Physical Geography online quiz

Approximately ____ percent of the stored energy in each trophic level is passed onto the next tropic level.

10

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from pre-industrial levels of about _______ to current levels of about ______.

280ppm; 401ppm

Ice cores in Antarctica provided climate data going back ______ years.

800,000

The precambrian eon comprises about ____ percentage of our Earth's history?

88

Who first proposed the theory of uniformitarianism?

James Hutton

Which of the following volcanic hazards is not correctly matched?

Kilauea, USA = pyroclastic flow

Why are the winds in a hurricane and tornado so strong? a.) The pressure gradient is strong. b.) The pressure at teh center of the storm is very low. c.) Tremendous amounts of condensation occur in the center of the storm, releasing latent heat energy. d.)All of the above.

d.)

The Pacific Northwest region of the US is a moist environment because of: a.)the effect of maritime air masses b.) the presence of mountains c.) the predominant direction the winds blow at that latitude (45 to 50 degrees north) d.) all of the above

d.) all of the above

The lowering of land surface by the lifting and removal of light material, leaving only heavy material is termed ________, whereas the grinding of rock surfaces with a 'sandblasting' action is termed _________.

deflation; abrasion

Karst topography is formed primarily by

dissolution through carbonic acid solution

Which of the following is NOT a key consideration when classifying climate? -elevation - precipitation -temperature range - location

elevation

Which of the following is NOT a class of sedimentary rock:

gniess

The IPCC has stated with ______ confidence that temperature warming in the Arctic is ______ than the global average.

high; higher

Chemical weathering is greatest under conditions of

higher mean annual rainfall and temperatures

Which of the following would you NOT expect to change when a mid latitude cyclone passes over a region?

humidity

How often would you expect an earthquake of greater than 8.0 on the Richter scale, or XII on the Mercalli scale to occur?

once per year

Seafloor spreading was confirmed through what two main lines of evidence?

paleomagnetisism and core sampling

The primary difference between plutonic and volcanic igneous rocks is:

plutonic rocks cool slowly below the earth's surface, while volcanic rocks cool rapidly on the earth's surface.

Sedimentary rocks are more a product of _________ whereas metamorphic and igneous rocks are more a product of __________ .

surface processes; heat from the earth's interrior

Frost wedging is greatest under conditions of

temperatures that reach below freezing

Net primary productivity

tends to be highest on land in the tropics where there is high precipitation and high insolation.

When a cold front approaches, the weather becomes _____.

violent with rain and cumulonimbus clouds.

Which of the following are the principal active agents involved in chemical weathering?

water, oxygen, carbon dioxide

Which of the following does NOT influence the characteristics of a mass wasting event?

wind

Which of the following features DO NOT result from glacial processes?

yardangs

Which of the following is true regarding the Richter scale?

An 4.0 on the scale releases about 32 times more energy than a 3.0

Which of the following statements about shield volcanoes is true?

They form from basaltic magma

Unlike a stream-cut valley that assumes a characteristic ________-shape, a glacially-carved valley evidences a characteristic _________-shape.

V; U

Ocean-Continental convergence results in:

a mountain range formed inland along the continent's edge, with a parallel ocean trench.

The layer within the earth that lies directly below the lithosphere, but above the upper mantle, is best described as

a plastic-like layer that flows in response to heat and pressure

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concluded that hurricane:

activity and instensity has been increasing but there is not currently definitive evidence ties it to anthropogenic climate change.

Tropical cylones...

are considerably smaller than mid latitude cyclones.

Tornadoes

are usually associated with cold front activity

The belief that large disasters and sudden upheavals have produced most of the major features of the earth is called:

catastrophism

Overall, ecosystems can be described as:

constantly changing and adapting to modifications in the physical geography

The variety of surface features on the Earth results from: a.)tectonic activity b.)gravity c.)weathering and erosion d.)all of the above

d.)

The theory of plate tectonics....

is relativly new, built from evidence gathered in the mid-20th century

The principles of buoyancy and balance, when applied to the Earth's crust, helps us to explain fluctuations in Earth's outer crust, a property known as

isostasy

An air mass must be:

large, uniform in the horizontal direction and travel as a unit

Wind is ______ effective at eroding and transporting materials than other geomorphic agents because its density is ______ that of other geomorphic agents.

less; less

Which of the following is not a correct match?

mT = mesothermal airmasses

Mediterranean climates (Cs) are typified by:

modest precipitation in the winter and dry summers

Which of the following is not a cementing agent for clastic sedimentary rocks?

salt

If you were afraid of earthquakes, which of the following areas would be the safest to live?

shield

Biogeography studies:

the interaction between biotic and abiotic systems

In a landscape that has experienced glaciation...

the landscape has been transformed by indiscriminate weathering and transportation of large amounts of material.

The occurrence of contact metamorphism would be direct evidence for

the local intrusion of magma

If you lived in an area with monotonous weather -- the same day after day -- except for occasional violent weather systems, you would be located in...

the low latitudes

Continental crust is _______, whereas oceanic crust is ________

thick, but less dense; thin and dense

Compressional stress along a fault can result in a dropped footwall block relative to the hanging-wall side, producing a

thrust fault