Science Keller Midterm
Which statement describes the heat that results from the radioactive decay of elements deep in Earth's interior?
It drives the convection currents in the mantle.
Which statement best describes the continental margin of the west coast of the United States?
It is an active continental margin.
Which best describes Earth's crust?
It is composed of continental rocks and oceanic rocks.
Two rocks of similar size and shape are shown. One is granite, an igneous rock, while the other is sandstone, a sedimentary rock. Which statement best describes the amount of weathering these two rocks have experienced after 1,000 years in the same environmental conditions?
Granite had some weathering while sandstone had more weathering.
Which best summarizes the composition of Earth's core?
It contains a liquid metallic outer region surrounding a solid metallic core.
A group of students builds a model showing the process of planetary differentiation, using liquids of different densities. The table lists the liquids and their densities. Which liquid is most likely representing layer "X"?
R
Which kind of fault most likely results from two tectonic plates colliding?
Reverse Fault (compression)
Which statement describes how rock characteristics affect rates of weathering?
Rocks with gaps and cracks weather more quickly than rocks with smooth surfaces.
Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which shows models of two types of earthquake waves. Which type of seismic wave is best represented in Model B?
S-wave
Base your answer to the following question on the cross-sectional view of Earth below, which shows seismic waves traveling from the focus of an earthquake. Points A and B are locations on Earth's surface. Which statement best explains why only one type of seismic wave was recorded at location B?
S-waves cannot travel through the liquid outer core.
The San Andreas Fault is a fault that is located at the border of the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate. Which type of geologic activity most likely results from this fault?
earthquakes
Which process is best represented at location "1" of the landslide pictured below?
erosion
The picture below shows a collection of loose rock and debris that has formed toward the base of a mountain. This type of formation is known as a moraine. What most likely formed this moraine?
glacial activity
What are two sources of thermal energy in Earth's interior?
gravity and radioactive decay
Which factor most likely contributed to the landslide "X" in the picture below?
loose soil
As magma solidifies, some of the minerals align with the Earth's _____.
magnetic field
Which process that transports sediments is best represented in the four examples below?
mass movement
Which type of seismic wave can travel through solids, liquids and gases?
P-waves
The topographic map shows several features associated with the river, which is shown in blue. Which letter box(es) indicates a landform produced by the process of stream erosion?
"B" Only
Which location indicates where tectonic plates with oceanic crust are colliding and forming volcanic islands?
2
Which locations of the ocean floor are approximately the same age?
2 & 4
Which area of the diagram shows a subduction zone and ocean trench?
3
Which number corresponds with the asthenosphere?
5
Which label best indicates the epicenter of an earthquake?
A
Which statement is NOT consistent with the scientific understanding of earthquakes?
An earthquake contains energy carried by electromagnetic waves.
Which of the following is the best evidence that Earth's continents were once in vastly different positions than they are today?
Fossils of tropical plants are found in Antarctica.
The two satellite images show the changes over time to an area where a river flows into a body of water. The location of a specific change is marked by an arrow. Which graph correctly compares the average water velocity of the river to the average velocity of the body of water at the location marked by the arrow?
B
The map below shows a meandering stream. Points A, B, C, and D represent locations along the stream bottom. At which location is the greatest amount of sediment most likely being deposited?
C
The youngest bedrock is most likely found at which location?
C
The youngest oceanic crust is found at location _____.
C
Students construct a simplified model showing the role convection currents play in transferring energy within the layers of the Earth's interior. Which Earth layer best corresponds with each part of the model?
Cork- Crust; Water- Mantle; Heat Source- Core
Which type of boundary is best represented by the figure shown below?
Divergent
The following diagram shows sea cliffs and small, sandy beaches formed along a coastline. Which statement explains how these different landforms were produced on the same coastline?
Erosion formed the cliffs, and deposition formed the beaches.
Of the following statements, which best supports the continental drift theory?
Fossils of the same species of extinct land plants have been found in both South America and Africa.
Which kind of fault most likely results from two tectonic plates sliding past each other horizontally?
Lateral Fault (shearing)
The continents of South America and Africa were once joined in the landmass Pangea. Location R is on the eastern coast of South America, and four locations on the continent of Africa are identified by number. Which location on the continent of Africa would have once corresponded to Location R on South America before the landmass Pangaea broke apart?
Location 3
Analyze the diagram below. In which location does the greatest amount of deposition occur?
Location 4
How do we know that earth's core is made of metal?
Metals such as iron are magnetic, but rock, which makes up the mantle and crust, is not.
The diagram represents a convection current in Earth's mantle. Which statement best describes location "4" in the diagram?
