Unit 4 APES

Which of the lettered choices in the soil profile below represents the region with the greatest concentration of organic material?

A

Most volcanism in the world is associated with

Plate boundaries

Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?

(B) Clay _ silt_sand

The table below shows volcano and earthquake data for four countries that are approximately equal in size. Based on the data in the table, which of the countries is most likely located at a subduction zone between an oceanic tectonic plate and a continental tectonic plate?

Country D

Which soil horizon is the least weathered horizon and contains rock that is starting to break down into soil?

D

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

Deserts

Reasons that human populations historically have settled in floodplains include which of the following? I. The soil in floodplains is usually fertile. II. The terrain in floodplains tend to be flat. III. Floodplains are close to rivers for transportation.

I, Il, and Ill

Based on the last question, 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.

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

Solar radiation

This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Stratosphere

Which of the following best describes why understanding a watershed and its boundaries is important in designing housing developments along a river?

Surface water and stormwater runoff will drain downstream within the watershed boundaries, so it is important to understand the flow of water through the watershed

Which of the following areas receives the most intense solar radiation at the time of year shown in the diagram, and why?

The Tropic of Capricorn, because this latitude is nearly horizontal to incoming solar radiation.

Based on the diagram, which of the following statements best explains why the climate of the West Coast of Africa is drier than that of the East Coast of the United States, even though they are located at similar northern latitudes?

The cold ocean currents off Africa absorb heat from land and therefore cool the atmosphere.

Which of the following best explains why City B regularly receives less precipitation than City A?

The rain shadow effect causes City B to be drier because the mountain blocks precipitation from reaching the city.

in environmental engineer wants to examine the permeability of different soils to determine the Dest natural containment system to protect groundwater trom pollutants. Ihe engineer tests four different soil samples, places them into a wet column, and pours 50 mL 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 studv are shown below. Which of the following best describes the independent variable in this research desian?

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

Which of the following best explains why the lower portion of the troposphere is warmer than the upper portion?

The surface of Earth absorbs sunlight, heating the lower portion of the troposphere more than the upper part.

In the desert regions of the southwestern United States, daily high and low temperatures will frequently fluctuate by 40°F or more. Which statement below best explains the large variation in temperature?

There are no bordering oceans or large bodies of water to provide a stabilizing humidity to the air.

Students want to determine the impact of soil erosion from the development of new housino. 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 own. 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

Which of the following is the most likely effect of a strong El Niño event on the weather patterns in the United States?

Wetter weather and cooler than average temperatures in the southeastern states and warmer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest

The primary cause of Earth's seasons is the

constant tilt of Earth's rotational axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is

nitrogen

The low anchovy catch in 1998 was most likely the result of

reduced ocean upwelling along the coast