Deck 7: Earth: Our Home in Space

Question 1

Seismic S-waves can travel through Earth's liquid outer core.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

The hydrosphere accounts in large part for the fact that our atmosphere in thinner than Venus' and contains far less carbon dioxide.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Seismic P-waves can travel through both solid and liquid materials.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Collisions between low density continental plates create the tallest mountain chains,such as the Himalayas.

Question 5

The ozone layer lies at the boundary of the stratosphere and mesosphere.

Question 6

The hydrosphere covers about 50% of the Earth's crust.

Question 7

The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is oxygen.

Question 8

The speed of the current warming trend is no different than those seen in fossil records.

Question 9

The three most abundant gases in our atmosphere are nitrogen,oxygen,and argon.

Question 10

The energy for plate tectonics comes primarily from radioactive decay in our core.

Question 11

We find from igneous rock dating that the polarity of the Earth's magnetic field has undergone many unexplained changes in periods of thousands of years.

Question 12

When plates collide,they fuse together and come to rest.

Question 13

Trenches are areas where the denser oceanic plates are subducted beneath the leading edges of lighter continental ones.

Question 14

Infrared radiation is trapped close to our surface by the Greenhouse Effect.

Question 15

Subduction of higher density oceanic plates under the continents not only creates deep trenches but also tall volcanic chains ashore as well.

Question 16

The continuing rise in the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere should cause our surface temperatures to rise.

Question 17

Almost all the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is unique among the planets in our solar system.

Question 18

The ozone layer blocks much of the Sun's visible radiation.

Question 19

Greenhouse gases in our atmosphere trap just enough heat to keep the Earth's oceans liquid.

Question 20

In the past,most of the landmass on Earth was concentrated in a single,large continent.

Question 21

What can we conclude about the structure of Earth's interior knowing that the average density of Earth is higher than the average density of the rock on the continents and seafloor?

A) that Earth's most dense material must be water
B) that Earth's most dense material must be the seafloor and the continents
C) that Earth's most dense material must be beneath the surface
D) that Earth's least dense material must be the seafloor and the continents
E) that Earth's least dense material must be beneath the surface

Question 22

What is the hole in the ozone layer thought to be caused by?

A) greenhouse gases
B) carbon dioxide
C) water vapor
D) CFCs
E) acid rain

Question 23

Which major atmospheric component is chiefly a product of life processes?

A) carbon dioxide
B) water
C) oxygen
D) hydrogen sulfide
E) nitrogen

Question 24

The principal greenhouse gases in our present atmosphere are:

A) hydrogen and helium.
B) hydrogen sulfide and carbon disulfide.
C) water vapor and carbon dioxide.
D) methane and ammonia.
E) sulfuric acid vapor and carbon dioxide.

Question 25

In what part of our atmosphere do we live?

A) troposphere
B) stratosphere
C) mesosphere
D) ionosphere
E) exosphere

Question 26

Which parts of the Sun's radiation are responsible for heating Earth's surface?

A) the radio and the ultraviolet
B) the X-ray and the gamma ray
C) the ultraviolet and the visible
D) the visible and the infrared
E) the infrared and the high energy particles

Question 27

The crust of the Earth is covered by about ________ water in the hydrosphere.

A) 50%
B) 60%
C) 70%
D) 80%
E) 90%

Question 28

What gas is the primary constituent of our atmosphere?

A) oxygen
B) carbon dioxide
C) nitrogen
D) hydrogen
E) helium

Question 29

What is the process that physically transfers heat from a lower (hotter)to a higher (cooler)level?

A) radiation
B) translation
C) convection
D) reflection
E) conduction

Question 30

Which of the following layers of the Earth is unique among the terrestrial planets?

A) hydrosphere
B) ionosphere
C) mantle
D) crust
E) core

Question 31

Which of these gases are outgassed from our volcanic eruptions?

