Geology Exam 3

What are some of the sources of water in streams?Choose one or more: A. direct rainfall B. backwash from the ocean C. inflow from tributaries D. runoff from surrounding lands E. groundwater discharge

A, C, D, E

Which of the following statements about short-term climate change is true? Choose one: A. Changing ocean currents can affect global climate. B. Large volcanic eruptions generally accelerate global warming. C. The planet's albedo varies with the sunspot cycle. D. Warming seas may release frozen seafloor methane, causing global cooling.

A. Changing ocean currents can affect global climate.

Why is carbon dioxide called a greenhouse gas? Choose one: A. It allows solar radiation to reach Earth but absorbs and traps the infrared radiation re-radiated by Earth. B. It absorbs solar radiation and releases it to the Earth as thermal radiation. C. It intensifies solar radiation as it passes through Earth's atmosphere. D. It moderates solar radiation by allowing some to pass and reflecting the rest.

A. It allows solar radiation to reach Earth but absorbs and traps the infrared radiation re-radiated by Earth.

Which of the following statements has been asserted in IPCC reports? Choose one: A. It is extremely likely that human activity has contributed significantly to global climate change. B. The Earth's climate system is cooling. C. Sea level is falling. D. The warming trends observed in the past 50 years can be explained by natural forcing such as cosmic-ray flux.

A. It is extremely likely that human activity has contributed significantly to global climate change.

A stratigraphic formation is Choose one: A. a layer of specific rock types. B. a column of mixed rock types. C. a layer of mixed rock types. D. a column of specific rock types.

A. a layer of specific rock types.

Oil forms when Choose one: A. dead algae and plankton deposited in low-oxygen conditions are buried and heated. B. leaves, twigs, and tree trunks are buried and subjected to heat, pressure, and low oxygen. C. the decomposition of organic material takes place in an aerobic (oxygen-rich) environment. D. large sauropod-type dinosaurs decay in swamps.

A. dead algae and plankton deposited in low-oxygen conditions are buried and heated.

The greenhouse effect is caused by Choose one: A. greenhouse gases that absorb and re-radiate heat from the Earth's surface. B. the Earth's albedo. C. the ozone hole allowing more of the Sun's heat through the atmosphere. D. clouds reflecting light back into space.

A. greenhouse gases that absorb and re-radiate heat from the Earth's surface.

Where does uranium accumulate in minable quantities? Choose one: A. plutons B. magma C. mantle D. feldspar

A. plutons

The principle of lateral continuity says thatChoose one: A. sedimentary layers began as continuous expanses of sediment. B. in a sequence of sedimentary beds, the oldest is on the bottom. C. the feature doing the cutting is younger than the feature it cuts. D. rock containing inclusions is younger than the inclusions.

A. sedimentary layers began as continuous expanses of sediment.

A typical source rock of oil, which started out as mud in which dead organic matter settled, isChoose one: A. shale. B. conglomerate. C. granite. D. sandstone.

A. shale.

What is the "grade" of an ore? Choose one: A. the weight percent concentration of useful metal in an ore B. the measured quantity of a mineral resource C. a compound containing two or more metals D. the nonmetallic residue formed during smelting

A. the weight percent concentration of useful metal in an ore

Many scientists have proposed a new geologic interval known as the Anthropocene, which is marked by distinct human-caused changes. Which of the following are items that might mark the beginning of the Anthropocene for a geologist 1,000 years in the future? Choose one or more: A. trace fossils such as concrete and glass B. exposure of continental shelves due to a drop in sea level C. extinction of many of Earth's species D. pollutants such as cesium and plutonium in the rock record E. an increase in the biodiversity of the planet

A. trace fossils such as concrete and glass C. extinction of many of Earth's species D. pollutants such as cesium and plutonium in the rock record

Cite examples of how copper deposits occur. Choose one or more: A.in carbonate ore minerals B.as a native metal C.in sulfide ore minerals D.as an agglomeration metal

A.in carbonate ore minerals; B.as a native metal; C.in sulfide ore minerals

Weathering is important to the global carbon cycle because: A: Silicate weathering extracts carbon from the atmosphere B: Weathering produces calcium that is delivered to the oceans and generates limestone C: Weathering breaks down organic material, releasing carbon to the atmosphere D: All of the above E: None of the above, weathering does not influence the global carbon cycle

