Earth Science 1121 Final Exam: All Previous Quizzes 1-6
The age of the ocean floor ________.
(B) becomes progressively older when the observer is moving away from any mid-ocean ridge
Imagine you are thinking of buying a house and are told that five years ago the neighborhood experienced a ten-year-flood. Assuming that you buy the house, what is the probability of you experiencing a ten-year-flood in the first year of your home ownership?
10% chance
When considering all earthquakes around the world per year, earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 occur about ________ as earthquakes of a magnitude 3.
1000 times less often
If the ratio of daughter to parent atoms in a rock is 87.5 to 12.5, then 3 half lives have occurred. If the half life of decay is ten million years, then the rock is 30 million years old.
3, 30
When considering typical ocean salinity, "salts" such as chlorides, sodium, and several other salts, these make up 3.5% by ocean water volume and originate by erosion and runoff from the continents, delivering dissolved ions to the oceans .
3.5%, erosion and runoff from the continents, delivering dissolved ions to the oceans
A seismogram with a P minus S travel time difference of 10 minutes is recorded from a seismometer located ___________.
80º from the earthquake
The above graphic is a model of the earth during the Late Cretaceous, i.e., 94 million years ago. The model shows the Tethys Ocean (east side, middle of the map). The Tethys Ocean no longer exists so how do we know that it existed 94 million years ago? Use the graphic below, of the Modern World, to answer the question.
94 million year old andesitic volcanic rocks are found between India and Tibet, today (i.e., inside of the red solid oval)
The correct time sequence of end moraines, from oldest to youngest is ___________.
A, B, C, D
In the graphic, Dillon Lake Reservoir and dam are shown in map view. These are located about 60 miles east of Columbus in the city of Zanesville Ohio. The dam is indicated by the red arrow. Sediments are filling in the reservoir as indicated by the brown colors inside of the yellow oval. What will happen in the future?
All of these
Imagine that you are in the field and find 90 million year old andesitic rocks and also find a 60 million year old sequence of siltstone (i.e., shale) and conglomerate rocks. What do you think is the most likely geologic setting that produced this environment?
An oceanic plate subducting beneath a continental plate, followed by periodic river flooding.
This rock is found in northern Ohio. It is a granite. Which of the following can you reasonably conclude?
At some time in the past, the average annual temperature of northern Ohio must have been less than zero degrees Celsius for hundreds to thousands of years.
The above graphic is a topographic map with the highest land elevations colored red and the lowest land elevations colored green. The ocean bathymetry is lowest where the colors are dark blue. The location with the thickest crust is _______.
B
In the graphics, three rivers are shown in blue with labels A, B, and C. Brown colors represent the floodplain and green colors are upland areas that are never flooded. Elevations are given in meters and arrows indicate water flow directions. Given that water flow velocity is directly related to river slope, which river is likely to have the fastest velocity of water flow B ? Which river is likely to eventually form the deepest canyon C ?
B, A
Why is oceanic crust generally less than 200 million years old (ma is the symbol for millions of years in age)?
Because oceanic crust older than 200 ma is too dense to remain on top of the mantle.
In the United States, why is the greatest amount of irrigation water usage in the west and the greatest amount of thermoelectric water usage in the east?
Because rainfall is greatest in the eastern US and hence the population is also greatest in the east.
Why does the peak of a river flood wave arrive hours to days after rainfall ends?
Because soils provide a large, temporary storage for the rain water.
Oceans and the salinity causing process have existed for at least a billion years, so why are the oceans not more salty than they are today? Three of the following six potential answers are correct - select only three.
Because some salts are deposited with sediments at the bottom of the ocean. , Because some biological processes such as the formation of shells by organisms remove salts from the ocean. , Because some chemical reactions of basalt with ocean water removes salts.
In the southeastern United States, the approximate number of people at risk from a one meter rise in sea level are ___________.
Between 2,000,000 and 3,000,000 , (an actual number)
If all of Greenland's and all of Antarctica's ice melted, then global sea level would rise by ________ meters.
