Question 1

James Hutton's statement that "the present is the key to the past" summarizes the hypothesis of:

Accepted Answer

A)  catastrophism, and is an obsolete geological principle. 
B)  uniformitarianism, and is an obsolete geological principle. 
C)  catastrophism, and is the currently held belief of geologists. 
D)  uniformitarianism, and is the currently held belief of geologists.

Question 2

All of the following are concepts associated with the theory of plate tectonics EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  large- scale geologic activity occurs at or near plate boundaries. 
B)  interiors of plates are geologically inactive and noted for lack of earthquakes and volcanoes. 
C)  the outer portion of the Earth is composed of rigid units called plates. 
D)  plates move very slowly, on the order of a few centimeters per year.

Question 3

Which of the following statements concerning the formation of the solar system is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The four inner planets are warmer and have a higher density than the outer planets. 
B)  Vaporized lighter gases from inner planets were swept by solar winds to the outer planets. 
C)  The outer planets are composed mostly of hydrogen, helium, methane, and ammonia. 
D)  The four inner planets consist mainly of iron, nickel, and silicate minerals.

Question 4

Which of the following is NOT true concerning scientific hypotheses?

Accepted Answer

A)  In the history of science, more hypotheses have been abandoned than have been retained. 
B)  Hypotheses are sometimes completely abandoned because of new observations. 
C)  Hypotheses are sometimes retained, but undergo modification because of new observations. 
D)  A single hypothesis may be considered in explaining a particular natural phenomena.

Question 5

Tectonic plates are actively converging in which of the following:

Accepted Answer

A)  the mid- ocean ridge. 
B)  subducting boundaries. 
C)  rifting areas. 
D)  sea- floor spreading areas.

Question 6

The hypothesis of plate tectonics began to reshape geologists' view of the world during the:

Accepted Answer

A)  late 1800s. 
B)  1940s. 
C)  1960s. 
D)  1920s.

Question 7

The main difference between geology and sciences such as biology, chemistry, and physics is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  many geologic processes are not amenable to laboratory experimentation. 
B)  geology is the only science that uses computer models to simulate natural processes. 
C)  geology is a science that cannot apply the scientific method. 
D)  geology is not considered a true science.

Question 8

One hypothesis explains the extinction of dinosaurs by suggesting that a large meteorite collided with the Earth some 65 million years ago. This hypothesis is best supported by all of the following observations EXCEPT:

Accepted Answer

A)  a worldwide layer of iridium that appears in rocks of the extinction age. 
B)  a meteorite impact site in Canada that is large enough and of the extinction age. 
C)  the worldwide presence of microscopic glassy spheres, called microtektites, in sediments of the correct age to coincide with the extinctions. 
D)  the fact that iridium is rare on Earth but is common on meteorites.

Question 9

The planets grew by the accumulation of millions of bits of matter in a process called:

Accepted Answer

A)  planetary accumulation. 
B)  planetary condensation. 
C)  planetary aggregation. 
D)  planetary accretion.

Question 10

Why don't continental plates subduct into the underlying mantle?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why don't continental plates subduct into the...

Question 11

It is believed that the force that drives the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates is:

Accepted Answer

A)  tidal forces from the Moon's gravitational pull. 
B)  heat currents, known as convection cells, within the liquid portion of the Earth's core. 
C)  heat currents, known as convection cells, within the Earth's mantle. 
D)  centrifugal forces from the speed of Earth's rotation.

Question 12

The Earth system containing the strong, rocky, external layer of the Earth is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  the atmosphere. 
B)  the biosphere. 
C)  the lithosphere. 
D)  the hydrosphere.

Question 13

Which of the following statements concerning chondrules is NOT true?

Accepted Answer

A)  Chondrules contain more iron than is commonly found in Earth rocks. 
B)  Chondrules are believed to be matter droplets condensed from the original solar nebula. 
C)  Chondrules exhibit a layered structure that was formed by the process of differentiation. 
D)  Chondrules are small rocky nuggets found in some meteorites.

Question 14

How did the Earth get its Moon?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did the Earth get its Moon?...

Question 15

The best definition of a scientific theory is:

Accepted Answer

A)  a tentative explanation that fits the data collected and which may explain future observations. 
B)  an educated guess, based on observations and previous experience, to explain a phenomenon. 
C)  a statement describing a natural phenomena proven to occur invariably whenever certain conditions are met. 
D)  an explanation for a given set of observations that is generally accepted within the scientific community, but has not yet been decisively proven.

Question 16

Which was NOT a heat source associated with differentiation of the Earth's interior into layers?

Accepted Answer

A)  Heat produced by impacts with planetesimals. 
B)  Heat released as nuclei of radioactive substances split apart. 
C)  Heat produced from the vaporization of proto- Earth's light gases. 
D)  Compressional heating generated by the weight of the growing mass of overlying rock.

Question 17

According to the Big Bang theory, the universe began as:

Accepted Answer

A)  a cloud of hot gases. 
B)  a huge star. 
C)  a very small, hot volume of space. 
D)  a single atom.

Question 18

What was James Hutton's role in the development of modern geology?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was James Hutton's role in the...

Question 19

The portion of the Earth that is broken into tectonic plates is the:

Accepted Answer

A)  lithosphere. 
B)  crust. 
C)  crust and mantle. 
D)  lithosphere and asthenosphere.

Question 20

Heat transfer by actual motion of material carrying thermal energy with it, is called:

Accepted Answer

A)  radioactivity. 
B)  convection. 
C)  conduction. 
D)  evaporation.

Exam 1: A First Look at Planet Earth - Its Origins, Systems, and Tectonic Plates