Geology Connect Assignments Chapter 1

About how many years old is the Earth as shown by science?

4.6 billion

This photo of a deforested landscape provides a good example of how human activity within the Earth system creates secondary effects that ripple through the system. Classify each of the different impacts as being related to either the terrestrial (land) or hydrologic (water) components of the Earth system.

Terrestrial: loss of forest ecosystem, increased soil erosion, increased mass wasting Hydrologic: filling of channels with sediment, increased risk of flooding, loss of aquatic

How was the geologic time scale developed?

by correlating exposed rock sections from around the world.

Another major factor in Las Vega's population growth has been the availability of

cheap electricity that makes air conditioning affordable

The graph shows that ___ on a planet with finite resources

continuous population growth is not possible

Which of the following measures do environmentalists suggest may be necessary in order for humans to live in a sustainable manner?

develop renewable energy resources, conserve resources, stabilize the population, reduce per capita consumption of resources

Which term is used to describe the amount of biologically productive land/sea area necessary to support the lifestyle of an individual?

ecological footprint

This illustration is a flow chart representing the scientific method. Match the labels with their proper position within the flow chart.

experiments and observations -> working hypothesis -> accepted hypothesis -> prediction

Which trend best describes human population growth?

exponential

A scientific law describes the relationship between several different hypotheses.

false

As one of many species living on Earth, humans are very limited in their ability to impact the environment.

false

The society on Easter Island is believed to have collapsed because the population

grew beyond the island's carrying capacity

Almost all of the environmental problems discussed in class were ultimately tied to one factor. Which of the following is the root cause of most of our problems?

human population

Which of the following statements is NOT true regarding the Earth system?

humans are not capable of affecting the system

Which term refers to a scientific explanation of data that can be tested in such a way that shows it to be false?

hypothesis

In a sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest layer

is at the bottom and is overlain by progressively younger layers

How does the ecological footprint for people living in developed (industrialized) nations compare to that of people living in still developing nations?

it is greater

Which of the following are potentially limiting factors associated with food production and distribution?

mineral resources, topsoil erosion, water supply and resources, energy resources

This illustration is a flow chart representing the relationships between scientific theories and hypotheses. Match the labels with their proper position within the flow chart.

observations and experiments -> accepted hypothesis -> unifying theory -> prediction

Later, ___ techniques were used to establish the actual age of the various divisions within the scale

radiometric dating

This type of dating uses radioactive elements and their decay products to determine an absolute age for an earth material.

radiometric dating

The rocks within the geologic time scale were originally placed in their proper order using ___ dating techniques

relative

Which of the following refers to the process by which the physical world is examined in a logical manner?

scientific method

Which of the following terms refers to the use of resources in such a way that future generations will have a fair share and inherit a quality environment?

sustainability

Which of the following in NOT an attribute of a good scientific explanation?

sustainable

The scientific law that describes the age relationship between sedimentary rock layers is called

the Law of Superposition

When a population growth overshoots the carrying capacity of a system it eventually causes

the economy and population to crash

When defining environmental risks, scientists must primarily consider which of the following components?

the probability that an event will occur and the expected consequences of that event

Which of the following is NOT true of incremental processes?

they take place somewhat randomly as discrete events

In geologic time, humans have existed for only a very brief amount of Earth's history.

true

The biggest environmental issue facing the human race is sustainability.

true

Similar to Earth's population, Easter Islanders

were stuck as they had no place else to go, it was their only home

The tragedy of the commons is an important concept related to environmental degradation and human behavior. Which of the following best describes this concept?

when the self interest of individuals destroys natural resources being shared by society

The primary reason Las Vegas has been able to experience to rapid growth despite environment is because it has

an abundant source of water nearby