Deck 5: Uncovering Earths Systems

Question 1

Sedimentary rocks form from solidified subsurface magma or above-surface lava.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The boundaries of Earth's major plates are the scenes of violent seismic and geological activity.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Photosynthesis is the chemical process that consumes CO₂ and water and releases oxygen.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

The solid inner core of Earth is comprised mostly of silicon-rich rock.

Question 5

In recent years,geologists have uncovered evidence that suggests that a succession of supercontinents has broken apart and reassembled.

Question 6

The geographic North Pole and the magnetic north pole are always in the same latitude and longitude.

Question 7

The vast majority of the water on Earth is found in the form of liquid salt water like that found in the oceans.

Question 8

Aurorae occur in the troposphere layer of Earth's atmosphere.

Question 9

Few scientists disagree that global warming is occurring.

Question 10

Earth is the only object in the solar system that has liquid water oceans.

Question 11

Scientists have observed that the ozone hole has completely healed itself in the last decade.

Question 12

Water vapor is considered a greenhouse gas.

Question 13

Transpiration is the chemical energy process in which modern animals consume carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Question 14

The temperature as you rise in altitude consistently decreases until you reach the very outermost part of the atmosphere.

Question 15

At the boundary between the mantle and the outer core,there is an abrupt change in chemical composition and this produces a "jog" in the melting curve.

Question 16

Earth's magnetic field has flipped many times in the past.

Question 17

The melting of polar ice because of global warming poses no risk to civilization.

Question 18

Earth's magnetic polarity has flipped several times throughout Earth's history.

Question 19

One of the important properties of ice is that it sinks in water.

Question 20

Atmospheric pressure at any height in the atmosphere is caused by the weight of all of the air above that height.

Question 21

Seismic waves inside Earth

A) travel at a constant speed but change direction (refract)as they travel through materials of different densities or compositions.
B) travel at different speeds in materials of different densities or compositions and change direction (refract)as they move from one material to another.
C) travel in straight lines with speeds that change as the waves move through materials of different densities or compositions.
D) always travel in a straight line at a constant speed.

Question 22

The albedo of a planet is the fraction of energy that is

A) reradiated into space as infrared radiation by the planet.
B) reflected by the whole planet,including atmosphere and surface.
C) absorbed.
D) reflected by clouds in the atmosphere.

Question 23

The age of Earth is considered to be

A) about 100 million years.
B) about 4.6 billion years.
C) about 4.6 million years.
D) 93 million years.

Question 24

The waves that geologists and geophysicists use to probe the inside of Earth are

A) seismic waves.
B) gravitational waves.
C) radio waves.
D) microwaves.

Question 25

Which scientific approach gives us the most information about the deep interior of Earth?

A) Deep drilling of exploratory holes for science and mineral recovery (e.g. ,oil)
B) Study of lava flows from volcanoes
C) Worldwide measurement of low-frequency seismic waves produced by earthquakes
D) Measurement of cosmic neutrinos,which pass very easily through Earth

Question 26

"Chemical differentiation" in planetary sciences refers to

A) the formation of rocky planets in the hotter,inner solar system and gas giants in the colder,outer regions.
B) the circulation of iron in the core of a planet,resulting in the generation of a magnetic field.
C) the large-scale convection of rock in the mantle of a planet,which on Earth causes continental drift.
D) the sinking of heavier elements toward the center of a planet and the floating of lighter elements toward the surface.

Question 27

The vibrations in the primary (P)and secondary (S)seismic waves caused by earthquakes are

A) along the direction of travel for both waves.
B) perpendicular to the direction of travel for P waves and along the direction of travel for S waves.
C) at right angles to the direction of travel for both waves.
D) perpendicular to the direction of travel for S waves and along the direction of travel for P waves.

Question 28

The internal structure of Earth is a

A) core of solid rock extensively enriched in iron,surrounded by a solid mantle of pure rock.
B) large core of iron,partly solid and partly molten,surrounded by a thick,flexible mantle of rock.
C) large,solid iron core surrounded by a thick,flexible mantle of rock.
D) core of rock and iron,surrounded by a mantle of liquid hydrogen.

