Earth Science Test 2

Zircons found in continental rocks give evidence that continental crust was forming as long ago as ________. a) 4.4 billion years ago b) 1.9 billion years ago c) 564 million years ago d) 70 million years ago e) 10,000 years ago

a) 4.4 billion years ago

Hurricane Sandy produced some of the greatest destruction along the New Jersey coast in communities situated along narrow strips of land between the beach and a coastal lagoon to the west. These communities were vulnerable because they were built on low-lying terrane of ________. a) A Barrier Island b) A Wave-Cut Platform c) An Eroding Sea Cliff

a) A Barrier Island

On the AVERAGE, for every 1 km increase in altitude in the troposphere, the air temperature ________. a) Drops about 6.5˚C b) Rises about 6.5˚C c) Remains constant d) Rises only during the day

a) Drops about 6.5˚C

A transform fault is ________. a) A strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between tectonic plates b) A dip-slip fault connecting an anticline with a syncline c) A reverse fault that steepens into a thrust fault d) The rift bounding faults on a mid-ocean ridge

a) A strike-slip fault that forms the boundary between tectonic plates

When warm moist air moves over a cold surface, ________ fog may result. a) Advection b) Radiation c) Steam d) Upslope

a) Advection

A halo around the Sun or Moon indicates that this cloud type is present. a) Cirrostratus b) Cumulonimbus c) Altostratus d) Cirrus

a) Cirrostratus

As you go up in elevation, the atmospheric pressure ________. a) Decreases b) Increases c) Stays Constant d) None of the above

a) Decreases

Paleontology is the study of ________. a) Paleo meaning old, and ontology referring to philosophical study of nature, so paleontology is the study of old nature b) Ancient life c) Prehistoric human history

b) Ancient life

True or False: After two half-lives, there is no longer any of the original radioactive material remaining.

False

True or False: Subduction only occurs when oceanic rocks are forced beneath a continent.

False

True or False: Subduction produces mountains because subduction zones are the upwelling zones of mantle convection, which lifts the earth's surface to form mountains.

False

True or False: Numerical dates based on radioactivity are very important for studying Precambrian geologic history because fossils are rare or absent.

True

True or False: The percentage of radioactive atoms that decay during one half-life is always the same.

True

On the average, how much of the Sun's energy that is intercepted by Earth is reflected back to space? a) 10% b) 20% c) 30% d) 40%

c) 30%

Folded limestones that are exposed high elevations in the Himalayas were originally deposited as sediments in a ________. a) Marine basin between India and Eurasia. b) Cenozoic fault basin between Africa and Arabia. c) Deep ocean trench along the southern margin of India. d) Late Paleozoic syncline north of the Tibetan Plateau.

a) Marine basin between India and Eurasia.

What type of tide occurs when the Sun, Moon, and Earth form a right triangle in space? a) Neap b) Spring c) Ebb d) None of These

a) Neap

Which of the following cloud types is most commonly associated with precipitation? a) Nimbostratus b) Cirrocumulus c) Cirrostratus d) Altostratus

a) Nimbostratus

An important tool in understanding the actual numerical dates of past geologic events is ________. a) Radioactivity b) Fossils c) Unconformities d) Cross-Cutting Relationships

a) Radioactivity

Because of the Coriolis effect, surface ocean currents are deflected to the ________ of their path of motion in the Northern Hemisphere. a) Right b) Left c) West d) East

a) Right

Ozone is found mainly in the ________. a) Stratosphere b) Troposphere c) Mesosphere d) Ionosphere

a) Stratosphere

Which of the following organisms would be most likely to be preserved in the geologic record? a) The bones of a dinosaur that lived on semi-arid plains b) A clam with a thick calcite shell that lived on a mudflat c) a tree d) A mussel that clings to rock outcrops in the surf zone

b) A clam with a thick calcite shell that lived on a mudflat

Visualize five horizontal sedimentary strata exposed in a cliff or canyon wall identified by consecutive numbers, 1 being the lowest bed and 5 being the highest. Which of the following statements concerning the strata are true? a) Bed 5 is the oldest b) Beds l and 3 are older than bed 4. c) Bed 4 is older than bed 2. d)Bed 3 is older than beds 2 and 4.

b) Beds l and 3 are older than bed 4.

