ASTR Q6

Today, scientists believe that the main reason the Earth has had periodic ice ages is: 1) slow changes in the tilt of our planet's axis of rotation 2) the grinding of continental plates against each other over the centuries 3) changes in the composition of the Earth's atmosphere that affect the ozone layer 4) the fact that the Moon is slowly moving toward the Earth and drawing off heat 5) no one has any good theories about the cause of the ice ages

1) slow changes in the tilt of our planet's axis of rotation

The region around the Earth where charged particles are trapped and spiral around is called: 1) the magnetosphere 2) the atmosphere 3) the ozone layer 4) the mantle 5) the spirosphere

1) the magnetosphere

A spot where magma rises to the surface can be seen as a 1) volcano 2) fault 3) subduction zone 4) continental plate 5) swamp

1) volcano

What recent event shows that impacts continue to happen in our solar system even today? 1) a large asteroid hit a town near San Francisco and made an enormous crater 2) a comet (which broke into more than 20 pieces) hit the planet Jupiter in 1994 3) one of the moons of Mars collided with Mars and made a huge explosion, sending pieces throughout the solar system 4) Pluto collided with another planet, and broke into two pieces 5) the Mt. Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines erupted in June 1991

2) a comet (which broke into more than 20 pieces) hit the planet Jupiter in 1994

The average temperature on planet Earth is higher than you would expect just from the heating of sunlight alone. What is the explanation for this? 1) solid material hitting the Earth from space heats it up 2) carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect 3) the rubbing of the continental plates warms up the Earth's surface 4) the heat given off by living things makes our planet warmer 5) we have no explanation for this higher temperature and that has scientists worried

2) carbon dioxide (and other gases) in the atmosphere cause a greenhouse effect

If no one has ever visited the core of the Earth, how do we know that it is made of metals? 1) core material seeps up through volcanoes in the crust 2) circulating liquid metals in the core set up a large (measurable) magnetic field 3) spectroscopy allows us to tell what the core is made of by analyzing the light we receive 4) the amount of radioactivity shows metals must be present; only metals are radioactive 5) you can't fool me; there is NO evidence that the Earth's core has metals

2) circulating liquid metals in the core set up a large (measurable) magnetic field

The type of rock we find predominant in the crust of the Earth's continents is called: 1) magnetospheric 2) granites 3) lava 4) basalts 5) metals

2) granites

Regions where the continents or the sea floor are pulling apart are called 1) convection zones 2) rift zones 3) subduction zones 4) magnetospheric zones 5) enterprise zones

2) rift zones

For scientists, one bar is 1) equal to the distance from one end of a continental plate to another 2) the pressure with which 1 square centimeter of the Earth's atmosphere presses down at the surface 3) the average height of the ozone layer above the Earth (before we began to deplete it) 4) the density of the material at the center of the Earth (in solid form) 5) a place to relax after a long day of making models of the Earth

2) the pressure with which 1 square centimeter of the Earth's atmosphere presses down at the surface

Any rock in the Earth's crust that has cooled from an originally molten state is called 1) metamorphic 2) sedimentary 3) igneous 4) silicate 5) subducted

3) igneous

The largest part of the Earth is its 1) oceanic crust 2) continental crust 3) mantle 4) core 5) atmosphere

3) mantle

Scientists are concerned about a set of industrial chemicals called CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) because they: 1) seep into the groundwater and increase the chances of earthquakes 2) rise into the atmosphere and keep the Earth's heat from escaping 3) rise into the atmosphere and destroy ozone 4) rise into the atmosphere and absorb x-rays from space, which we need down here 5) increase the chances of volcanic eruptions where the Earth's crust is thin

3) rise into the atmosphere and destroy ozone

In 1980, scientists suggested that the great mass extinction of 65 million years ago (which ended the reign of dinosaurs) may have been caused by a large impact from space. What recent discovery gives a big boost to this idea? 1) the discovery of some possible traces of life in a meteorite from Mars 2) the discovery of a giant crater (about a mile across) near Flagstaff, Arizona 3) the discovery of a buried crater (about 200 km across) near Chicxulub, Mexico 4) the discovery of volcanoes on a moon of Jupiter's 5) the discovery of enormous trenches on the ocean floor