A: Silicate weathering extracts carbon from the atmosphere

Temperatures in the Eocene were, on average, 12°C warmer than today. However, we are still concerned about the effect that the current global warming trend will have on humans. Which of the following are possible effects of the current global warming trend? Choose one or more: A. a decrease in crop output B. higher taxes to pay for damage from disasters and loss of crops C. an increased chance of armed conflict D. larger areas experiencing droughts E. a decrease in the volume of snowfall F. an increase in flooding in low-lying coastal cities and towns

All of them

Which of the following could be consequences of hydrofracking?Choose one or more: A.earthquakes associated with ground rupture due to subsurface pressurization B.local contamination of the water table by hydrofracking fluids C.destabilization of geologic strata due to unintended fractures forming in the subsurface D.disposal issues associated with chemical-bearing fracking fluids

All of them

Which of the following statements is true?Choose one: A. Ice is denser than water. B. Icebergs, by definition, are free-floating chunks of ice that are at least 6 m above water and at least 15 m long. C. Roughly half of a floating block of ice lies below the surface of the water. D. Tidewater glaciers are glaciers that experience movement due to the tides.

B

What percentage of the water available for human consumption is trapped in void spaces in the subsurface? Choose one: A. 30.1% B. 99% C. 0.88% D. 1%

B. 99%

When we say that a glacier terminus retreats, we mean that: A. Ice at the end of the glacier flows back towards the middle of the glacier B. Ice at the end of the glacier melts faster than it can be replaced by ice from up-glacier

B. Ice at the end of the glacier melts faster than it can be replaced by ice from up-glacier

Identify the statement that is true about an ephemeral stream. Choose one: A. It is replenished by both precipitation and groundwater. B. In dry climates, it can become a dry wash (also called wadi or arroyo). C. It flows year-round. D. Its bed lies below the water table.

B. In dry climates, it can become a dry wash (also called wadi or arroyo).

What is the only potential explanation for changes in global temperature over the last 100 years? A. Changes in Earth's orbit B. Increases in greenhouse gas concentrations C. Decreased weathering of silicate rocks D. Increased subduction of oceanic plates E. Increases in solar brightness

B. Increases in greenhouse gas concentrations

How did uranium become present in Earth's upper crust? Choose one: A. It does not exist in the upper crust. Uranium only exists in the mantle. B. It rose upward as it was carried within magma. C. It was delivered by comets that crashed into Earth's surface. D. It developed naturally in the upper crust.

B. It rose upward as it was carried within magma.

This last weekend was warmer than the previous weekend. Is that relevant to a discussion of climate change on the Palouse? A. Yes B. No

B. No

Is knowledge of evolution necessary to reconstruct a stratigraphic reference section using the principal of fossil succession?Choose one: A. Yes, one couldn't reconstruct fossil succession without knowing about the evolutionary position of the fossils relative to one another. There is no other way to know when to place one fossil over another in the sequence. B. No, fossil succession is a pure geometric and logical exercise. Knowledge of evolutionary relationships is not necessary to reconstruct the stratigraphic reference section.

B. No, fossil succession is a pure geometric and logical exercise. Knowledge of evolutionary relationships is not necessary to reconstruct the stratigraphic reference section.

Parts of the ice sheets are particularly susceptible to ice loss because: A. It is warmest at low elevations, near their edges B. Retreat can drive faster ice flow C. Ice flows slowly near the edges D. The greatest warming is near the poles

B. Retreat can drive faster ice flow

In our region, the southern-most city in Idaho covered by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet is: A. The Canadian border B. Sandpoint C. Coeur d'Alene D. Moscow E. Lewiston F. Riggins

B. Sandpoint

Which of the following statements is true? Choose one: A. Plate-tectonic movements will not alter the global map significantly over the coming millions of years. B. The near-term future of the world depends heavily on human activities. C. Five million years from now, as scientists believe, the Sun will begin to collapse and then swell to encompass the Earth. D. Shallow seas cannot ever again cover continental interiors because there has been sufficient sediment deposition to raise the average land surface high enough to prevent this.

B. The near-term future of the world depends heavily on human activities.

Identify the true statement. Choose one: A. If the rate of uplift exceeds the rate of erosion, the land surface subsides. B. Water, ice, and/or air are agents of erosion. C. Climate does not affect the types of landforms created in a region. D. Strong rocks, counterintuitively, tend to slide and produce gentle slopes.

