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81 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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1. The law of gravity states that two bodies attract each other with a force directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the ___________ of the distance between them.
A. square root D. logarithm B. first power E. cube C. square |
C. square
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2. Which of the following is a transform margin?
A. Aleutian Island Arc D. East Pacific Rise B. North Anatolian fault E. Mid-Atlantic Ridge C. Juan de Fuca Ridge |
B. North Anatolian Fault
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3. The active triple junction in _________ Africa is geologically young, having begun about 25 million years ago.
A. southwestern D. northeastern B. southern E. southeastern C. western |
D. Northeastern
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4. P-waves can travel through _________________.
A. gases, liquids, and solids D. solids B. liquids E. gases C. a vacuum |
A. gases, liquids, and solids
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5. The greatest earthquakes in the world occur ______________.
A. where plates separate from one another B. in the interiors of individual plates C. where plates collide with each other D. where plates slide past each other |
C. where plates collide with each other
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6. When oceanic lithosphere collides with another plate, the ________ in the process of subduction.
A. younger, warmer plate goes beneath the older, colder plate B. plates pile up, forming mid-ocean ridges C. plates both disappear downward D. older, colder plate goes beneath the younger, warmer plate |
D. older, colder plate goes beneath the younger, warmer plate
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7. The Richter Scale is set up so that for every _______ increase in the amplitude of the recorded seismic wave, the Richter magnitude increases one number, e.g., from 4 to 5.
A. two-fold B. eight-fold C. four-fold D. ten-fold E. hundred-fold |
D. ten-fold
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8. After lava cools below the ______ point, about 550C, atoms in iron-bearing minerals become magnetized in the direction of the Earth's magnetic field at that time and place.
A. Curie D. magnetization B. solidus E. triple C. critical |
A. Curie
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9. At present, the world population of humans is growing at a rate of _______% per year.
A. 12 D. 22 B. 0.12 E. 1.2 C. 0.02 |
E. 1.2
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10. Shallow earthquakes are more damaging than deep earthquakes because...
A. shallow earthquakes are not more damaging than deep earthquakes, the deeper the earthquake, the more destructive it is. B. the seismic energy from a shallow earthquake has less material to travel through to the surface and therefore less energy is dissipated. C. the seismic energy from a deep earthquake violently shakes the surface of the earth. D. deep earthquakes are typically weaker than shallow earthquakes. |
the seismic energy from a shallow earthquake has less material to travel through to the surface and therefore less energy is dissipated.
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11. Which of the following is the best meaning of uniformitarianism?
A. natural laws are uniform through time and space B. the sun heats the Earth uniformly D. energy flows across the Earth evenly E. all rocks are formed the same way |
natural laws are uniform through time and space
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12. The greater the resistance to compression of the medium, the _______ the speed of the seismic waves passing through.
A. greater B. wave speed is independent to medium incompressibility C. the wave speed is independent of the medium D. lower |
A. greater
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13. What is the relationship between frequency of a natural disaster and its magnitude?
A. there is an exponential relationship between the frequency and magnitude of the process B. positive correlation between the frequency and the magnitude of the process C. there is no relationship between the frequency and the magnitude of the process D. inverse correlation between the frequency and the magnitude of the process |
D. inverse correlation between the frequency and the magnitude of the process
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14. Which of the following is not created by a convergent plate boundary?
A. the Marianas Trench B. the Aleutian Island Chain C. the Red Sea D. the Himalayan Mountain Range |
C. the Red Sea
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15. To provide evidence of plate tectonics, which of the following statements would have to be TRUE about ocean basins?
A. sea floor rocks are denser than continental rocks B. they contain the oldest rocks on the planet C. sea floor rocks magnetized in bands perpendicular to spreading centers D. sea floor rocks are less dense than continental rocks |
A. sea floor rocks are denser than continental rocks
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16. Based on insurance industry records of economic loss from natural disasters, 32 of the 40 most expensive disasters between 1970 and 2005 were __________________ and floods.
A. volcanic eruptions B. storms C. fires D. landslides E. earthquakes |
B. storms
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17. Which of the following scenarios would you expect to show the greatest resonance with the passing of very short-period body waves?