Movement of less-dense material
Which kind of fault most likely results from two tectonic plates moving apart?
Normal Fault (tension)
The Hawaiian islands were formed over a "hot spot" as shown in the diagram. The Pacific plate must be moving _____.
Northwest
The map shows part of the midwestern United States. The lines represent the borders of glaciers from the most recent ice ages. Which region would have the least amount of glacial till?
Only 4
The diagram shows a top view of a boundary between two tectonic plates. A rift valley forms between the plates. The star and triangle mark two points on these plates. Which diagram shows each symbol's future location as the plates continue to move?
Option 2
The graph below shows the different velocities of P-waves and S-waves through Earth's interior. Which layer of the Earth is most likely 3000 km deep?
Outer Core
Instruments located around Earth record seismic wave activity during an earthquake. The epicenter and locations of four instrument stations around Earth are shown. Which station will record fewer waves than the others? *
Station 2 and 3
Which statement best describes "Time 2" in the Elastic Rebound Theory diagram?
Stresses build on both sides of a fault, causing the rocks to deform plastically.
Which method is best for studying the composition of Earth's core?
Study earthquake waves.
Base your answer to the following question on the figure below. Which type of seismic wave has the greatest amplitude and causes the most damage to buildings?
Surface Waves
Which statement explains the forces responsible for producing these features?
The fan was formed by deposition and the canyon was formed by erosion.
Which of these describes the lithosphere and the asthenosphere?
The lithosphere is rigid, and the asthenosphere is hot and flowing.
Which of these describes a divergent boundary?
Two continental plates moving away from each other, forming a rift valley.
Which cross-section diagram of a portion of the crust and mantle best shows the pattern of mantle convection currents that are believed to cause the formation of a mid-ocean ridge?
Two convection cells rotating in opposite directions away from the mid-ocean ridge.
The Great Rift Valley started forming millions of years ago. It slowly continues to deepen and widen, causing many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes in the area. In a million years, what is the most likely geologic feature that will have formed where the Great Rift Valley is now located?
an inland sea
How can scientists tell when the reversals of the magnetic field occurred?
by measuring the distance between the mid-ocean ridge and the ocean floor band
What kind of geologic stress caused the folding in the rock layers?
compression
Which type of boundary is most likely formed by the convection currents shown in the diagram?
convergent
Which type of plate boundary is at location "1"?
convergent
The most dense material moved to the center of the Earth during its formation to create a dense, metallic _____.
core
Eskers are examples of _____ features produced by glacial melt water.
depositional
Which of these identifies the feature that can form at the boundary of these two plates?
nonvolcanic mountain range
Which kind of plate interaction results in volcanic island arcs?
oceanic-oceanic convergence
Which type of geologic activity does NOT directly result from a geologic hot spot?
seafloor spreading
The two satellite images show the changes over time to an area where a river flows into a body of water. The location of a specific change is marked by an arrow. Which two constructive processes caused the change marked by the arrow?
sedimentation; delta formation
Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the diagram below, which shows a coastal region in which the land slopes toward the ocean. Point X is near the top of the hill, point Y is at the base of the hill, and point Z is a location at sea level. The same type of surface bedrock underlies this entire region. A stream flows from point X through point Y to point Z. This stream is not shown in the diagram. Which cross section best shows the pattern of sediments deposited by the stream as it enters the ocean near point Z?
sorted from large to small particle size
Which feature of Earth's crust is in the same location as most of these volcanoes?
tectonic plate boundaries
Which diagram shows rocks responding to tectonic stress in a way that would lead to the formation of new crust?
tectonic plates moving apart
Which statement best describes how a glacier changes the shape of a valley?
the shape of a valley changes from a "V" shape to a "U" shape
Which factor is LEAST important in the rate of chemical weathering of rock?
the weight of the rock
Undersea earthquakes have the potential to cause which natural phenomena?
tsunamis
Tectonic plates or lithospheric are made of lithosphere, _____ topped with oceanic and/or continental crust).
upper mantle
Which of these identies the feature that can form at the boundary of these two plates?
volcanic mountain range
Which two main geological processes created the Hoodoo Formation?
weathering and erosion
Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the diagram below. The arrows show the direction in which sediment is being transported along the shoreline. A barrier beach has formed, creating a lagoon (a shallow body of water in which sediments are being deposited). The eroded headlands are composed of diorite bedrock. A groin has recently been constructed. Groins are wall-like structures built into the water perpendicular to the shoreline to trap beach sand. The groin structure will change the pattern of deposition along the shoreline, initially causing the beach to become...
wider on the eastern side of the groin