Earth Science - Dr. Christol Chapter 1

Front 1

The traditional (old) way to study Earth Science separated the subject into discrete disciplines such as

Back 1

All of These (Meteorology, geology, and astronomy)

Front 2

he sphere of Earth which includes all of the water on the planet is called the

Back 2

Hydrosphere

Front 3

The period of time that it takes for a process to occur is referred to as a

Back 3

Time Scale

Front 4

The term, _____________, implies shifts about some mean point.

Back 4

variability

Front 5

The sphere of Earth Which includes human activities such as agriculture, manufacturing and industrial sectors, is known at the ______________________.

Back 5

technosphere

Front 6

Use of fossil fuels and deforestation both lead to a buildup of _____________ in the atmosphere.

Back 6

Carbon Dioxide

Front 7

Development to meet the needs of current generations without compromising those of the future is one way to define the term, ___________________.

Back 7

sustainability

Front 8

The ___________________ is the sphere of Earth, which includes the biosphere and its interactions with the physical systems.

Back 8

ecosphere

Front 9

The ____________ is the sphere of Earth which includes the frozen portion of the hydrosphere such as glaciers, ice sheets and snow.

Back 9

cryosphere

Front 10

Most spheres of Earth work together with the exceptions of the ______________ and the _____________ which are often in conflict with one another.

Back 10

technosphere and ecosphere

Front 11

The total impact on the environment of humans as a geologic force can be expressed as a functional equation. Which of the following expresses that equation?

Back 11

I=PAT

Front 12

"Growth" and "Development" mean the same thing and are interchangeable terms. (T/F)

Back 12

False

Front 13

The steps of the holistic approach used to evaluate our Earth's systems (1. Observation, 2. Hypothesis, 3. Experimentation, 4. Analysis of Results) is part of the __________________ ________________.

Back 13

scientific method

Front 14

What is chapter one of our textbook about? (choose the best answer)

Back 14

Both are correct: natural global environmental change and human-induced global environmental change

Front 15

A ________ is a sequence of events that continuously re-occurs such that matter is transported from one portion to another then returned.

Back 15

cycle

Front 16

El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a phenomenon that exhibits variability and affects weather patterns in the _____________ _______________ but with far reaching effects on other regions of Earth.

Back 16

tropical Pacific

Front 17

Airborne particles from dust storms connect _____________ with ________________. (choose the best answer)

Back 17

North Africa with Bermuda

deserts in China with Hawaii

viruses, bacteria, fungi and toxic metals with a way to cross long distances eventually infecting humans in some cases.

All of these answers are true.

Front 18

Metastable systems may change dramatically after a slight disturbance. Example(s) of these "tipping points" include:

Back 18

ocean acidification

Front 19

From your reading of Waggoner and Ausuble, 2002, what was the basis of this research?

Back 19

a renovation of the IPAT fuction to measure sustainability.

Front 20

From your reading of Waggoner and Audubel, 2002, what rage of annual progress in consumption and technology over many decades and sectors provides a benchmark for sustainability according to their research?

Back 20

2-3%

Front 21

What element is the most abundant in the Earth's crust by weight?

Back 21

oxygen

Front 22

An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus?

Back 22

7

(add together)

Front 23

In Igneous Rocks, as the rate of cooling increases, the size of the crystals that form

Back 23

decreases

Front 24

___________ is a strong, parallel alignment of different mineral bands in a metamorphic rock.

Back 24

Foliation

Front 25

Which of the following refers to the investigative process by which geologists identify and match sedimentary strata and other rocks of the same ages in different areas?

Back 25

correlation

Front 26

About 88 percent of geologic time is represented by the time span called the

Back 26

Precambrian

Front 27

What is the age of the Earth accepted by most scientists today?

Back 27

4.5 billion years

Front 28

Sedimentary rocks _______________

Back 28

may contain fossils

hold important clues to Earth's history

may be economically important.

All of these are true

Front 29

In what kind of environmental setting would you expect to find marine evaporite deposits forming?

Back 29

where an arm of seawater has been isolated from the open ocean and in a climatic region where evaporation exceeds precipitation.

Front 30

The podzols in 02_08_FigureA.jpg are principally a product of what kind of climate?

Back 30

cool, moist temperate climates

Front 31

The correct order of the divisions of the geological time scale from largest to shortest is

Back 31

eon, era, period, epoch

Front 32

What are polymorphs?

Back 32

Polymorphs are minerals with the same chemical composition but different crystalline structures.

Front 33

Why do the continents "float high" relative to the ocean basins?

Back 33

because the contents are more bouyant than the rocks of the ocean basins.

because of isostacy.

The continents are elevated above the ocean basins because continental masses are thicker and less dense than the rocks of the ocean basins.

All of these are true

Front 34

What are the major classes of rocks?

Back 34

igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic

Front 35

Uranium-235 has a half-life of 0.705 billion years. What is the fraction of U-235 remaining after four half-lives? (Hint: percentage divided by 100 gives the numerical "fraction")

Back 35

0.0625

Front 36

What effect does the formation of great continental ice sheets at high latitude have on the δ18O of surface ocean water?