Between 63 and 80 , (an actual number)
If the Earth was made-up entirely of crustal rocks, then what would the P-wave arrival times look like on the travel time chart? Assume that the densities and the temperatures of the rocks are the same throughout the Earth's interior as they are at the Earth's surface. Choose A, B, C, or D.
C
The graphic above represents the existing earth and a new earth. The six graphics below are travel time charts for the existing earth and a new earth. In the travel time charts, the blue lines for the P-wave and S-wave travel times are all the same and represent the existing earth. The red lines for the P-wave and S-wave travel times are different in each of the six plots. Choose the pair of red P and S wave travel times that match the new earth in the graphic above. Assume that the physical properties of the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core remain the same.
C
Using the photo above, which location has the best chance of having a year-round groundwater supply, especially in droughts.
C
The graphic is a map of the average precipitation for the United States. Which location(s) likely do NOT rely upon groundwater irrigation to grow crops?
C and D
According to the study using the GRACE satellites, which region(s) of the world is(are) losing water via human actions?
Irrigated agricultural regions
The above graphic is a map of an oceanic hotspot. Volcano locations are marked A through E. North is at the top of the map as noted by the N arrow. Which of the following is true.
Location A is likely the most recently active volcano.
The three graphics are labeled A, B, and C from left to right. For each graphic, determine whether it represents a measurement or a model. Graphic A is a Measurement . Graphic B is a Model . Graphic C is a Measurement .
Measurement, Model, Measurement
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Tōhoku Japan. The earthquake caused a catastrophic tsunami that ultimately destroyed the Fukushima nuclear power plant. As a result of the earthquake, plate boundary motions exceeded one meter in some locations. Is it possible for Columbus Ohio to experience this amount of sudden movement; why or why not?
No because Ohio does not have any plate boundaries.
Is a decade enough time to determine climatic changes in temperature, i.e., to determine if global warming has stopped?
No, because the drivers of climate change, such as the movement of ocean waters, the impacts of greenhouse gases, and the orbital dynamics of the earth, operate on multi-decadal to multi-millennial time scales.
From 2008 to 2014, did the eastern coast of the U.S. experience an increased risk for earthquakes?
No, the apparent increased risks are merely a result of mapping algorithms and not a result of changing tectonic forcings.
Annual temperatures in degrees Fahrenheit are shown for three states and for the entire continental 48 states of the USA (blue lines). Degrees Fahrenheit are on the left-side Y-axis. The X-axis shows dates extending from the 1895 to 2021. Grey trend lines are drawn in all four plots. Averages are horizontal orange lines. The slopes of the trend lines for each state are: Alaska = 3.1°F/100 years, California = 2.2°F/100 years, Ohio = 1.3°F/100 years, USA 48 = 1.6°F/100 years. The average temperatures are: Alaska = 26.5°F, California = 57.7°F, Ohio = 50.7°F, USA 48 = 52.3°F. Using this information, the following can be concluded. Select all that are correct.
Temperatures in Ohio are rising slower than Alaska or California. , Temperatures are rising the fastest in Alaska compared to California, Ohio, or the continental USA. , The lowest temperatures are in Alaska.
The above two photos are from the same location in Glacier National Park in the continental U.S.A. (location is in the state of Montana). The top photo is from the year 1910 and the bottom is from 2007. What can you conclude from these photographs? Two of the following are correct. Select only two.
The glacier is losing ice mass. , The average annual temperature of Glacier National Park is increasing.
How does a greenhouse gas warm the earth?
The greenhouse gas allows the sun's solar radiation to pass through the atmosphere while blocking some of the earth's long wavelength infrared radiation from leaving the atmosphere.
The above graphic shows Mount St. Helens in the Cascade Range of Washington State and shows Mt. Chomolhari in the the Himalaya Mountains. Comparing the two mountains, only two of the following seven possible answers are true - select only the two true statements.
The mountains are a result of different types of plate boundaries. , The mountains are not made-up of the same rock types.
The above graphic is a map of an oceanic hotspot. Volcano locations are marked A through E. North is at the top of the map as noted by the N arrow. Which of the following is true.
The plate is moving south.