Question 29

Where is the mantle of Earth located?

A) Between the stratosphere and the thermosphere
B) Outside of,but in contact with,the crust (i.e. ,the oceans and atmosphere)
C) In the outermost atmosphere and beyond,where the planet's magnetic field captures solar wind particles
D) Between the core and the crust

Question 30

The process by which heavier materials sank into the centers of terrestrial planets while lighter materials rose to the surfaces early in the history of these planets is known as

A) seafloor spreading.
B) plate tectonics.
C) chemical differentiation.
D) subduction.

Question 31

A "Slinky" toy is made up of a long flexible spring.The analogous wave to the primary (P)wave produced in an earthquake would be generated by moving the end of the spring

A) round and round,in a circular motion perpendicular to the axis of the spring.
B) in a twisting motion back and forth,thereby tightening and loosening the spiral of the spring.
C) side to side,in a direction perpendicular to the spring.
D) back and forth in a direction along the spring.

Question 32

It was originally believed that in the seismic Shadow Zone no seismic waves could be detected at all.But as detection techniques improved,it was realized that faint P waves could be detected there.To what do we attribute the source of these P waves?

A) Slight earthquakes deep within Earth
B) The existence of an almost impenetrable layer of solid iron surrounding the outer core
C) Meteor impacts on the side of Earth away from the Shadow Zone
D) Reflections from a solid inner core

Question 33

Which of the following is the major power source that drives the dynamics of Earth's atmosphere?

A) Outflow of the original heat of production from Earth's interior
B) Tidal effects from the Moon and Sun
C) The burning of fossil fuels such as coal,oil,and natural gas on Earth's surface
D) Solar radiation

Question 34

You are a geologist detecting S (secondary)seismic waves from a source somewhere else on Earth.You know that these S waves

A) have traveled in a straight line through Earth from the source to your detector.
B) have not passed through the center of Earth.
C) have traveled along the surface of Earth from the source to your detector.
D) must have originated only a few hundred miles away because S waves tend to attenuate quickly within Earth.

Question 35

Which one of the following processes was important for melting the entire Earth about 4.6 billion years ago?

A) Radioactivity,or the spontaneous breaking apart of heavier nuclei into lighter nuclei
B) Tidal heating of Earth due to the combined gravitational pulls of the Sun and the Moon
C) Heat released by the condensation of water vapor into liquid water to form the oceans
D) Nuclear fusion,or the combining of lighter nuclei to form heavier nuclei

Question 36

The main reason that deep P and S seismic waves do not travel in straight lines inside Earth is that

A) Earth is spherical,and the waves follow the shape of the surface of Earth.
B) they cannot travel through molten regions,and thus reflect back toward the surface of Earth.
C) they reflect and scatter off numerous irregularities and faults inside Earth.
D) their speed changes with changing density,causing the waves to refract.

Question 37

Earth's average density is

A) 3 times that of water.
B) more than 10 times that of water.
C) the same as that of water.
D) 5.5 times that of water.

Question 38

The Shadow Zone,in which seismic waves from an earthquake can be detected only very faintly,is caused by

A) S and P waves being refracted at the boundary of Earth's core and P waves being absorbed by the core.
B) both P and S waves being refracted into Earth's core,thus concentrating the waves on the far side of Earth.
C) all seismic waves being absorbed by Earth's molten core,so that none reach the far side of Earth.
D) S and P waves being refracted at the boundary of Earth's core and S waves being absorbed by the core.

Question 39

Terrestrial planets are thought to have dense iron cores because

A) the accumulation of material into planets in the original solar system nebula would have begun with the heavier elements,to be followed later by lighter materials.
B) magnetism in iron would be sufficiently powerful to pull more iron into the center of the forming planet.
C) thermonuclear processes produced iron in the earlier phases of planetary formation.
D) in earlier molten states,the heavy elements sank and lighter materials floated to the surface by chemical differentiation.

