Environmental Science

Front 1

The continental crust of the earth is _____________ while the oceanic crust is _____________.

Back 1

thicker and lighter than the oceanic crust; similar in composition to the mantle

Front 2

________ in the mantle and core make tectonic plates move.

Back 2

Convection currents

Front 3

“Subduction” is the process of a tectonic plate

Back 3

being forced below another plate.

Front 4

Which of the following statements regarding tectonics is true?

Back 4

When oceanic plates collide with continental plates, the continent usually rides up over the seafloor.

Front 5

The “ring of fire” is the source of more earthquakes and volcanic activity than any other place on earth. What causes the ring of fire?

Back 5

the subduction of Pacific plates under continental plates

Front 6

Rocks are _______ in the process called the rock cycle.

Back 6

broken down and re-formed

Front 7

Rocks are classified according to their

Back 7

All of these are used to classify rocks.

Front 8

Rock formed from magma extruded to the surface through volcanic vents is classified as

Back 8

igneous.

Front 9

The physical breakdown of a rock into smaller pieces is called

Back 9

mechanical weathering.

Front 10

Metamorphic rocks are produced when rocks are

Back 10

recrystallized by heat and pressure.

Front 11

The two main gases making up the lower atmosphere are

Back 11

nitrogen and oxygen.

Front 12

The atmospheric zone where most weather events occur is the

Back 12

troposphere.

Front 13

The correct sequence of atmospheric zones upward from the earth’s surface is

Back 13

troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere.

Front 14

When cool, dry air sinks from the upper atmosphere toward the Earth’s surface, it is

Back 14

compressed and becomes warmer.

Front 15

The Coriolis effect is caused by the

Back 15

rotation of the Earth.

Front 16

The Southern Hemisphere has __________ wind patterns because of the presence of __________ than the Northern Hemisphere.

Back 16

more stable; more ocean and less landmass

Front 17

Two jet streams run over the Northern Hemisphere. These are generally located

Back 17

along the northern border of Mexico, and through Canada and the northern United States.

Front 18

When El Niño occurs every three to seven years, a mass of warm Pacific water that is usually pushed westward by trade winds

Back 18

surges back eastward toward South America.

Front 19

As far as we are currently aware, who were the first people to notice the El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle?

Back 19

Peruvian fishermen

Front 20

Most of the excessive carbon dioxide that is expected to cause global warming is generated by

Back 20

burning of fossil fuels and production of cement and clearing of forests only.

Front 21

The total amount of water on the Earth ____________ from year to year and the hydrologic cycle ________________.

Back 21

stays about the same; moves it from one place to another place

Front 22

Most water in the atmosphere has evaporated from the ocean, and ______ rain falls back into the sea. About ________ % of the earth’s total rain falls on land.

Back 22

most; 10

Front 23

The hydrologic compartment that contains the greatest amount of fresh water is

Back 23

ice and snow.

Front 24

The place where aquifers are most likely to be contaminated is at

Back 24

recharge zones.

Front 25

A country’s renewable water supplies are generally made up of

Back 25

surface runoff and infiltration into accessible aquifers.

Front 26

Which of the following factors is the most important factor in determining whether a country is “water rich” or “water poor”?

Back 26

renewable water supplies

Front 27

Withdrawal is the total amount of water

Back 27

taken from rivers, lakes, or aquifers.

Front 28

In general, water use in poor countries is dominated by

Back 28

agricultural use.

Front 29

A method of increasing water supplies that has been successful, if expensive, is

Back 29

desalinization by reverse osmosis.

Front 30

Principal problems that have resulted from the construction of large dams include

Back 30

All of these are correct.

Front 31

The World Health Organization regards health as primarily a matter of ________ well being.

Back 31

physical, mental, and social

Front 32

Historically, the greatest threats to human health came from

Back 32

pathogenic organisms.

Front 33

Infectious diseases such as diarrhea are closely linked to

Back 33

malnutrition.

Front 34

Diseases such as the recent outbreak of cholera and ebola are

Back 34

All of these are characteristics of diseases such as cholera and ebola.

Front 35

The cutting of rainforests causes a lack of normal water flow into the soil. Puddles of water can stand for long periods. Which of the following statements best explains how rainforest destruction is closely tied with human morbidity and mortality?

Back 35

Mosquitoes with an aquatic larval form spread many highly contagious diseases.

Front 36

Parasitic worms are very common in areas where

Back 36

sanitation is poor.

Front 37

Hazardous substances ______________ while toxins are ______________.

Back 37

are dangerous substances; poisonous substances

Front 38

Toxic substances are dangerous because they

Back 38

react or interfere with specific cell functions.

Front 39

When comparing the toxicity of natural and synthetic chemicals, natural chemicals are ________ synthetic chemicals.

Back 39

on average, just as toxic

Front 40

Which of the following statements is true?

Back 40

If a substance is toxic, its toxicity is highly dependent on its form and where it is present in the environment.