B. Water, ice, and/or air are agents of erosion.

What does the term uniformitarianism mean?Choose one: A. The physical processes on Earth today are different from those in the past. B. We can interpret the processes that formed ancient rock by examining the processes that form similar rock today. C. All of the possible answers are correct. D. The Earth's surface is unchanging.

B. We can interpret the processes that formed ancient rock by examining the processes that form similar rock today.

The Earth's atmosphere Choose one: A. acquires its carbon dioxide from photosynthesis by green plants. B. became more oxygen-rich during the Proterozoic, after the evolution of photosynthetic organisms in the Archean. C. began as nitrogen and oxygen, left over from the solar nebula. D. gets warmer as its carbon dioxide concentration goes down.

B. became more oxygen-rich during the Proterozoic, after the evolution of photosynthetic organisms in the Archean.

A seal rock Choose one: A. has high porosity and high permeability. B. is a necessary ingredient of a conventional oil trap. C. must lie beneath the reservoir rock in a trap to keep oil from filtering downward. D. is commonly made of fractured limestone or poorly cemented sandstone.

B. is a necessary ingredient of a conventional oil trap.

Which of the following contributes to long-term climate change? Choose one: A. changes to ocean currents B. tectonic uplift C. sunspot activity D. large volcanic eruptions

B. tectonic uplift

Which of the following regions would have the highest relief? Choose one: A. the Nile River Valley B. the Himalayas C. the gentle, rolling hills of southern Scotland D. the surface of the Antarctic ice sheet

B. the Himalayas

If you equate all of the Earth's history to one calendar year, the history of our species (Homo sapiens) would occupyChoose one: A. the time from December 15 to New Year's Eve. B. the last hour before midnight on New Year's Eve. C. the time from December 31 at 3 P.M. to New Year's Eve. D. the week from Christmas to New Year's Eve.

B. the last hour before midnight on New Year's Eve.

What properties do a stream's competence and capacity refer to? Choose one or more: A.Capacity refers to the largest particle size that a stream can carry. B.Capacity is the amount of sediment that a stream can carry. C.Competence is the amount of sediment that a stream can carry. D.Competence refers to the largest particle size that a stream can carry.

B.Capacity is the amount of sediment that a stream can carry. D.Competence refers to the largest particle size that a stream can carry.

Select the statement(s) true of the relationship between glaciation and sea level. Choose one or more: A.During times of cooler climates, the amount of evaporation from the oceans decreases, causing sea level to rise. B.During warmer climates, glaciers melt and sea level rises. C.The amount of glacial ice stored on land affects global sea level. D.During times of cooler climates, glacial ice accumulates in the oceans, causing sea level to rise.

B.During warmer climates, glaciers melt and sea level rises. C.The amount of glacial ice stored on land affects global sea level.

Which of the following energy sources can trace their origin directly back to solar energy trapped by photosynthesis?Choose one or more: A.hydroelectric energy B.biofuels C.nuclear fission D.coal E.natural gas F.photovoltaic cells G.oil H.geothermal energy

B.biofuels; D.coal; E.natural gas; G.oil

In the carbon cycle, carbon transfers between different reservoirs. Which of the following results in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere? Choose one or more: A.deposition of limestone B.burning fossil fuels C.metamorphism of limestone D.photosynthesis E.volcanism F.deposition of coal G.animal respiration

B.burning fossil fuels C.metamorphism of limestone E.volcanism G.animal respiration

The atmosphere contains many different gases; some of these are greenhouse gases, in that they trap heat in the atmosphere, and some are not. Which of the following gases contribute to the greenhouse effect? Choose one or more: A.nitrogen (N2) B.carbon dioxide (CO2) C.methane (CH4) D.oxygen (O2) E.water vapor (H2O)

B.carbon dioxide (CO2) C.methane (CH4) E.water vapor (H2O)

Our planet is shaped by a variety of cyclic changes that happen over and over (sometimes with different results) and unidirectional changes that involve changes that are unlikely to repeat. Which events represent examples of unidirectional change? Choose one or more: A.movement of carbon through Earth's reservoirs B.development of a nitrogen and oxygen-rich atmosphere C.sea-level changes D.growth and demise of supercontinents E.evolution of life F.differentiation of the Earth's interior

