ESC 1000 Exam 2
How can oil be produced from such a tar sand?
heating underground, pumping, and cracking quarrying, heating, and cracking
What percentage of the water on Earth is available for human consumption?
1%
During which decade did the use of fossil fuel increase the most?
1950-1960
This image shows a close-up view of a piece of pumice that was washed up onto a beach in Italy. Which of the following sets of properties allow this volcanic rock to float on water?
high porosity, low permeability
Active margin
Mid-ocean ridge accretionary prism submarine lava eruptions trench formation of igneous rock
Rocks A and B have the same porosity of 36%. Rock A has water flowing through it, whereas rock B does not. What could account for the difference?
Rock A is permeable and rock B is impermeable.
Breakwater
Runs parallel to the shore and disrupts the longshore current Beach accretion occurs by blocking erosion by incoming waves
Which regions have been most affected by rising temperatures?
Russia Alaska the Arctic Ocean
Groin
Sometimes installed by homeowners to improve their beach area Can create a sawtooth beach pattern Runs perpendicular to the shore and increases erosion down current
Sort the various statements based on whether they describe a carbon source or sink.
Source- electricity is produced at a coal burning power plant; a volcano erupts; leaf litter on the forest floor decays; limestone rock weathers on a hillside Sink- living trees in a forest undergo photosynthesis; a clam builds a new layer of shell
rank the states within the High Plains aquifer system by the largest amount of groundwater decline over the greatest land area.
TX KS CO NM NE
Which of the following are reasons why rainforests form near the equator?
The Hadley cells force air to rise. There is a lot of warm, moist air at the equator. The trade winds converge at the equator.
Why is northern Europe's climate warmer than that of land at similar latitudes, such as Greenland?
The North Atlantic Current carries relatively warm water to northern Europe.
Which of the following statements explains why temperature increases with altitude in the thermosphere?
The air particles in the thermosphere absorb high-energy radiation from the Sun.
Relative humidity
The amount of water vapor in the air at any given time is usually less than that required to saturate the air. Expressed as a percentage.
Nertic Zone
The area of the ocean from the low-tide line out to the edge of the continental shelf. coral reef, continental shelves, nutrients brought by rivers, majority of marine plants
Elements are defined by
The number of protons (their atomic number)
If you were drifting off the coast of South America in the Atlantic Ocean, on which coast would you eventually wash up?
coast of southwest Africa
Which of the areas below contain brackish water?
coastal regions with heavy rainfall coastal regions near melting glaciers estuaries
Hoover Dam was built by mixing several materials together with water and allowing them to cure under atmospheric conditions. Which of the following is the correct name for the resulting building material?
concrete
Ocean water
contains dissolved salts, like halite and gypsum.
A barometer measures
atmospheric pressure.
Shale oil
extracted by hydrofracturing kerogen transformed into oil impermeable source rock
The flow of water from an above-ground storage tank to a faucet in your house is most analogous to which of the following systems?
flowing artesian well
The images above show the change in the number of days of the year during which melting occurred in Greenland in 1979-2007 (left) and 2012 (right). What are consequences of this change?
higher sea levelmore melting of glacial ice
wind speed
how fast the air is moving horizontally
Both oceanic and continental crust
igneous rocks sedimentary rocks
Where is salinity the lowest in the ocean?
in the Arctic Ocean
The tidal range
is the difference between sea level at high and low tide.
The oil window
is the relatively narrow range of temperatures between 90°C and 160°C in which oil can form.
Features that are created when water dissolves surface and subsurface limestone, like sinkholes, troughs, caverns, natural bridges, and towers, are collectively called
karst landscapes.
Which of the following can lead to the formation of an ocean dead zone?
ocean upwelling phytoplankton blooms
Consider the various ways in which oil pollution can reach the North American oceans. The greatest amount of oil pollution comes from which of the following sources?
oil residue on roadways and oil dumped in storm drains
benthos organisms
organism that inhabit the ocean floor (crabs, sea stars, octopus, lobsters, sponges, sea anemones)
After the oil spill, marine microbes consumed the oil under the surface but also removed ________ from the water, killing both plants and animals and creating "dead zones."
oxygen
As organic material is compacted to form coal, which stages does it pass through, from first to last?
peat, lignite, bituminous coal, anthracite
Petroleum formed from
plankton.
Coal is derived from which of the following types of organic material?
plant material
Where does uranium accumulate in minable quantities?
plutons
Rank the following reservoirs in order of the amount of freshwater they store in the hydrologic cycle.
polar ice, snow packs, glaciers oceans, rivers, lakes atmosphere including clouds, ice crystals, water vapor
The majority of the ions found in ocean water are
sodium and chloride.