Mammals became the dominant land animals during the ________ era. a) Pleistocene b) Cenozoic c) Cretaceous d) Mesozoic e) Paleozoic

b) Cenozoic

A place located along a windward coast will probably have ________. a) Warmer summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude b) Cooler summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude c) Summer temperatures that are very similar to an inland location at the same latitude d) None of these

b) Cooler summer temperatures than an inland location at the same latitude

Hail is most commonly associated with ________. a) Cirrostratus b) Cumulonimbus c) Altostratus d) Cirrus

b) Cumulonimbus

The beginning of the Phanerozoic is marked by the ________. a) Evolution of land plants and animals b) Development of hard body parts, such as shells and bones c) Abundant life forms compared to earlier times d) Formation of large land masses e) Existence of a modern atmosphere

b) Development of hard body parts, such as shells and bones

Folds are an example of ________. a) Brittle Deformation b) Ductile Deformation c) Elastic Deformation d) Shear Deformation

b) Ductile Deformation

The basic concept of Uniformitarianism is ________. a) Nothing has changed since the Earth was formed b) Geology changes constantly but the rules that control those transformations do not change. c) Evolution, Plate Tectonics, and similar theories are all related and can be viewed as the grand theory of Uniformitarianism.

b) Geology changes constantly but the rules that control those transformations do not change.

A dark gray cloud that blankets the sky and often generates precipitation is called ________. a) Cirrostratus b) Nimbostratus c) Altostratus d) Cirrus

b) Nimbostratus

About 88 percent of geologic time is represented by the time span called the ________. a) Paleozoic b) Precambrian c) Mesozoic d) Phanerozoic

b) Precambrian

This fog forms in valleys at night. a) Advection Fog b) Radiation Fog c) Steam Fog d) Precipitation Fog

b) Radiation Fog

An unconformity is a buried ________. a) Fault or fracture with older rocks above and younger rocks below b) Surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below c) Fault or fracture with younger strata above and older strata below d) Surface of erosion with older strata above and younger strata below

b) Surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below

The mountains and valleys of the Basin and Range Province of the western United States formed in response to ________. a) Reverse faults and large displacement, thrust faulting b) Tensional stresses and normal-fault movements c) Normal faulting and horizontal compression

b) Tensional stresses and normal-fault movements

When water vapor condenses to form clouds, ________. a) The air gets colder b) The air gets warmer c) The air temperature stays the same

b) The air gets warmer

Rip currents are dreaded by surf swimmers everywhere. The standard recommendation for swimmers is if you get caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore. Why? a) It will carry you in the longshore current which will take you ashore. b) The current is moving offshore but is confined, so by swimming parallel to shore you can swim out of the current. c) This recommendation is wrong; you should swim toward the shore as fast as you can. d) This recommendation is wrong; you should swim with the current and wait for it to die away, then swim to shore because the currents dissipate quickly.

b) The current is moving offshore but is confined, so by swimming parallel to shore you can swim out of the current.

Which of the following is an essential characteristic of an index fossil? a) The organism lived only in specific environments such as beaches or estuaries. b) The organism only lived for a short period of geologic time. c) The fossils are exceptionally abundant and well preserved. d) The fossils occur in deep-water marine sediments, but the organism actually lived in the sunlit, surface layer of the ocean.

b) The organism only lived for a short period of geologic time.

The Appalachian Mountains may have once been as lofty as the Himalayan-Tibetan Mountain belt is today. Why are they not this high now? a) They developed a dense crustal root following collision, and isostasy forced them to sink to their present elevation. b) They formed long ago, and erosion has beveled them to their present low elevation. c) The mountains cooled following the collision, which increased the density of the of the rocks by cooling, and isostasy forced the mountains to sink. d) Opening of the North Atlantic Ocean converted lithosphere to asthenosphere beneath eastern North America, forcing eastern North America to sink to low elevations.

b) They formed long ago, and erosion has beveled them to their present low elevation.