Imagine that instead of looking at ice in water, you were looking at a rock in magma, respectively. Assume that the rock solidified from the magma. What do you expect to happen next? To answer this question, you can think of the water in the glass as liquid magma, and the ice as a solid rock solidified from the magma.
The rock would sink to the bottom of the magma.
What happens to ponds on Greenland's ice, such as the one in the above photo?
The water ponding on the ice surface eventually drains into the ice.
Which rock layer (formation) is the oldest?
Thin Black Shale
The above graphic is of Big Sur along the coast of California. The top panel is a Google Earth map view where the yellow line indicates the topographic cross section of the middle panel. The bottom panel is a photograph of the location of the yellow line. Based on this information, what can you conclude?
This region of California has never been glaciated.
Two volcanoes are shown in the photos, above. When they erupt, which volcano is likely to be more violent and explosive?
Volcano B
Can a planet with no tectonic movements have quakes, i.e., its version of earthquakes which we'd call "planet"quakes instead of "earth"quakes?
Yes, heat could be escaping via conduction, hence expansion and contractions of rocks which could cause planetquakes.
The formation of the earth resulted in ________. Three of the following seven answers are correct. Select only three.
a collection of radioactive elements that decay and hence keep the interior hot, a planetary interior initially heated by kinetic energy, an interior made up of layers of rocks having differing chemistries
Imagine that you have purchased a home in a rural area next to a city with a growing population. Your plot of land has a stream with year round water flow. What could happen in the future that would cause the frequency of floods to decrease on your stream in your plot of land? Two of the following seven answers are correct. Choose only two.
a decrease in rainfall, a dam built upstream of your land
In the travel time chart, the lack of S-wave arrival times inside of the dashed-purple oval is evidence of
a liquid outer core
My late grandmother was born in the year 1919, about a hundred years ago. During that 100 year time period, from 1919 to present, how much did globally averaged air temperatures change? From then until today, the temperatures have become _______.
about 1°C warmer (i.e., 1.8°F warmer)
If the world's Industrial Revolution had not used fossil fuels for its energy and instead used solar energy, wind energy, and other non carbon based energies, then what would be today's atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration?
about 280 ppm
When did carbon dioxide in the atmosphere first reach 400 ppm and thus well exceed its natural range of 180 to 280 ppm?
about a decade ago
The growth of "harmful algal blooms" in lakes and reservoirs used for drinking water _____.
all of these
In the picture of Yosemite National Park, above, the water fall on the right is _____.
an example of a location where a minor alpine glacier once joined a major alpine glacier
Using the photo, above, what type of rocks andesitic to rhyolotic rocks and plate setting subduction of an oceanic plate beneath a continental plate might you expect were involved in the formation of this mountain?
andesitic to rhyolotic rocks, subduction of an oce
Alpine glaciers around the world ___________.
are melting and receding
In science, models and/or theories ________.
are proven to be true or false based on measurements, observations, and/or the results of experiments
The process of melting basalt in a subduction zone produces a melt that separates from the solid basalt as temperature increases such that the remaining solid basalt has a higher melting temperature than before the separation. Overall, this process creates rocks which are different from the original basalt .
as temperature increases, has a higher melting temperature, which are different from the original basalt
At what depth did the deformation in the above photo most likely occur?
at or near the earth's surface
From 1990 to about 2007, global climate models used in the IPCC reports at that time reasonably accurately predict [ Select ] ["atmospheric carbon dioxide and atmospheric temperature", "atmospheric carbon dioxide and sea level rise", "atmospheric temperature and sea level rise", "sea level rise only (neither atmospheric carbon dioxide nor atmospheric temperature)", "atmospheric temperature only (neither atmospheric carbon dioxide nor sea level rise)", "atmospheric carbon dioxide only (neither atmospheric temperature nor sea level rise)"] but were well below the measured amount of [ Select ] ["atmospheric carbon dioxide and atmospheric temperature", "atmospheric carbon dioxide and sea level rise", "atmospheric temperature and sea level rise", "sea level rise", "atmospheric temperature", "atmospheric carbon dioxide"] .
