Geology final
Boundaries between Earth's layers: Select one: a. are noted by the changing metal content of each layer. b. are defined by abrupt changes in earthquake density. c. are places where there is an abrupt change in the density of rock. d. occur because of tides.
c
Choose the FALSE statement. Magnetic anomalies are: Select one: a. places where the magnetic field strength is either greater or less than the expected strength. b. termed normal if the atomic dipoles match Earth's current magnetic field and point from north to south. c. found only on the sea floor. d. measured with an instrument called a magnetometer.
c
Choose the FALSE statement. Magnetic reversals: Select one: a. have occurred many times, but not at regular intervals. b. reflect changes in the direction of flow of molten iron in Earth's outer core. c. happen slowly as the magnetic poles wander and finally cross the equator. d. are a global phenomenon.
c
Choose the FALSE statement. Pangaea: Select one: a. means "all land." b. started to break apart during the Mesozoic. c. broke apart due to the force created by Earth's rotation. d. is the name for the most recent supercontinent; others have existed.
c
Choose the one type of deposit that is not typical of a tropical/subtropical climate. Select one: a. coal b. reefs c. till d. salt
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Scientific cosmology... Select one: a. states that the two basic entities of the Universe are energy and matter. b. investigates the overall structure and history of the Universe. c. proves the Big Bang theory. d. applies scientific principles to the study of the Universe.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. A fifth-generation star would have a greater proportion of heavier elements than a second-generation star. b. An accretionary disk eventually grows hot and massive enough to become a protostar, then a star. c. Our Universe is so old there are no first-generation stars left in it. d. Dense regions of a nebula pull in surrounding material and therefore grow in mass and density and rotate faster.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. The direction of movement of the Pacific Plate changed about 47 million years ago to create a bend in that hot-spot track. b. Plates move in response to two forces: the ridge-push force and the slab-pull force. c. The North American Plate is currently moving toward the northeast at about 10 feet per year. d. Southwestern California and the Baja Peninsula are moving toward the northwest along the section of the Pacific Plate-North American Plate boundary called the San Andreas Fault.
c
Plate tectonics theory took decades to be accepted because: Select one: a. most of Wegener's ideas turned out to be wrong. b. of pure stubbornness by the scientific community. c. Wegener couldn't explain how continents moved. d. climate, fossil distributions, and land shape offered conflicting evidence
C
A negative magnetic anomaly: Select one: a. is indicated when a magnetometer measures intervals of magnetism that are weaker than expected. b. occurs when Earth's magnetic field measured in ancient rocks is the same as today. c. is created when weak magnetic forces in basalt grains add to the force produced by Earth's dipole. d. describes the sawtooth pattern of magnetic signal strength measured along the Atlantic Ocean sea floor.
a
Accretionary prisms form due to what process? Select one: a. subduction b. divergence c. rifting d. transform motion
a
Asthenosphere: Select one: a. is warm enough to flow slowly. b. subducts when it collides with continental lithosphere. c. is the lower layer of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. d. is the uppermost layer of Earth's core.
a
At transform plate boundaries Select one: a. earthquakes are common, but volcanoes are absent. b. volcanoes are common, but earthquakes do not occur. c. both earthquakes and volcanoes are common. d. neither earthquakes nor volcanoes are common.
a
Choose the FALSE statement. The paleomagnetic record: Select one: a. is a puzzle; it contradicts the sea-floor spreading concept. b. is preserved in basalt layers on land. c. is symmetrical across the mid-ocean ridge. d. is preserved in strips of rock parallel to the mid-ocean ridge.
a
Choose the list that accurately shows rock composition decreasing in silica and increasing in iron and magnesium. a. granite, basalt, peridotite b. peridotite, basalt, granite c. basalt, peridotite, granite d. granite, peridotite, basalt
a
Continental mountain ranges such as the Alps, Himalayas, and Appalachians are the result of which of the following? Select one: a. collision b. rifting c. triple junction d. hot spots
a
Earth's magnetic field is created by: Select one: a. flow of liquid iron in Earth's molten outer core. b. centrifugal force pushing on Earth's crust. c. convecting iron-rich silicates in Earth's mantle. d. the rotation of the planet on its axis.