B.development of a nitrogen and oxygen-rich atmosphere; E.evolution of life; F.differentiation of the Earth's interior

A variety of natural processes can affect Earth's atmospheric temperature in a relatively short period of time. Which of the following would contribute to an overall cooling of Earth's atmospheric temperature? Choose one or more: A.increasing the abundance of methane in the atmosphere B.increasing the abundance of volcanic aerosols C.increasing the abundance of sunspots D.increasing the abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere E.increasing the albedo of the Earth's surface

B.increasing the abundance of volcanic aerosols E.increasing the albedo of the Earth's surface

We use the energy stored in the chemical bonds of hydrocarbons. What is the original source of this energy? A: Heat of the interior of the Earth B: Solar radiation C: Friction associated with Earth's tides D: Gravity

B: Solar radiation

If the net melting of ice is less than the net accumulation across the entire glacier (not just the ablation zone), the glacier will ____ and the front of the glacier will ____ in elevation. A: advance, rise B: advance, lower C: advance, remain the same D: retreat, lower E: retreat, rise

B: advance, lower

On planet Xenon, the incoming radiation from it's sun is less than the outgoing radiation from the planet's surface. What happens to Xenon's global temperature? A: it increases B: it decreases C: it stays the same D: not enough information is given

B: it decreases

The infiltration rate of a soil is 15 mm/hr. It is raining 25 mm/hr. What is the rate of runoff? A: 0 mm/hr B:10 mm/hr C: 15 mm/hr D: 25 mm/hr E: 40 mm/hr

B:10 mm/hr

A typical longitudinal profile of a streamChoose one: A. has a constant slope from its source to its mouth. B. shows that most streams flow down low slopes near their headwaters, and flow down steep valleys near their mouths. C. illustrates that a stream's gradient is steeper near its headwaters than near its mouth. D. shows a cross section of the stream from bank to bank at one particular site.

C

How does the lithosphere respond to the weight of glacial ice?Choose one: A. It breaks and separates, creating new landforms. B. It permanently deforms, altering the overlying crust. C. It plastically deforms, pressing down into the softer asthenosphere. D. It sinks into the asthenosphere, forming a new subduction zone.

C

Identify the true statement.Choose one: A. The size of a flood and its recurrence interval are inversely related; the larger the flood, the shorter its recurrence interval. B. An annual probability of 4% means that there's a 1 in 4 chance that a flood of some given size will happen in any given year. C. A 100-year flood has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. D. Two 100-year floods cannot occur in the same year (or in consecutive years).

C

The largest river in the world, on the basis of discharge at its mouth, is theChoose one: A. Mississippi River. B. Congo River. C. Amazon River. D. Yangtze River.

C

The total sediment load of a stream includesChoose one: A. dissolved load. B. suspended load. C. suspended, bed, and dissolved loads. D. bed load.

C

Which of the following statements is true?Choose one: A. Glaciers rework U-shaped stream valleys and change them into V-shaped valleys. B. Tarn is rocky material that has been carried along and deposited by the ice of a glacier. C. Glaciers can erode a bedrock substrate by plucking. D. A firn is a pyramid-like peak that results when several cirques eat away at a mountain peak.

C

Which of the following statements is true?Choose one: A. Urbanization can increase the risk of flash flooding. B. Overconsumption of Colorado River water has caused the river to become nearly dry where it crosses the Mexican border. C. All of the possible answers are correct. D. Damming a river decreases the amount of sediment and nutrients the river carries downstream of the dam.

C

What percentage of the water on Earth is available for human consumption?Choose one A. 2.5% B. 99% C. 1% D. 0.88%

C. 1%

Identify the true statement.Choose one: A. All of the possible answers are correct. B. Dating a sand grain in a sandstone gives the age of the sandstone's formation. C. Dating a mineral within a metamorphic rock gives the age when the rock cooled below the closure temperatures of that mineral. D. Radiometric dating can be used only if some uranium is present in a rock.

C. Dating a mineral within a metamorphic rock gives the age when the rock cooled below the closure temperatures of that mineral.

Which of the following statements is true? Choose one: A. Acid runoff develops when precipitation flows through piles of silica-containing ores. B. The danger of the ozone hole is that it allows increased amounts of harmful infrared radiation to reach the Earth's surface. C. Human production of nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants, and radioactive medical materials has placed radioactive contaminants onto the Earth's surface. D. CFCs are produced by the action of sunlight on vehicle exhaust fumes.

