
ejected fragments of vesicular lava.
This igneous rock contains flattened pieces of pumice and small crystals of quartz and feldspar. What type of eruption probably formed this rock?
eruption of a pyroclastic flow that forms a thick and hot deposit
Shield volcanoes commonly involve
fluid lava flows.
Continental rifts have a diverse suite of igneous rocks associated with them because melting occurs
in the mantle and in the crust.
Which of the following features is associated with a deep oceanic trench?
island arc
How does the addition of water cause melting?
it changes the location of the liquid-solid boundary
Volcanic mudflows (lahars) are common on composite volcanoes because
large amounts of rain and snowmelt mix with loose ash on steep slopes.
What type of eruption is shown in this photograph?
lava dome
Volcanic eruptions can produce huge floods by
melting ice sheets.
What tectonic setting is interpreted to be the cause of volcanism at Yellowstone?
movement of North America over a mantle plume
When a volcano erodes and the solidified conduit is exposed, it is referred to as a volcanic
neck
This figure shows a northwest-southeast line of islands and seamounts near Hawaii. If location 3 has the oldest rocks and Hawaii (1) has the youngest rocks, which way is the plate moving with respect to the hot spot?
northwest
This figure depicts what type of boundary?
ocean-continent convergent boundary
What type of plate boundary is depicted in this figure?
oceanic divergent boundary
Cracks and steps that cross the seafloor and run at right angles to mid-ocean ridges are called
oceanic fracture zones.
A convergent plate boundary is most likely associated with a(n)
oceanic trench.
What type of basaltic feature is shown in this photograph?
pahoehoe lava flow
Mount Pelée, a composite volcano on Martinique, destroyed the town of St. Pierre in 1902, killing about 30,000 people with
pyroclastic flows.
The main cause of melting along subduction zones is the
release of water from the subducting plate.
This dark gray igneous rock is glassy and elsewhere contains small vesicles and flow bands. What type of rock is this?
rhyolite or obsidian
The Prime Meridian separates
the Eastern Hemisphere from the Western
Shield volcanoes have low slopes primarily because
the low viscosity of basaltic magma allows it to flow downhill for long distances.
What generally happens when subduction-derived magma encounters thick continental crust?
the magma interacts with the crust, forming felsic or intermediate compositions
Hot spots form linear island chains because
the plate moves relative to the underlying hot spot.
This igneous rock contains flattened pieces of pumice and small crystals of quartz and feldspar. What type of rock is it?
welded tuff
Columnar joints, like the ones shown in the photograph, are formed
when hot but solid igneous rock contracts.
What would fossil ages from the geologic timescale tell us about the age of this unconformity?
All of these choices are correct.
Which are true of a hypothesis?
All of these choices are correct.
These figures show three types of unconformities. Drag the name for each type of unconformity to the correct figure.
Angular unconformity, nonconformity, disconformity
What type of figure would you use to portray the relative thicknesses of rock units stacked on top of one another?
stratigraphic section
In this figure of Japan, what do the offshore trenches indicate?
subduction of oceanic crust
Which principle is used to determine the age of rocks by ordering them from oldest on the bottom to the youngest on the top?
superposition
The geologic relationships in this figure indicate
that the lava flow is younger than the landscape surface partially covered by the lava flow.
Early Earth would have been inhospitable to many life forms of today because
the atmosphere lacked oxygen.
Of the following numbered units, which is the oldest?
the granite (4)
What does the type of evolutionary diagrams discussed in the textbook show?
the sequence of events that deposited the rocks and formed the landscape
If two places have the same latitude but different longitudes,
the two places are directly east or west of each other.
The main reason why the hypothesis of continental drift was not widely accepted was
there was no mechanism to move continents through the oceanic crust.
How did an oxygen-rich atmosphere develop from a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere?
through photosynthesis by cyanobacteria
What type of map depicts the shape of the land surface by showing the elevation of the land surface with a series of lines called contours?
topographic map
Which type of map or diagram would best indicate elevation of the land surface?
topographic map
What type of map is shown here?
topographic map with contours
Of the following numbered units, which is the youngest?
unit 9
In which of the following time periods were dinosaurs the dominant creatures?
Mesozoic
How does an angular unconformity form?
NOT: Any of these choices are correct.
The lithosphere consists of ____________ .
NOT: Oceanic crust and continental crust
This image would be best used in what situation
The average gradient for a particular area needs to be known to study surface runoff.
Which of the following shows the correct order for a scientific explanation?
observation - question - hypotheses - predictions - results of investigation - conclusions
The deepest parts of the seafloor are
oceanic trenches.
The fossil ferns in this photograph probably indicate that the rock was deposited
on land.
The difference between open and closed systems is that
open systems can acquire matter and energy, but closed systems cannot.
The oldest known rock found on Earth is dated at
over 4 billion years old.
A snowball that rolls down a hill, gradually gaining more and more mass and rolling faster and faster as it continues, would be an example of a(n)
positive feedback system.