A) oxygen, methane, ammonia
B) carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen
C) ammonia, water vapor, oxygen
D) water vapor, methane, carbon dioxide
E) helium, carbon dioxide, methane

Question 32

How is the existence of Earth's unique atmosphere explained?

A) The oxygen in Earth's atmosphere is a result of early life on Earth.
B) Volcanic gases containing nitrogen were outgassed from Earth's interior.
C) As Earth cooled, water vapor fell out of the atmosphere to form the oceans.
D) Ultraviolet radiation from the Sun freed the hydrogen, allowing it to escape.
E) When Earth formed, its atmosphere formed from the gases most common in the early solar system.

Question 33

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the largest tectonic feature on our planet.

Question 34

The relative size of the mantle of Earth compared to the solid inner core of Earth is most similar to:

A) the peel of an orange as compared to the meat of the orange.
B) the rind of a watermelon as compared to the meat of the watermelon.
C) the skin of a grape as compared to the meat of the grape.
D) the meat of a peach as compared to the pit of the peach.
E) the meat of a cherry as compared to the pit of the cherry.

Question 35

From the center outward,the correct order is:

A) liquid iron inner core, solid nickel outer core, rocky mantle, silicate crust.
B) solid metallic inner core, molten metal outer core, silicate mantle and crust.
C) solid metal core, molten metal hydrosphere, rocky lithosphere, gases in atmosphere.
D) solid rock core, liquid metal mantle, solid rock crust.
E) molten metal hydrosphere, molten rock lithosphere, solid silicate crust.

Question 36

Without the Greenhouse Effect operating in our atmosphere,

A) we would not have to worry about any warming problems in the future.
B) Earth would have an average temperature of -23 degrees Celsius.
C) the ice in the polar regions would have melted long ago.
D) the ozone layer would not be weakening.
E) the Earth would have become much more like Venus long ago.

Question 37

The relative size of the atmosphere layer as compared to the solid part of Earth is most similar to:

A) the peel of an orange as compared to the meat of the orange.
B) the rind of a watermelon as compared to the meat of the watermelon.
C) the skin of a grape as compared to the meat of the grape.
D) the meat of a peach as compared to the pit of the peach.
E) the meat of a cherry as compared to the pit of the cherry.

Question 38

The critical part of the atmosphere for protecting life on the ground from excessive ultraviolet radiation is the:

A) hydrosphere.
B) troposphere.
C) ozone layer.
D) stratosphere.
E) ionosphere.

Question 39

Compared to the density of water,our Earth averages about:

A) the same density, similar to Saturn.
B) 3 times denser, much like our Moon.
C) 4 times denser, similar to Mars.
D) 5 times denser, like the Mercury and Venus.
E) 10 times denser, due to our core of iron and nickel.

Question 40

Above about 100 km,the high-energy portion of the Sun's radiation spectrum breaks down molecules into atoms.What is this part of Earth's atmosphere called?

A) the troposphere
B) the stratosphere
C) the mesosphere
D) the ionosphere
E) the magnetosphere

Question 41

Which statement about seismic waves is FALSE?

A) Both S and P waves can be detected by seismographs.
B) Close to the epicenter, both S and P waves can be recorded.
C) P waves travel faster, so the gap between their arrival times gives the source's distance.
D) Only P waves can be detected in the shadow zone.
E) S waves are blocked by the fluid outer core and cannot be observed on the other side of the planet from the epicenter.

Question 42

Clouds form primarily at the boundary between:

A) the stratosphere and the mesosphere.
B) the mesosphere and the ionosphere.
C) the troposphere and the mesosphere.
D) the troposphere and the stratosphere.
E) the hydrosphere and the troposphere.

Question 43

Why is the sky blue?

A) The atmosphere reflects the color of the oceans.
B) The atmosphere reflects the light from the Sun.
C) The atmosphere scatters the light from the Sun.
D) The oceans refract the light from the Sun into the atmosphere.
E) The oceans reflect the light from the Sun into the atmosphere.