C. Human production of nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants, and radioactive medical materials has placed radioactive contaminants onto the Earth's surface.

Which of the following is a line of evidence that supports the assertion of global warming, especially over the past 30 years? Choose one: A. The spatial area of permafrost regions in low latitudes has substantially increased. B. The rate of ice loss on the Greenland ice sheet has decreased. C. Large ice shelves, such as the Larsen B in Antarctica, are breaking up. D. Sea ice has increased substantially, at a rate of about 3% per decade.

C. Large ice shelves, such as the Larsen B in Antarctica, are breaking up.

Which of these lists of eras is in the correct chronological order (oldest to youngest)? A. Precambrian, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Cenozoic B. Paleozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Precambrian C. Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic D. Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Precambrian

C. Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

Dipping sedimentary rock layers include a layer of basalt containing xenoliths of the overlying sedimentary rock. Which of the following statements must be true?Choose one: A. The sedimentary layers were deposited on a basaltic lava flow. B. The basalt is older than the sedimentary rock layers above it. C. The basalt is a sill intruded into older sedimentary rock. D. The sedimentary layers were deposited at an angle, creating the "dip" of the layers.

C. The basalt is a sill intruded into older sedimentary rock.

Which of the following is an accurate description of a method used to study short-term climate change? Choose one: A. All of the possible answers are correct. B. The color of a tree ring indicates the rate of growth in a given year. C. The oxygen-isotope ratios of glacial ice record changes in global temperature for the past 800,000 years. D. Pollen is useful for studying modern-day climate but cannot be used to study ancient climate because pollen is not preserved in sediment.

C. The oxygen-isotope ratios of glacial ice record changes in global temperature for the past 800,000 years.

Which of the following is not important for the production of valuable metal deposits? A. The rock chemistry B. The flow of groundwater through the rocks C. The thickness of the crust D. The configuration of subsurface rock types

C. The thickness of the crust

Which of the following would be a useful geothermal energy resource? Choose one: A. coal seams in Illinois B. salt domes in the Gulf of Mexico C. Yellowstone D. Niagara Falls

C. Yellowstone

Which of the following is a typical oil trap?Choose one: A. a syncline B. an igneous dike C. an anticline D. the neck of an ancient volcano

C. an anticline

Sea-level changes Choose one: A. are reflected by blankets of marine sediment called clathrates. B. have been as great as 3,000 m during the Phanerozoic Eon. C. are cyclic, consisting of episodes of transgression and regression. D. are termed eustatic if they affect only a local area.

C. are cyclic, consisting of episodes of transgression and regression.

Which of the following is a method of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Choose one: A. dissolution of rocks B. metamorphism of rocks C. chemical weathering of rocks D. decay of dead animals

C. chemical weathering of rocks

The boundary surface between two stratigraphic formations is called aChoose one: A. marker bed. B. key bed. C. contact. D. nonconformity.

C. contact.

Which of the following parts of the hydrologic cycle causes the salt to become concentrated in these ponds? Choose one: A. transpiration B. precipitation C. evaporation D. infiltration E. condensation

C. evaporation

What is the primary reason why extensive deforestation over the last three to four decades, such as the video shows occurring in Rondonia, Brazil, has increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Choose one: A. burning of fossil fuels by heavy equipment used to develop the land B. loss of oxygen production from photosynthesis C. loss of carbon sinks D. increased methane production from cattle grazing on deforested land

C. loss of carbon sinks

Metallic and nonmetallic mineral resources are considered nonrenewable because Choose one: A. ore deposits are so rare. B. reserves of mineral resources do not increase. C. natural processes make minerals much more slowly than we can mine them. D. not every country has deposits of all the mineral resources it needs.

C. natural processes make minerals much more slowly than we can mine them.

The oil window is the Choose one: A. depth in the Earth at which oil forms, roughly 40 to 50 km. B. late Cenozoic, when all current oil was formed; any older oil has already decomposed. C. relatively narrow range of temperatures in which oil can form: 90°C to 160°C. D. holes in the drill bit through which oil enters.