A. A one-story wood-framed house built on soft sediments. B. A five-story steel-framed building constructed on soft sediments. C. A one-story brick house built on rock. D. A one-story wood-framed house built on rock. E. A one-story brick house built on soft sediments. |
C. A one-story brick house built on rock.
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18. Which of the following is NOT a basic tenet of plate tectonics?
A. The new lithosphere slowly moves laterally away from the zones of oceanic crust formation on top of the underlying asthenosphere (seafloor spreading). B. The slab pulled into the asthenosphere begins the process of melting and moves into the liquid core. C. When the leading edge of a moving slab of oceanic lithosphere collides with another slab, the older, colder, denser slab turns downward and is pulled by gravity back into the asthenosphere (subduction), while the less-dense, more buoyant slab overrides it. D. The slab pulled into the asthenosphere begins the process of reabsorption into the mantle. E. Melted asthenosphere flows upward as magma and cools to form new ocean floor lithosphere. |
B. The slab pulled into the asthenosphere begins the process of melting and moves into the liquid core.
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19. The Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee ___________________.
A. are pull-apart basins over hot spots B. are compressional basins and are the result of subduction C. are pull-apartrike-slip motion D. are pull-apart basins and the result of subduction E. are compressional basins and the result of strike-slip motion |
C. are pull-apartrike-slip motion
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20. Solar energy is the primary force in the creation of ___________.
A. precipitation B. wind C. all of the choices D. atmospheric circulation E. erosion of earth |
C. all of the choices
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21. The most famous and outspoken of the early proponents of continental drift was _______________.
A. Immanuel Kant B. Plato C. Alfred Wegener D. Leonardo da Vinci E. William Smith |
C. Alfred Wegener
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22. The greatest amount of heat energy on the surface of the Earth comes from ______________.
A. gravitational attraction of the Earth and the Moon B. the interior of the Earth and volcanoes C. meteorite impacts D. the Sun E. rotation of the Earth |
D. the Sun
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23. When the period of seismic waves matches the natural period of a building, _______ can occur. This amplifies the shaking and is a common cause of the catastrophic failure of buildings during earthquakes.
A. resonance B. mainshock C. acceleration D. rupture |
A. Resonance
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24. As an observer moves away from the oceanic ridges, the seafloor volcanic rocks and islands __________________.
A. do not change significantly in age B. become progressively older C. show no magnetic polarity D. become progressively younger |
B. become progressively older
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25. Which substance of the following has the highest albedo?
A. bare ground B. snow C. sand D. grass E. water |
B. snow
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26. Which of the following is an energy transfer process in the atmosphere?
A. evaporation B. convection C. conduction D. all of the choices E. precipitation |
D. all of the choices
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27. Isostasy describes how the continents are supported on the mantle by ____________
A. buoyancy B. Earth's magnetic field C. gravity D. Earth's rotation |
A. buoyancy
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28. Rocks can __________________.
A. fracture D. All of these are correct. B. undergo ductile flow, changing their shape permanently E. None of these are correct. C. undergo small recoverable elastic deformation D. all of these are correct E. none of these are correct |
D. all of these are correct
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29. What type of boundary is circled in the diagram?
A. normal B. convergent C. transform D. divergent |
D. divergent
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30. The Hawaiian Island Chain represents:
A. a transform fault B. a hot spot trace C. triple junction D. a divergent plate boundary E. a convergent plate boundary |
B. a hot spot trace
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31. During the last half of the 20th century, earthquakes, tsunami, and ______________ account for the majority of deaths from natural disasters.
A. landslides B. volcanic eruptions C. hurricanes D. floods E. tornadoes |
C. hurricanes
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32. Wheels, ball bearings, shock absorbers, and rubber and steel sandwiches are all examples of ___________.
A. braced frame B. base isolation C. retrofitting D. shear walls |
B. base isolation
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33. Of the total solar energy that reaches Earth, about what fraction is used to evaporate water into the atmosphere?
A. one third B. one eighth C. one fourth D. one tenth E. one half |
C. one fourth
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34. Earhquake intensity is measured by the
A. Moment Magnitude scale. B. Modified Mercalli scale. C. Richter scale. D. Body wave magnitude scale. |
B. Modified Mercalli scale.
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35. A descending slab of oceanic lithosphere is defined by __________________.
A. a vertical lineation of normal faults B. a line of shallow earthquake locations C. a cluster of shallow earthquakes occurring over time D. hotspot E. an inclined plane of deep earthquakes |
E. an inclined plane of deep earthquakes
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36. _________ faults are associated with zones of repetition in which originally continuous rock layers are split and stacked above each other.
