Earth System Science Quiz 7

Match the division of geologic time to its description in terms of expanse of time.

- Epoch: shortest expanse of time - Era: second largest expanse of time - Eon: longest expanse of time - Period: second shortest expanse of time

Which of the following examples of plate tectonic processes would likely result in divergence and dispersal of species. Select all that apply.

- the formation of the himalayas - the movement of a plate across many degrees of latitude - the breaking up of pangea

The consensus in the scientific community is that the earth has warmed ______________ degrees in the last 100 years.

0.3 to 0.5

The earth's current axial tilt is 23.5 degrees, however it has varied between _____ degrees and _____ degrees in the geologic past.

22.1; 24.5

Which of the following is NOT a proxy indicator of global temperature change?

Average annual recorded surface temperatures

Which of the following radioisotope systems would NOT be useful for determining the numeric age for a Precambrian granite?

Carbon-14

Large mammals flourished during which geologic era?

Cenozoic Era

Match the following geologic laws and principles to their descriptions.

Law of Superposition -> In a sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest are on the bottom and the youngest are at the top of the sequence Law of Original Horizontality -> when sediments are deposited, they are generally flat-lying Principle of Uniformitarianism -> geologic processes that are observable today, were operating in the same manner in the geologic past Law of Cross-cutting Relationships -> a geologic feature that intersect or lie across a second geologic feature must be younger than the second feature

Periodic changes in solar forcing due to the way the earth orbits are called ___________________ cycles.

Milankovitch

Mosasaur skeletons found in Nebraska indicate that Nebraska was which kind of environment during the Cretaceous?

Shallow marine environment

Fossil assemblages allow for long-distance correlation of rock types even if rock layers are separated by erosion, mountain ranges, or oceans.

True

Many of the potential results of global climate change are conjectural, however sea level rise is regarded as one of the more certain changes that is likely to happen.

True

The extent of sea ice in the northern hemisphere has been gradually decreasing over the past 30 years.

True

Which of the following would NOT be an example of a depositional environment?

a lava flow

The match of an organism's capabilities and characteristics to its environment is referred to as ______________

adaptation

The decimal fraction of solar energy reflected off of material on the earth's surface is called the _____________.

albedo

Which of the following energy reservoirs does solar energy input affect?

all of the above

The rock record of Spitsbergen, Norway shows the great antiquity of the earth, and is one example of ________ ____________ _______.

deep geologic time

Atmospheric CO2 levels and average global temperature over the past 400 thousand years have been steadily increasing.

false

Evolution by natural selection explains all of the biodiversity of life on planet earth.

false

Extremophiles, such as thermophiles and acidophiles, have developed universal adaptations that can allow them to live in virtually any environment.

false

Massive volcanic eruptions can trigger global warming.

false

Plate tectonics have little effect on global climate change.

false

Radiometric ages are only reliable if they are calculated from a closed system.

false

The amount of time it takes for half of a parent isotope to decay into the daughter product is called the ________ ________.

half life

The general trends of global CO2 levels over the past 150 years show which type of relationship?

increasing at a exponential rate

Dinosaurs flourished during the _______________ era

mesozoic

The processes of modification of a species' characteristics by the environment, causing the species to become better adapted to a changing environment is called _________________ _________________.

natural selection

Which of the following elements is useful for determining warm or cold climates from sea water?

oxygen

Match the following biogeographic terms to their descriptions

patchy distribution -> an organism will be present in geographic areas where environment condition are optimal corridors -> broad areas with similar environmental conditions that allow many species to occupy and travel through easily filters -> narrow connections across which environmental changes are substantial, limiting the species that can travel divergence -> a geographically isolated population of a species will become increasingly more different from another population

Which of the following genetic disorders may be both harmful and advantageous under certain circumstances?

sickle-cell anemia

The study of sedimentary rocks and the geologic history they contain is a division of geology known as _____________________.

stratigraphy

The theory that the entire earth was covered in glacial ice for periods of millions of years is known as ____ _____________ ________ theory.

the snowball earth

Humans can influence the modification of a species through "artificial selection", causing them to change their genetic characteristics to be better suited for our purposes.

true

If the energy being received by the earth system is greater than the energy leaving the earth system, global warming will occur.

true

The burning of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, natural gas) greatly accelerates the transfer of CO2 from the geosphere to the atmosphere.

true

The effects of global temperature change vary from place to place. Some regions are cooling, while others are warming.

true

Match the following organisms to their role in biosphere energy.

Grass -> producer Antelope -> primary consumer Mountain lion -> secondary consumer Turkey Vulture -> Scavenger Bacteria -> decomposer

Which of the following is the most recent ice age, from 30 million years ago to present?

Holarctic-Antarctic Ice age

Match the following organisms to their role in biosphere energy.

Seaweed -> producer Manatee -> primary consumer Shark -> secondary consumer Shrimp -> scavenger Bacteria -> Decomposer

Which rock type tells us the most about environmental conditions throughout the geologic past?

Sedimentary rocks