A sand ridge connecting an island to the mainland or to another island is a ________. a) Jetty b) Tombolo c) Breakwater d) Sea Stack

b) Tombolo

The Goldilocks scenario suggests that ________. a) we are very fortunate that the meteorites that have bombarded the earth over time were not too large or too small b) we are very fortunate to be in the right place in the universe and to have had the right condition to develop and sustain life c) we are very fortunate that dinosaurs were destroyed but left us an inhabitable planet

b) we are very fortunate to be in the right place in the universe and to have had the right condition to develop and sustain life

A spring tide occurs ________. a) Once a year at the first full moon after the vernal equinox b) Twice a year at the new or full moon closest to the vernal and autumnal equinox c) About 26 times per year, at every full and new moon once a month, or 12 times a year

c) About 26 times per year, at every full and new moon once a month, or 12 times a year

A(n) ________ is a thick accumulation of sediments and small, tectonic blocks formed of material scraped off a descending, lithospheric plate. a) Mass movement complex b) Continental shelf, terrain complex c) Accretionary-wedge complex d) Subterranean-accumulation complex

c) Accretionary-wedge complex

Which type of bacteria thrive in environments that lack oxygen? a) Aerobic b) Placental c) Anaerobic d) Foraminifera e) Photosynthetic

c) Anaerobic

Brittle deformation would be favored over plastic deformation in which of the following conditions? a) High Confining Pressures b) Warmer Temperatures c) Cooler Temperatures d) Deeper Depths

c) Cooler Temperatures

Thermohaline circulation is ________. a) Shallow circulation at low latitudes driven by surface evaporation making seawater more dense, which then sinks and drives upwelling b) Deep circulation of water driven entirely by cold, saline water descending to the ocean floor at the poles and flowing along the bottom of the ocean c) Deep circulation of water driven by a combination of cold temperature and high density related to high salinity from formation of sea ice, producing descending high density waters that flow southward to equatorial regions d) The circulation that occurs in shallow, evaporate basins when salt begins to crystallize, releasing heat by latent heat of fusion and heating the water mass, forcing shallow convection in the water column

c) Deep circulation of water driven by a combination of cold temperature and high density related to high salinity from formation of sea ice, producing descending high density waters that flow southward to equatorial regions

The major source of free oxygen in the atmosphere is from ________. a) Molten Rock b) Water c) Green Plants d) Silicate Minerals e) Glaciers

c) Green Plants

Earth's core, mantle, and crust formed during the ________. a) Proterozoic b) Paleozoic c) Hadean d) Tertiary

c) Hadean

During the ________ era, the westward-moving North American plate began to override the Pacific plate, eventually causing the tectonic activity that ultimately formed the mountains of western North America. a) Precambrian b) Paleozoic c) Mesozoic d) Cenozoic e) None of the Above

c) Mesozoic

Tensional forces normally cause which one of the following? a) Strike-Slip Faults b) Reverse Faults c) Normal Faults d) Thrust Faults

c) Normal Faults

Which of the following is not a scientific hypothesis for how life began? a) Methane and hydrogen sulfide from deep-sea hydrothermal vents and hot springs like those at Yellowstone National Park provided the necessary materials. b) Asteroids and comets brought amino acids to Earth. c) Outgassing and related volcanic materials brought proto amino acids to the surface of the earth. d) Methane and ammonia in the early atmosphere combined with the help of lightning or ultraviolet light to produce the first amino acids.

c) Outgassing and related volcanic materials brought proto amino acids to the surface of the earth.

Which one of the following represents the greatest expanse of geological time? a) Mesozoic b) Cenozoic c) Precambrian d) Paleozoic

c) Precambrian

The most common reason that dew forms is ________. a) Fast heating of the atmosphere when the sun first comes up in the morning b) A rapid increase in water vapor in the air during the night c) Radiant cooling of the ground and adjacent air in the evening d) Plants give up water to the atmosphere when the temperature decreases

c) Radiant cooling of the ground and adjacent air in the evening

Earth receives energy from the Sun in this way. a) Conduction b) Convection c) Radiation d) All of These

c) Radiation

Deserts such as the Great Basin, Gobi, and Takla Makan are examples of ________. a) Chinook Deserts b) Subtropical Deserts c) Rainshadow Deserts d) Monsoon Deserts

c) Rainshadow Deserts

A(n) ________ fault has little or no vertical movements of the two blocks. a) Reverse b) Normal c) Strike-Slip d) Dip Slip

c) Strike-Slip

When a mass of cold air collides with a mass of warm air, what happens? a) The cold air is warmed and the warm air is cooled by their mixing. b) The cold air rises above the warm air. c) The warm air rises above the cold air. d) The boundary between the two air masses keeps them separate, and they do not interact in any way.

c) The warm air rises above the cold air.

