Question 1

The age of the Earth has been determined by:

Accepted Answer

A)  the spatial relationships of rock bodies to one another. 
B)  the position of fossils within rock layers. 
C)  the constant rate of decay of radioactive elements. 
D)  the principle of superposition. 
A)  the spatial relationships of rock bodies to one another. 
B)  the position of fossils within rock layers. 
C)  the constant rate of decay of radioactive elements. 
D)  the principle of superposition.

Question 2

The Earth's external heat source, radiation from the Sun, does all of the following EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  removes water from the hydrosphere (evaporation). 
B)  heats the atmosphere. 
C)  drives the tectonic motion of the lithosphere. 
D)  supports life in the biosphere. 
A)  removes water from the hydrosphere (evaporation). 
B)  heats the atmosphere. 
C)  drives the tectonic motion of the lithosphere. 
D)  supports life in the biosphere.

Question 3

Transfer of heat through particles energized by colliding with neighboring particles is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  radioactivity. 
B)  radiation. 
C)  convection. 
D)  conduction. 
A)  radioactivity. 
B)  radiation. 
C)  convection. 
D)  conduction.

Question 4

The swamp- dwelling, prehistoric synapsid reptile Lystrosaurus lived on all continents except:

Accepted Answer

A)  Antarctica. 
B)  Africa. 
C)  India. 
D)  North America. 
A)  Antarctica. 
B)  Africa. 
C)  India. 
D)  North America.

Question 5

The age of the universe is believed to be about:

Accepted Answer

A)  10 billion years. 
B)  4.6 billion years. 
C)  13 billion years. 
D)  20 billion years. 
A)  10 billion years. 
B)  4.6 billion years. 
C)  13 billion years. 
D)  20 billion years.

Question 6

After the impactors collision with Earth, its dense iron core most likely:

Accepted Answer

A)  was pulled back into the molten Earth. 
B)  fragmented and shot into space. 
C)  vaporized and was removed by the solar winds. 
D)  was captured by the Earth's gravity in an orbit 400,000 Kilometers away. 
A)  was pulled back into the molten Earth. 
B)  fragmented and shot into space. 
C)  vaporized and was removed by the solar winds. 
D)  was captured by the Earth's gravity in an orbit 400,000 Kilometers away.

Question 7

Differentiation of an originally homogenous Earth was due to differences in:

Accepted Answer

A)  material density. 
B)  material texture. 
C)  internal origin. 
D)  material size. 
A)  material density. 
B)  material texture. 
C)  internal origin. 
D)  material size.

Question 8

A geologist has formed an hypothesis about a natural phenomenon, but due to the nature of the phenomenon, he is unable to test his hypothesis through direct observation or laboratory experimentation. Of the many possible approaches to the problem, the one you would NOT expect the geologist to take is:

Accepted Answer

A)  to build working scale models representative of the phenomenon. 
B)  to discuss the hypothesis with other geologists studying the same phenomenon. 
C)  to disregard the hypothesis due to insufficient observations. 
D)  to use a computer to calculate the results of a mathematical model. 
A)  to build working scale models representative of the phenomenon. 
B)  to discuss the hypothesis with other geologists studying the same phenomenon. 
C)  to disregard the hypothesis due to insufficient observations. 
D)  to use a computer to calculate the results of a mathematical model.

Question 9

What methods do geologists use to apply the scientific method to geological hypotheses?

Accepted Answer

Geologists use extensive field observati

Question 10

Breakup of the West Antarctic Ice sheet may be caused by:

Accepted Answer

A)  melting of Greenland's ice cap. 
B)  burning fossil fuels. 
C)  falling sea level. 
D)  earthquakes. 
A)  melting of Greenland's ice cap. 
B)  burning fossil fuels. 
C)  falling sea level. 
D)  earthquakes.

