Earth Science Final

Front 1

Science can be defined as:

Back 1

the study of the physical universe

Front 2

A hypothesis can be defined as:

Back 2

a possible explanation of a phenomena

Front 3

The inner core of the earth exists at which state?

Back 3

solid

Front 4

The outer core of the earth exists in which state?

Back 4

liquid

Front 5

The inner core and outer are composed of:

Back 5

iron-nickel

Front 6

The mantle is composed of:

Back 6

peridotite

Front 7

Oceanic crust is created at this type of plate boundary:

Back 7

divergent

Front 8

Oceanic crust is destroyed at this type of plate boundary:

Back 8

convergent

Front 9

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are collectively known as the ______ planets.

Back 9

Jovian

Front 10

Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars are collectively known as the _______ planets.

Back 10

Terrestrial

Front 11

The Jovian planets have what characteristics?

Back 11

large and gaseous

Front 12

T/F: All the elements that make up the Solar System (aside from hydrogen) formed within the Sun

Back 12

False

Front 13

T/F: Essentially all the elements that make up the Solar System formed during the explosion of a massive star, except for hydrogen and helium (supernova)

Back 13

True

Front 14

The concept that the Solar System condensed from a cloud of gas (nebula) should be considered a(n) (according to the instructor):

Back 14

theory

Front 15

What process causes the sun to shine?

Back 15

nuclear fusion of hydrogen

Front 16

What causes the earth to be hot inside?

Back 16

radiation

Front 17

How many planets make up the Solar System?

Back 17

8

Front 18

How much time passes during one rotation of the earth?

Back 18

One day

Front 19

How much time passes during one revolution of the earth around the sun?

Back 19

One year

Front 20

Which is the smallest planet?

Back 20

Mercury

Front 21

Which is the largest planet?

Back 21

Jupiter

Front 22

T/F: All of the Jovian planet possess rings

Back 22

True

Front 23

The "Big Bang" theory refers to:

Back 23

The rapid expansion of matter and space that was the origin of the Universe

Front 24

Type of energy received by the earth from the sun:

Back 24

Ultraviolet, infrared, and visible light

Front 25

Type of energy given off by earth:

Back 25

infrared

Front 26

In contrast to land surfaces, oceans tend to heat and cool:

Back 26

slowly

Front 27

In contrast to oceans, land surfaces tend to heat and cool:

Back 27

quickly

Front 28

How much of the short-wave radiation from the sun is reflected or scattered back to space before penetrating the atmosphere?

Back 28

30%

Front 29

The atmosphere layer in which nearly all weather phenomena occur:

Back 29

Troposphere

Front 30

The atmosphere layer containing the ozone layer:

Back 30

Stratosphere

Front 31

T/F: The layers ("spheres") of the atmosphere are based primarily on variations in the proportion of oxygen and nitrogen.

Back 31

False

Front 32

T/F: The layers ("spheres") of the atmosphere are based primarily on variations in the temperature trends

Back 32

True

Front 33

In the northern hemisphere, the coriolis effect acts always to turn the flow of air to the:

Back 33

right

Front 34

In the southern hemisphere, the coriolis effect acts always to turn the flow of air to the:

Back 34

left

Front 35

Winds in anticyclones in the northern hemisphere spiral _____ and ______

Back 35

outward, clockwise

Front 36

Winds in cyclones in the northern hemisphere spiral _____ and _____

Back 36

inward, counterclockwise

Front 37

Which of the following represents the definition of Relative Humidity (RH)?

Back 37

The amount of moisture in the air versus the amount that air could hold under the present conditions

Front 38

Which of the following represents the definition of Absolute Humidity (AD)?

Back 38

the amount of moisture in the air as a particular weight or volume as compared to a particular amount of air

Front 39

Precipitation may be caused when:

Back 39

-there are strong vertical movements of air induced by local heating of some portion of the earth's surface

-moist air is forced to rise over a terrestrial barrier (mountains)

-relatively warm, moist air is forced to rise over a mass of colder, denser air

Front 40

Precipitation is unlikely when:

Back 40

air sinks

Front 41

A type of cloud which exhibits strong vertical development is:

Back 41

cumulus

Front 42

A puffy type of cloud with vertical development:

Back 42

cumulus

Front 43

Wind circulation around a low pressure cell:

Back 43

counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere

Front 44

The term 'front' refers to:

Back 44

the contact zone between contrasting air masses

Front 45

On the surface weather map of a cyclone, the cold front appears as a:

Back 45

series of v-shaped bends in the isobars

Front 46

On the surface weather map of a cyclone, the warm front appears as a:

Back 46

series of semi-circles in the isobars

Front 47

Large, fast-moving masses of mud and silt on the continental slope and rise are called:

Back 47

turbidity currents

Front 48

Coral reefs found in warm shallow tropical waters that form a circular pattern surrounding what used to be an island (now buried) are called:

Back 48

atolls

Front 49

Which of these rocks isn't found in an ophiolite sequence?

