Chapter 1 Test Review
Increasing the salinity of ocean water ___________ its density. a. increases b. decreases c. has no effect on
a. increases
The difference between glacial ice and sea (pack) ice: a. Glacial ice is frozen fresh water whereas sea ice is frozen salt water. b. Glacial ice forms from snow whereas sea ice forms from sea water. c. Sea ice lasts for years whereas glacial ice can last for tens of thousands of years. d. Glacial ice forms on land whereas sea ice forms in the ocean. e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
The following human activity has adversely affected portions of the ocean: a. agriculture b. mining c. electric power generation d. offshore oil drilling e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
The hydrosphere includes: a. water in the atmosphere b. saltwater in the ocean c. fresh water in the lakes, rivers, and streams d. water in the cryosphere and biosphere e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
Which one of the following types of electromagnetic radiation has the shortest wavelength? a. ultraviolet b. visible light c. microwaves d. infrared e. radio waves
a. ultraviolet
The ocean and atmosphere are coupled such that winds drive ocean currents to a depth of about __________ meters. a. 10 b. 100 c. 1000 d. 4000 e. 8000
b. 100
In the atmosphere up to an altitude of about 80 km, oxygen (O2) makes up about __________ % and nitrogen (N2) comprises about _________% of the gases by volume. a. 10. . . .60 b. 21. . . .78 c. 25. . . .75 d. 15. . . .50 e. 50. . . .50
b. 21. . . .78
The biosphere is dominated on both land and ocean by __________. a. humans b. bacteria and single-celled plants and animals c. chlorophyll producing plants and animals d. mammals e. carnivores
b. bacteria and single-celled plants and animals
Deep ocean circulation is driven primarily by __________. a. surface winds b. differences in water density c. heating of the ocean d. ice melting in the ocean e. astronomical tides
b. differences in water density
The Earth system consists of the major interacting subsystems of: a. air, ice, ocean, and humans b. geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere c. physics, biology, geology, chemistry d. geography, marine biology, astronomy, human ecology e. rain, earthquakes, and photosynthesis
b. geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere
What is the immediate origin of most of the water that circulates in the global water cycle? a. biosphere b. geosphere c. ocean d. atmosphere e. ice sheets
c. ocean
The ocean covers about ______% of the Earth's surface and comprises about ______% of the total volume of water in the entire hydrosphere. a. 30. . . . 57 b. 40. . . . 67 c. 50. . . . 77 d. 60. . . . 87 e. 71. . . . 97
e. 71. . . . 97
Satellite remote sensing of the ocean can monitor __________. a. sea-surface temperatures (SST) b. ocean-surface elevation c. marine biological production d. distribution of chlorophyll e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
At present, glacial ice covers about __________ % of the Earth's land area but has covered as much as about _________ % during the last Ice Age. a. 10. . . . 30 b. 1. . . .. 50 c. 30. . . . 50 d. 1. . . . . 30 e. 0. . . . . 20
a. 10. . . . 30
Most tectonic activity takes place __________. a. along plate boundaries b. near the middle of plates c. only at the edges of continents d. only at the boundaries between ocean and continents e. near the middle of continents
a. along plate boundaries
Photosynthesis involves the following reaction: a. carbon dioxide + water --> carbohydrate + oxygen b. carbohydrate + oxygen --> carbon dioxide + water c. carbon dioxide + oxygen --> carbohydrate + water d. nitrate + oxygen --> carbohydrate + carbon dioxide e. methane + oxygen --> carbohydrate + water
a. carbon dioxide + water --> carbohydrate + oxygen
The solid planet Earth is partitioned internally into the __________. a. crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core b. ocean basin, trenches, continents, and mountains c. continents, continental shelf, continental slope, and continental rise d. shelf, slope, rise, ocean abyss, mid-Atlantic ridge, volcanic islands e. spreading centers, subduction zones, and transform faults
a. crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core
Cold ocean water is __________ warm ocean water. a. denser than b. less dense than c. just as dense as
a. denser than
On average, within the troposphere, the air temperature _________ with increasing altitude. a. falls b. rises c. does not change
a. falls
A city __________ the definition of an ecosystem. a. fulfills b. fails to meet
a. fulfills
The ocean is ___________ a major reservoir in biogeochemical cycles operating on Earth. a. typically b. never c. occasionally
a. typically
Most of the fresh water in the hydrosphere is contained in the___________. a. atmosphere (water vapor, clouds, precipitation) b. glacial ice (Greenland, Antarctic ice sheets) c. land surface (lakes, rivers) d. ground (soil moisture, groundwater) e. biosphere (plants, animals)
b. glacial ice (Greenland, Antarctic ice sheets)
Weathering aids erosion by __________. a. causing sediments to clump together into larger particles b. reducing rock to smaller sizes so that they are more readily transported by running water or wind c. converting rock to magma d. None of the above is correct.
