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

Question 1

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

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

Answer 1

B

Question 2

A plate tectonics feature located in the area of Arabia, northeastern Africa, and the Red Sea is a:

A) subducting plate boundary.
B) continental collision boundary.
C) divergent plate boundary.
D) transform plate boundary.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The best definition of a scientific theory is:

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.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The interaction between these two systems has shaped and sculpted the Earth's surface.

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

Question 5

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

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 6

This hypothesis uses current geological processes to explain long- past geological events:

A) catastrophism.
B) naturalism.
C) uniformitarianism.
D) disasterism.

Question 7

Due to its internal layers, the best model of the Earth's interior would be a cross section of a(n):

A) onion.
B) hard- boiled egg.
C) plain (not peanut) M&M.
D) watermelon.

Question 8

The remains of the meteorite impact crater are located:

A) off shore of Jacksonville, Florida.
B) along the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.
C) near Gubbio, Italy.
D) near Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Question 9

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:

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 10

Which of the following statements concerning the Earth is NOT true?

A) It has a diameter of 6371 kilometers.
B) It orbits one of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.
C) It lies 93 million kilometers from the Sun.
D) It is one of nine planets in the Solar System.

Question 11

The Earth's interior consists of:

A) a crust and mantle, made mostly of rock, and a core, made mostly of metal.
B) a crust of rock; a mantle composed of liquid metal; and a core composed of rock.
C) a crust consisting mostly of metal, and a core and mantle consisting mostly of rock.
D) a crust composed of rock, and a core and mantle composed mostly of iron and nickel metals.

Question 12

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

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 13

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

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 14

A geologist has formed an hypothesis about a natural phenomenon, but due to the nature of the phenomenon, he is unable to test his hypothesis through direct observation or laboratory experimentation. Of the many possible approaches to the problem, the one you would NOT expect the geologist to take is:

A) to build working scale models representative of the phenomenon.
B) to discuss the hypothesis with other geologists studying the same phenomenon.
C) to disregard the hypothesis due to insufficient observations.
D) to use a computer to calculate the results of a mathematical model.

Question 15

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

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 16

Which was NOT a factor in the proto- Earth's loss of nearly all of its lighter gases?

A) The Moon's gravitational force pulled these gases away from the planet.
B) The remaining matter consisted primarily of iron, nickel, and silicate minerals.
C) The gases were carried away by solar winds.
D) High temperatures from solar radiation vaporized these gases.

Question 17

The eighteenth- century hypothesis suggesting Earth experienced immense, worldwide upheavals is called:

A) catastrophism.
B) uniformitarianism.
C) naturalism.
D) disasterism.

Question 18

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

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

Question 19

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

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

Question 20

The Earth's external heat source, radiation from the Sun, does all of the following EXCEPT:

A) removes water from the hydrosphere (evaporation).
B) heats the atmosphere.
C) drives the tectonic motion of the lithosphere.
D) supports life in the biosphere.

Question 21

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

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 22

Differentiation of an originally homogenous Earth was due to differences in:

A) material density.
B) material texture.
C) internal origin.
D) material size.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT true concerning scientific hypotheses?

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 24

The age of the universe is believed to be about:

A) 10 billion years.
B) 4.6 billion years.
C) 13 billion years.
D) 20 billion years.

Question 25

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

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

Question 26

The age of the Earth has been determined by:

A) the spatial relationships of rock bodies to one another.
B) the position of fossils within rock layers.
C) the constant rate of decay of radioactive elements.
D) the principle of superposition.

Question 27

The asthenosphere can be described as a layer of the Earth's interior:

A) within the crust that contains molten, flowing rock.
B) within the lithosphere that contains heat- softened, slow- flowing, but still- solid rock.
C) within the mantle that contains heat- softened, slow- flowing, but still- solid rock.
D) within the core that contains molten iron and nickel.

Question 28

The threat of rising sea level to the coastal United States indicates which systems interaction?

A) Atmosphere- biosphere- hydrosphere- lithosphere.
B) Hydrosphere- biosphere- atmosphere- lithosphere.
C) Lithosphere- atmosphere- hydrosphere- biosphere.
D) Biosphere- hydrosphere- atmosphere- lithosphere.

Question 29

Absolute dating of rocks is based fundamentally on:

A) the spatial relationships of rock bodies to one another.
B) the principle of superposition.
C) the position of fossils within rock layers.
D) the constant rate of decay of radioactive elements.

Question 30

Cooling and solidification of magma produces:

A) igneous rocks.
B) metamorphic rocks.
C) magma.
D) sediment particles.

Question 31

Which of the following statements concerning chondrules is NOT true?

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 32

The denser plate sinks beneath the less- dense plate at all convergent plate boundaries EXCEPT:

A) continent- to- continent plate boundaries.
B) ocean- to- ocean plate boundaries.
C) subducting boundaries.
D) ocean- to- continent plate boundaries.