Back 49

granite intrusions

Front 50

Which of these rocks is found in an ophiolite sequence?

Back 50

pillow basalts

sheet dikes

gabbro plutons

peridotite

Front 51

Which of these is an underwater volcano with an eroded, flat summit?

Back 51

guyot

Front 52

Which of these is an underwater volcano that has never been eroded?

Back 52

seamount

Front 53

What type of shoreline will develop along coasts where sea level rises relative to land?

Back 53

submergent

Front 54

What are the characteristics of a shoreline shortly after emergence?

Back 54

the presence of many wave-cut terraces

Front 55

What are the characteristics of a shoreline shortly after submergence?

Back 55

drowned coastlines

Front 56

A sandbar that parallels a coastline for man miles:

Back 56

barrier island

Front 57

A sandbar that may form across entrances to bays and estuaries:

Back 57

longshore bar

Front 58

The movement of sediment along the shore due to waves washing up the beach slope at an angle:

Back 58

beach drift

Front 59

The movement of water along the shore due to waves washing up the beach slope at an angle:

Back 59

longshore current

Front 60

If the sand piles up on the south side of a groin, in which direction is the longshore current moving?

Back 60

south to north

Front 61

What is the 2nd most abundant element in the earth's crust?

Back 61

silicon

Front 62

What percentage of the earth's crust is composed of silica (silicon and oxygen together):

Back 62

75%

Front 63

What percentage of the earth's crust is composed of oxygen?

Back 63

46.6%

Front 64

T/F: A mineral is a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances by ordinary chemical methods (composed of only one kind of atom):

Back 64

False

Front 65

What particles are found in orbitals around an atom?

Back 65

electrons

Front 66

What particles are found in the nucleus of an atom?

Back 66

neutrons and protons

Front 67

The silicate structure of the mineral quartz:

Back 67

framework silicate

Front 68

The structure of the mineral olivine:

Back 68

isolated tetrahedra

Front 69

A negatively charged ion is called:

Back 69

anion

Front 70

A positively charged ion is called:

Back 70

cation

Front 71

Which of the following is one of the eight most common elements of the earth's crust?

Back 71

sodium

Front 72

What atoms are bonded together by sharing of electrons rather than by electrical attraction, the bonding is called:

Back 72

covalent

Front 73

Bonding caused by atoms held together by electrical attraction of oppositely charged particles:

Back 73

ionic bond

Front 74

What mineral has the lowest melting point?

Back 74

Quartz

Front 75

What mineral has the highest melting point?

Back 75

Biotite

Front 76

Which mineral is the least stable when exposed to weathering forces at the surface of the earth?

Back 76

olivine

Front 77

Which mineral is the most stable when exposed to weathering forces at the surface of the earth?

Back 77

quartz

Front 78

T/F: Magma that cools quickly generally forms larger crystals:

Back 78

false

Front 79

Which of the following are the last minerals to form (i.e. at the lowest temperatures) in Bowen's reaction series as rocks cool?

Back 79

quartz and muscovite

Front 80

Which of these best describes a continuous reaction series?

Back 80

as the temperature drops, a mineral is slightly changed by the replacement of one element for another

Front 81

If a magma has a silica content of 50%, it will cool to become:

Back 81

basalt

Front 82

Where does granite come from?

Back 82

from crystal settling, or a crustal assimilation

Front 83

Where does basalt come from?

Back 83

the partial melting of peridotite at divergent boundaries

Front 84

A volcanic (extrusive) rock composed of mafic minerals:

Back 84

basalt

Front 85

A plutonic (intrusive) rock composed of felsic minerals:

Back 85

granite

Front 86

What is the primary difference between gabbro and basalt?

Back 86

they have different grain sizes

Front 87

What is the primary different between gabbro and granite?

Back 87

they have different compositions

Front 88

Coal can best be categorized as:
or Coal belongs to this group of sedimentary rocks called:

Back 88

biogenic (organic)
or biochemical

Front 89

What rock is formed when limestone metamorphoses?

Back 89

marble

Front 90

What rock is formed when sandstone metamorphoses?

Back 90

quartzite

Front 91

A lava characterized by a smooth and ropy surface:

Back 91

pahoehoe

Front 92

A lava characterized by a rough and blocky surface:

Back 92

a'a

Front 93

High silica content in magmas/lavas causes:

Back 93

high viscosity

Front 94

Low silica content in magmas/lavas causes:

Back 94

low viscosity

Front 95

T/F: Silica-poor lavas tend to be less explosive

Back 95

True

Front 96

T/F: Silica-rich lavas tend to be less explosive

Back 96

False

Front 97

Shield volcanoes are generally composed of what rock?

Back 97

basalt

Front 98

Stratovolcanoes (composite cones) are generally composed of what rock?

