Exam 1: Introduction to Earth Science

Earth's physical environment is traditionally divided in the hydrosphere,atmosphere,and the solid Earth.Remembering the scientific method,why do you think that scientists tend to categorize and classify various features,phenomena,and characteristics of the natural world into groups or subdivisions? Also,are there potential pitfalls or problems if we only consider the natural world as individual groups or categories rather than as a whole?

The Andes Mountains in South America are formed by ________.

List the two broad,traditional subject areas of geologic study.

The continental shelf is located ________.

Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit the pattern. -crust mantle lithosphere core

Which science is not used within the Earth sciences?

The ________ is thought to be a liquid,metallic region in the earth's interior.

In the television series "Cosmos" the astronomer Carl Sagan used to say,"We are all made of star stuff." What did he mean by that?

A ________ is a well-tested and widely accepted view that best explains certain scientific observations.

The earth is estimated to be approximately 4.6 billion years old.Life appeared early in the history of Earth,but metazoans (multicelled organisms)did not appear until about 600 million years ago.If the history of Earth were compressed into a single year,when would metazoans appear?

Which of the following is not considered to be part of a typical ocean basin?

Oceans cover slightly less than half of the earth's surface.

Mechanisms that enhance or drive change are known as ________.

A(n)________ system is one in which energy moves freely in and out,but no matter enters or leaves the system.

The Oort cloud is ________.

The lithosphere and asthenosphere are layers of Earth defined by their composition.

Active mountain belts are most likely to be found ________.

Which of the following is not a planet?

All of the following are possible steps of scientific investigation except for ________.

Which of the following is not a system?