Back 36

The formation of ice sheets least to the enrichment of 18O in surface ocean water and a higher δ18O of seawater.

Front 37

Dissolved constituents and solid particles are the two major products of _____________.

Back 37

weathering.

Front 38

What mineral is known as the hardest substance in nature?

Back 38

diamond

Front 39

What fundamental concept states that in a horizontal sequence of conformable sedimentary strata, each higher bed is younger than the bed below it?

Back 39

law of superposition

Front 40

The Earth has a mass of 5.98 x 1027 g and an average density of 5.53 g/cm3. What is the volume of the Earth in cubic kilometers? Express your answer in scientific notation to two decimal places all run together with your answer unit. It's ok if the superscript function doesn't work.

Back 40

1.08 E +12 km3

Front 41

The names of the zones of the dynamic subdivisions of the Earth's interior from the outside inward are _______________.

Back 41

lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere

Front 42

Where does the carbon dioxide come from to chemicaly weather CaCO3?

Back 42

Carbon dioxide comes indirectly through root respiration.

Carbon dioxide come indirectly from the decomposition of plant materials in the soil.

Carbon dioxide comes directly from the atmosphere.

All of These

Front 43

The subdivision of the Earth's interior based on chemical composition include the following zones, starting with the innermost outward.

Back 43

core, mantle, crust

Front 44

How does Earth's crust spread?

Back 44

Midocean ridges allow upwelling and intrusion of magma into the oceanic crust caused by convective motions in the mantle.

Front 45

What is the main evidence for the conclusion that part of Earth's core is molten?

Back 45

S waves do not pass through the core.

Front 46

Why must plates be destroyed at subduction zones?

Back 46

If there were no region of destruction of lithospheric plates, Earth would expand. There is no firm evidence for an expanding Earth.

Front 47

Why is it difficult to subduct the continental crust of Earth?

Back 47

The relatively low density and thickness of continental crust prevents it from being subducted.

Front 48

Where would one locate the following geologic processes: weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, burial, uplift, metamorphism, orogenesis (mountain building), volcanism, and seafloor spreading?

Back 48

Lithosphere

Front 49

Which of the following provides evidence for an Earth core of metallic iron?

Back 49

All of these

Front 50

Use figure 3.6 on page 49 in our text for reference. If the reversal in magnetic anomaly patterns of the seafloor has an upper age limit of about 3.3 million years and the basaltic lava representing this time is found 100 km from the present ridge axis, what has been the average spreading rate (in cm/yr) of this portion of the oceanic crust?

Back 50

3

Front 51

The processes of weathering and erosion most directly affect ___________________.

Back 51

formation of soils and sedimentary rocks.

Front 52

Using Darcy's Law (the algebraic expression describing the movement of groundwater using important variables such as the Discharge (Q), Hydraulic conductivity (K), Hydraulic gradient (h1-h2/l) and Area (A) of the aquifer)Q = (K)(h1-h2/l)(A)

Back 52

2,000,000

Front 53

One kind of evidence that supports Wegener's hypothesis is that ________________.

Back 53

fossils of the same organism have been found on different conintents.

Front 54

A tectonic plate consists of _______________.

Back 54

the crust and uppermost mantle.

Front 55

New ocean crust is formed at _____________.

Back 55

divergent boundaries.

Front 56

An example of a divergent plate boundary on continental lithosphere would be ___________.

Back 56

the East African Rift Valley.

Front 57

The Himalayas in South Asia are an example of what type of plate boundary?

Back 57

convergent continental-continental boundary

Front 58

If a deep ocean trench is located adjacent to a continent, active volcanoes would be located ___________.

Back 58

landward from the trench.

Front 59

Magnetic reversals ___________.

Back 59

provide strong evidence for seafloor spreading.

Front 60

The thermal convection that drives plate motion is cause by _______.

Back 60

an unequal distribution of heat.

Front 61

What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

Back 61

Nitrogen

Front 62

The form of oxygen that combines three oxygen atoms into each molecule is called ____.

Back 62

Ozone

Front 63

When energy is transferred to air, what happens to the particles of air?

Back 63

They move faster

Front 64

Earth receives energy from the sun through what method of heat transfer?

Back 64

radiation

Front 65

Which of the following is NOT a temperature control?

Back 65

nitrogen

Front 66

Why are annual temperature ranges in the Southern Hemisphere generally smaller than those in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 66

There is a greater percentage of water surface in the Southern Hemisphere.

Front 67

Gamma rays, X-rays, visible light and radio waves are all types of _____________.

Back 67

electromagnetic radiation

Front 68

What are the two sources of energy for the Earth system?

Back 68

the sun and Earth's interior.

Front 69

High velocity "rivers" of air are called ____________.

Back 69

jetstreams

Front 70

How does surface air flow in a middle-latitude cyclone in the Northern Hemisphere?

Back 70

convergent and counterclockwise.

Front 71

Heat and moisture are distributed around Earth by _____________.

Back 71

Global Winds

Front 72

Which of the following is NOT true of greenhouse gases?

Back 72

They are produced solely by human activities.

Front 73

The greatest number of thunderstorms occur in the __________.