Question 11

Which of the following statements concerning the Earth is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  It has a diameter of 6371 kilometers. 
B)  It orbits one of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  It lies 93 million kilometers from the Sun. 
D)  It is one of nine planets in the Solar System. 
A)  It has a diameter of 6371 kilometers. 
B)  It orbits one of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
C)  It lies 93 million kilometers from the Sun. 
D)  It is one of nine planets in the Solar System.

Question 12

The interaction between these two systems has shaped and sculpted the Earth's surface.

Accepted Answer

A)  The hydrosphere and the lithosphere. 
B)  The biosphere and the lithosphere. 
C)  The atmosphere and the biosphere. 
D)  The hydrosphere and the atmosphere. 
A)  The hydrosphere and the lithosphere. 
B)  The biosphere and the lithosphere. 
C)  The atmosphere and the biosphere. 
D)  The hydrosphere and the atmosphere.

Question 13

A plate boundary where plates move laterally beside each other in opposite directions is a:

Accepted Answer

A)  continental collision. 
B)  subducting plate boundary. 
C)  divergent plate boundary. 
D)  transform plate boundary. 
A)  continental collision. 
B)  subducting plate boundary. 
C)  divergent plate boundary. 
D)  transform plate boundary.

Question 14

Plate tectonics is considered the unifying theory of geology. The likely reason for this is because:

Accepted Answer

A)  it unified geology with the theories of other sciences. 
B)  it unified all geologists in their beliefs about the Earth's processes. 
C)  it unified many of the previously isolated concepts of geology into a single theory. 
D)  it transformed geology from an abstract science into a true science. 
A)  it unified geology with the theories of other sciences. 
B)  it unified all geologists in their beliefs about the Earth's processes. 
C)  it unified many of the previously isolated concepts of geology into a single theory. 
D)  it transformed geology from an abstract science into a true science.

Question 15

List and briefly discuss five lines of evidence in favor of plate tectonics.

Accepted Answer

(1) Continental fit: The outlines of all

Question 16

How can iceberg dispersal from Antarctic ice shelves cause a worldwide rise in sea level?

Accepted Answer

Icebergs from the Antarctic move northwa

Question 17

The lithosphere can be described as a layer within the Earth's interior:

Accepted Answer

A)  just above the asthenosphere that contains solid, relatively strong rock. 
B)  within the lower portion of the mantle that contains solid, relatively strong rock. 
C)  just below the asthenosphere that contains both solid and heat- softened rock. 
D)  within the asthenosphere that contains heat- softened, yet flowing, solid rock. 
A)  just above the asthenosphere that contains solid, relatively strong rock. 
B)  within the lower portion of the mantle that contains solid, relatively strong rock. 
C)  just below the asthenosphere that contains both solid and heat- softened rock. 
D)  within the asthenosphere that contains heat- softened, yet flowing, solid rock.

Question 18

Alfred Wegener proposed all the following as evidence in support of continental drift EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  the age of sea- floor rocks and sediments. 
B)  ancient climates completely out of place with modern geographical locations. 
C)  identical animals, both living and fossil, found on widely separated continents. 
D)  the jigsaw- puzzle fit of the continents. 
A)  the age of sea- floor rocks and sediments. 
B)  ancient climates completely out of place with modern geographical locations. 
C)  identical animals, both living and fossil, found on widely separated continents. 
D)  the jigsaw- puzzle fit of the continents.

Question 19

Which was NOT a factor in the proto- Earth's loss of nearly all of its lighter gases?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Moon's gravitational force pulled these gases away from the planet. 
B)  The remaining matter consisted primarily of iron, nickel, and silicate minerals. 
C)  The gases were carried away by solar winds. 
D)  High temperatures from solar radiation vaporized these gases. 
A)  The Moon's gravitational force pulled these gases away from the planet. 
B)  The remaining matter consisted primarily of iron, nickel, and silicate minerals. 
C)  The gases were carried away by solar winds. 
D)  High temperatures from solar radiation vaporized these gases.

Question 20

How are the ages of rocks determined in terms of both relative dating and absolute ages?