atmospheric carbon dioxide and atmospheric temperature, sea level rise
Samples from ice cores provide both direct and indirect measurements of past environments. Of the following, which is not a direct measurement, i.e., which is indirectly measured?
atmospheric temperature
The U.S. population has doubled from 150 million people to over 300 million people from 1950 to 2015, _________.
but U.S. withdrawals of surface water and groundwater have declined since reaching their high point in 1980
How did this mountain peak form?
by glacial erosion
We can expect a one meter of sea level rise _______.
by the year 2150 but not before 2050
Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers at Cairo IL during October 14, 2010 (left) and during the flood of April-May 2011 (right). The flood inside of the red oval was ___________.
caused by humans
The Earth's average atmospheric temperature 30,000 years ago was colder compared to today. The Earth's average atmospheric temperature 160,000 years ago was much hotter compared to today.
colder, colder
The above graphic is a topographic map of the Earth. Blue colors indicate the lowest elevations (i.e., ocean basins) and red colors are the highest elevations (i.e., continents). Green and yellow colors are between the lowest and highest elevations. Why are the continents higher in elevation than the ocean basins? Two of the following six answers are correct. Select only two.
continental crust is lower density than the mantle, continental crust is more buoyant than oceanic crust
Why is northwest Ohio flat and southeast Ohio hilly? Because thousands of years ago continental scale glaciers covered northwest Ohio but did not cover southeast Ohio
continental scale glaciers, northwest Ohio, southeast Ohio
Heat moves through the mantle by ________.
convection, which results from thermal expansion of the deep mantle rocks and hence an increase in their buoyancy
Fifty million years from now, the plate tectonic setting of the east coast of the United States will most likely be a (an) ___________.
convergent boundary: subduction zone
Imagine that you and your research team have measured earthquakes that have occurred at your study site. You find that the earthquake depths extend from near the earth's surface to almost 700 km depth. You conclude that you have found a (an) _________.
convergent boundary: subduction zone
In the mid-1960s, the discovery of ___________ demonstrated conclusively that the earth's oceanic crust was capable of moving thousands of kilometers.
convergent boundary: subduction zone
Most of the pulling force driving plate motion is produced at ________.
convergent boundary: subduction zone
Based on climate model simulations, if thermohaline circulation collapses (i.e., shuts down and fully stops), then the surface air temperature of Europe will decrease because warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico will no longer flow northward toward Europe and thus no longer warm the air near Europe.
decrease, Gulf of Mexico
From 1978 to 2017, Arctic sea ice is decreasing in extent and Antarctic sea ice is slightly increasing in extent and globally the sum of both is decreasing in extent.
decreasing, slightly increasing, decreasing
The correct sequence of events that led to the displayed rock strata, from oldest to youngest, is deposition of Sandstone B , then deposition of Purple Sandstone , then tensional stress creating faulting , and ending with deposition of Sandstone A .
deposition of Sandstone B, deposition of Purple Sandstone, deposition of Sandstone A, tensional stress creating faulting
Desalination could be a viable water source for ___________ located near oceans.
domestic household use in small cities
Two hydrographs are shown in the graphic, above (i.e., the green line representing flow at the upstream location and the blue line representing flow at the downstream location). Recall that these show river flow over time. Time periods are labeled with 1, 2, .... 7. Of these seven time periods, when is a flood is the most likely to occur?
during time period 2
The Earth's past 500 million year geologic history can be determined by correlating strata from one continent to another continent using ________.
fossils from a couple of species that coexisted for a few million years and which are found in only a few rock formations but those formations are found in several locations around the globe.