Question 44

The Greenhouse Effect works by trapping:

A) incoming ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.
B) outgoing ultraviolet radiation from the Earth.
C) incoming infrared radiation from the Sun.
D) outgoing infrared radiation from the Earth.
E) the heat from the Sun in Earth's atmosphere.

Question 45

Which statement about seismic waves is true?

A) Only S waves can travel through liquid.
B) P waves travel faster, and thus arrive sooner than do the S waves.
C) In the shadow zones, neither type is observed.
D) S waves can travel though the outer core, but P waves cannot.
E) On the far side of the Earth, only the S waves on the surface can be detected.

Question 46

When water vapor condenses out at the cool tops of convection cells,what happens?

A) It rains.
B) It snows.
C) Clouds form.
D) A hurricane forms.
E) A tropical depression forms.

Question 47

In what scenario is the blue component of incoming sunlight is scattered much more than any other color component?

A) when the Sun is setting
B) when the Sun is high in the sky
C) when the Sun is rising
D) during the night time
E) during a solar eclipse

Question 48

When two tectonic plates collide:

A) they both stop moving.
B) they always produce high mountain chains like the Himalayas.
C) volcanoes always mark the boundary between them.
D) they continue moving, producing a variety of large deformations.
E) that region is safe from earthquakes now the plates are fixed.

Question 49

Which are places on Earth where convection is operating on a grand scale,creating conditions important to life on Earth?

A) in the mantle
B) in hot springs like Old Faithful
C) in the troposphere, such as a summer thunderstorm
D) at the thermal vents in the rift valleys
E) All of the above are good examples.

Question 50

Seismic waves are most useful for mapping:

A) the surface of Venus with Magellan.
B) the surface of Mars with Global Surveyor.
C) the Earth's core and mantle.
D) the density of the hydrosphere.
E) the depths of the oceans.

Question 51

In noting that our world is "differentiated," we mean that:

A) the density of its materials decreases as you go downward toward the core.
B) the Earth has evolved in a different pattern than any other planet.
C) the iron and nickel core is denser than the silicate mantle and crust.
D) radioactive heating in the core is at a slower pace than when the Earth was new.
E) the Earth's magnetic field is different now in polarity than it was 700,000 years ago.

Question 52

Like other solid bodies in the solar system,Earth's surface was kept molten by:

A) radioactivity.
B) differentiation.
C) convection.
D) bombardment by small bodies.
E) the solar nebula.

Question 53

We determine the structure of the Earth's core using:

A) deep mine shafts.
B) satellite imaging.
C) radar and sonar.
D) seismic wave data.
E) magnetic resonance imaging.

Question 54

Almost all of our atmospheric gases lie in the:

A) ionosphere.
B) stratosphere.
C) troposphere.
D) ozone layer.
E) mesosphere.

Question 55

A region where a denser basaltic plate is subducted under a continental one is:

A) the Himalayas.
B) the Nazca Trench.
C) the Mid-Atlantic Rift.
D) Hawaii.
E) the San Andreas Fault.

Question 56

What event triggered the dramatic increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration seen over the last couple of centuries?

A) the invention of CFCs
B) the invention of the automobile
C) the Tunguska meteoric impact
D) the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 1783
E) the Industrial Revolution

Question 57

The oldest rocks on our crust are radioactively dated at about:

A) 200 million years old.
B) one billion years old.
C) 2.7 billion years old.
D) four billion years old.
E) 4.6 billion years old.

Question 58

Within Earth's atmosphere,in which layer does convection occur?

A) the troposphere
B) the stratosphere
C) the mesosphere
D) the ionosphere
E) Convection occurs in all layers of Earth's atmosphere.

Question 59

What is the percentage of Earth's atmosphere (by volume)that is carbon dioxide (CO₂)?