The localized rise in sea level during a storm is called
storm surge.
The ozone hole is found in the
stratosphere.
Which is an example of an unconventional fossil fuel reserve?
tar sand
Which is characteristic of emergent coasts?
terraces
Where does the greatest tidal range occur?
the Bay of Biscay near France
The temperature of the Earth's troposphere decreases as the altitude increases because
the Earth's surface heats the troposphere from below.
In which of the following places would you expect there to be sinking currents?
the Strait of Gibraltar the northern Pacific Ocean
Summer beach profile
the angle of the beach is flatter the beach builds out a little san is deposited on the beach
What is the grade of an ore?
the concentration of useful metal in an ore
Wind direction
the direction from which the wind is blowing
probable causes for a decrease in the level of the water table.
urbanization, drought, well usage
oceanic zone
vast open ocean from the edge of the continental shelf outward. water appears dark, abyssal plains, deep sea trenches
The Earth's first semi-permanent atmosphere consisted of abundant water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ammonia, and traces of methane. These gases came from
volcanic outgassing.
Salinity is dependent on water temperature because
warmer water can hold more salt in solution.
submarine fan
wedge of sediment turbidites grades bedding
Heteroptrophs
whales crabs zooplankton
Porosity increases
when rocks develop joints or fractures.
Which of the following is not an environmental hazard of large-scale mining?
sediment liquefaction that can compromise mining tunnels and neighboring processing plants
A typical source rock for oil, which starts out as mud in which dead organic matter settles, is
shale.
Hydrofracturing is used to extract hydrocarbons from
shale.
oceanic crust
shallow moho thin higher density
The interaction of groundwater with limestone bedrock can create a geologic hazard called a
sinkhole.
Rank the ecosystems by their ability to remove and store carbon, from greatest to least.
Forest Marsh Ag
Which of the following best describes an aquitard?
a layer between aquifers with low permeability
The image is a map of bathymetric features in the North Atlantic off the eastern coast of North America. Which correctly identifies the numbered bathymetric features marked on the map?
1: continental shelf, 2: continental slope, 3: continental rise, 4: abyssal plain
Although its accuracy is still hotly debated, Hubbert's Peak estimates the year when oil production will peak and the subsequent rate of decline. Using the graph of Hubbert's Peak above, estimate when the world's total reserves of oil will be gone.
2070
What is the atomic number of an atom that has 26 protons, 24 neutrons, and 25 electrons?
26
If a mineral has a parent to daughter ration of 1:7, how many half lives have passed since the mineral was formed?
3
About ____ of the Earth's freshwater is groundwater.
30%
A rock is 68% solid and the remainder is open space. What is the porosity of the rock?
32%
what is the atomic mass of an Argon atom that has 18 protons, 22 neutrons, and 18 electrons?
40
What percentage of the water available for human consumption is trapped in void spaces in the subsurface?
99%
Temperature
A measure of how hot or cold something is.
Tombolo
A ridge of sand that connects an island to the mainland or to another island
At which location would high tide be the highest?
a location facing the Sun during a new Moon
Ionosphere
Air molecules interact with solar radiation directed to the poles by Earth's magnetic field, producing auroras Ions reflect certain radio transmission frequencies, such as AM, Straddles the homosphere and hetersphere
Nekton
All organisms that swim actively in open water, independent of currents
Which water mass has the greatest density?
Antarctic bottom
Tar sand
Associated with sandstone very viscous bitumen open pit mines
Oceans
Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Southern
The strongest tides occur during
a new and full Moon.
Match each of the following wetland types with the latitude range where it most commonly occurs.
Below 30 degrees- mangrove swamps Either- marshes with mostly grasses, swamps with hardwoods above 30 degrees- bogs
Gases absorb re-radiation
CH4, COS, H2O
Where is atmospheric pressure the highest?
at sea level
Who was the scientist who first recorded very accurate annual CO2 concentrations, showing seasonal carbon dioxide changes?
Charles Keeling
Which of the following is not true regarding Chesapeake Bay?
Chesapeake Bay is a fjord, and it was a glacial valley in the past.
Place Ions in order from highest to lowest average concentration in seawater
Chloride, sodium, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, potassium
Use this graph to rank the sources of anthropogenic CO2 in 2010 based on their relative contribution.
Coal Petroleum Natural Gas Cement production
When did oxygen levels begin to increase in the Earth's atmosphere?
