Geography 104 Test 4

The average elevation of the depth of the oceans is

-3800 m (-12,470 ft.).

Which of the following is a cause of warping?

mantle convection

The boundary between the crust and the rest of the lithospheric upper mantle is a discontinuity known as the

moho

"Cold and dry" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

polar climates

During the past ice age, landmasses were generally

pressed down into the asthenosphere by the load of ice.

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?

radioactive decay heat; exogenic energy source

"Hot and wet" temperature and precipitation patterns are characteristic of

rain forests in the equatorial tropics.

Vertical elevation differences in a local landscape are referred to as

relief

When geologists or archaeologists dig downward into a unit of rock or sediment, they are digging "back in time." This fact is based on the principle of

superposition

Microthermal climates are identified by the letter

D

Which of the following is incorrect regarding the Earth's inner core?

It is the source of Earth's magnetic field.

Which of the following is an example of an age relationship based on relative dating?

Australopithecines evolved before Homo erectus

Domes can be formed by

upwarping associated with magma movement (i.e., plutonic activity).

Which of the following is endogenic in nature?

volcanism

Tectonic forces

warp, fold, and uplift rock.

In terms of total land and ocean area, which of the following Köppen climate classifications is the most extensive at 36 percent of Earth's surface?

A climates

Which of the following can occur when seismic waves encounter a layer in the Earth's interior?

All of the above can occur, depending upon the nature of the layer.

The Sierra Nevada and Grand Tetons are examples of tilted-fault block mountain systems.

True

The principle of isostasy refers to the vertical movement of Earth's crust in response to loading and unloading of weight, such as ice or sediment.

True

Tundra can occur on high mountains as well as in the coastal margins of the subarctic realm.

True

Orogenesis refers to

a general term for the beginning of a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust.

Which of the following can lead to the formation of mountains?

all of the above

The shape of the Earth's surface results from

all of the above.

Along the ridge of a fold, layers that seem to slope downward away from the axis of a fold produce

an anticline

Which of the following is an example of a first order of relief?

an ocean basin

Vegetation in the tropical savannah is

both B and C

The tropical rain forest climate receives most of its rainfall as a result of

convectional uplift

The humid subtropical climate receives __________ precipitation during the summer and __________ precipitation in winter.

convectional; frontal

In which of the following areas would the least amount of precipitation occur?

on the leeward side of a mountain range in the interior of a continent

The average elevation of Earth's total surface is

-2070 m (-6790 ft.).

Mesothermal climates are identified by the letter

E

As regards average annual precipitation, which of the following is correct?

The highest average values occur along the equator

A guiding principle of earth science is the principle of uniformitarianism as opposed to catastrophism.

True

California has overridden part of a seafloor spreading zone.

True

Climate is a statistical construction based on defining assumptions (i.e., criteria) and is, therefore, not directly observable.

True

Continental shields, or cratons, are generally of low elevation and old in age.

True

Explosive eruptions produce composite volcanic peaks and few lava flows.

True

The Appalachians are older than the Rockies.

True

The Earth's crust is thickest under mountains and thinnest under the oceans.

True

The Mediterranean climate requires the use of irrigation for most crops.

True

Antarctica is buried under thousands of feet of ice because heavy snowfalls occur there each year.

False

Marine west coast climates occur only along the west coasts of continents.

False

Ocean floor is continuously destroyed in rift zones.

False

The Alps and alpine complex in Europe are an example of a third order of relief.

False

The deepest places in the ocean are those in which rifting occurs.

False

The process of isostatic adjustment is most closely associated with which of the following?

bouyancy

The author of the textbook describes the various climates of the world using a

combination of both genetic and empirical criteria.

The density of material below the Moho is __________ that above it.

greater than

The most detailed order of relief applies to __________ order relief features.

third

The undulating form that gives Earth's surface its character and general configuration is called

topography