Exam 1: Introduction to Earth Science

Oceanography is the study of the oceans and geology is the study of the earth,so what is meteorology?

During the history of the earth there have been periods when all the continents were together in a supercontinent.

A scientific theory is a tentative or untested explanation that is proposed to explain scientific observations.

In correct order from the center outward,Earth includes which units?

According to the nebular theory,all of the bodies in the universe evolved from a rotating cloud of gases and dust about five billion years ago.

What is the relationship of the dense oceanic crust that is produced at a divergent plate boundary to the convergence or collision of an oceanic plate and a continental plate,such as the western margin of South America in the diagram below?

Lithospheric plates are the tops of convection cells and subduction zones are the downgoing part of the convection cell.

In the proto-solar system nebula,gravity pulled matter together to form larger bodies.As they collided,what happened to these bodies?

When a hypothesis has survived extensive scrutiny and when competing ones have been eliminated,a hypothesis may be elevated to the status of a(n)________.

The asthenosphere is a relatively cool and rigid shell that overlies the lithosphere.

The ________ refers to the water-dominated parts of the earth.

The study of Earth's atmosphere is known as ________.

The asthenosphere is the liquid layer in the upper mantle that the plates move on.

Which of the following energy sources is thought to drive the lateral motions of Earth's lithospheric plates?

Science is based on the assumption that nature behaves in a consistent and predictable manner.

Soil belongs to the ________.

hydrosphere biosphere atmosphere solid earth

Which of the following would not typically be considered an Earth Science study?

The most prominent features on the ocean floor are the ________.

In natural systems,mechanisms that drive or enhance change are called ________.