geo test

1) The science that studies the Earth's past climates is A) climate change science. B) meteorology. C) paleoclimatology. D) dendrochronology. E) limnology.

c

10) ________ is the coherent theory that describes the motion of the Earth's lithosphere and associated processes and results. A) Plate tectonics B) Sea floor spreading C) Pangaea D) Metamorphism E) Contact metamorphism

A

4) Tropical climates are typically located A) straddling the equator between 20° N/S. B) at all areas of the Earth influenced by a subtropical high pressure system. C) primarily in areas associated with cold ocean currents. D) at higher latitudes influenced by continental tropical air masses. E) almost exclusively at high altitudes due to closer proximity to the sun.

A

5) Scientists use ________ to study past climates, using ________ to reconstruct climates that extend back further than our present instrumentation allows. A) proxy methods; climate proxies B) direct measurements; historical records C) indirect evidence; conjecture D) computer models; algorithms E) inference; supposition

A

9) Mid-oceanic ridges occur at ________ plate boundaries. A) divergent B) convergent C) transform D) transverse E) synthetic

A

1) The principle that the same physical processes currently active in the environment were operating throughout Earth's history is known as A) uniformitarianism. B) catastrophism. C) parallelism. D) statis. E) ubiquity.

a

10) Groundwater begins as A) surplus water that percolates downward below the surface. B) outgas materials from Earth's crust. C) stream discharge. D) soil moisture. E) lakes that are slowly buried by impermeable materials.

a

10) The hot desert climates occur A) in the tropics and subtropics. B) only in midlatitude rainshadow positions. C) in polar regions. D) along the midlatitude, west coasts of continents. E) only in areas under the influence of a rain shadow.

a

11) ________ are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries. A) Hot spots B) Subduction zones C) Ridge pull D) Mid-ocean ridges E) Slab pull

a

12) The line of contact between the zone of aeration and the zone of saturation is known as the A) water table. B) saturation contact. C) influent line. D) aquiclude. E) artesian line.

a

4) The hydrologic cycle A) involves the continuous movement of water in all its states throughout the lower atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. B) is limited to freshwater circulation in the hydrosphere. C) refers to the highly localized transfer of water from plants and soils to the atmosphere and back. D) is the groundwater component of the global water cycle. E) focuses on surface runoff's contribution to oceanic currents.

a

8) Factors that influence dry land climate include all of the following except A) moisture surplus due to precipitation exceeding evapotranspiration. B) Subsiding air in subtropical high pressure systems. C) rain shadow effect due to location of mountains. D) continentality. E) shifting subtropical high pressure systems along the periphery of arid deserts.

a

9) Which of the following is not true of tropical and subtropical hot desert climates? A) In most years, they do not receive any precipitation. B) Annual average temperatures are above 18°C (64.4°F). C) They are generally found on the western side of continents D) They are under the influence of subtropical high pressure systems. E) Rainfall results from local, summer convective showers.

a

1) Which of the following best describes the difference between weather and climate? A) Weather is the collective pattern of atmospheric conditions in a given region over long periods of time, whereas climate is the atmospheric conditions at a given time and place. B) Climate is the collective pattern of atmospheric conditions in a given region over long periods of time, whereas weather is the atmospheric conditions at a given time and place. C) Weather refers specifically to the temperature of a given place at a given time, whereas climate refers to temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind conditions of a given place at a given time. D) Climate refers specifically to the temperature of a given place at a given time, whereas weather refers to temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind conditions of a given place at a given time. E) Weather and climate are essentially the same thing.

b

2) The two principle climate components are A) temperature and pressure. B) temperature and precipitation. C) precipitation and pressure. D) pressure and wind speed. E) wind speed and precipitation.

b

4) Earth's interior is layered because A) centrifugal force separated out the materials based on composition as the Earth solidified. B) materials became sorted based on density as the Earth solidified. C) materials became sorted based on electromagnetic fields as the Earth solidified. D) the planet was formed due to successive bombardments of cosmic debris. E) successive subduction events at convergent plate boundaries forcing earthen materials downward.

b

4) Which of the following is not an example of methods used for short-term climate reconstructions? A) tree ring analysis B) ocean sediment core analysis C) carbon isotope analysis D) speleothem analysis E) lake sediment analysis

b

5) The dry season in the tropical monsoon climate occurs when A) cold air masses dominate the region. B) the ITCZ has moved away from the region. C) a continental polar air mass influences the region. D) cold ocean currents shift into the region. E) the northeast trade wind reverse direction during late winter.

b

6) In which of the following ways is the study of tree rings and speleothems (cave formations) for understanding past climatic conditions similar? A) Each are composed of organic materials and are therefore used solely for radiocarbon dating. B) Each have growth bands, yielding evidence of the conditions under which they formed and grew. C) The chronology each can provide only dates back to a maximum of 1,000 years and are, therefore, only useful for relatively recent climatic trends. D) The fossilized form of each is used for understanding past climatic conditions. E) Both are examples of macrofossils and can be used to determine plant and animal assemblages of bygone times.

b

7) The continuous alteration of Earth materials from one rock type to another is known as the A) geologic cycle. B) rock cycle. C) hydrologic cycle. D) tectonic cycle. E) biogeochemical cycle.