What specific type of image uses measurements of different wavelengths of light reflecting from a land surface to create a computer-processed image to show the distribution of different types of plants, rocks, and other features?
satellite images
Harry Hess and Robert Dietz proposed that the oceanic crust in the Atlantic Ocean was spreading apart at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and that this process moved the continents apart from one another. They called this process
seafloor spreading
What type of map is used primarily to show the shape of the land by simulating light and dark shading on the hills and valleys?
shaded relief map
What type of map is shown here?
shaded-relief map
The lithosphere refers to the
solid upper part of the Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle.
Drag events so that they are in the correct order, from oldest at the bottom (6) to youngest at the top (1).
1. Deposition of layer 1 2. Deposition of layer 2 3. Deposition of layer 3 4. Formation of unconformity at 6 5. Intrusion of granite at 5 6. Formation of rocks at 4
Which of the following is data rather than an interpretation?
All of these are interpretations rather than data.
Quantitative data may include
All of these choices are correct
A key step in developing a new explanation is
All of these choices are correct.
Using the data in this table, calculate the number of half-lives that have passed for the dike (unit D on this table).
1
Which numbered layer in this photograph represents the oldest layer?
1
Which of the four numbered features on this figure is the oldest?
1
Which sequence of numbers reflects the order in which the layers were deposited?
1, 2, 3, 4
Using the data in this table, determine the age of the granite (unit G on this table).
1,500,000,000
If a rock started with 1,000 atoms of a parent but now contains 250 atoms, how many half lives have passed?
2 half lives
Which of the four numbered features on this figure is the youngest?
4
Correctly complete this sentence using the numbers provided. This diagram shows magnetic stripes on either side of the mid-ocean ridge. The number of different ages of stripes represented in this diagram is
6
This figure shows the main subdivisions of the geologic timescale. Which of these is the Cenozoic?
A
On the accompanying figure, which letter is likely over oceanic crust that is similar in age to that beneath letter E?
B
Which letter on the accompanying figure indicates the elevation?
B
Which letter on the accompanying figure indicates the amount of topographic relief?
C
0° of latitude is found at the ______ and the 90° of latitude is found at the _____.
Equator; North Pole
Who came up with the concept that geologic processes operating at present are the same processes that operated in the past?
James Hutton
Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?
None of these
Which are true of a hypothesis?
None of these choices are correct
Which of the following is an example of quantitative data?
North America is moving across Earth's surface several centimeters per year.
Which of the following is the earliest (oldest) chapter of geologic time?
Precambrian
If a description of sediment states that it contains large, angular fragments that are mostly red in color, what type of data would this represent?
Qualitative
A geoscientist performs analyses on a rock to gather data recording its specific chemical composition. This type of data is
Quantitative
What type of map is used primarily to show the shape of the land by simulating light and dark shading on the hills and valleys?
Shaded relief map
Complete the sentence with the correct phrase. A region generally is higher than an adjacent region if ____________ than in the adjacent region.
The crust is thicker
How would we use isotopic ages to infer the ages of the upper and lower unit in this diagram?
The dike is younger than the lower unit but older than the upper unit.
This photograph shows light-colored granite and darker diorite (both igneous rocks). Which of the following statements is true?
The granite is younger because it crosscuts the diorite.
What steps are involved in having a hypothesis become an established theory?
The hypothesis is consistent with new data and investigations used to test its predictions.
What factors are the most critical in determining whether a fossil is preserved?
Whether the creature had hard parts and how fast it was buried.
Upon what basis were the upper and lower boundaries of the Mesozoic Era defined?
abrupt changes in the types of fossils, representing mass extinctions
Which way are the plates moving in this figure?
away from each other
Why does the Tibetan Plateau, shown in this figure, have a high elevation?
continental collision
What type of plate boundary is depicted in this figure?
continental rift
How did the Red Sea, shown between Arabia and Africa in this figure, form?
continental rifting followed by seafloor spreading
Which of the following parts of the seafloor are the shallowest?
continental shelves
In what setting does the thickest sediment accumulate in the oceans?
continental shelves and slopes along passive margins
What types of plate boundaries are shown in this figure?
divergent and transform
What is the youngest event represented in this block diagram?
erosion of a canyon by a river
The term half life represents the time it takes
for half of the parent atoms to decay into daughter atoms.
The geologic timescale details and divides geologic time based upon
fossil data.
If you wanted to determine how deep a rock layer was below a particular point on the surface, what type of figure would be most useful?
geologic cross section
What specific type of map represents the distribution of rock units and geologic features exposed on the surface?
geologic map
Radioactive decay in the Earth, especially in the Earth's crust, creates a tremendous amount of
heat
Topographic maps often have some contour lines that are darker than other contour lines. These darker lines are called
index contours
Magnetic patterns develop on the seafloor as basaltic lava erupts and cools, and
iron-rich minerals align with Earth's magnetic field.
A dynamic system refers to a system in which
matter, energy, or both, are constantly changing their position, amounts, or form.
Global positioning systems (GPS) can "know" their location by
measuring the time required for radio signals from four or more satellites to reach the receiver.
The difference between open and closed systems is that
measuring the time required for radio signals from four or more satellites to reach the receiver.
A continent has an oceanic trench offshore of its coast. Which of the following is probably NOT present along this side of the continent?
melting along a mid-ocean ridge