Question 40

Secondary (S)seismic waves in Earth have the following characteristics:

A) vibrations perpendicular to the direction of travel of the waves;cannot traverse liquids.
B) vibrations perpendicular to the direction of travel;only travel along the surface of Earth.
C) vibrations along the direction of travel of the waves;cannot traverse liquids.
D) vibrations perpendicular to the direction of travel of the waves;can traverse liquids.

Question 41

Which of the following statements correctly describes the mantle of Earth?

A) Molten iron
B) Molten rock
C) Solid rock that is hot enough to become semi-molten in its upper layers and able to flow
D) Solid,immovable,but smooth rock on which the crustal plates can slide

Question 42

The temperature of the deep interior of Earth is approximately

A) 500°C.
B) 5000°C.
C) 50,000°C.
D) 1.5 × 10⁶°C.

Question 43

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Earth's crust is a region where

A) two tectonic plates are slowly spreading apart.
B) a single hot plume is pushing molten magma or lava through a hole in the crust.
C) two tectonic plates are pushing against each other,forcing the ridge upward.
D) one tectonic plate is moving below another (subducting).

Question 44

Which fact first gave Alfred Wegener the idea that continents had drifted over Earth's surface?

A) The ocean floors were much younger than the continents,indicating that they were still being formed.
B) Volcanoes and earthquakes were localized into a well-defined "ring of fire" around the Pacific Ocean and other areas.
C) A system of mountains and faults running up the middle of the Atlantic seafloor showed evidence that the crust was spreading apart.
D) The east coasts of North and South America fit nicely against the west coasts of Europe and Africa.

Question 45

In what way are the supercontinents Laurasia,Pangaea,and Gondwanaland related?

A) An earlier,larger supercontinent split into Laurasia,Pangaea,and Gondwanaland.
B) Pangaea split into Gondwanaland and Laurasia.
C) Gondwanaland split into Pangaea and Laurasia.
D) Laurasia split into Gondwanaland and Pangaea.

Question 46

On Earth,you would expect to find metamorphic rocks

A) at the boundaries of colliding tectonic plates,where upthrust has brought them to the surface.
B) on the ice of the Antarctic because they come only from outer space.
C) around new volcanoes,these rocks having recently set from new molten lava.
D) in layers on the seafloor.

Question 47

Earth's magnetic field is caused by

A) electric currents flowing in the molten core.
B) the motions of the electrically charged particles of the solar wind as they pass Earth.
C) a solid iron magnet in its interior.
D) electric currents flowing in the ionospheric layer of its atmosphere.

Question 48

Which of the following geological materials originated as molten lava?

A) Sandstone
B) Marble rock
C) Limestone
D) Igneous rock

Question 49

The supercontinent Pangaea was apparently

A) the original continent that was created after Earth formed and broke up 200 million years ago.
B) a myth,part of the Atlantis legend.
C) a random assemblage of continents that occurred earlier in Earth's history but appears to be part of no cyclic pattern.
D) the result of a collision of continents,of a type that occurs roughly every 500 million years.

Question 50

Earth's magnetic field is caused by

A) the flow of solar wind particles around and within its outer atmospheric region-the magnetosphere.
B) electric currents flowing in the liquid core.
C) localized magnetic anomalies near Earth's surface.
D) a magnetized solid iron core in the interior.

Question 51

Who first postulated that continents drift around over Earth's surface?

A) Alfred Wegener
B) Jules Pangaea
C) James Van Allen
D) Bruce C.Heezen

Question 52

What effect does an increase in pressure have on the temperature at which rock melts?

A) We do not know yet.Temperatures needed to melt rock have not yet been achieved in the laboratory.
B) It increases the melting temperature.
C) It lowers the melting temperature.
D) It has no effect on the melting temperature because the melting temperature is independent of pressure.

Question 53

Sedimentary rocks commonly form from

A) rocks being carried deep below a planetary surface and being modified by heat and pressure.
B) minerals precipitating out of the oceans and accumulating on the ocean bottom.
C) molten rock (lava)solidifying as it flows downward from volcanoes.
D) mineral crystals solidifying in magma (molten rock)and settling down to the bottom of the molten region.