a
Earthquakes are generated: Select one: a. when rock moves along faults. b. as pressure and temperature increase with depth in the Earth. c. by the Earth's magnetic field. d. in the mantle.
a
Earthquakes but not volcanoes occur in San Francisco because: Select one: a. two plates are moving past each other there. b. a continental plate is colliding with another continental plate there. c. an oceanic plate is converging with a continental plate and subducting there. d. two plates are diverging there.
a
How far is the Sun away from Earth? Select one: a. 8.3 light-minutes b. 1.3 light-seconds c. 4.37 light-years d. 100,000 light-years
a
Identify the FALSE statement. A subducting plate: Select one: a. can be either continental or oceanic lithosphere. b. has a trench along its seaward edge. c. can be charted by noting its Wadati-Benioff zone. d. has a volcanic arc associated with it.
a
Identify the FALSE statement. Stellar nucleosynthesis: Select one: a. is the term for the process by which supernovae create the heavier elements. b. produces elements up to atomic number 26 (iron) in low-mass stars like our Sun. c. is a normal process that happens during the life cycle of stars. d. reactions vary and are dependent on the mass of the star.
a
Identify the FALSE statement. You could summarize our Solar System's development by saying: Select one: a. it formed solely from atoms generated by the Big Bang. b. its formation began as gravity pulled material into a bulbous disc. c. the central ball of the bulbous disc developed into the Sun. d. outlying material of the disc condensed into planetesimals.
a
Identify the TRUE statement. Select one: a. The composition of the giant (Jovian) planets is mainly gas and "ice." b. The Sun accounts for almost 50% of the Solar System's mass. c. The only two planets with moons are Earth and Jupiter. d. Our Sun is the only star we know of that has planets associated with it.
a
Our Moon Select one: a. was formed by the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized protoplanet. b. was a separate small planet before it was captured by Earth's gravity. c. spun off the fast-spinning Earth during the early formation of the solar system. d. coalesced from gas and dust in its current place next to Earth.
a
The earliest nebulae to form in the Universe were made almost entirely of: Select one: a. hydrogen and helium. b. chlorine and argon. c. iron and magnesium. d. carbon and nitrogen.
a
The geothermal gradient: Select one: a. refers to the rate of change in temperature with depth in the Earth. b. increases as you go deeper into the Earth. c. averages about 5°C per km in the upper crust. d. states that temperatures near the mantle-core boundary may exceed the temperature of the Sun (5,500°C).
a
The rate of sea-floor spreading: Select one: a. is fast enough to account for the formation and destruction of oceans many times in Earth's history. b. depends on the type of plate boundary (i.e., convergent, transform) at which it occurs. c. is faster along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge than along the East Pacific Rise. d. has remained constant throughout Earth's history.
a
The solar wind: Select one: a. blew light, gaseous elements out of the inner Solar System. b. caused the inner Solar System to have a higher proportion of gas and ice. c. is the term used to describe the large atoms formed during supernovae. d. created Earth's atmosphere.
a
Under the theory of plate tectonics, the plates themselves are Select one: a. discrete pieces of lithosphere at the surface of the solid Earth that move with respect to one another. b. discrete layers of lithosphere that are vertically stacked one atop the other. c. composed only of continental rocks, which plow through the weaker oceanic rocks. d. very thick (approximately one-quarter of Earth's radius).
a
Which is NOT one of the ideas Wegener offered to support his theory? Select one: a. the existence of the mid-ocean ridge, where sea-floor spreading starts b. the matching of the distribution of similar fossils across oceans c. the matching fit of the outline of some of the continents d. paleoclimatic evidence of extreme climate changes in some areas
a
Which of the following statements about the crust is FALSE? Select one: a. The crust is the top of the mantle that has cooled and hardened. b. The upper portion of the crust contains microscopic pores that contain groundwater. c. The crust plus the upper part of the mantle make up the lithosphere. d. There are two different types of crust: oceanic and continental.
