Question 1

What is the accepted age of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 10,000 years 
B) 1 million years 
C) 4.6 million years 
D) 4.6 billion years 
A) 10,000 years 
B) 1 million years 
C) 4.6 million years 
D) 4.6 billion years

Question 2

What is the asthenosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) A portion of the atmosphere that blocks UV radiation 
B) A soft, low-velocity layer in the upper mantle 
C) The transition zone between the mantle and the outer core 
D) The portion of the hydrologic cycle that describes how plants contribute their respiration 
A) A portion of the atmosphere that blocks UV radiation 
B) A soft, low-velocity layer in the upper mantle 
C) The transition zone between the mantle and the outer core 
D) The portion of the hydrologic cycle that describes how plants contribute their respiration

Question 3

A research team is studying the velocity of seismic waves in various types of rock.Using explosives, they create small explosions to study how fast the energy waves will travel.Using the velocity data below, infer which rocks are higher in density and which are lower in density.Which rock or rocks have the highest density?
 Rock A: 7 km/s
Rock B: 5.9 km/s
Rock C: 7.2 km/s
Rock D: 6.1 km/s
Rock E: 6.25 km/s

Accepted Answer

A) Rock C 
B) Rocks B & D 
C) Rocks B, D, & E 
D) Rocks A & C 
A) Rock C 
B) Rocks B & D 
C) Rocks B, D, & E 
D) Rocks A & C

Question 4

Science uses observations of phenomena in order to make interpretations.Which of the following is an observation?

Accepted Answer

A) A fold is visible in an outcrop. 
B) The fold was created by pressure. 
C) Pressure was applied slowly to fold the rock. 
D) Heat was applied to soften the rock. 
A) A fold is visible in an outcrop. 
B) The fold was created by pressure. 
C) Pressure was applied slowly to fold the rock. 
D) Heat was applied to soften the rock.

Question 5

Which physical feature represents the true transition from the continent to the ocean basin?

Accepted Answer

A) The shoreline 
B) The continental shelf 
C) The continental slope 
D) The continental rise 
E) The deep-ocean floor 
A) The shoreline 
B) The continental shelf 
C) The continental slope 
D) The continental rise 
E) The deep-ocean floor

Question 6

Are humans part of the Earth system? List your evidence.

Accepted Answer

Yes.As discussion about anthro

Question 7

A hypothesis can never be changed or modified.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

What is the definition of lithification?

Accepted Answer

A) The breakdown of materials due to exposure to the elements 
B) The process by which sediments are made into rock 
C) The transportation of sediments from their place of origin 
D) The crystallization of minerals through cooling 
A) The breakdown of materials due to exposure to the elements 
B) The process by which sediments are made into rock 
C) The transportation of sediments from their place of origin 
D) The crystallization of minerals through cooling

Question 9

Along which features might one expect to see a deep-ocean trench?

Accepted Answer

A) Abyssal plains 
B) Mountain ranges 
C) Oceanic ridges 
D) Seamounts 
A) Abyssal plains 
B) Mountain ranges 
C) Oceanic ridges 
D) Seamounts

Question 10

A ________ is a part of the craton that is covered by a thin covering of sedimentary rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) shield 
B) continental shelf 
C) platform 
D) plateau 
A) shield 
B) continental shelf 
C) platform 
D) plateau

Question 11

Explain how an increasing population and urban sprawl make people more vulnerable to natural disasters.Give three reasons.

Accepted Answer

Answers will vary, but those listed in t

Question 12

Explain the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory.

Accepted Answer

A scientific hypothesis is an untested e

Question 13

Which of the following rocks will be most buoyant on the Earth's mantle?
 Rock A: Density 1.4 g/cm3
Rock B: Density 5.6 g/cm3
Rock C: Density 5.1 g/cm3
Rock D: Density 2.7 g/cm3

Accepted Answer

A) Rock A 
B) Rock B 
C) Rock C 
D) Rock D 
A) Rock A 
B) Rock B 
C) Rock C 
D) Rock D

Question 14

If the temperature in the Earth generally increases with depth, how is it possible that the inner core is a solid?

Accepted Answer

A) Temperatures increase to a certain point before leveling off below the melting point of the core. 
B) The pressures in the core are immense and keep it in a solid state in spite of the temperature. 
C) Earth's interior does not reach temperatures high enough to melt the material of the inner core. 
D) The inner core is shedding the heat so quickly that melting does not have time to occur. 
A) Temperatures increase to a certain point before leveling off below the melting point of the core. 
B) The pressures in the core are immense and keep it in a solid state in spite of the temperature. 
C) Earth's interior does not reach temperatures high enough to melt the material of the inner core. 
D) The inner core is shedding the heat so quickly that melting does not have time to occur.