Question 54

The great mountain ranges of Earth have been produced by

A) volcanic eruptions.
B) wrinkling of the crust as the interior cools and contracts.
C) asteroid impacts because they are just worn-down crater walls.
D) collisions between tectonic plates.

Question 55

The existence of the mid-Atlantic Ridge is evidence that Europe and North America are

A) getting closer together.
B) getting farther apart.
C) remaining a fixed distance apart.
D) floating on layers of basalt of significantly different densities.

Question 56

In the modern theory of crustal motion on Earth's surface,the process of seafloor spreading is described as the

A) motion of plates away from mid-oceanic ridges and toward continental boundaries.
B) upward motions of some plates and downward motions of others while remaining in fixed positions on Earth.
C) rotation of plates around axes that remain stationary on Earth,causing plate-edge collisions.
D) motion of plates toward mid-oceanic ridges and away from continental boundaries.

Question 57

The lithosphere of Earth is the

A) solid outer layer that is divided into rigid,moving plates.
B) molten outer core,composed of iron and nickel.
C) atmospheric layer between the stratosphere and the thermosphere,where temperature decreases with height.
D) soft layer under the outer crust that allows the rigid crustal plates to move around and collide.

Question 58

All the boundaries of the major moving tectonic plates on Earth's surface coincide with

A) the edges of the continental shelves around the major continents.
B) regions where ocean depths are greatest.
C) the occurrence of major auroral activity.
D) the positions of maximum earthquake occurrence.

Question 59

Subduction in Earth is the process by which

A) dense material sank while lighter material rose to the surface during the early geological history.
B) molten lava oozes out between two tectonic plates that are spreading apart.
C) cool surface material sinks below other material at a tectonic plate boundary.
D) volcanic material flows from the deep interior to produce volcanic islands.

Question 60

"Continental drift" on Earth is now thought to be caused by

A) earthquakes.
B) precession of Earth's spin axis.
C) tidal forces from the Moon and Sun acting on the continental land masses.
D) circulation currents in the deep interior causing slabs of Earth's crust to move slowly.

Question 61

If carbon dioxide (CO₂)was much more abundant in Earth's early atmosphere,what happened to most of this gas?

A) It was dissociated by lightning into its components,carbon and oxygen,which then escaped from Earth's gravity.
B) It escaped into space because of its low molecular weight.
C) It combined with other substances to produce carbonate rocks in limestone.
D) It was dissociated by the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight,the carbon settling onto Earth while the oxygen remained in the atmosphere to support life.

Question 62

What protects us from the damaging radiation effects of the high-speed solar wind that flows through interplanetary space?

A) The rapid rotation of Earth,which deflects most of the solar wind
B) The Moon,whose gravitational field shields us from the solar wind
C) Earth's atmosphere
D) Earth's magnetic field

Question 63

The chemical constituent that absorbs UV radiation in the intermediate layers of Earth's atmosphere (the stratosphere and mesosphere),thereby heating these layers to relatively high temperatures,is

A) O₃ (ozone).
B) N₂ (nitrogen).
C) H₂O (water vapor).
D) CO₂ (carbon dioxide).

Question 64

The presence of oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is thought to result directly from what type of process?

A) Volcanic eruptions
B) Original condensation of interplanetary gas clouds
C) Outgassing of the oceans
D) Biological activity of plants and animals

Question 65

Auroral displays are most often

A) directly above the north and south geomagnetic poles.
B) in two bands on either side of the equator in the tropics.
C) at the north and south geographical poles.
D) in circular regions around the north and south geomagnetic poles.

Question 66

What is the ratio of nitrogen to oxygen in the atmosphere?

A) Equal parts nitrogen and oxygen
B) 4 parts nitrogen to 1 part oxygen
C) 1 part nitrogen to 2 parts oxygen
D) 1 part nitrogen to 4 parts oxygen

Question 67

What mechanism forms the magnetospheres around several of the planets?