a
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select one: a. The Moho marks the boundary between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere. b. Continental crust can be four times as thick as ocean crust. c. Continental crust is less mafic than ocean crust. d. Ocean crust is denser than continental crust.
a
Within the sea floor, the rate of geothermal heat flow is greatest Select one: a. along mid-ocean ridges. b. along fracture zones. c. at the edges of ocean basins. d. in the center of abyssal plains.
a
Choose the FALSE statement. The age of oceanic crust: Select one: a. has been determined by radiometric dating. b. is oldest at the mid-ocean ridge and youngest farthest from the ridge. c. varies with location. d. correlates well with calculated rates of sea-floor spreading.
b
Continents: Select one: a. plow their way through the sea floor. b. passively ride along as the sea floor spreads. c. may subduct if they are old and dense enough. d. have retained the same size and shape throughout Earth's history.
b
Cynognathus, Glossopteris, Mesosaurus, and Lystrosaurus are: Select one: a. the names of the most recent periods of magnetic reversal. b. land-dwelling species whose distribution suggested joined continents. c. names of supercontinents that existed before Pangaea. d. distinctive assemblages of rocks.
b
Earth is round because: Select one: a. erosion over time has worn down the jagged edges of its planetesimals. b. its interior rock is warm enough to flow slowly in response to gravity. c. solar wind has shaped it. d. the gravitational tug of the Moon has worn down the jagged edges.
b
Fusion reactions happen at a slower rate: Select one: a. in stars farther away from Earth? b. in smaller stars than in bigger ones. c. in hotter stars than cooler ones. d. in stars in larger galaxies than stars in smaller galaxies.
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. As the sea floor spreads, the asthenosphere rises, melts to become magma, and fills the space between plates. b. Some magma generated during sea-floor spreading spills out to produce a new layer of sea floor called gabbro. c. Some magma generated during sea-floor spreading erupts from submarine volcanoes. d. Observers in research submersibles have seen submarine volcanoes.
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. Most meteoroids are fragments derived from the Oort Cloud, Kuiper Belt, or asteroid belt; some are chips of the moon or Mars. b. Meteoroids that explode into fireballs are termed chondrites. c. Catastrophic collisions of meteoroids with Earth are rare, but have happened during Earth's past and probably will happen again. d. A glowing streak of atmospheric gas roughly 150 km high is termed a meteor ("shooting star").
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. Positive magnetic anomalies occur over areas of sea floor when the poles of Earth's magnetic field and the paleopoles preserved in the sea-floor basalt agree; negative anomalies occur when they are opposite each other. b. All polarity chrons are the same length of time; they differ only in the magnetic strengths they represent. c. The series of rock stripes parallel to and bilaterally symmetrical across the mid-ocean ridge record the sequence of Earth's magnetic reversals over time. d. The width of each rock stripe is a measure of how long the polar direction remained constant.
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. The planets formed out of a flattened disk of gas revolving around a central mass. b. A stellar wind consists of the debris that is exploded out of a star as it "dies". c. The center material of our Solar System's protoplanetary disk developed into the Sun, while the series of surrounding dust, gas, and ice rings became planets. d. Planetesimals that were larger than 1 km gravitationally pulled in all surrounding dust, ice, and smaller planetesimals to become protoplanets.
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Asteroids: Select one: a. are rocky or metallic bodies, meters to kilometers in diameter. b. orbit in a belt between Jupiter and Saturn.? c. probably didn't accrete into a planet because Jupiter's gravity interfered. d. are irregular in shape, not spherical.??
b
Which of the following would you consult to predict the effect of sea level changes on the amount of exposed land areas? Select one: a. seismic velocity graphs b. hypsometric curve c. ship's log of the Glomar Challenger d. readings of a magnetosphere
b
Identify the FALSE statement. Bathymetric maps show the following features of the sea floor: Select one: a. broad flat abyssal plains at depths of 4 to 5 km below sea level. b. bands of vertical fractures (fracture zones) that run parallel to mid-ocean ridges. c. elongate trenches that reach 8 to 12 km deep. d. chains of seamounts (submarine mountains), some of which are active volcanoes.
