Earth Space Science Modules

Hydroelectric power plants can generate huge amounts of electricity. Which of these statements best describes the impact of a hydroelectric power plant on the environment? A. It pollutes the air. B. It reduces the level of groundwater. C. It causes floods in vast areas of land. D. It contaminates surface water by dumping wastes.

C. It causes floods in vast areas of land.

Which column in the table correctly matches a surface feature with the process responsible for its formation?

Column 4 Surface Feature: Hot Springs Process: Global warming leading to rise in temperature of surface water.

Uranium is a mineral which is used to generate electricity. Predict and explain the long term effect on the environment of obtaining and using uranium as a source of energy.

It causes harmful levels of radiation that workers are exposed to. That radiation can also get into the surrounding environment, such as in the plants, animals, and bodies of water in the area, polluting them. This radiation can cause diseases or even death to the surrounding environment. So, the mine might have to be closed down for possible decades because radiation takes a long time to go away, if it even does.

Bauxite is the chief ore from which aluminum is extracted. Which of these statements is correct about bauxite?

It does not have a definite chemical composition.

At what location in the diagram is marble most likely formed?

Location D

A pharmaceutical firm is dumping chemical wastes into a lake in a location. This is causing serious health problems among residents of the location. Which of these is the best method to solve this problem? A. Ask the head of the pharmaceutical firm to shift the firm to another location. B. Provide the pharmaceutical firm with a plan to properly dispose and recycle the wastes. C. Ask the head of the pharmaceutical firm to dump chemical wastes into rivers in other locations. D. Provide the residents of the location with houses which are far away from the pharmaceutical firm.

Provide the pharmaceutical firm with a plan to properly dispose and recycle the wastes.

Some farmers in a location use water from a nearby lake to irrigate crops. The people in the location believe that this may cause environmental problems because of the drying up of the lake. Which of these is the best method to solve this problem? A. Reduce pollution near the lake to increase rainfall. B. Plant trees around the lake to reduce evaporation of water. C. Introduce native aquatic plants in the lake to cool the water. D. Set conditions to limit the amount of lake water people may use.

Set conditions to limit the amount of lake water people may use.

One student uses a flat toothpick as a mining equipment in a cookie mining lab. In your own words, explain how changing mining techniques or tools in a cookie mining lab could have both pros and cons and apply it to the real world.

Tools can set up the whole lab/mining process on whether it is successful or not. In the cookie lab, I used a round toothpick and it ended up destroying the whole cookie and it was hard to do the reclamation process. Also, different tools and machines cost different in both the cookie lab and the real world. In the real world, miners need to study the different types of machinery to determine which one will allow them to extract minerals with the least amount of damage.

The people in a location are facing unemployment problems. A mining company plans to start uranium mining in the location. In your own words, explain how the people, economy, and environment of the location would be affected by uranium mining.

Uranium mining would provide many jobs to the surrounding area of unemployed. However, mining this mineral can cause damaging levels of radiation. The workers would be exposed to this radiation, as well as the surrounding ecosystem. Radiation can cause diseases and even death.

Extensive phosphate mining on an island has exhausted its mineral resources and made the soil unfit for agriculture. This has caused discontent among residents of the island. Which of these is the most effective method to solve this problem?

appoint geologists to find new phosphate rich areas on the land

The water which penetrates into the ground is stored in A. wells B. geysers C. springs D. aquifers

aquifers

The residents of a specific location identified and reported a high quality iron ore under the ground in their area. Which of these is the most reliable method to verify the information provided by the residents of the location?

ask a geologist to test the presence of minerals in the location

When nuclear fusion begins, what can be said about the internal processes within that star?

atoms in the star begin to combine

The table below shows the salmon population, in thousands of pounds, in Columbia River, from 1870 to 1950. Year Salmon population (in thousands of pounds) 1870 10,200 1890 20,000 1915 20,500 1931 30,000 1950 10,000 Based on the table, which of these is most likely the period during which a series of large hydropower units were built on the Columbia River? A. between 1870 and 1890 B. between 1890 and 1915 C. between 1915 and 1931 D. between 1931 and 1950

between 1931 and 1950

The picture below shows a geyser in Yellowstone National Park. Which of these processes most likely causes the formation of steam which comes out of the geyser? A. reaction of groundwater with limestone in the rocks B. overheating of air particles near the mouth of the geyser C. boiling of groundwater because of heat under the Earth's surface D. drop in pressure of the hot groundwater when it rises to the surface

boiling of groundwater because of heat under the Earth's surface

Runoffs from an uranium mine stockpile have contaminated the surface water in a location. This might cause health problems among people in the location. Which of these is the best plan to solve this problem?

collect the runoffs in retention ponds for isolation and recovery of contaminants

Which of the following characteristics of stars provides evidence that stars are blackbody radiators?

color

The lake water in a location in Florida had an unusual color and smell. Investigations revealed that the lake water contained high levels of toxic fertilizers and pesticides which were carried into the lake from gardens and common areas in the location. What are people in the location most likely to do? A. pave the gardens to prevent surface runoffs B. stop growing plants in gardens and common areas C. grow native plants which need very little fertilizers and pesticides D. construct slopes to drain out the water from garden and common areas

construct slopes to drain out the water from garden and common areas

Oil is an important source of energy which sustains modern human lifestyle. Roads, pipelines, mines and other structures must be built when drilling for oil. Which of these is the most likely effect of large scale infrastructural development associated with oil drilling in a location?

disruption of animal habitats

One group of students made a local watershed model. The watershed model was most likely used by the students to A. demonstrate pollution of water at the location B. forecast floods and droughts at the location C. investigate the amount of rain water used at the location D. forecast the amount of precipitation falling at the location

forecast floods and droughts at the location

Metamorphic rocks are formed due to

heat and pressure

Which of these surface features are formed because of the heating of groundwater? A. wells and streams B. sinkholes and caves C. hot springs and geysers D. stalactites and stalagmites

hot springs and geysers

The chemical and physical actions of groundwater form A. Karst topography B. glacial topography C. volcanic topography D. mountain topography

karst topography

The picture below shows a land surface in a location in Florida. Which of these most likely caused the cavities in the land surface? A. shifting of tectonic plates B. dissolving of rocks by groundwater C. lack of water during long periods of drought D. breaking up of rocks due to high temperature

lack of water during long periods of drought

Manure is carried by rain water from land to a river. This is an example of A. single pollution B. multiple pollution C. point source pollution D. non-point source pollution

non-point source pollution

Which of these pollutants is transferred from soil to water by organic pesticides and fertilizer runoff from farms? A. coliform B. oxygen C. carbon D. phosphates

phosphates

A major oil spill has been reported off the coast of Florida. What are people living along the coast most likely to do? A. reduce their water consumption B. stop fishing in the ocean waters C. install water filtering equipments in their houses D. buy instruments to measure the quantity of oil in the ocean

reduce their water consumption

To increase the validity and reliability of the results of experiments with groundwater, several people should A. repeat the results many times B. study only pure sources of groundwater C. obtain information only from secondary sources D. provide different results of the same experiment

repeat the results many times

The diagram below shows a portion of the water cycle. A. spring B. transpiration C. evaporation D. groundwater

spring

What mineral is most likely added to this cereal to increase its nutritional value?

talc

Which of the following types of stars had the smallest initial mass?

white dwarf

Which of the following types of stars is the least bright?

white dwarf