Back 73

Tropics

Front 74

Why is it said that the troposphere is unstable?

Back 74

The troposphere is heated from the ground surface where solar radiation that was absorbed re-radiates UV (heat) and hot air rises which is "unstable" meteorologically speaking.

Front 75

Why do temperatures in the stratosphere increase upward?

Back 75

The upward increase of temperatures in the stratosphere is mainly due to the absorption of solar energy by ozone and the release of heat in the photochemical reaction (O3 --> O2 + heat).

Front 76

Total precipitation over Earth's surface is 496,000 km3/yr. The amount of water vapor in the atmosphere is 13,000 km3. If there were no replenishment of water vapor in the atmosphere, how long would it take to remove all the water from the atmosphere? (Leave your answer in years for the unit)

Back 76

0.026

Front 77

What are the four major gases in the atmosphere?

Back 77

N2, O2, Ar and CO2

Front 78

What is the relationship between the wavelengths and energy level in the electromagnetic spectrum?

Back 78

As wavelengths decrease the energy levels increase.

Front 79

If the mass of the atmosphere is 5.2 x 1021 g and water vapor in the atmosphere averages about 0.2% by mass, What is the total mass of water vapor in the atmosphere? (leave your answer in grams for the unit.)

Back 79

1.04E19

Front 80

Of the 390 W/m2 of long-wave radiation emitted by Earh's surface, 324W/m2 are absorbed by water vapor, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and re-radiated back to Earth. What happens to this energy, and what effect does it have on Earth?

Back 80

The energy is reabsorbed, keeping Earth warm.

Front 81

Why are there high-pressure caps at each pole and a low-pressure belt in the equatorial region?

Back 81

Warm air rises near the equator creating a constant area of low pressure there, while cold air decends and accumulates at the polar regions

Front 82

Why are there no hurricanes at the equator?

Back 82

The Earth is already rotating at it's fastest rate and therefore Coriolis Effect is not present at the equator.

Front 83

What places in the world do most icebergs form?

Back 83

The North Atlantic Ocean and the ocean around Antarctica

Front 84

Earth's surface winds are caused by air moving from a region of ______ to a region of ________.

Back 84

high pressure; low pressure

Front 85

Which reservoir stores the largest amount of CO2?

Back 85

The oceans

Front 86

Air becomes less dense and rises when _______________.

Back 86

the air warms.

the water vapor content increases.

atmospheric pressure decreases.

All of the Above

Front 87

Hurricanes derive their energy from _______ pressure zones in the ______ latitudes.

Back 87

Low;Tropical

Front 88

The low pressure area near the equator is known as the _________________.

Back 88

Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Front 89

What are the four most abundant ions in seawater?

Back 89

Cl-, Na+, SO42- and Mg2+

Front 90

Average seawater is primarily a sodium chloride solution. Seawater continais about 35 grams of salt per kilogram of seawater, of which about 19 grams are chloride ion (Cl-). What is the percent by weight of chloride in seawater salt?

Back 90

54

Front 91

What is the name of the pattern described below?Cold, dense waters sink in the North Atlantic east of Greenland in the Norwegian Sea. These waters flow south at depth in the ocean and on reaching the southern ocean flow east between South Africa and antarctica. They enter the Indian Ocean and continue east into the Pacific Basin. They flow north in the Pacific and rise toward the surface in the northeast Pacific Ocean. After rising, they begin their return trip as near-surface currents flowing south in the Pacific through the Indonesian Archipelago into the Indian Ocean, and back into the Atlantic. In the North Atlantic, the waters transport heat to high latitudes and then descend, starting their journey over again.

Back 91

Conveyor belt circulation pattern

Front 92

he average depth of the ocean is 3.8 km and the average upwelling rate of deep water into the surface open ocean and into coastal environments is 4 m/year. About how long would it take to upwell the vertical distance to the average ocean depth?

Back 92

950

Front 93

How does deep water return to the surface?

Back 93

through "upwelling"

Front 94

How would you expect the residence time of the deep water to change from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean?

Back 94

generally gets older

Front 95

During an El Nino year, how do sea-surface temperatures (SSTs), the depth of the thrmocline and rainfall differ from normal conditions over the eastern Pacific near Peru?

Back 95

SSTs are higher, the thermocline is deeper and the rainfall is higher

Front 96

During an extreme La Nina year, how do the strength of the trade winds change from normal conditions?

Back 96

trade winds are generally stronger than during a normal year.

Front 97

What might be an ecological response involving the biota to an El Nino event in the eastern Pacific near Peru?

Back 97

a decline in phytoplankton production

a decline in the anchovy fishery yield

alterned migrations of local bird species

All of the Above

Front 98

Which of the following oceanic monitoring progams have climatic implications?

Back 98

North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)

Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO)

Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO)

All of These

Front 99

Given that 1 mg L-1 is equal to 1 PPM (parts per million) when measuring the concentrations of something dissolved in seawater, what would be the concentration in PPM of dissolved (K+) in seawater if 400.5 mg of K+ were dissolved in one liter of seawater?

Back 99

400.5

Front 100

What percentage of land area is covered by glacial ice today?

Back 100

10%