Deck 4: Earth and Its Moon

Question 1

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

Answer 1

True

Question 2

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

Answer 2

False

Question 3

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

Answer 3

False

Question 4

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 5

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

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

Question 6

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

Question 7

Without greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, the Earth's oceans would not be liquid.

Question 8

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

Question 9

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

Question 10

Few of the Moon's craters are actually due to volcanism, as was widely thought prior to Apollo.

Question 11

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

Question 12

The ozone layer lies in the mesosphere.

Question 13

Infrared radiation is trapped close to our surface by the greenhouse effect.

Question 14

The average density of the Moon is less than that of the Earth.

Question 15

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

Question 16

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

Question 17

The Moon's crust is thicker on the side of the Moon that faces the Earth.

Question 18

When the Moon is described as tidally locked, that means that it does not rotate.

Question 19

The Sun's effect on tides is greater than the Moon's because of its greater mass.

Question 20

The most important factor contributing to the differences in the internal structure of the Moon and Earth is size.

Question 21

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 22

Scientists are confident that the Moon does not have a large, dense nickel-iron core because

A) the Moon's surface rocks are similar in density to the Moon's average density.
B) deep samples taken by the Apollo astronauts found almost no iron.
C) the Earth's magnetic field would pull anything with a lot of iron into the Earth.
D) unmanned Soviet missions drilled into the Moon's core and did not find iron.
E) a thick atmosphere is required for there to be a metal core.

Question 23

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 24

At what phase are the tides least noticeable?

A) New Moon
B) Full Moon
C) Third quarter
D) Waxing crescent
E) Waning gibbous

Question 25

The Moon's density, when compared to Earth's, is about

A) 10% as large.
B) 25% as large.
C) 50% as large.
D) 60% as large.
E) the same.

Question 26

Moonquakes on the Moon were detected by

A) the radar observations over time from Earth.
B) the seismographs left these by the Apollo astronauts.
C) laser beams reflected off mirrors left on the Moon by Apollo missions.
D) seismographs attached to the Russian Lunar rovers.
E) telescopic observations of lunar landslides.

Question 27

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 28

Where does the energy come from to create tidal bulges?

A) The Sun's gravity
B) The orbital and rotational motion of the Earth and Moon
C) The heat from Earth's core
D) The movement of the Earth's oceans.
E) The temperature difference between the Moon's surface and its core

Question 29

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 30

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 31

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 32

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 33

Moonquakes release about as much energy as

A) a moderate earthquake.
B) a nuclear fission bomb.
C) the eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.
D) a firecracker.
E) nothing. There are no moonquakes since the Moon is geologically dead.

Question 34

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 35

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 36

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 37

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 38

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.

Question 39

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 40

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 41

In what part of our atmosphere do we live?

A) Troposphere
B) Stratosphere
C) Mesosphere
D) Ionosphere
E) Exosphere

Question 42

The rate of cratering in the lunar highlands shows us that

A) they must be younger than the older, darker mare.
B) they range from 4.6 - 4.4 billion years old, on average.
C) the largest impacts are the youngest, such as Copernicus and Tycho.
D) the oldest rocks are at least as old as the mare, but some craters are much younger.
E) most of the asteroids must have hit the Moon, not the Earth.

Question 43

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 44

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 45

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 46

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 47

The rate of cratering

A) has remained constant over the last 4.6 billion years.
B) has recently increased with more collisions in the asteroid belt.
C) fluctuates over time, with massive bodies occasionally coming in from the Oort Cloud.
D) shows that large asteroid impacts are more common now than in the past.
E) shows that most interplanetary debris was swept up soon after the formation of the solar system.

Question 48

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 49

What gas is the primary constituent of our atmosphere?

A) Oxygen
B) Carbon dioxide
C) Nitrogen
D) Hydrogen
E) Helium

Question 50

The motion of the tectonic plates is driven by

A) the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun.
B) the elliptical nature of Earth's orbit.
C) heat moving by convection.
D) magnetic repulsion.
E) Earth's subsurface convection cycle.

Question 51

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 52

The chief erosive agent now on the Moon is

A) lunar ice melting and refreezing in the polar regions.
B) lava flows welling up in the mare.
C) volcanic vents in the rugged highlands.
D) the rain of micrometeorites chewing up the regolith.
E) rain from cometary debris melting as it enters the Moon's atmosphere.

Question 53

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 54

Above about 80 km, the Sun's radiation ionizes the gases. 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 55

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 56

The average rate of erosion on the Moon is far less than on Earth because

A) the crust of the Moon is much denser than the Earth's crust.
B) the Moon is much younger than the Earth.
C) the Moon lacks wind, water and an atmosphere.
D) the Moon's magnetic field protects it from the solar wind better than ours does.
E) the Moon's mare long ago dried up, so there is no more wave erosion there.

Question 57

Almost all of our atmospheric gases lie in the

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

Question 58

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 59

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 60

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

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Water
C) Oxygen
D) Hydrogen sulfide
E) Nitrogen

Question 61

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 62

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

Question 63

The Moon's crust is ________ km thick on the Earth side and ________ km thick on the far side.

Question 64

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 65

Because of ________, the Moon is moving away from the Earth at about 4 centimeters per century.

Question 66

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 67

The various layers of the atmosphere are distinguished by the behavior of the ________.

Question 68

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

Question 69

The Moon's crust is thickest on the ________ side.

Question 70

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 71

Which type of feature is the best evidence of lunar volcanism?

A) Rays around the latest eruptions
B) Craters all over the Moon
C) Vents seen erupting in the mountainous highlands
D) Rilles associated with lava flows accompanying the mare formation
E) The Orientale Basin

Question 72

These are found on the side of the Moon that faces Earth, but not on the far side.

A) Highlands
B) Maria
C) Craters
D) Mountains
E) Valleys

Question 73

Most of the information about the Moon's internal structure comes from ________ left on the lunar surface by Apollo astronauts.

Question 74

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

Question 75

Each day, there are ________ high tides on Earth.

Question 76

The Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere contribute ________% to the total mass of the Earth.

Question 77

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 78

Which lunar feature most resembles the Moon's original crust?

A) Valleys
B) Craters
C) Maria
D) Bright rays
E) Highlands

Question 79

Which side of the Moon has the thicker crust? Why?

Question 80

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