During the Proterozoic.
Place the steps involved in heating Earth's troposphere in order
East receives short-wave length radiation from the sun in the form of UV radiation, visible light and near-infrared radiation Land and sea surfaces absorb short-wavelength radiation Earth's surface re-radiates energy as longer-wavelength far infrared radiation Greenhouse gases absorb long-wavelength radiation, warming the atmosphere and Earth's surface
During which of the following epochs were temperatures highest in the Cenozoic?
Eocene
Rank the following reservoirs by the amount of time that water tends to reside in them.
Glaciers oceans lakes rivers atmosphere
Place these events in chronological order based on causality.
Groundwater is rapidly removed from a system The level of water table drops pore collapse takes place subsidence occurs over a broad region
Bays
Hudson, chesapeake, baffin
Steps of secondary enrichment
Igneous activity ceases after producing ore-bearing deposits the ore-bearing deposit cools entirely Groundwater flows through an ore deposit and leaches out metals New ore minerals are precipitated in a new location
Jetties
Improves ship navigation by stopping the formation of spits
A small tourist town is experiencing rapid beach erosion. Based on the information in the animation, what is the best solution to quickly resolve the problem for residents and visitors?
Invest in beach nourishment.
Why is marsh cordgrass better adapted for changing sea levels than is marsh hay grass?
It has a hollow stem system to bring oxygen to its roots.
How has sea level changed over the past 50 million years?
It has declined overall.
Which of the following are characteristics of the Coriolis effect?
It influences the surface ocean currents. It is caused by the Earth's rotation. It deflects surface water to the right in the northern hemisphere.
How did uranium become present in Earth's upper crust?
It rose upward as it was carried within magma.
If water boils at a temperature of 373, what scale is being used?
Kelvin
Which of the following events occur due to thermohaline circulation?
Less salty water rises. Heat is moved through the oceans. Cold water sinks in polar regions.
Sort each of the following causes based on whether it is a long-term or short-term cause of climate change.
Long term- formation of continental seas; changes in the positions of Earth's continents; Mountain building processes Short term- abrupt increase in greenhouse gases; increase in the amount of area covered by glaciers; changes in ocean circulation; eccentricity of Earth's orbit
atmospheric pressure
Measure of the weight of a column of air above a location
If you dropped a beach ball in the Pacific from California, where would it most likely end up?
at the equator
Gases that don't absorb radiation
N2, O2, Ar
lowest to highest viscosity
Natural gas, gas, kerosene, heating oil, lubricating oil, tar
Place the following atmospheric gases in order of abundance from highest to lowest
Nitrogen Oxygen Argon Carbon dioxide other trace gases
Rank the following areas in order of largest to smallest change in average temperature since 1880.
Northern Canada Western Europe Australia Souter Africa Eastern Pacific Ocean Antarctic Ocean
Nourishment
Often used for beaches frequented by tourists significantly widens a beach, but is a short-term solution
Steps of formation of a placer ore
Ore-bearing rock becomes exposed at the ground surface Erosion of ore-bearing rock takes place Metal grains become concentrated in stream gravel A placer deposit is formed
Which of the following statements correctly explains why temperature increases with altitude in the stratosphere?
Ozone molecules in the ozone layer absorb ultraviolet radiation, causing them to vibrate faster.
Steps in hydrofracturing
Packers are put in place Fluids are pumped in at high pressure The pressure in the hole is increased Preexisting cracks open up
Which of these are characteristics of either porosity or permeability?
Permeability is a measure of how well the pores are connected. Porosity is a measure of the amount of the substance composed of empty spaces.
Order of ocean exploration
Polynesians cross pacific ocean vikings cross atlantic ocean invention of mechanical clock journey of HMS challenger invention of GPS
Which of the following is the best method to protect a beach from increased erosion anywhere along the stretch of beach?
beach nourishment
Which of the following statements best describes what happened to sea level over the last 450 million years?
Sea level has risen and fallen multiple times.
Why does a dam in a river that exits at a beach lead to increased erosion along the shoreline?
The dam reduces the amount of sediment available to the longshore current.
Estuary
The drowned valley was once a river valley The valley was carved by water when sea level was lower
How does the rate of groundwater flow compare with that of ocean currents or river currents?
The rate of groundwater flow is slower than that of surface-water currents.
Which of the following statements is true about lakes?
The surface of a lake corresponds to the surface of the groundwater table nearby.
Which of the following are characteristics of rogue waves?
