Self-Check: 4.1 - 4.5

Which of the following is the source of energy driving the circulation pattern labeled C in the diagram?

Solar radiation

Region where the protective ozone layer is located

Stratosphere

Most of the Earth's deserts are at approximately 30° latitude, north and south, because these latitudes are characterized by

descending dry air currents

At which of the following sites does seafloor spreading result in rifts and possible volcanoes?

A

Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary

B

At which of the following sites would activity result in volcanoes, island arcs, and mountains?

B

Area that exhibits a growing nonvolcanic mountain chain due to uplift

C

At which of the following sites is an earthquake most likely to occur as two plates slide sideways past each other?

C

Which of the following shows the approximate concentration of CO2, N2, and O2 in dry air?

CO2 <1%, N2 78%, O2 21%

Which of the following is a biome found at 30° N and 30° S as seen in the diagram?

Deserts

Area that exhibits island arcs

E

The location where one tectonic plate is being forced beneath another, creating a volcanic arc.

E

Region with the lowest atmosphere pressure

Exosphere

Which of the following correctly characterizes one of Earth's atmospheric layers?

Layer D is the thermosphere, where auroras are found.

The following question(s) refer to the diagram below, which shows 100 ml of water being poured through a soil sample. After the water has passed through the soil, 98 ml of water is measured in the collection tray below the sample. Which of the following properties of the soil sample most influences the flow of water through the sample?

Permeability

The water-holding capacity of soil is LEAST likely to be affected by the addition of which of the following?

Pesticide

Which soil composition would be the best choice for lining a landfill?

Point W

Students sampled several different gardens near their school and measured the percentages of silt, sand, clay, and humus content present in each sample. Their results are shown in the table below.

Sample D

Of the following, which has the greatest permeability?

Sand

An environmental engineer wants to examine the permeability of different soils to determine the best natural containment system to protect groundwater from pollutants. The engineer tests four different soil samples, places them into a wet column, and pours 50mL of water over each sample. The engineer records the total amount of water that moves through the column as well as the total amount of time for the water to fully percolate through the soil. The data from the study are shown below. Which of the following best describes why the engineer chose to calculate the permeability of the soil sample in the experimental design in order to evaluate a natural containment system to protect groundwater?

Soils that have low permeability would best help protect groundwater because the soil traps pollutants so that chemical and biological breakdown can occur.

Based on the diagram, which of the following identifies a characteristic of the atmosphere between the stratopause and the tropopause?

The ozone layer is in the stratosphere.

An environmental engineer wants to examine the permeability of different soils to determine the best natural containment system to protect groundwater from pollutants. The engineer tests four different soil samples, places them into a wet column, and pours 50mL of water over each sample. The engineer records the total amount of water that moves through the column as well as the total amount of time for the water to fully percolate through the soil. The data from the study are shown below. Which of the following best describes the independent variable in this research design?

The sample of material chosen as the potential container material is the variable being tested, so it is the independent variable.

Based on the data in the diagrams, in which layer of the atmosphere would short wave radio signals be reflected?

Thermosphere

Most oxygen is found in this layer of the atmosphere

Troposphere

Region that contains the majority of molecules in the atmosphere

Troposphere

The phenomenon causing global warming occurs primarily in this region of the atmosphere.

Troposphere

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housing. They plan to measure the density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of a river that flows through their town. The town is built in a heavily forested area, but a large area of trees along the river was recently clear-cut to allow for the construction of a new housing development, which has caused exposed soil to wash into the river. The river flows north to south through the town and is still forested both up- and downstream of the town. Which of the following explains the variable that would be the best for students to measure to determine the direct impact of soil erosion caused by the construction project on the river?

Turbidity, because a decrease in water clarity would indicate an increase in soil erosion.

A student group is involved in a restoration study of a nearby disturbed area. They decide to collect six soil samples and analyze them for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Two of the samples are found to be very high in C and N, but the other four samples are low in both. The students also notice that the color of the two soil samples that are high in C and N is very dark. Which of the following is the most likely explanation of the data?

Two of the samples were collected from an A horizon, and the others were collected from a B horizon.

Which of the following causes the air to rise high into the atmosphere in the areas labeled A, B, and C on the diagram?

Warm, moist air that is less dense than the surrounding air

Most volcanism in the world is associated with

plate boundaries