Back 98

andesite

Front 99

Which of the following best describes the structure of a stratovolcano (composite cone)?

Back 99

alternating layers of lava flows and ash beds, often with overlapping cones

Front 100

Which of these best describes the structure of a plug dome?

Back 100

a single congealed mass of lava, with rubble and debris on the flanks

Front 101

The largest volcano in California (by volume):

Back 101

Medicine Lake Highland

Front 102

T/F: The 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens was the largest volcanic eruption in the world in the last 1,000 years.

Back 102

False

Front 103

A quake of magnitude 3 is followed a day later by a quake of magnitude 4. How many times larger were the amplitudes of the waves?

Back 103

100 times larger

Front 104

The amount of energy released by the mag. 4 quake was how many times larger than that of the mag. 3?

Back 104

30 times larger

Front 105

The Loma Prieta Quake of 1989 was recorded as magnitude 6.9 quake in the Santa Cruz Mountains. What was the magnitude recorded in Turlock?

Back 105

6.9

Front 106

If a structure with a particular natural period is hit by waves of a different period, which of the following will occur?

Back 106

Not much

Front 107

T/F: All earthquakes in California have epicenters on the San Andreas Fault:

Back 107

True

Front 108

The focus of a quake can be defined as:

Back 108

The exact location where the earthquake begins.

Front 109

The wave that can pass through all materials, liquid, gas and solid:

Back 109

Primary (P) Waves

Front 110

The wave that can only pass through a solid:

Back 110

Secondary (S) Waves

Front 111

What is the minimum number of recording stations necessary to pinpoint the epicenter of an earthquake?

Back 111

3

Front 112

Seafloor spreading was first suggested as a scientific hypothesis by:

Back 112

Harry Hess

Front 113

T/F: Rocks similar in age and structure to the Appalachian Mountains are exposed in Scotland and Scandanavia, despite no undersea connection.

Back 113

True

Front 114

T/F: Tropical rainforests once covered parts of Russia, Poland, and the northeastern United States:

Back 114

False

Front 115

Which of these features is found near divergent plate boundaries?

Back 115

Ocean ridges

mid-ocean ridge

rifts

seafloor spreading

Front 116

The volcanoes of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska are active because they lie near:

Back 116

a convergent plate boundary

Front 117

Which kind of plate boundary formed the Hawaiian Islands?

Back 117

None, it is a hot spot

Front 118

The rocks of the Sierra Nevada originated in a convergent margin as a(n):

Back 118

magmatic arc

Front 119

T/F: At divergent boundaries, plates split apart, forming rift valleys and mid-ocean ridges:

Back 119

True

Front 120

The Great Valley originated in a convergent margin as a(n):

Back 120

Forearc basin

Front 121

T/F: California is presently influenced by only a transform boundary:

Back 121

False, it has all 3

Front 122

What is the best lining for a landfill?

Back 122

Clay: something that is impermeable

Front 123

The various dripstone and flowstone features in caverns are collectively called:

Back 123

Speleothems

Front 124

Permeable rock strata or sediment that transmit groundwater freely are called:

Back 124

Aquifers: because water dissolves limestone, it forms caves. Occasionally caves collapse and forms sinkholes.

Front 125

An irregular terrain punctuated with many sinkholes is said to exhibit ______ topography.

Back 125

Karst: a region where it has lots of sinkholes and caverns

Front 126

A(n) _______ stream is one in which water tends to sink into the ground because the water table is too low to support seepage and stream flows.

Back 126

Influence stream

Front 127

Name given to wells which flow freely due to high pressures in the aquifer:

Back 127

Artesian systems

Front 128

The main controlling force in mass wasting:

Back 128

Gravity

Front 129

Which of these conditions may lead to slope failure (slumping)?

Back 129

Climatic conditions and softer rock types results in material weather quickly and erode easily

Front 130

Gradual, imperceptible downhill movement of regolith and soil downslope:

Back 130

Debris Flow

Front 131

Which form of mass wasting probably moves more material than any other?

Back 131

Soil creep

Front 132

What form of mass wasting occurs along a curving slip plane?

Back 132

rotational slump

Front 133

T/F: Water is involved in all mass-wasting processes:

Back 133

False

Front 134

Where is most of the world's supply of fresh water stored?

Back 134

glaciers

Front 135

This value is calculated by multiplying the area of a channel by the average velocity of water

Back 135

The Discharge measurement

Front 136

The curving bends that characterize many rivers are called:

Back 136

Meander

Front 137

The _____ of a stream is the measure of the maximum load it is capable of transporting.

Back 137

capacity

Front 138

If the capacity of a stream is exceeded, the stream will begin to:

Back 138

erode its channel or banks

Front 139

Name given to floodplain tributaries that have difficulty entering main stream due to presence of natural levees:

Back 139

yazoo

Front 140

Areas of deposition on the insides of meanders are known as:

Back 140

Point bar