b
Identify the FALSE statement. The expanding Universe theory: Select one: a. contends that galaxies are moving away from Earth and from each other at fantastic speeds. b. is supported by the fact that all galaxies exhibit a blue shift. c. raises the question of when the expansion began. d. was developed after the Big Bang theory.
b
If the star Alpha Centauri, 4.37 light-years distant from the Earth, were to explode this instant, when would we be aware of this event? Select one: a. never b. 4.37 years from now c. instantly d. 2.15 years from now
b
If we align the continents to fit Wegener's concept of Pangaea, evidence of Late Paleozoic glacial deposits Select one: a. is more difficult to explain than in the modern continental configuration. b. is much more readily explained than in the modern continental configuration. c. makes very little sense in either the Pangaea configuration or the modern configuration unless we move Pangaea to the South Pole. d. makes very little sense in either the Pangaea configuration or the modern configuration unless we move Pangaea to the equator.
b
It is jokingly said that in 100 million years Los Angeles, California, will have moved far enough north to become a suburb of Anchorage, Alaska. On the basis of this observation and knowing that the Pacific Plate is moving north at the rate of 6 cm per year, approximately how far is Los Angeles from Anchorage? Select one: a. 600 km or 372 mi b. 6,000 km or 3,720 mi c. 60,000 km or 37,200 mi d. 600,000 km or 370,200 mi
b
Most continental topography lies within a range of altitude between Select one: a. sea level and 1 km below sea level. b. sea level and 1 km above sea level. c. 2 to 5 km above sea level. d. 2 to 5 km below sea level.
b
Plate tectonics theory was widely accepted by scientists in what decade? Select one: a. 1920s b. 1960s c. 1980s d. 1930s
b
Sea-floor spreading is driven by volcanic activity Select one: a. in the middle of abyssal plains. b. along mid-ocean ridges. c. at the edges of continental shelves. d. along fracture zones.
b
Select the FALSE statement. The Doppler effect: Select one: a. occurs when the frequency of sound waves received is greater if the wave source is moving toward you than if it's moving away. b. occurs when the pitch of a sound will get higher if the source is receding. c. is relevant to sound but can also be applied to the behavior of light waves. d. is the basic explanation for the red shift of light in our Universe.
b
The Himalayas are growing because: Select one: a. two plates are moving past each other there. b. a continental plate is colliding with another continental plate there. c. an oceanic plate is converging with a continental plate and subducting there. d. two plates are diverging there.
b
The appropriate definition of a rock is: Select one: a. a solid organic substance in which atoms are arranged either in an orderly pattern (crystalline) or as irregularly shaped grains. b. an aggregate (mixture) of minerals. c. a solid in which atoms are not arranged in an orderly pattern. d. a carbon-containing compound that resembles those in living organisms.
b
The center of a mid-ocean ridge is where: Select one: a. molten basalt subducts back into Earth. b. new oceanic lithosphere is being created. c. you find the oldest, densest, hottest oceanic crust. d. two continental plates converge.
b
The global occurrence of earthquakes reveals that: Select one: a. their locations are randomly scattered. b. they usually occur on the boundaries of plates or at hot spots. c. they usually occur at the center of plates. d. they prove that Earth is splitting apart (rifting) at all plate boundaries.
b
The metal alloy that makes up the core of Earth is Select one: a. less dense than the rocky mantle. b. denser than the rocky mantle. c. of similar chemistry and density as the rocky mantle. d. of similar chemistry but different density than the rocky mantle.
b
When looking at the bathymetry of the oceans, most of the ocean floor is composed of Select one: a. ocean trenches (5-12 km below sea level). b. ocean plains, also known as abyssal plains (2.5-5 km below sea level). c. submarine mountains (less than 2.5 km below sea level). d. continental shelves (less than 0.5 km below sea level).