The total age of the Earth is four and half billion years and is determined by radiometric techniques .
four and half billion years, radiometric techniques
Which of the following contributes the most to today's rising sea levels?
heating of ocean waters
Over six continents, climate models have simulated the temperature from 1900 to 2000. These simulations best match measured temperatures when accounting for human and natural influences . The simulations match measured temperatures for the continents of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa (all six continents) .
human and natural influences, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa (all six continents)
Starting at the surface of the ocean and going deeper, the average ocean water density increases , temperature decreases , and salinity increases .
increases, decreases, increases
Greenland's ice measured over time from satellite and field measurements has mass in the zone of accumulation (i.e., at the highest elevations) that is [ Select ] ["decreasing", "remaining the same", "increasing"] and has a mass in the zone of ablation that is [ Select ] ["decreasing", "remaining the same", "increasing"] and combining the zones, all of Greenland's ice is [ Select ] ["decreasing in", "remaining the same in", "increasing in"] mass.
increasing, decreasing, decreasing in
As compared to the density of the upper mantle, the oceanic crust is ________.
initially less dense when it is formed, but long after formation it eventually becomes more dense
The mass of the Amazon River __________.
is enough to elastically compress and expand the crust by about 8 to 10 cm per year
The Earth's average atmospheric CO2 concentration 130,000 years ago was less than today's atmospheric CO2 concentration. The Earth's average atmospheric CO2 concentration 320,000 years ago was less than today's atmospheric CO2 concentration.
less than , less than
Why is the residence time of a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere important? The longer the residence time, the greater the potential for the gas to increase atmospheric temperatures .
longer, increase atmospheric temperatures
At a subduction zone, the overriding plate (i.e., the plate that does not subduct) ________.
may be composed of either oceanic or continental lithosphere
In the above photo, the ice in the glass is floating such that a small portion of the ice is above the water line and a much greater amount of ice is within the water. What would happen if ice was added to the ice cube making it larger in volume than it is in the glass, above? You can think of the ice as crust and the water as mantle. Two of the following eight answers are correct. Select only two.
more ice would extend above the water line, more ice would extend below the water line
The plate tectonic setting east coast of the United States is a (an) ___________.
passive margin
It is claimed that 1800 gallons of water are needed to produce one pound of beef, i.e., to grow the crops that feed the cattle and to provide the animals with drinking water. This water _______.
remains in the water cycle and can be cleaned for future water usages
What is the most likely process that formed the series of rock layers in the graphic, above?
rising and falling sea levels
The types of rocks we would expect to find while walking along an outcrop in Ohio are sandstones, shales, and limestones and therefore Ohio was at some time in the past a shallow sea .
sandstones, shales, and limestones, shallow sea
The above plot shows the annual seasonal change in the concentration of atmospheric oxygen (i.e., the up down sawtooth pattern) and it also shows a long term decreasing trend in the concentration of atmospheric oxygen. The seasonal change results from _____________.
seasonal vegetation growth which produces oxygen
The magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey on February 6, 2023 was determined using seismology to be a strike-slip fault. This agreed with field observations. Seismologists used seismometers located in all four quadrants surrounding the earthquake and found P-wave up motions in two quadrants and P-wave down motions in two quadrants .
seismometers located in all four quadrants surrounding the earthquake, P-wave up motions in two quadrants and P-wave down motions in two quadrants
Large tropical wetlands are important to the global carbon balance because ________.
significant quantities of carbon dioxide can bubble-out of the water ("evasion"), thus contributing to atmospheric carbon dioxide
A basaltic partial melt has been detected beneath the Yellowstone volcano. The P-waves travel through the partial melt at a velocity that is slower compared to normal P-wave crustal velocities and therefore arrive at the seismometer later compared to normal P-wave arrival times.
slower, later
Based on measurements of sediment sizes in the sea floor and on models that use temperature anomalies of the ocean surface, the North Atlantic ocean circulation is slowing down and results in cooler temperatures around Iceland and a warmer Gulf Stream region .
slowing down, cooler temperatures around Iceland and a warmer Gulf Stream region
Thermohaline circulation is driven by [ Select ] ["deep waters rising in the North Atlantic", "surface waters sinking in the North Atlantic", "intermediate depth waters forming a circulating gyre in the North Atlantic"] and it takes [ Select ] ["10 years", "100 years", "1000 years", "10,000 years"] to circulate throughout all oceans.
surface waters sinking in the North Atlantic, 1000 years
The travel time chart demonstrates that _________. Three of the following seven potential answers are correct - select only three.
surface waves have a constant velocity and therefore do not travel into the mantle nor core, P-waves are faster than S-waves, the depth to the core mantle boundary is uniform and essentially the same throughout the earth
A property of rocks that enhances mantle convection is _________.