Question 33

The lithosphere can be described as a layer within the Earth's interior:

A) just above the asthenosphere that contains solid, relatively strong rock.
B) within the lower portion of the mantle that contains solid, relatively strong rock.
C) just below the asthenosphere that contains both solid and heat- softened rock.
D) within the asthenosphere that contains heat- softened, yet flowing, solid rock.

Question 34

Transfer of heat through particles energized by colliding with neighboring particles is called:

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

Question 35

Plate tectonics is considered the unifying theory of geology. The likely reason for this is because:

A) it unified geology with the theories of other sciences.
B) it unified all geologists in their beliefs about the Earth's processes.
C) it unified many of the previously isolated concepts of geology into a single theory.
D) it transformed geology from an abstract science into a true science.

Question 36

Our Solar System was formed by the collapse of an enormous gas cloud called a(n):

A) nova.
B) ort cloud.
C) planetesimal.
D) nebula.

Question 37

After the impactors collision with Earth, its dense iron core most likely:

A) was pulled back into the molten Earth.
B) fragmented and shot into space.
C) vaporized and was removed by the solar winds.
D) was captured by the Earth's gravity in an orbit 400,000 Kilometers away.

Question 38

The primary basis on which an hypothesis may be elevated to the status of a theory is:

A) the acceptance by most people that the hypothesis is a fact.
B) the repeated confirmation of the hypothesis by observation and experimentation.
C) the length of time since the hypothesis was first suggested.
D) the lack of a reasonable alternate hypothesis.

Question 39

Florida and other lowland coastal regions of the United States may soon be threatened by:

A) a volcanic eruption.
B) an earthquake.
C) coastal flooding.
D) a seismic sea wave.

Question 40

Despite scientific evidence, Wegener's continental drift hypothesis was unaccepted because:

A) he could not provide a plausible mechanism by which continents could move.
B) of the religious dogma of society at that time.
C) American scientists preferred to develop their own hypothesis.
D) he was a meteorologist, not a geologist.

Question 41

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

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 42

How can iceberg dispersal from Antarctic ice shelves cause a worldwide rise in sea level?

Question 43

The best definition of a scientific law is:

A) a generally accepted explanation for a given set of data or observations.
B) an explanation that continues to withstand rigorous testing over a long period of time.
C) an educated guess.
D) a tentative explanation that fits the data collected and explains future observations.

Question 44

What methods do geologists use to apply the scientific method to geological hypotheses?

Question 45

Tectonic plates are actively converging in which of the following:

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

Question 46

How did the Earth get its Moon?

Question 47

The swamp- dwelling, prehistoric synapsid reptile Lystrosaurus lived on all continents except:

A) Antarctica.
B) Africa.
C) India.
D) North America.

Question 48

Which of the following statements concerning the rock cycle is NOT true?

A) Any rock can become a metamorphic rock, including another metamorphic rock.
B) All rocks can be classified as either metamorphic, igneous, or sedimentary.
C) Sedimentary rocks form by consolidation of rock fragments, or by chemical precipitation.
D) As magma cools, it can form either sedimentary, metamorphic, or igneous rocks.

Question 49

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

Question 50

A plate boundary where plates move laterally beside each other in opposite directions is a:

A) continental collision.
B) subducting plate boundary.
C) divergent plate boundary.
D) transform plate boundary.

Question 51

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

Question 52

List and briefly discuss five lines of evidence in favor of plate tectonics.

Question 53

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

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

Question 54

Little or no volcanic activity is associated with which of the following plate boundaries?

A) Converging plate boundaries.
B) Divergent plate boundaries.
C) Subducting plate boundaries.
D) Transform plate boundaries.

Question 55

Alfred Wegener proposed all the following as evidence in support of continental drift EXCEPT:

A) the age of sea- floor rocks and sediments.
B) ancient climates completely out of place with modern geographical locations.
C) identical animals, both living and fossil, found on widely separated continents.
D) the jigsaw- puzzle fit of the continents.

Question 56

The Mount Usa volcanic eruption illustrates which of the following system interactions?

A) Hydrosphere- lithosphere- atmosphere- biosphere.
B) Lithosphere- atmosphere- hydrosphere- biosphere.
C) Atmosphere- lithosphere- biosphere- hydrosphere.
D) Biosphere- hydrosphere- lithosphere- atmosphere.

Question 57

Breakup of the West Antarctic Ice sheet may be caused by:

A) melting of Greenland's ice cap.
B) burning fossil fuels.
C) falling sea level.
D) earthquakes.

Question 58

How are the ages of rocks determined in terms of both relative dating and absolute ages?

Question 59

During the first 20 million years or so of its history, the Earth accumulated additional heat and became differentiated into its present layered structure. How did this occur?

Question 60

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

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

Question 61

Describe the mechanism by which tectonic plates are transported.

Question 62

Briefly describe the Big Bang theory.