3) the discovery of a buried crater (about 200 km across) near Chicxulub, Mexico

In which region of the Earth's atmosphere have you spent most of your life? 1) the ionosphere 2) the stratosphere 3) the troposphere 4) the ozone layer 5) the mesosphere

3) the troposphere

Today, a significant amount of new gas is joining the atmosphere of the Earth from what source: 1) Earth is capturing gas clouds from space as it orbits the Sun 2) much more water is evaporating from the oceans than is condensing back into water 3) volcanoes release gas that was trapped within the Earth 4) large meteorites that land on the Earth release a great deal of gas 5) the discussions in state legislatures about creationism and evolution

3) volcanoes release gas that was trapped within the Earth

The person who came up with the continental drift theory that led to our modern understanding of plate tectonics was 1) James Van Allen 2) Milutin Milankovich 3) Charles Richter 4) Alfred Wegener 5) John Continental

4) Alfred Wegener

According to the fossil record, how old is the oldest evidence of life forms on the surface of the Earth? 1) 6000 years 2) a few million years 3) 65 million years 4) about 3.5 billion years 5) you can't fool me, there is no way to measure the ages of ancient fossils

4) about 3.5 billion years

One way in which the ozone layer is useful for life forms on the Earth's surface is that it 1) presses down on the continental plates, and makes it more difficult for them to slip 2) keeps the heat of the Sun from escaping, making the Earth a bit warmer 3) is so thick that meteors from space all burn up there, regardless of size 4) absorbs ultra-violet light, preventing much of it from reaching the surface 5) glows brilliantly at sunset, making scenes that lovers can enjoy

4) absorbs ultra-violet light, preventing much of it from reaching the surface

Which part of the Earth has the greatest density? 1) oceanic crust 2) continental crust 3) mantle 4) core 5) Bayonne, New Jersey

4) core

Rocks that have not been chemically modified by being significantly heated are called 1) sedimentary 2) lava 3) metamorphic 4) primitive 5) igneous

4) primitive

The Moon is heavily cratered, but the Earth which "lives next door" is NOT. Why? 1) the magnetism of the Moon is more likely to attract metallic objects to hit it 2) all objects from space (no matter what their size) burn up in the Earth's atmosphere 3) the craters on the Moon are the result of active volcanoes; the Earth has few volcanoes compared to the Moon 4) the active geology and weather on Earth destroy traces of impacts over millions of years 5) the Earth is heavily cratered, but all the craters are under the ocean

4) the active geology and weather on Earth destroy traces of impacts over millions of years

Which of the following statements about the Earth's magnetosphere is FALSE? 1) it contains particles that come mainly from the solar wind 2) it is generated by circulating liquid metal inside the Earth's core 3) it was first detected in space by the Explorer 1 satellite 4) it extends into space over a region much bigger than the diameter of the Earth 5) its shape and size are the same on the sides facing toward and away from the Sun

5) its shape and size are the same on the sides facing toward and away from the Sun

The most abundant gas in the Earth's atmosphere is 1) oxygen 2) ozone 3) water vapor 4) argon 5) nitrogen

5) nitrogen

According to the theory of plate tectonics, 1) the continents are moving but the ocean floor is not, leading to great friction 2) the rubbing of the waters of the Earth across its crust is speeding up its rotation 3) the liquid metal inside the Earth is developing plates of solid metallic material, which contribute to the Earth's magnetic field 4) earthquakes are caused by huge waves that come up from inside the molten core of the Earth 5) slow motions within the mantle of the Earth move large sections of the crust around

5) slow motions within the mantle of the Earth move large sections of the crust around

Which of the following is not evidence that objects from space collide with the earth? 1) The devastation that happened in 1908 near the Tunguska river in Siberia 2) Meteor Crater in Arizona 3) the crater at the top of Mount St. Helens volcano 4) the Chicxulub crater buried near Mexico 5) you can't fool me; all the above are the results of cosmic impacts

5) you can't fool me; all the above are the results of cosmic impacts