b
Which of Earth's layers accounts for most of the volume of Earth? Select one: a. the inner core b. the mantle c. the lithosphere d. the crust
b
Which of the following is caused by the interaction of the solar wind with magnetic lines of force and gases in polar regions? Select one: a. the Van Allen belts b. the aurorae c. a dipole d. the heliosphere
b
Which of the following serve as a trap for cosmic rays and shield life on Earth from excessive radiation? Select one: a. Oort Cloud b. Van Allen belts c. Kuiper Belt d. Asteroid belt
b
Which of the following statements concerning density is FALSE? Select one: a. Earth's density is a little over 5 g/cm3. b. The density of crustal rock is between 5 and 7.9 g/cm3. c. Mafic rock is denser than felsic rock. d. Changes in density can be detected by changes in seismic wave velocity.
b
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Select one: a. Ocean basins get wider as a result of sea-floor spreading. b. Ocean floor is created by the process of subduction. c. To keep Earth's surface area constant, the amount of sea-floor spreading must equal the amount of subduction. d. Subduction causes continents to move together; sea-floor spreading moves them apart.
b
Which of the following was NOT a line of evidence used by Wegener to develop this theory that continents drift? Select one: a. the distribution of fossil species b. the presence of earthquakes in seismic belts along trenches, ridges, and fracture zones c. the location of ancient till deposits and striations that indicated glacial movement toward the interior of continents d. matching mountain chains on continents currently separated by oceans
b
Identify the FALSE statement. According to present plate tectonics theory: Select one: a. plates move on the asthenosphere. b. plates move at speeds of a few centimeters per year. c. a continental plate will subduct under an oceanic plate when the two converge. d. plates are composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Oceanic lithosphere: Select one: a. gets older and thicker as it gets farther from the ridge axis. b. gets cooler as it gets farther from the ridge axis. c. attains its maximum thickness when it is about 800 million years old. d. that is 10 million years old is cool enough to be denser than the asthenosphere, so it can sink down through the asthenosphere.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Plate movement is influenced by: Select one: a. mantle convection, which creates shear at the base of plates. b. slab pull, in which the down going oceanic plate exerts a pull on the rest of the plate. c. mantle plumes, which are created when hot rock rises up from the deep mantle and creates melting at the base of the lithosphere. d. ridge push, in which the elevated rocks at the ridge axis push on rocks farther from the ridge.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Scientific cosmology: Select one: a. states that the two basic entities of the Universe are energy and matter. b. investigates the overall structure and history of the Universe. c. proves the Big Bang theory. d. applies scientific principles to the study of the Universe.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. Stars: Select one: a. create elements by fusing the nuclei of small atoms into the nuclei of larger atoms. b. have limited amounts of fuel and therefore don't exist forever. c. all explode cataclysmically when they die and contribute their matter to future star generations. d. begin as protostars, which fire up when they collapse and become denser and hotter.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. The Big Bang theory states that: Select one: a. nebulae condensed and heated to become spinning accretion disks, then protostars, then stars. b. the temperature had to fall below 1 billion degrees to allow elements above Hydrogen to form. c. the process of atom creation, termed Big Bang nucleosynthesis, produced all known natural elements. d. as the Universe cooled, atoms and molecules accumulated in patchy clouds of gas called nebulae.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. The categories of materials that constitute Earth include: Select one: a. melts; solid materials that have melted due to heat. b. volatiles; materials that easily become gases at ordinary Earth surface temperatures. c. organic chemicals; all carbon-containing compounds, including oil, protein, carbon dioxide, and calcium carbonate. d. alloys; mixtures of more than one type of metal atom.
c
Identify the FALSE statement. The rate of plate motion: Select one: a. can be determined to within millimeters by using the Global Positioning System (GPS). b. can be expressed as relative plate velocity, which describes movement of one plate in relation to another plate. c. can range from 100 to 150 cm per year. d. can be expressed as absolute plate velocity, which describes movement of a single plate relative to a fixed point.
c
Identify the TRUE statement: Select one: a. Igneous rocks form when preexisting rocks undergo changes in response to heat and pressure. b. Hot molten rock that cools and hardens produces metamorphic rocks. c. Sedimentary rocks form when preexisting rock grains are cemented together. d. Magma is the term for very hot rock that is molten; when it cools and hardens, it's called lava.
c
Imagine that the light you observe from space is exhibiting a blue shift. This would mean that the Universe: Select one: a. is expanding. b. is traveling faster than the speed of light. c. is collapsing. d. is traveling slower than the speed of sound.