A) The gravitational force of attraction of the other planets on the planetary upper atmosphere
B) The very rapid spin of these planets,spinning the atmosphere outward
C) Repulsion of solar electromagnetic radiation by the planetary magnetic field
D) Repulsion of the solar wind by the planetary magnetic field

Question 68

Aurorae on Earth are caused by

A) electrical currents in the ionosphere,generated by dynamo action in Earth's core.
B) charged particles from the Sun moving through Earth's magnetic field and striking the upper atmosphere.
C) the reflection of sunlight from Arctic and Antarctic ice into the polar night skies.
D) ultraviolet radiation from the Sun ionizing atoms in the upper atmosphere.

Question 69

Ozone is

A) ionized oxygen atoms.
B) a combination of oxygen,nitrogen,and electrons.
C) one of a number of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
D) a molecule made of three oxygen atoms.

Question 70

Earth is not thought to have a permanent magnet in its interior because the

A) magnetic field reverses direction over periods of tens of thousands of years.
B) magnetic field distribution in space around Earth does not match that of a permanent magnet.
C) rotation of Earth quickly destroys the properties of a permanent magnet.
D) core is not made of magnetic material.

Question 71

Which one of the following statements is TRUE for Earth?

A) The oxygen in our atmosphere was created by evaporation of seawater,allowing life to move from the seas onto dry land.
B) Earth has always had an oxygen-rich atmosphere,which was one reason life could develop.
C) Outgassing by volcanic eruptions converted the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere into an oxygen-rich atmosphere,thus creating conditions in which life could develop.
D) Life developed in a carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere,and life helped convert this into an oxygen-rich atmosphere.

Question 72

Earth's thermosphere is the

A) outermost atmospheric layer,in which ultraviolet light from the Sun is absorbed by nitrogen and oxygen atoms,stripping them of one or more electrons.
B) region of the magnetosphere that contains trapped high-energy charged particles.
C) intermediate atmospheric layer,in which ultraviolet light from the Sun is absorbed by ozone (O₃)molecules.
D) layer of molten iron and nickel below the mantle in Earth's interior.

Question 73

Which of the following is NOT a region of Earth's atmosphere?

A) Stratosphere
B) Thermosphere
C) Magnetosphere
D) Troposphere

Question 74

Photosynthesis is a chemical process that takes place in green plants.What is its effect on our atmosphere?

A) Photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere but produces carbon dioxide at the end of the process and thus has little effect on our atmosphere.
B) Photosynthesis consumes carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and produces oxygen.
C) Photosynthesis consumes oxygen from our atmosphere and produces carbon dioxide.
D) Photosynthesis consumes both water vapor and carbon dioxide from our atmosphere and produces nitrogen.

Question 75

What is the basic structure of Earth's atmosphere?

A) Smoothly decreasing temperature with increasing altitude
B) Four layers of alternating temperature profiles: temperature decreasing,then increasing,then decreasing,then increasing with altitude
C) Smoothly increasing temperature with increasing altitude
D) Two layers: temperature decreasing with increasing altitude in the lower layer,then increasing with increasing altitude in the upper layer

Question 76

The Earth's magnetosphere shields us from

A) the wind of highly charged particles streaming from the Sun.
B) asteroid impact.
C) X-rays.
D) UV radiation.

Question 77

Billions of years ago,Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide.What happened to much of this carbon dioxide?

A) It is still in the atmosphere.
B) It was broken into carbon and oxygen by solar ultraviolet light.
C) It dissolved into Earth's oceans.
D) It was lost to space.

Question 78

Earth's magnetosphere is

A) a cavity in the solar wind carved out and controlled by Earth's magnetic field.
B) Earth's molten core where motion of electrically charged particles produces the magnetic field.
C) a layer in the atmosphere between stratosphere and thermosphere where motions are governed by magnetic effects.
D) a region of Earth's surface near the magnetic poles.

Question 79

In which layer of Earth's atmosphere does the weather occur?

A) Thermosphere
B) Stratosphere
C) Mesosphere
D) Troposphere

Question 80

The source of the aurorae (northern/southern lights)on Earth is

A) natural decay of radioactive elements.
B) reflection of sunlight off the polar ice sheets.
C) small meteorites burning up in Earth's atmosphere.
D) charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetic field interacting with the atmosphere.