C. relatively narrow range of temperatures in which oil can form: 90°C to 160°C.

Which of the following factors are responsible for reducing sea levels? Choose one or more: A.rapid sea-floor spreading B.increased volume of mid-ocean ridge volcanoes C.slow sea-floor spreading D.the greenhouse effect E.increased volume of glacial ice

C.slow sea-floor spreading; E.increased volume of glacial ice

What causes the seasons? A: Variation in CO2 B: Distance between the earth and the sun C: The tilt of earth's axis D: Shifts in ocean currents

C: The tilt of earth's axis

DeltasChoose one: A. form where a stream deposits sediment on a flat plain at the base of a mountain range. B. may sink below sea level if the river and its distributaries frequently flood the delta. C. contain distributaries that flow into the trunk river. D. are made of sediment deposited near the mouth of a stream.

D

Identify the true statement.Choose one: A. Pluvial lakes are lakes that form on the surface of a glacier. B. The process by which icebergs break off of coastal glaciers is called surging. C. Today, glaciers cover 30% of the land; in the ice age, they covered 70%. D. Narrow, steep-sided, deep inlets of seawater in glacial valleys are called fjords.

D

Determine the discharge of a river that is 10 m wide, has a semicircular cross-sectional area, and has a velocity of 3 m/s. Choose one: A. 471 m3/s B. 942 m3/s C. 235 m3/s D. 117 m3/s

D. 117 m3/s

Identify the statement that is true about mass extinctions. Choose one: A. The mass extinction of dinosaurs occurred at the Permian-Triassic boundary. B. Mass-extinction events are times in the Earth's history when few species evolve. C. The mass extinction of more than two-thirds of the species on the Earth was the result of large volcanic eruptions in Hawaii. D. A mass extinction may happen when a comet or asteroid impact starts a chain of events that blocks sunlight for weeks or even years.

D. A mass extinction may happen when a comet or asteroid impact starts a chain of events that blocks sunlight for weeks or even years.

What would happen to Earth if there were no greenhouse gases in the atmosphere? Choose one: A. Earth's temperature would remain the same because the amount of sunlight would not change. B. Earth would become extremely warm because the atmosphere filters out a lot of UV radiation. C. Earth would become very warm because the greenhouse gases would be in the crust. D. Earth would become very cold because the atmosphere would not trap and emit heat.

D. Earth would become very cold because the atmosphere would not trap and emit heat.

Is floating ice a type of glacier or ice sheet? A. Yes, because they are frozen water B. Yes, because they are ice that can move C. No, because they're not on land D. No, because they're not formed from snow

D. No, because they're not formed from snow

Identify the statement that is true about landscapes on Mars. Choose one: A. Mars no longer has a hydrologic cycle because all water and/or ice is now gone from the surface. B. Because Mars has no atmosphere, wind erosion does not affect the surface of the planet. C. Similar to the Earth, Mars has mountain belts formed by plate tectonics. D. Olympus Mons is an extinct hot-spot volcano on Mars and is the highest mountain in the Solar System.

D. Olympus Mons is an extinct hot-spot volcano on Mars and is the highest mountain in the Solar System.

Which of the following statements about how humans have influenced erosion and deposition is true? Choose one: A. The area of land now covered by pavement and buildings in the United States is less than the area of the state of Delaware. B. Mining does not alter the Earth's surface landscape because mines only excavate underground. C. Agriculture significantly decreases erosion rates. D. Pavement seals the ground surface and causes runoff to spill into streams rather than into the ground.

D. Pavement seals the ground surface and causes runoff to spill into streams rather than into the ground.

Which of the following mechanisms is Not a major factor affecting Earth's climate over thousands to millions of years? A. Changes in Earth's orbit B. Greenhouse gas concentrations C. Weathering of silicate rocks D. Subduction of oceanic plates E. Changes in solar brightness

D. Subduction of oceanic plates

The oldest known mineral grain is a 4.4-million-year-old zircon crystal found in an ancient sandstone. Which of the following statements applies to this zircon grain?Choose one: A. It is impossible to determine the relative age of the sandstone given this information. B. The sandstone is 4.4 billion years old. C. The sandstone is older than 4.4 billion years old. D. The sandstone is younger than 4.4 billion years old.