b

9) Which of the following is not an indicator of current climatic warming? A) increased tropospheric, land, and ocean surface temperatures B) decreases in atmospheric water vapor C) melting glacial ice and sea ice D) rising sea levels E) decreases in sea ice extent

b

11) Which of the following is true regarding groundwater? A) It is unlimited when compared with the amount of surface water supplies. B) When polluted, it is actually easier to clean up than is surface water. C) The total amount of groundwater has been reduced by the mining of water. D) In terms of total amount, it is second to streams in the United States. E) It plays a relatively insignificant role as a water source in the United States and Canada.

c

2) The largest portion of fresh water today is located in A) clouds. B) groundwater resources. C) ice sheets and glaciers. D) the major rivers and lakes of the world. E) swamps.

c

2) Which of the following is true of 16O and 18O. A) Only the 16O isotope occurs in water molecules. B) Only the 18O isotope occurs in water molecules. C) Both the 16O and 18O isotopes occur in water molecules. D) Neither the 16O and 18O isotopes occur in water molecules. E) 16O and 18O isotopes are so radically different that their utility in paleoclimatology is debatable.

c

3) The boundaries of the climate classification system are A) very abrupt corresponding to air mass interaction. B) abrupt, but variable throughout the year, migrating with high and low pressure cells. C) transitions zones of gradual change. D) determined by latitude and are, therefore, only estimates. E) determined by longitude and are, therefore, only estimates.

c

5) The "plastic" region of the upper mantle extending from about 70 km beneath Earth's surface to 250 km is known as the A) crust. B) Gutenberg discontinuity. C) asthenosphere. D) outer core. E) Mohorovičić discontinuity.

c

5) Which of the following is not a main component of the hydrologic cycle? A) atmosphere clouds B) surface water on the surface C) ionosphere D) subsurface ground water E) oceans biggest component

c

6) Mesothermal climates A) are essentially seasonless. B) occupy more land and sea surface area than any other climate region. C) have a high degree of air mass interaction. D) are sparsely populated by humans. E) have very little seasonal variability.

c

6) The movement of water into the atmosphere from plants is A) precipitation. B) evaporation. C) transpiration. D) sublimation. E) runoff.

c

6) Which of the following is NOT correct: Minerals are made of elements a. Most rocks are made of minerals b. Sedimentary rocks form deep in the Earth's interior c. Igneous rocks for at the Earth's surface and deep within the Earth d. Metamorphic rocks form from preexisting rocks

c

7) Since the Industrial Revolution A) human population growth rates have decreased with a subsequent decrease in the warming trend that characterized pre-Industrial Revolution times. B) global temperatures rapidly increased, then steadied out over the past 25 to 30 years. C) global temperatures have continued to warm at accelerating rates. D) no observable warming or cooling trends have occurred, rather temperatures have oscillated between warm and cold periods. E) sun spot activity has accelerated, resulting in an apparent warming that will subside when this activity ceases.

c

8) In the water budget, ________ is the major "receipt" and ________ is the major "expenditure." A) insolation; radiative cooling B) outgassing; dissociation C) precipitation; evapotranspiration D) evapotranspiration; precipitation E) infiltration; overland flow

c

8) Which of the following is not considered a mechanism of natural climate change? A) solar variability. B) changes in Earth-Sun relationships. C) the burning of fossil fuels. D) movement of continents via plate tectonics. E) volcanic eruptions.

c

9) A water surplus occurs when A) the potential evapotranspiration demand cannot be satisfied by precipitation inputs. B) the additional inputs of water into a system are not enough to satisfy potential evapotranspiration. C) additional water exists after potential evapotranspiration is satisfied by precipitation inputs. D) potential evapotranspiration is greater than s

c

Which of the following best describes the distribution of water on Earth? A) Water is evenly distributed across Earth. B) The Atlantic is the largest ocean basin on Earth. C) Most of the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean comprise the so-called "water hemisphere." D) Most of Earth's water is freshwater and is predominantly stored in the many lakes around the world. E) The Northern Hemisphere is dominated by ocean basins.

c

2) Which of the following is the current best estimate for the age of the Earth? 10,000 years 1 million years 4.6 million years 4.6 billion years 15 billion years

d

3) Earth's oceans possess A) most of the fresh water on Earth. B) about the same amount of water as is in the atmosphere. C) fifty percent of Earth's waters. D) ninety-seven percent of Earth's waters. E) most of Earth's salt water, but only a tiny proportion of Earth's overall water supply.

d

3) When water changes phases (from liquid to gas for example)... The abundances of the isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen are not effected Changes in the abundances of the isotopes of hydrogen are less than those of oxygen The heavier isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen tend to move into the gas The heavier isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen tend stay in the liquid The isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen behave differently

d

7) Which of the following is false regarding the Mediterranean classification? A) Summers are hot. B) At least seventy percent of the precipitation occurs in the winter months. C) Summers are influenced by shifting subtropical high cells. D) The bulk of precipitation occurs in the summer months. E) Mediterranean climates occur in just 2% of Earth's land surface.

d

8) The three basic rock types are A) conglomerates, clastics, and evaporative. B) intrusive, extrusive, and plutonic. C) laterite, schist, and basalt. D) sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous. E) basaltic, rhyolitic, and granitic.

d

12) The Hawaiian Islands were formed as a result of A) convergent plate boundaries. B) an oceanic-oceanic plate collision. C) a continental-oceanic plate collision. D) activity along a mid-ocean ridge. E) a rising plume of magma from the mantle.

e

3) The earliest known fossils are: Ancient Fish Early Humans Dinosaurs Mastodons Algae

e

7) The soil-water budget it best used for which scale of analysis? A) global B) continental C) regional D) local E) on any scale: continental to local

e