Question 15

In the seventeenth century, Archbishop James Ussher of Ireland used the Bible to calculate that the Earth was created in 4004 b.c.e.Imagine you could take Archbishop Ussher to Niagara Falls.Although Niagara Falls is located on the border between the United States and Canada today, it was located several kilometers to the north at the Niagara Escarpment and is eroding southward.Let's assume the rate of erosion is 50 cm/yr.Assuming the distance from the Niagara Escarpment to Niagara Falls is 11 km, use the equation Rate = Distance/Time to calculate how long it would have taken to erode from the Escarpment to the current location of the falls.How would this calculation compare with Archbishop Ussher's assessment of the age of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Rewriting the Rate Equation so that Time

Question 16

The principle of ________ states that the physical, chemical, and biological processes at work shaping the Earth today have also operated in the geologic past.

Accepted Answer

A) catastrophism 
B) plate tectonics 
C) plutonism 
D) Uniformitarianism 
A) catastrophism 
B) plate tectonics 
C) plutonism 
D) Uniformitarianism

Question 17

External processes driven by solar energy can create the materials necessary for sedimentary rocks.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

Archbishop James Ussher used the Bible to construct a chronology to date the creation of the Earth to ________.

Accepted Answer

A) 1776 A.D 
B) 46,000 B.C.E 
C) 79 A.D 
D) 4004 B.C.E 
A) 1776 A.D 
B) 46,000 B.C.E 
C) 79 A.D 
D) 4004 B.C.E

Question 19

The ________ is a layer of liquid nickel and iron believed to be responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field.

Accepted Answer

A) Crust 
B) Mantle 
C) Outer Core 
D) Inner Core 
A) Crust 
B) Mantle 
C) Outer Core 
D) Inner Core

Question 20

Which of the following is not a geologic hazard?

Accepted Answer

A) Use of poor construction materials resulting in a cracked foundation 
B) Volcanic eruptions sending lava flows toward a city 
C) Deforestation on a floodplain increasing the severity of river floods 
D) Climate change leading to sea-level rise 
A) Use of poor construction materials resulting in a cracked foundation 
B) Volcanic eruptions sending lava flows toward a city 
C) Deforestation on a floodplain increasing the severity of river floods 
D) Climate change leading to sea-level rise

Exam 1: An Introduction to Geology

What is the accepted age of the Earth?

What is the asthenosphere?

Science uses observations of phenomena in order to make interpretations.Which of the following is an observation?

Which physical feature represents the true transition from the continent to the ocean basin?

Are humans part of the Earth system? List your evidence.

A hypothesis can never be changed or modified.

What is the definition of lithification?

Along which features might one expect to see a deep-ocean trench?

A ________ is a part of the craton that is covered by a thin covering of sedimentary rocks.

Explain how an increasing population and urban sprawl make people more vulnerable to natural disasters.Give three reasons.

Explain the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory.

Which of the following rocks will be most buoyant on the Earth's mantle? Rock A: Density 1.4 g/cm3 Rock B: Density 5.6 g/cm3 Rock C: Density 5.1 g/cm3 Rock D: Density 2.7 g/cm3

If the temperature in the Earth generally increases with depth, how is it possible that the inner core is a solid?

The principle of ________ states that the physical, chemical, and biological processes at work shaping the Earth today have also operated in the geologic past.

External processes driven by solar energy can create the materials necessary for sedimentary rocks.

Archbishop James Ussher used the Bible to construct a chronology to date the creation of the Earth to ________.

The ________ is a layer of liquid nickel and iron believed to be responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field.

Which of the following is not a geologic hazard?

Plate Tectonics: a Scientific Revolution Unfolds

Matter and Minerals

Magma, Igneous Rocks, and Intrusive Activity

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes

Earths Interior

Divergent Boundaries

Convergent Boundaries

Mass Wasting

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Shorelines

Global Climate Change

Earths Evolution Through Geologic Time

Energy and Mineral Resources

Touring Our Solar System

Filters

Which of the following rocks will be most buoyant on the Earth's mantle? Rock A: Density 1.4 g/cm³ Rock B: Density 5.6 g/cm³ Rock C: Density 5.1 g/cm³ Rock D: Density 2.7 g/cm³