D. The sandstone is younger than 4.4 billion years old.

Select the statement that best describes the concept of fossil succession.Choose one: A. Fossils are randomly distributed throughout the rock record, and the succession through geologic time is irregular. B. There is a definite relative order in which certain, but not all, fossil species occur within the layers of rock on Earth. C. As you go up in stratigraphy, fossils are older. D. There is a definite relative order in which each fossil species occurs within the layers of rock on Earth.

D. There is a definite relative order in which each fossil species occurs within the layers of rock on Earth.

Ore deposits Choose one: A. are distributed uniformly throughout the Earth's crust. B. are minerals that contain a high amount of lead (Pb). C. have diffuse metal ions bonded to nonmetallic elements in a variety of minerals. D. are rock units that have a significant concentration of metals.

D. are rock units that have a significant concentration of metals.

Plant material (leaves, stems, trunks) in oxygen-poor swamps are buried for a geologically long time. The result is Choose one: A. tar sands. B. petroleum. C. kerogen. D. coal.

D. coal.

A drainage network Choose one: A. drains water directly into the ocean. B. is considered a trellis network when rivers flow over uniform substrate with a gentle slope. C. is a trunk stream that cuts across a resistant ridge. D. is an interconnected group of streams that collects water over a large area.

D. is an interconnected group of streams that collects water over a large area

An unconformity develops whenChoose one: A. old strata erode beneath new strata. B. new strata mix with old strata. C. new strata are deposited atop old strata without missing time. D. new strata are deposited atop eroded strata.

D. new strata are deposited atop eroded strata.

After the oil spill, marine microbes consumed the oil under the surface but also removed ________ from the water, killing both plants and animals and creating "dead zones." Choose one: A. nutrients B. carbon dioxide C. methane gas D. oxygen

D. oxygen

Which of the following is an example of anthropogenic change? Choose one A. the movement of tectonic plates B. the formation of a tornado C. a volcanic eruption D. the current global warming trend

D. the current global warming trend

What is the mean annual temperature of earth in Kelvin? A: 390 B: 39 C: 128 D: 288 E: 479

D: 288

A positive radiative forcing means global temperature will... A: Decrease because incoming radiation exceeds outgoing B: Increase because outgoing radiation exceeds incoming C: Decrease because outgoing radiation exceeds incoming D: Increase because incoming radiation exceeds outgoing

D: Increase because incoming radiation exceeds outgoing

Melting of glacial ice has which of the following effects? a. decrease in the Earth's albedo b. sea level drop c. increased oceanic salinity d. increase in Earth's albedo e. All of the options are correct.

a. decrease in the Earth's albedo

Identify the FALSE statement. Nuclear energy a. is produced through fission reactions. b. produces CO2 as a by-product. c. generates heat that creates steam, which turns turbines. d. creates radioactive nuclear waste. e. uses enriched uranium (235U)

b. produces CO2 as a by-product.

If a glacier is in equilibrium (accumulation = ablation), what occurs at the terminus? a. snow accumulates more each year b. sediment is deposited c. the glacier erodes the underlying bedrock at the terminus d. neither erosion nor deposition occurs

b. sediment is deposited

A stream channel is widened by erosion, but stream discharge is unchanged. Which of the following statements must be true? a. depth increased and/or velocity increased b. depth decreased and/or velocity increased c. depth increased and/or velocity decreased d. depth decreased and/or velocity decreased

d. depth decreased and/or velocity decreased

What is the probability that a 100-year flood will occur in any given year?Choose one: 10% 0.01% 1% 100%

1%

How many half-lives have passed if a rock contains 25% parent isotopes and 75% daughter isotopes?

2

If the parent isotope has a half-life that equals 1.75 million years, how old is the rock?

3.5 Ma

Recent studies of ice agesChoose one: A. have identified glacial events by analyzing oxygen-isotope ratios in marine sediments. B. have identified paleosols that form during glacial periods. C. suggest that the entire Earth was covered by glacial ice in the Pleistocene. D. reveal fewer ice ages and less complexity than were originally thought.

A

The discharge of a stream isChoose one: A. likely to decrease downstream in arid regions and increase downstream in temperate regions. B. calculated by dividing its cross-sectional area by its velocity. C. constant for the length of the stream. D. typically lower in spring than during the summer.

A

Which of the following statements is true?Choose one: A. Stream flow is fastest near the surface. B. Water from trunk streams flows into tributaries. C. A shallow stream is less turbulent than a deep stream. D. The slowest-moving part of a stream is called the thalweg.

A