They have been documented as high as 34 meters by ships in the ocean. They may form when wind-driven waves converge from two different directions. They may form when wind-driven waves encounter strong water currents.
Which of the following are ecosystem services provided by salt marshes?
They provide nutrient-rich food for birds. They absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere. They serve as a nursery for juvenile fish.
Plankton
Tiny algae and animals that float in water and are carried by waves and currents.
Rank the following fuel sources by their energy density, from highest (top) to lowest (bottom)
Uranium Oil Coal Wood
littoral zone
a shallow zone in a freshwater habitat where light reaches the bottom and nurtures plants. beaches, dry during low tide, tidal flats
The spillage of 29,000 plastic bath toys in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in 1992 proved that
all the world's oceans are connected.
A well in which the water rises on its own to a level above its aquifer is called
an artesian well.
Which of the following atoms is an isotope of Pxygen-16 (which has 8 protons and 8 neutrons)
an atom with 8 protons and 10 neutrons
Atoll
an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
The abyssal plains
are covered by thick sediment.
According to the diagram on waves
both wavelength and wave height increase with fetch.
Passive margin
broad continental shelf Gentle continental slope few to no earthquakes continental rise
What makes hard water "hard"?
calcium and magnesium
Both passive margin and active margin
can be adjacent to thick continental crust underlain by oceanic crust formation of sedimentary rock
Sea
carribean, red, mediterranean
The Coriolis effect
causes north-flowing currents in the northern hemisphere to curve to the east.
Flow of ocean water in gyres is
circular and clockwise in the northern hemisphere.
Which of the following parts of the hydrologic cycle causes the salt to become concentrated in ponds?
evaporation
The rate of groundwater flow
depends on the permeability of the material it flows through and on the slope of the water table.
What process can be used to remove salt from water?
desalination
Which of these are sources of groundwater contamination?
dissolved ions sewage petroleum
Which of these are characteristics of an artesian well?
does not require pumping penetrates a confined aquifer
Lakes
erie, dead, caspian
The type of energy that uses the Earth's internal heat is called
geothermal.
Temperatures in the Eocene were, on average, 12°C warmer than today. However, we are still concerned about the effect that the current global warming trend will have on humans. Which of the following are possible effects of the current global warming trend?
larger areas experiencing droughts higher taxes to pay for damage from disasters and loss of crops a decrease in the volume of snowfall a decrease in crop output an increased chance of armed conflict an increase in flooding in low-lying coastal cities and towns
Rank the following steps of cloud formation in order of occurence
lifting mechanisms cause air to rise Rising air expands and cools, reaching the dew point Aerosols act as condensation nuclei Water droplets or ice crystals develop, forming clouds
Groundwater contaminants
like arsenic and salt may occur naturally in groundwater.
This NASA satellite image shows the Cape Cod peninsula in southeastern Massachusetts.
longshore drift
Autorophs
microbes near hydrothermal vents phytoplankton
Which of the following processes transforms oil-saturated sandstones into tar sands?
microbial degradation
Longwave radiation includes
microwaves.
select the possible consequences of the predicted change in the numbers of days with temperatures above 32ºC.
more droughts longer summers decreased snowpack more heat waves
Metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources are considered nonrenewable because
natural processes make minerals much more slowly than we can mine them.
Which of the following household materials do not originate from mineral resources?
natural rubber used in footwear
What is the biggest environmental risk of mining?
reactions between tailing piles and rainwater that pollute water sources and damage vegetation
Winter beach profile
sand is eroded from the beach during frequent storms the beach angle becomes steeper the beach becomes narrower
Fjord
the drowned valley is U-shaped The valley was carved by a glacier when sea level was lower
Which of the following did not contribute to Earth's present atmospheric concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide?
the evolution of cyanobacteria, which are photosynthetic single-celled organisms
If the Earth did not experience the greenhouse effect,
the temperature of the Earth would be much cooler.
The bright colors around the edge of the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park are a result of which of the following?
thermophilic bacteria and archaea
continental crust
thick deep moho sits higher in the asthenosphere deeper roots
abyssal plain
thick, fine sediment seamounts flat
Oil is most likely to form when
tiny algae and plankton decompose under conditions of heat, pressure, and low oxygen.
Which of the following features is most likely to be found along a depositional coastline (that is, is not an erosional feature)?
tombolo
submarine canyon
turbidity currents submarine slumps
Groundwater
typically moves slowly within the ground through porous rock layers like sandstone.
Formation of waves
wine beings to blow frictional drag on surface of water ripples form waves form