b. reducing rock to smaller sizes so that they are more readily transported by running water or wind
Streams of glacial ice move __________ river water in flowing toward the ocean. a. faster than b. slower than c. at about the same rate as
b. slower than
Glaciers expand and thicken when __________. a. annual snowmelt is greater than annual snowfall b. annual snowmelt equals annual snowfall c. annual snowmelt is less than annual snowfall
c. annual snowmelt is less than annual snowfall
On average, air temperatures are highest __________ of the troposphere. a. at the top b. in the middle c. at the bottom
c. at the bottom
Type of satellite that orbits Earth at the same rate and in the same direction as the planet rotates: a. polar-orbiting b. infrared c. geostationary
c. geostationary
Earth is unique among the planets of the solar system because ____________. a. it has a history of volcanic eruptions b. earthquake waves are generated in its solid interior c. liquid water covers much of its surface d. it has an atmosphere e. None of the above is correct.
c. liquid water covers much of its surface
The average size of animals in the ocean is the size of a (an) __________. a. robin b. elephant c. mosquito d. adult human e. None of the above is correct.
c. mosquito
An advantage of sensors onboard a geostationary satellite over a polar-orbiting satellite: a. greater resolution of objects on Earth's surface b. can "see" to the bottom of the ocean c. observes the same broad area of Earth continually d. can measure sea-surface temperatures (SST)
c. observes the same broad area of Earth continually
Earth resembles a "blue marble" when viewed from space primarily due to the presence of __________ on its surface. a. the atmosphere b. vegetation c. the ocean d. deserts e. ice sheets
c. the ocean
Ecosystems consist of __________. a. producers (plants) b. consumers (animals) c. decomposers (bacteria, fungi) d. All of the above are correct. e. None of the above is correct.
d. All of the above are correct
A bathymetric chart is a _____. a. graphical model used by ocean scientists b. map of sea floor elevation c. map of variations in seawater depth d. All of the above are correct. e. None of the above is correct.
d. All of the above are correct.
The components of an ecosystem ____________. a. are exclusively biotic b. do not interact with one another c. are totally independent of one another d. are subject to disturbance by a variety of human activities.
d. are subject to disturbance by a variety of human activities.
Over the course of a year, the net flow of surface water in the global water cycle is from __________ to __________. a. atmosphere. . . .ocean b. sea . . . .land c. land. . . .atmosphere d. continents. . . .ocean e. None of the above is correct.
d. continents. . . .ocean
29. The __________ is the portion of Earth's geosphere that interfaces directly with the ocean. a. mantle b. inner core c. outer core d. crust
d. crust
The Earth system consists of all but one of the subsystems listed below: a. hydrosphere b. atmosphere c. geosphere d. exosphere e. biosphere
d. exosphere
The water in the __________ is too salty to drink. a. atmosphere b. ice sheets c. North American Great Lakes d. ocean e. ice bergs
d. ocean
The principal source of water vapor in the troposphere is _________. a. glacial ice sheets b. green plants c. lakes and ponds d. the ocean e. soil
d. the ocean
The layer of the atmosphere within which most weather occurs and where the atmosphere interfaces and interacts with the other Earth sub-systems: a. thermosphere b. stratosphere c. mesosphere d. troposphere e. exosphere
d. troposphere
Water in the atmosphere is __________. a. mostly confined to the lowest 1000 m of the atmosphere b. never more than about 4% of air by volume c. responsible for the Earth's water cycle d. responsible for keeping Earth sufficiently warm to allow life as we know it to exist e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
Which of the following apply to scientific models? a. simulation of a real system b. used to predict the future state of a system c. require actual data for guiding model building, testing, and verification of output d. can be graphical, physical, conceptual or numerical e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
Which one of the following is an example of a biogeochemical cycle? a. water cycle b. rock cycle c. oxygen cycle d. carbon cycle e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
With continued rapid population growth in the coastal zone, humans are becoming more vulnerable to __________. a. natural hazards b. storm surges c. tsunamis d. seiches e. All of the above are correct.
e. All of the above are correct.
Which of the following atmospheric gases is (are) essential for life on Earth? a. water vapor b. argon c. ozone d. carbon dioxide e. a, c, and d
e. a, c, and d
The thinnest layer of the solid Earth is the __________. a. outer core b. inner core c. mantle d. continental crust e. crust that makes up the ocean floor
e. crust that makes up the ocean floor
Analysis of ice cores extracted from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets yields records of air temperature and composition stretching back in time to a maximum of __________ years. a. 10 b. 100 c. 1000 d. 10,000 e. hundreds of thousands of
e. hundreds of thousands of
The ultimate destination of all the water in the hydrosphere is the__________. a. atmosphere b. cryosphere c. geosphere d. biosphere e. ocean
e. ocean
The largest reservoir of water in the hydrosphere is (are) the__________. a. atmosphere (water vapor, clouds, precipitation) b. glacial ice sheets (Greenland and the Antarctic) c. land surface (lakes, rivers) d. groundwater e. oceans
e. oceans
Weathering includes all but __________. a. physical disintegration of solid rock b. chemical decomposition of solid rock c. dissolving of soluble rock in water d. fracturing of rock by water freezing in fractures e. transport of fragmented rock (sediment) by wind, running water or glacial ice
e. transport of fragmented rock (sediment) by wind, running water or glacial ice