that a 1 percent expansion requires an increase of 300-400ºC and leads to a 1 percent decrease in density
In the travel time chart, the arrival times for the various red, blue, green, and black seismic phases indicate that ______. Two of the following seven potential answers are correct - select only two.
the Earth has a spherical structure with concentric layers (e.g., crust, mantle, core) having differing physical properties, the Earth's crust is made up of rocks that have a lower seismic velocity than the Earth's mantle rocks
The above plot shows the annual seasonal change in the concentration of atmospheric oxygen (i.e., the up down sawtooth pattern) and it also shows a long term decreasing trend in the concentration of atmospheric oxygen. The long term trend is a result of ___________.
the burning of fossil fuels, which emits carbon monoxide into the atmosphere. Oxygen joins with the CO molecules, creating CO2 while decreasing the atmospheric oxygen.
The discovery of magnetic anomaly stripes in the ocean basins proved that [Select] and that [Select]
the earth's crust could move tens of kilometers, the earth's magnetic field is dynamic and changing
Imagine that you land on a new planet and measure its water cycle. The graphic represents your findings. The amounts of water stored in the reservoirs are given in thousands of cubic kilometers and the annual fluxes between these reservoirs are in thousands of cubic kilometers per year. E: evaporation; P: precipitation; R: runoff from land. Based on this, select all of the following that are true.
the land on this planet is losing more water than it is gaining, the atmosphere on this planet is gaining more water than it is losing
Which of these locations is most likely to have the oldest rocks?
the middle of a continent
Summed over the entire Earth ________ .
the rates of lithospheric consumption at subduction zones and production at mid ocean ridges are equal
On February 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake happened in Turkey. On February 20, 2023, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake happened in nearly the same location in Turkey. Both earthquakes produced p-waves. Compare the p-wave arrival times for these two earthquakes. The amount of amount of time that the p-waves took to travel from when the larger earthquake occurred to when they were recorded in Columbus Ohio is _________ the amount of time that the p-waves took to travel from when the smaller earthquake occurred to when those were recorded in Columbus Ohio.
the same as
The figure shows the age of oceanic crust (red is young, blue is old). Where is the seafloor spreading apart the slowest?
the southwestern Indian Ocean basin
The crustal root beneath mountains created by by rifting (e.g., the Basin & Range province of the western U.S.) is ________ when compared to the root beneath mountains created continent-continent collision (e.g., the Himalaya mountains) .
thinner
Imagine that you are planning to conduct field work and need to record earthquakes. What is the minimum number of seismometers you will need in order to locate the earthquakes?
three
In 1798, Henry Cavendish used a [ Select ] ["seismometer", "torsion balance", "microscope"] to measure the mass of the entire earth. He demonstrated that the average density of the entire earth is [ Select ] ["about one tenth as dense", "about half as dense", "the same density", "about twice as dense", "about ten times more dense"] compared to the densities of rocks at the surface of the earth. This leads us to the conclusion that rocks deep inside the earth [ Select ] ["are about the same", "likely contain more iron and nickel", "likely contain more silicic elements"] compared to rocks at the surface of the earth.
torsion balance, about twice as dense, likely contain more iron and nickel
The P-waves from earthquakes create first motions at seismometers that are compressional and up in two quadrants whereas the P-waves from nuclear explosions create first motions at seismometers that are compressional and up in four quadrants.
two, four
Which of the following is the strongest greenhouse gas (i.e., traps the greatest amount of energy in the earth's atmosphere) when measured on timescales of days to weeks?
water vapor
Arrange the following molecules in the correct order from shortest to longest residence time in the atmosphere (i.e., how long the molecule will stay in the atmosphere). The shortest is: water vapor . The intermediate is: methane . The longest is: carbon dioxide .
water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide
When tracing a fault along the earth's surface, it will likely end where rocks elastically bend to accommodate the throw along the fault . Whereas, when tracing it into the depths of the earth, it will likely end at the transition from brittle crust to ductile crust .
where rocks elastically bend to accommodate the throw along the fault, at the transition from brittle crust to ductile crust
The Conglomerate had its sediments (clasts) transported the shortest distance from their original site of erosion.