Accepted Answer

Relative dating determines which rocks a

The age of the Earth has been determined by:

The Earth's external heat source, radiation from the Sun, does all of the following EXCEPT:

Transfer of heat through particles energized by colliding with neighboring particles is called:

The swamp- dwelling, prehistoric synapsid reptile Lystrosaurus lived on all continents except:

The age of the universe is believed to be about:

After the impactors collision with Earth, its dense iron core most likely:

Differentiation of an originally homogenous Earth was due to differences in:

What methods do geologists use to apply the scientific method to geological hypotheses?

Breakup of the West Antarctic Ice sheet may be caused by:

Which of the following statements concerning the Earth is NOT true?

The interaction between these two systems has shaped and sculpted the Earth's surface.

A plate boundary where plates move laterally beside each other in opposite directions is a:

Plate tectonics is considered the unifying theory of geology. The likely reason for this is because:

List and briefly discuss five lines of evidence in favor of plate tectonics.

How can iceberg dispersal from Antarctic ice shelves cause a worldwide rise in sea level?

The lithosphere can be described as a layer within the Earth's interior:

Alfred Wegener proposed all the following as evidence in support of continental drift EXCEPT:

Which was NOT a factor in the proto- Earth's loss of nearly all of its lighter gases?

How are the ages of rocks determined in terms of both relative dating and absolute ages?

Minerals

Igneous Rocks and Processes

Volcanoes and Volcanism

Weathering - the Breakdown of Rocks

Sedimentary Processes, Environments, and Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Telling Time Geologically

Earth Structures - Folds, Faults, and Fabrics

Earthquakes

The Earths Interior - Whats Going on Down There

Plate Tectonics and the Formation of the Earths Oceans

Continental Tectonics and the Formation of the Earths Continents

Mass Movement

Streams and Floods

Groundwater

Glaciers and Ice Ages

Deserts and the Work of Winds

Shores and Coastal Processes

Human Use of the Earths Resources Appendices Glossary

Filters

Exam 1: A First Look at Planet Earth - Its Origins, Systems, and Tectonic Plates

The age of the Earth has been determined by:

The Earth's external heat source, radiation from the Sun, does all of the following EXCEPT:

Transfer of heat through particles energized by colliding with neighboring particles is called:

The swamp- dwelling, prehistoric synapsid reptile Lystrosaurus lived on all continents except:

The age of the universe is believed to be about:

After the impactors collision with Earth, its dense iron core most likely:

Differentiation of an originally homogenous Earth was due to differences in:

What methods do geologists use to apply the scientific method to geological hypotheses?

Breakup of the West Antarctic Ice sheet may be caused by:

Which of the following statements concerning the Earth is NOT true?

The interaction between these two systems has shaped and sculpted the Earth's surface.

A plate boundary where plates move laterally beside each other in opposite directions is a:

Plate tectonics is considered the unifying theory of geology. The likely reason for this is because:

List and briefly discuss five lines of evidence in favor of plate tectonics.

How can iceberg dispersal from Antarctic ice shelves cause a worldwide rise in sea level?

The lithosphere can be described as a layer within the Earth's interior:

Alfred Wegener proposed all the following as evidence in support of continental drift EXCEPT:

Which was NOT a factor in the proto- Earth's loss of nearly all of its lighter gases?

How are the ages of rocks determined in terms of both relative dating and absolute ages?

Minerals

Igneous Rocks and Processes

Volcanoes and Volcanism

Weathering - the Breakdown of Rocks

Sedimentary Processes, Environments, and Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Telling Time Geologically

Earth Structures - Folds, Faults, and Fabrics

Earthquakes

The Earths Interior - Whats Going on Down There

Plate Tectonics and the Formation of the Earths Oceans

Continental Tectonics and the Formation of the Earths Continents

Mass Movement

Streams and Floods

Groundwater

Glaciers and Ice Ages

Deserts and the Work of Winds

Shores and Coastal Processes

Human Use of the Earths Resources Appendices Glossary

Filters