8th Grade Science - Earth and Space Science

Many scientists are convinced that the growing human population is contributing to the gradual warming trend that is occurring on planet Earth. According to the researchers, which human activity is MOST likely to be a contributing factor in global warming? A) Humans have added carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. B) Humans have released vast quantities of chemicals that have created excess ozone in the upper atmosphere. C) Humans have changed the chemistry of the world's oceans by the use of phosphates and nitrogen-containing compounds. D) Humans have created acid rain by releasing sulfuric acids into the air in the exhaust from factories and power plants.

A) Humans have added carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels.

Which of these is an example of conserving a non-renewable resource? A) Using electricity to fuel cars, instead of gasoline. B) Disposing wastes in landfills, instead of burning them. C) Traveling in individual cars instead of taking the bus. D) Getting rid of old aluminum cans instead of recycling them.

A) Using electricity to fuel cars, instead of gasoline.

The movement of the tectonic plates is caused by A) convection currents in Earth's mantle. B) the gravity of the iron-nickle core. C) the rotation of the Earth. D) the Moho discontinuity.

A) convection currents in Earth's mantle.

During the Cambrian period on Earth, the ___________ layer developed along with the massive production of oxygen. A) ozone B) ocean C) mantel D) carbon dioxide

A) ozone

____________________ helps explain why there are a large number of marsupial mammal species in Australia and South America, two continents that were once connected. A) Ozone production B) Continental drift C) The fifth mass extinction D) The first mass extinction

B) Continental drift

If a decision was made to drain wetlands for agricultural reasons, which statement is false? A) It would benefit farmers and consumers. B) It would benefit down stream communities. C) A goal might be to increase crop production. D) A goal might be to increase livestock production.

B) It would benefit down stream communities.

Geologists have long recognized that earthquakes are not randomly distributed on Earth but occur in concentrate areas that coincide with __________ and provide evidence for the theory of ___________. A) mountain ranges; fault zones. B) plate boundaries; plate tectonics. C) continental borders; supercontinents. D) areas of liquids magma; sea floor spreading.

B) plate boundaries; plate tectonics.

Global warming is an international concern. It is the result of such things as overpopulation, deforestation, and ozone depletion. Solutions are often suggested on a large scale; raising fossil fuel prices and taxing the emissions of large companies. On the individual level, we as world citizens can do our part to help reduce global warming BEST by A) growing our own food. B) reducing our fossil fuel use. C) become environmental activists. D) using only organic products in the home.

B) reducing our fossil fuel use.

The volcanoes in the map are MOST LIKELY caused by A) folding. B) subduction. C) metamorphism. D) seafloor spreading.

B) subduction.

Sediment is formed by A) soil erosion. B) weathered rock. C) burial and melting. D) deposited snow and ice.

B) weathered rock.

Sedimentary rocks found high in the Himalayan Mountains have been found with fossils of clams and other marine life. What does this indicate about the origin of the Himalayan Mountains? A) There was once a large ocean at top of the mountains. B) Animals that now live on the mountains once lived under water. C) The Earth's crust that formed these mountains was once covered with an ocean. D) Continental drift resulted two tectonic moving closer to each other over time.

C) The Earth's crust that formed these mountains was once covered with an ocean.

How can a geological time scale BEST be reconstructed? A) comparing vestigial structures in living species B) comparing homologous structures in living species C) examining homologous structures in fossil remains D) examining the written records of scientists from past cultures

C) examining homologous structures in fossil remains

What causes sedimentary rock to change into metamorphic rock? A) cooling B) melting C) heat and pressure D) weathering and erosion

C) heat and pressure

Earthquake epicenters were mapped for a 35 year period in the diagram above. The black dots marking the epicenters also represent what feature on Earth? A) hot spots B) rift zones C) plate boundaries D) sea floor spreading

C) plate boundaries

Four locations (I, II, III, IV) are labeled on the diagram. At which of the four locations is the hurricane predicted to be LEAST intense? A) I B) II C) III D) IV

D) IV

Why is recycling aluminum cans beneficial? A) The quality of the aluminum can improves each time it is recycled. B) Aluminum is rarely used and it makes no sense to produce new cans. C) Aluminum is a very available mineral and commonly used for making cans. D) Recycling reduces the need to mine more aluminum and helps conserve this mineral.

D) Recycling reduces the need to mine more aluminum and helps conserve this mineral.

