Geology Test 2
What is the most important factor in the volcanic and tectonic evolution of Venus as compared to Mars?
The size of Venus which makes it cool slower than Mars.
Which of the following is a major difference between Venus and Earth?
atmospheric composition
Which of the following is not usually associated with a terrestrial subduction zone?
basaltic shield volcanoes
Karst topography is produced _______________.
because limestone is relatively soluble in water
Which of the following features are found on the Moon and Mercury? (Check all that apply)
flood lavas multiring basins impact craters faults related to contraction
Which of these factors control the Earth's hydrologic system? (Mark all that apply.)
gravity solar energy topography temperature
Large amounts of water (as gas or liquid) on Venus _________.
have probably been lost to space and by combination with surface materials.
The oldest types of terrains on both the Moon and Mercury are ________________________.
heavily cratered terrain
The Earth's oceanic crust is composed mostly of ____________________.
igneous rocks of basaltic composition
On Earth, lithospheric plates converge at which plate boundary?
subduction zones
Which of the following tectonic processes are thought to have occurred on Mercury? (Check all that apply)
thrust faulting due to contraction of the planet graben formation due to extension
Select the letter of the area of this radar image of Venus that has been shaped by Eolian processes. Image 16
B
Which gas was most efficiently removed from the Earth's atmosphere since the advent of life?
Carbon Dioxide—CO2
Examine this image of Mars carefully. Which feature is a small shield volcano? Image 7
A
These images show impact craters on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Earth. Each has distinctive features because of the geologic processes that affect the surface. Which of the images is of crater on Earth? Image 21
A
Which letter is on a young volcanic plain in this colored shaded relief map along Mars' Great Escarpment? Image 11
A
One of these impact craters is on the Moon and the other is on Mercury. Which one is on Mercury? Image 2
B
Study this colored topographic map of Venus and identify the following provinces using the letters on the map. Image 14
A highland B An upland C A lowland A
What is the Tharsis "bulge"?
A large dome that was associated with the development of an extensive fracture system.
Why is the Earth a dynamic planet, whereas the Moon and Mercury have undergone very little change during the last 3.5 billion years? (Select all that apply.)
A major difference is that Earth is much larger than the other two. The Moon and Mercury lack atmospheres, but Earth has retained one, which has greatly modified the surface.
How many meteorite impact craters have been identified on Earth?
About 100
On Earth and Mars, how is loess deposited? (Mark all that apply.)
As a blanket which mantles the landscape. By the wind. As dust-sized particles.
These images show impact craters on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Earth. Each has distinctive features because of the geologic processes that affect the surface. Which of the images is of crater on the Moon? Image 21
B
Which image shows a feature that formed by contraction of Mercury's surface? Image 1
B
Which of the letters on this shaded relief map is a transform plate boundary? Image 20
B
How thick is Earth's lithosphere?
Between about 10 and 200 km thick.
In what way is the history of Earth similar to the history of the Moon?
Both "planets" once had heavily cratered surfaces.
Mass movement commonly affect steep slopes on the planets. Which letter labels a landslide on Mars? Image 10
C
These images show impact craters on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Earth. Each has distinctive features because of the geologic processes that affect the surface. Which of the images is of crater on Mars? Image 21
C
Which of the features is the result of tectonic contraction on Mars? Image 9
C
Which of the letters on this cross section of Earth labels where the mafic ocean crust is made? Image 19
C
Which of the letters on this shaded relief map is a divergent plate boundary? Image 20
C
What would have happened on Venus if it had been cool enough for liquid water to form?
Carbonate minerals may have formed in the water and removed the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
These images show impact craters on the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Earth. Each has distinctive features because of the geologic processes that affect the surface. Which of the images is of crater on Venus? Image 21
D
Which of the letters on this cross section of Earth labels where the silicic continental crust is made? Image 19
D
Which of the letters on this shaded relief map is a convergent plate boundary? Image 20
D
Which part of this image of Mars has evidence of tectonic extension? Image 8
D
Which features of Mars indicate a distinctive geologic process that doesn't operate on Mercury or the Moon?
Domal upwarps of the lithosphere and associated fractures caused by mantle plumes.
What explains the number of impact craters that have been identified on Earth? (Select all that apply.)
Earth has few impact craters because its ancient surface has been extensively modified by erosional processes Earth has few impact craters because many were obliterated by subduction, mountain building, and volcanism.
What is the most likely cause of the sinuous feature that extends across this radar image of Venus? Image 17
Erosion by hot flowing magma.
Where are the oldest rocks on Earth found?
In its continental shields.
Why does Mars lack a well-integrated hydrologic system?
It is too cold.
If Venus is so close to Earth, why has it taken so long to understand what the solid surface of Venus is like?
Its surface is buried beneath a very cloudy atmosphere.
Note the long light-toned feature that extends diagonally across this image on Mars. Which phrase(s) best describe its possible origin? Choose all that apply. Image 6
Low viscosity lava flow Basaltic lava flow
Which "planet's" interior stayed warm longer?
Mars
Mars quiz missing Lesson 17
Mars quiz missing Lesson 17
Click on the possible explanations for Mercury's large core. Choose the two most likely.
Mercury formed near the Sun in a zone that was oxygen-poor and rich in metallic iron. A large impact stripped away the silicate shell from an already differentiated Mercury.
About how old is the surface of Venus as judged from the abundance of meteorite impact craters?
Millions of years old.
Does Mars have a plate tectonic system like Earth?
No, it lacks a system of moving plates.
Does Venus have a plate tectonic system like the Earth? (Mark all that apply.)