Conglomerate
If the Earth's P-wave velocities were faster than they actually are, then where would their arrival times plot on the travel time chart? Assume that the depths to the mantle and core remain the same. Choose the new P-wave arrival time that matches a new earth in which the P-wave seismic velocities are faster than the existing Earth, but with the same mantle and core depths.
D
In the above graphics, the seismic wave travel times for a typical travel time chart are shown in blue. Which of the red lines are the correct travel times for seismic waves beneath the continent of Africa?
D
Meandering Mississippi River north of Memphis, TN. Elevations in feet. Using the figure above, which location is the best for building a house?
D
The above graphics show the monthly concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The black line in all five plots is today's CO2 concentrations. As you know, most of the Earth's continental areas are located in the northern hemisphere. What would be the concentration values if the Earth's continents were mostly located in the southern hemisphere? Choose the plot with the red line that most closely approximates what would happen in a world with continents located mostly in the southern hemisphere.
D
Using the above graphic, which of the indicated seismic waves is most likely to cause the greatest damage to buildings?
D
Why are Arctic lakes disappearing?
Permafrost beneath the lakes is melting.
Imagine that you have landed on a previously unknown planet and have five seismometers. You have noticed a cluster of earthquakes occurring in one particular location. Where would you place the seismometers in order to understand a large cross-section of the planet's deep interior structure?
Place the five seismometers in a line, with the first seismometer located the closest to the cluster of earthquakes, the second further away, and so on until the fifth would be placed the greatest distance away.
Imagine that you land on a previously unknown planet, measure its topography, and find that it is the map, above. Compared to the earth (below), what can you most certainly conclude about the newly discovered planet? Two of the following six answers are correct. Select only two.
Plate tectonics is not operating on the unknown planet, The unknown planet has a solid crust
Why does the water table in rural Ohio fluctuate seasonally (i.e., why does it go up and down)?
Precipitation varies seasonally and hence the water available to recharge the water table varies seasonally.
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In regions such as California that rely upon snowfall and snowmelt for their water resources, what is a potential impact of global warming?
The annual snowfall in will decrease; the annual rainfall will increase; and the storage of water, e.g., reservoirs behind dams, will not accommodate the change.
I took the above photo when I was in Tibet. There is a tall mountain range behind me as well as the one in front, across the valley. There is a valley in the tall mountain range behind me. Notice the boulders in the foreground and that boulders form the small ridges extending away from me. Which of the following is most likely? Three of the following seven potential answers are correct - select only three.
The boulders are made of the same rocks as the mountains behind me. , At some time in the past, the annual average temperature of this location in Tibet must have been less than zero degrees celsius for years , The small ridges are a result of a glacier and its lateral moraines.
In the Congo Basin, field geology and well bore observations indicate that there is a 1 km thick sequence of Cenozoic lacustrine sediments (lake deposits) sitting on top of an 8 km thick series of Paleozoic to Mesozoic marine sediments. The present elevation of the Basin is 300m. What can you conclude about the geologic setting for the Congo Basin area suggested in the above model? Note that the Late Jurassic is a period during the Mesozoic.
The geologic setting in the graphic is not correct.
Alpine glaciers always flow down the topographic slope, so under what conditions does the end of the glacier actually retreat back up the valley?
When the mass of ice being melted is greater than the amount of snow being accumulated
Hawaii and Yellowstone volcanoes are hotspots. The erupted Hawaii lavas are basalt but the erupted Yellowstone lavas are rhyolites. Why are the two lavas different?
While both hotspots have basalt supplies at the base of the crust, the low-density basalt magma rises quickly through Hawaii's high-density, thin, oceanic crust but the low-density basalt magma rises slowly through the low-density, thick, continental crust of Yellowstone, thus it cools slowly and fractionates beneath Yellowstone to form rhyolites at eruption.
Why are landscape features like those indicated by the arrows in the above graphic, important?
Why are landscape features like those indicated by the arrows in the above graphic, important?