Weathering is a process that helps make soil. All but one statement describes how rocks may be weathered. That is: A) Water fills tiny spaces inside a rock. B) Rock pieces are moved from place to place. C) Plant roots can grow between cracks in rocks. D) Living things, like moss and lichens, chemically break down rocks.

B) Rock pieces are moved from place to place.

Oil, natural gas, and coal are considered to be nonrenewable resources. Why are these fuels considered to be nonrenewable? A) The burning of these fuels does not allow the waste products to be recycled. B) These fuels are available in a limited supply--when the fuel is used it is no longer available. C) The amount of pollution released from the use of these fuels is much higher than with renewable resources. D) The technology used to generate energy by the use of these fuels is much older and less efficient than current technology.

B) These fuels are available in a limited supply--when the fuel is used it is no longer available.

For many years, the rain forests throughout the world were cut down to make way form farms, roads, and new villages. The immediate result of clear cutting the forests was obvious. But this practice lead to other consequences. All BUT one is a long term consequence of clear cutting the rain forests. That is A) global warming. B) a possible ice age. C) decreased biodiversity. D) desertification and erosion.

B) a possible ice age.

Ocean trenches are formed when A) two oceanic plates slide past each other. B) an oceanic plate goes under another oceanic plate. C) two oceanic plates grind past each other along transform vaults. D) two oceanic plates hit each other causing both plates to rise up.

B) an oceanic plate goes under another oceanic plate.

What geological forces might be responsible for this range of mountains? A) diverging tectonic plates B) converging tectonic plates C) erosion of the land by the ocean D) deposition of sediments by the ocean

B) converging tectonic plates

During the rock cycle, ______________ follows erosion. A) burial B) deposition C) igneous rocks D) crystallization

B) deposition

The map shown would be useful in predicting the location of future A) droughts. B) earthquakes. C) hurricanes. D) tornadoes.

B) earthquakes.

When you think of a volcano, you probably think about how they can be very destructive. They are, after all, natural disasters. However, volcanoes can have constructive consequences. One example of volcanoes as a constructive process would be a volcano eruption A) spewing hot lava. B) forming an island. C) starting an avalanche. D) covering the land with ash.

B) forming an island.

The earth is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old. Rocks and rock formations found throughout earth's crust give scientists clues to the past. They assume that the processes that acted on the crust millions of years ago are the same processes that act on and within earth today. This is called the principle of uniformity or uniformitarianism. The law of superposition helps us infer the age of rock layers, or strata. This law states that, if layers of rock are left undisturbed, the layers at the bottom are the oldest. The lower layers must be in place before younger layers can be deposited on top of them. Scientists infer the relative age of the layers as well as any fossils found within them. The law of superposition does have exceptions. Some processes within the earth cause younger layers to be moved below older. Folding, faulting, and intrusion can cause these exceptions. Regardless of position, any rock is always older than the process that changed it. Fossil 2 Fossil 1 Fossil 4 Fossil 3 Fossil 5 Geologist infer that the fossils number 3 and 5 are approximately the same age. This assumption of relative age is based on what information from the passage? A) plate tectonics B) uniformitarianism C) law of deposition D) law of superposition

D) law of superposition

Eras of Geological time are divided into A) scales. B) epochs. C) decades. D) periods.

D) periods.

Water freezes in the cracks of rocks and then expands, breaking the rocks apart. This is an example of ___________ weathering. A) biological B) chemical C) erosional D) physical

D) physical

Carbon dioxide is constantly exchanged among the atmosphere, ocean, and land. Carbon dioxide is produced and absorbed by microorganisms, plants, and animals by natural processes which help maintain a natural balance. However, since the beginning of Industrial Revolution, human activities have contributed substantially to Carbon dioxide gases in the atmosphere. Identify the type of relationship found in the graphs of Global Carbon Emissions and Global Temperatures over the past 150 years. A) negative linear correlation B) positive linear correlation C) negative nonlinear correlation D) positive nonlinear correlation

D) positive nonlinear correlation

Which of these BEST describes the concept of the rock cycle? A) sedimentary rocks may be remelted several times B) rocks move in circles on the earth as the earth rotates C) rocks can be moved from place to place on the earth without changing D) rocks are continually changing, and any type of rock may be transformed into another type by appropriate processes

D) rocks are continually changing, and any type of rock may be transformed into another type by appropriate processes