No, the high surface temperature may prevent the lithosphere from becoming dense enough to subduct back into the mantle. No, Venus may lack a shallow asthenosphere. No, Venus is water-poor which makes the melting point of the mantle higher than on Earth. No, Venus is dominated by mantle plume convection instead.
These diagrams show the history of Mars but they are not in the correct chronologic order. Put the events into the proper order with oldest first in your list and the youngest last in your list. Image 13
Oldest A D F B E C Youngest
Why did continents develop on Earth and not on the Moon, Mercury, or Mars?
Only Earth has subduction zones.
Conditions on Venus are such that which of the following are true? Choose all that apply.
Pure lead would be a liquid on its surface. The pressure is about 90 times that on Earth.
Which of the following are major extensional features on Venus?
Rift valleys and grabens associated with lithospheric domes.
Study these radar images of impact craters on Venus. Arrange their letters from smallest to largest. Image 15
Smallest B A D C Largest
What is the probable origin of the features shown in this image of the surface of Mars? Image 5
Sublimation of ground ice caused collapse of the surface.
What do thermal models of Mercury's evolution suggest about its history?
That it developed a metallic core early in its history.
The two large volcanoes of Venus, Theia Mons and Rhea Mons, lie on the flanks of a structure similar to which of the following?
The East African Rift valley.
Which of the following statements are accurate descriptions of the atmosphere of Venus?
The Venusian atmosphere is rich in carbon dioxide.
Which event drastically modified Earth's geologic history about 3.5 billion years ago?
The advent of life.
What is the approximate age of the surface of Venus?
The average age of the surface is much younger than any of the Moon's major terranes.
Mars and Mercury differ substantially in what way(s)? Choose all that apply.
The compositions of their atmospheres. Their densitites. The sizes of their cores. Their surface temperatures.
What is the probable origin of the smooth plains in the Northern Hemisphere of Mars? Choose all that apply.
The depression probably started to form as a giant impact crater that covered half of the planet. Sediment from a series of temporary seas smoothed it out.
Which of the following statements about Venus is (are) true? Choose all that apply.
The diameter of Venus is almost the same as that of Earth. The atmospheric gases create a large Greenhouse effect.
How did the Chicxulub impact affect Earth?
The impact triggered a series of climate changes that led to the extinction of many species, including dinosaurs.
What is the probable origin of the features shown in this image of the surface of Mars? Image 4
These are dendritic channels eroded by liquid water.
What is the probable origin of the features shown in this image of the surface of Mars? Image 3
These features are dunes shaped by the wind.
Folded mountain belts are important tectonic landforms. Which of the following statements is the most accurate description of folded mountain belts?
They are found around the margins of highlands on Earth and Venus.
It is very possible that Venus once had more water and has lost it to space over the millenia.
True
What are some of the ways that the advent of life modified Earth's atmosphere/hydrosphere and the geologic processes which act on its surface? (Select all that apply.)
Using energy from the Sun, organisms consumed carbon dioxide and released oxygen into the atmosphere. The oxygen produced by living things oxidized (weathered) the minerals and rocks at the surface. The evolution of creatures that make shells of calcium carbonate helped remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Large quantities of dissolved iron were removed from the ocean to form delicately banded iron-rich sediments.
Why is the history of Venus so different from that of Mars?
Venus is significantly larger than Mars and cooled slowly.
What are some of the main reasons Venus and Earth have such different histories?
Venus was hot enough that liquid water never precipitated on its surface to make oceans.
What is the most likely cause of the radical tectonic features on this part of Venus? Image 18
Vertical doming
Would you be surprised if tomorrow's newspaper reported that a volcano was discovered erupting on Mercury?
Yes, that is not expected to happen on Mercury today.
What was the sequence of events that shaped this part of Mars? Put the following descriptions into the proper order with the oldest on bottom and youngest at the top. Not all descriptions apply and should be left out. Image 12
Youngest Formation of Rampart crater Extensional Tectonics Eruption of lava plains Development of shield volcano Oldest
These images show 5 stages in Earth's 4.6 billion year evolution. Using the dropdowns below, sort the images from youngest (present day) at the top, to oldest (primordial Earth) at the bottom. Image 22
Youngest C E A D B Oldest
Considering the ways it forms, deforms, and crystallizes, glacial ice can be considered to be which of the following?
a metamorphic rock
What causes the important differences between craters on the Moon and those on Mercury (the extent of the ejecta blanket and secondary cratering)?
different gravitational attractions on each planet
The largest dune fields on Mars are ____________________.
in the polar regions
Graben formation is usually associated with which process?
lithospheric extension
Mercury's smooth plains ____________________.
may be similar in origin to the lunar maria
Impact craters on Venus that are larger than about 30 km in diameter are __________.
not common because of the plante's dynamic interior and young surface
Martian valley networks are ____________________________________.
restricted in occurrence to the oldest parts of Mars
Radar images of Venus show all of the following except __________.
river valleys
Which of these geologic features are not found on all of the following planets—Mercury, Mars, and Earth? (Choose all that apply)
sand dunes river valleys
What is one of the major causes of the high temperatures on the surface of Venus?
the greenhouse effect
A weak layer within Earth which behaves like a viscous fluid is _________________.
the outer core the asthenosphere
The presence of oxygen (O2) in a planet's atmosphere is strong evidence for ___________________.
the presence of living organisms
Which of the following are true about mid-ocean ridges? (Select all that apply.)
the site of the production of oceanic crust has abundant extensional normal faults
The outflow channels on Mars are different from river systems on Earth in what way?
they appear to come from below the surface and lack extensive collection systems