The variations in temperature are less extreme in the Southern Hemisphere than in the Northern Hemisphere because ________. a) All of the cold air in the Southern Hemisphere is concentrated over Antarctica, but there is not a large land mass at the north pole b) There is more land in the Southern Hemisphere c) There is more water in the Southern Hemisphere d) The hole in the ozone allows more solar radiation to warm the Southern Hemisphere e) The Northern Hemisphere is more mountainous

c) There is more water in the Southern Hemisphere

Ozone filters out most of the ________ radiation in sunlight. a) Infrared b) Gamma c) Ultraviolet d) Microwave

c) Ultraviolet

You are swimming with your buddies on a beach in the surf. You leave your cooler and supplies on the beach, and after a half hour you swim back to shore, but your stuff isn't there. You look along the beach and see your cooler 200 m down the beach. How did that happen? a) You and your buddies must have gotten caught in a rip current without knowing it. b) You and your buddies must have been swimming parallel to the shore without thinking about it. c) You and your buddies were affected by the longshore current and drifted with it along the coast.

c) You and your buddies were affected by the longshore current and drifted with it along the coast.

Which of the following is designed to prevent or retard shoreline erosion? a) Groin b) Beach Nourishment c) Seawall d) All of These

d) All of These

This term is used to describe clouds found in the middle height range. a) Cumulus b) Stratus c) Cirrus d) Alto

d) Alto

Horn Island is a small island about 10 km offshore from Biloxi, Mississippi, that is about 20 km long and 1 km wide. What are features like Horn Island called? a) Beaches b) Reefs c) Sand Spits d) Barrier Islands

d) Barrier Islands

On this date the length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the equator. a) June 21 b) March 21 c) September 21 d) December 21

d) December 21

The division of the geologic time scale that represents the longest time span is called a(n) ________. a) Epoch b) Era d) Period d) Eon

d) Eon

Which of the following combinations should favor folding rather than faulting? a) High temperature and low confining pressure b) Low confining pressure and low temperature c) High confining pressure and low temperature d) High temperature and high confining pressure

d) High temperature and high confining pressure

The differences in summer and winter temperatures are greatest for locations ________. a) Near the equator b) Near the tropic of Cancer or Capricorn c) Near 60 degrees North or South latitude d) Near the Poles

d) Near the Poles

Which one of the following is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere? a) Oxygen b) Argon c) Carbon Dioxide d) Nitrogen

d) Nitrogen

A sandbar that completely crosses a bay, sealing it off from the open ocean is a ________. a) Sea Stack b) Tombolo c) Coastal Barrier d) None of These

d) None of These

In Rodinia, a well-documented Precambrian supercontinent, ________. a) there is no evidence of North America b) North America was the last collision in the formation of the supercontinent c) North America and South America made up one continuous fragment d) North America was located near the center of the supercontinent

d) North America was located near the center of the supercontinent

What causes seasons? a) The elliptical orbit of the earth b) The changing tilt angle of the earth c) Differences in the amount of daylight d) Seasonal changes in the angle of the sun above the horizon

d) Seasonal changes in the angle of the sun above the horizon

Relative humidity is a measure of ________. a) How much water vapor is in the air b) The ratio of water vapor in air to the amount of air c) The amount of water vapor in the air compared to some standard amount of water vapor d) The ratio of the water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor that it would take to saturate the air

d) The ratio of the water vapor in the air to the amount of water vapor that it would take to saturate the air

The Great Oxygen Event marks the time, approximately 2.5 billion years ago, when ________. a) There was enough oxygen in the atmosphere to support a major burst of life on Earth b) There was a massive volcanic eruption that lead to a very rapid increase in oxygen levels on Earth c) There was a cataclysmic weather event that absorbed most of the oxygen in the atmosphere and locked it into iron deposits in the oceans d) There was significant oxygen in the atmosphere

d) There was significant oxygen in the atmosphere