c
Radiometric dating of a magnetic anomaly stripe of rock that is 225 km away from the mid-ocean ridge axis gives an age of 4.5 million years. Assuming a constant rate, sea-floor spreading in this area occurs at a rate of: Select one: a. 50 km per year. b. 1,012.5 km per year. c. 5 cm per year. d. 20,000 cm per year.
c
Studies of interplanetary space have indicated that: Select one: a. no other planets in our Solar System lie within the habitable zone. b. Earth's magnetic field is spherical. c. interplanetary space is much denser than interstellar space. d. the planets in our Solar System do not orbit within the same plane.
c
Summed over the entire surface of Earth, the rate of Select one: a. lithospheric production at ridges is greater than that of consumption at subduction zones. b. consumption at subduction zones is greater than that of production at ridges. c. lithospheric production and consumption are equal. d. lithospheric production and consumption are unequal globally, resulting in a widely-varying Earth radius.
c
The chain of volcanoes along the west coast of South America (the Andes Mountains) exists because: Select one: a. an oceanic plate is sliding past the South American Plate and heading toward the northwest. b. an oceanic plate is rifting apart from the South American Plate. c. an oceanic plate is subducting under the western edge of the South American Plate. d. basalt is pushing up through the trench that parallels the west coast of South America.
c
The heavier elements on Earth (those with atomic numbers greater than 5): Select one: a. were in existence at the moment of the Big Bang. b. were formed immediately after the Big Bang. c. are formed by stellar nucleosynthesis during the life cycles of existing stars. d. are constantly being created by fusion in our Sun and blown here by the solar wind.
c
The heliocentric model of the solar system states that the Select one: a. Earth is a stationary planet. b. Sun orbits around the Earth. c. Earth orbits around the Sun. d. planets Mercury and Venus are the only terrestrial planets that orbit the Sun.
c
The primary difference between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to numerous divergent patterns of physical behavior is Select one: a. density (the lithosphere is much more dense than the asthenosphere). b. chemical composition (the lithosphere is mafic, and the asthenosphere is felsic). c. temperature (the asthenosphere is hotter than the lithosphere). d. chemical composition (the lithosphere is felsic, and the asthenosphere is mafic).
c
Which of the following did not add to the gases that formed Earths earliest atmosphere? Select one: a. volcanic eruptions b. comet collisions c. solar wind d. planetary outgassing?
c
Which of the following statements about lithosphere and asthenosphere is TRUE? Select one: a. Lithosphere and asthenosphere have the same physical properties; they are both rigid. b. Lithosphere is more mafic than asthenosphere. c. Lithosphere consists of the crust and the upper mantle, and behaves like a hard layer that breaks and bends. d. Asthenosphere consists of the lower, middle, and upper mantle, and is defined as mantle material that is cooler than 1280°C.
c
Which of the following statements is FALSE? Peridotite: Select one: a. is rare at Earth's surface. b. is the most abundant rock in Earth. c. is felsic. d. is very rich in iron and magnesium, very poor in silica.
c
Which of the following statements is NOT true about the ocean floor? Select one: a. It is covered by a layer of sediment composed of clay and plankton shells. b. The heat flow through it is greatest at the mid-ocean ridges. c. Oceanic crust contains granite and metamorphic rocks. d. Oceanic crust is quite different from continental crust.