A) 78
B) 21
C) 3
D) 0.9
E) 0.03

Question 60

Within Earth's atmosphere the ozone layer is located:

A) in the troposphere.
B) between the troposphere and the stratosphere.
C) in the stratosphere.
D) between the stratosphere and the mesosphere.
E) in the mesosphere.

Question 61

Which body has the greatest gravitational pull on Earth?

A) the Sun
B) the Moon
C) Mars
D) Jupiter
E) None has an impact, as all are too distant.

Question 62

Evidence that the Earth was nearly molten at one time comes from the differentiation of materials by ________ from core to crust.

Question 63

At what phase are the tides least noticeable?

A) new Moon
B) full Moon
C) third quarter
D) waxing crescent
E) waning gibbous

Question 64

What is the best description of the Earth's rotation over its entire history?

A) It has periodically reversed directions, as the magnetic polarity reversals show.
B) It has been constant over the entire history of the solar system.
C) It undergoes abrupt changes, as the magnetic variations show.
D) It has slowed down very gradually at about .0015 seconds per century.
E) It has sped up at about .013 seconds per century.

Question 65

A hot,molten body of different materials will become ________.

Question 66

The region around Earth where the magnetic field traps charged particles is the:

A) ozone layer.
B) exosphere.
C) Van Allen Radiation Belts.
D) corona.
E) aurora borealis and australis.

Question 67

The ________ on the edges of the continents come from subduction of oceanic basalt beneath the advancing continental plate.

Question 68

When strong solar winds are displaced poleward by our magnetic fields,we get:

A) the Van Allen radiation belts.
B) intense auroral displays.
C) sunspots.
D) hurricanes in the tropics.
E) droughts and dust bowls in the American West.

Question 69

The partial trapping of solar radiation is known as the ________.

Question 70

The oldest rocks found on the Earth's surface date back about ________ billion years.

Question 71

The presence of a magnetic field is a good indication that:

A) the Earth's interior is similar to Mercury's, as both have fields.
B) a huge iron meteorite lies somewhere high up in the mantle, not in the core.
C) we have a liquid metal outer core, spinning rapidly as we rotate.
D) the Earth's interior must be completely molten to the center.
E) the Earth's interior has had time to solidify, with a rigid bar magnet created.

Question 72

At what phase would tidal variation be the least during the entire day?

A) new moon
B) first quarter
C) waxing gibbous
D) full moon
E) waning crescent

Question 73

Earth's magnetic field:

A) prevents charged particles in the solar wind from reaching the surface.
B) is a remnant of the solar nebula's magnetic field.
C) is weakening the Van Allen radiation belts.
D) is the force behind plate tectonics.
E) lines intersect the atmosphere at the equator.

Question 74

When strong solar wind storms are diverted poleward by our magnetic fields,we often observe ________ in the ionosphere.

Question 75

In the process of breaking down the ozone layer,the chlorine from the CFCs acts as a ________.

Question 76

When strong solar winds are directed poleward,we see ________ at night.

Question 77

The Dynamo Theory holds that:

A) lightning plays a major role in generating our magnetic fields.
B) any other planet of similar density will also have a strong magnetic field.
C) the Earth's core, like Mercury's, is now a solid, rigid bar magnet.
D) magnetic fields are generated by rapidly spinning, fluid magnetic interiors.
E) the Earth's magnetic field must switch polarities every few million years.

Question 78

Plate ________ is the process by which convection within the mantle reforms the crust above it.

Question 79

Which of these is NOT a product of plate tectonics and hot spots?

A) Hawaii
B) Yellowstone and Old Faithful
C) the Mid Atlantic Rift
D) the Andes
E) the Grand Canyon's eroded depths

Question 80

What is true of spring tides?

A) The third quarter Moon would be high overhead at dawn.
B) The difference between low and high tides would be greatest.
C) There would be one high and one low tide each day.
D) The Moon's phase will be first quarter.
E) The difference between low and high tides would be smallest.