c
Earths magnetic field is generated in: Select one: a. the crust. b. the upper mantle. c. the inner core d. the outer core.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. Plates shift the continents around as they move, so Earth's surface is constantly changing. b. Plates may consist of all ocean floor or both ocean floor and continental crust. c. There are 12 major plates, and several microplates. d. The contacts between plates are called passive margins.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. Select one: a. The geothermal gradient is the rate of change in temperature with depth in Earth. b. The temperature at Earth's center may almost equal the temperature of the Sun's surface. c. The pressure at Earth's center is millions of times greater than normal atmospheric pressure. d. The calculated density at Earth's center makes scientists almost certain the inner core is composed of gold.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. A mid-ocean ridge: Select one: a. is a submarine mountain range that winds through all the world's oceans. b. sits higher than the surrounding sea floor because its rock is hotter and less dense than its surroundings. c. can be described as a continuously moving conveyor belt in which magma spills out at its center, cools, solidifies, and moves laterally away from the ridge. d. is covered by a layer of basalt lava blobs called dikes.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. According to the mantle plume model, hot-spot plumes: Select one: a. stream upward slowly because their hot rock is less dense than the overlying rock. b. partially melt the base of the overlying lithosphere, and the magma that is formed rises toward the surface. c. produce volcanoes that do not always coincide with a plate boundary. d. are thought to originate at the crust-mantle boundary.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. Differentiation of large planetesimals and protoplanets: Select one: a. is the process by which these bodies develop internal layering. b. began with heating up component materials within these bodies. c. was caused by heat created by the transformation of kinetic energy from collisions into thermal energy. d. was inhibited by the presence of radioactive elements because their decay absorbs heat from the surroundings.
d
Identify the FALSE statement. The Big Bang: Select one: a. occurred more than 13 billion years ago. b. began with all matter and energy concentrated in an infinitesimally small point. c. theory states that at the instant of explosion, everything had so much thermal energy even the smallest atomic pieces couldn't exist. d. is the explanation for how our Solar System developed.
d
Identify the FALSE statement: Select one: a. Plate boundaries where subduction occurs are also called consuming boundaries. b. Sea-floor spreading behind a volcanic island arc creates a small ocean basin called a back-arc basin or marginal sea. c. An accretionary prism is a wedge-shaped mass of sediment scraped off a subducting plate as it slides under the overriding plate. d. A spreading boundary is always in the middle of the ocean basin where it is located.
d
Jupiter, Saturn, and Neptune are: Select one: a. terrestrial planets. b. planetesimals. c. rocky planets. d. Jovian planets.
d
Ocean crust: Select one: a. is the same composition as continental crust. b. is the same age as continental crust. c. has not been sampled directly because it is too deep beneath the ocean. d. is covered by a thin blanket of sediment that thickens away from the ridge axis.
d
Our Solar System: Select one: a. is centrally positioned in the Milky Way Galaxy. b. formed 10 billion years ago. c. has a massive, first-generation star at its center. d. completes one rotation around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years.
d
Our Sun: Select one: a. is a first-generation star. b. is a high-mass star. c. is made up of 74% hydrogen and 24% helium. d. is less than 5 billion years old.
d
The apparent polar wander curve as recorded by sedimentary rocks in Europe Select one: a. has a different shape and orientation than the apparent wander curve as recorded by sedimentary rocks in North America b. is due to the natural migration of the magnetic poles over geologic time. c. is different from the North American polar wander curve because they record the wander of a reversed polarity magnetic pole. d. matches the North American polar wander curve if we assume relative motion of the two tectonic plates over geologic time.
d
The heliocentric model: Select one: a. states that the Earth is the center of the Universe, and the Moon and planets revolve around it. b. was developed by Ptolemy and supported by his mathematical equations. c. was widely accepted during the Middle Ages (~476-1400 C.E.). d. was supported by Johannes Kepler's observation that planets follow an elliptical orbit.
d
The two most common gases of Earth's atmosphere and their percentages are: Select one: a. carbon dioxide (CO2), 21%, and oxygen (O2), 78%. b. water (H2O), 21%, and oxygen (O2), 78%. c. oxygen (O2), 21%, and carbon dioxide (CO2), 78%. d. nitrogen (N2), 78%, and oxygen (O2), 21%.
d
The velocities of seismic waves traveling from earthquake foci Select one: a. are uniform throughout all layers of Earth. b. decrease with depth at a consistent rate of deceleration. c. increase with depth at a consistent rate of acceleration. d. generally increase with depth and occasionally make abrupt changes at layer boundaries.
d
Which of the following groups of elements make up the most mass of the whole Earth? Select one: a. magnesium, iron, carbon dioxide, and argon b. nitrogen, oxygen, helium, and carbon dioxide c. silicon, iron, potassium, and sodium d. iron, oxygen, silicon, and magnesium
d