A. normal B. reverse C. strike-slip D. transform |
B. reverse
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37. A normal fault occurs when the hanging wall moves ________ relative to the footwall.
A. down B. to the left C. up D. to the right |
A. down
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38. _______ rupture and duration yields ___________ frequency seismic waves.
A. short; low B. long; low C. long; high D. short; high E. both B and D |
E. both B and D
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39. Faults that rupture for longer distances and longer times produce increasingly greater amounts of _________ seismic waves.
A. low frequency B. fault rupture does not affect earthquake frequencies C. high and low frequency D. high frequency |
A. low frequency
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40. The outward flow of Earth's internal energy has produced our ________________.
A. continents B. oceans C. None of these are correct. D. atmosphere E. all of these are correct |
E. all of these are correct
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41. The Earth’s internal heat is responsible for causing __________.
A. floods B. tornadoes C. most fires D. earthquakes E. hurricanes |
D. earthquakes
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42. Where is the greatest amount of freshwater found on Earth?
A. oceans B. glaciers C. rivers D. groundwater E. lakes |
B. glaciers
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43. All of the following reasons have lead to exponential human population growth EXCEPT:
A. advances in medicine B. increased production in crops C. decreased infant and mother mortality D. man-made structures E. drought |
E. drought
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44. Three basic classes of collisions include all but which of the following?
A. continental plate versus continental plate B. oceanic plate versus oceanic plate C. mantle plate versus lithospheric plate D. oceanic plate versus continent-bearing plate |
C. mantle plate versus lithospheric plate
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45. As radioactive atoms decay, energy is __________.
A. absorbed B. neither absorbed nor released C. may be absorbed or released, depending on which isotope is involved in the decay D. released |
D. released
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46. The __________ is measured in cross-sectional view as the angle of inclination from horizontal of a tilted rock layer, and _______ is viewed in map view as the compass bearing of the rock layer where it intersects a horizontal plane.
A. dip; dip B. strike; dip C. dip; strike D. strike and dip; strike and dip E. strike; strike |
C. dip; strike
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47. As seen in the movie Forces of Nature, earthquake activity along the North Anatolian fault, Turkey, has been advancing towards the ____ threatening the city of _____ .
A. North / Izmir C. South / Ankara B. East / Samsun C. South / Ankara D. West / Istanbul |
D. West / Istanbul
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48. Most of the 40 deadliest disasters between 1970 and 2005 occurred in a belt running from China and Bangladesh through India and Iran to Turkey. This area was particularly vulnerable because ___________________.
A. lightening producing thunderstorms are more common in these regions B. fires are more common in these regions C. precipitation rates are very high in this region, producing frequent, large, and sudden floods D. it has a high population density E. most of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur here |
D. it has a high population density
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49. The heat that transformed the Earth early in its history came primarily from all but which of the following?
A. decay of radioactive elements B. impact energy C. gravitational energy D. none of the choices E. magnetic energy |
E. magnetic energy
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50. Which of the following is NOT an energy source responsible for natural disasters on Earth?
A. Earth's internal heat B. wind C. gravity D. the sun E. extraterrestrial impacts |
B. wind
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51. If sea-floor spreading occurs at a constant rate, the widths of magnetized seafloor strips have _____ ratios as the lengths of time between successive reversals of the Earth's magnetic field.
A. opposite B. triple C. the same D. two to one E. critical |
C. the same
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52. With compressional forces, the hanging wall moves upward relative to the footwall; this type of fault is referred to as a __________ fault.
A. strike-slip B. subnormal C. transform D. normal E. reverse |
E. reverse
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53. The present human population of the world is a little more than _____________.
A. 6 billion B. 100 billion C. 60 billion D. one trillion E. 500 million |
A. 6 billion
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54. The blanket of sediment on the sea floor is ___________ toward the ocean margins.
A. very thin at the volcanic ridges and thickens B. thick at the volcanic ridges and thickens more C. very thick at the volcanic ridges and thins D. very thin at the volcanic ridges and is missing |
A. very thin at the volcanic ridges and thickens
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55. Which of the following wave types travels slowest through rock?
A. surface waves B. S-waves C. P-waves D. body waves E. They all travel with the same speed. |
A. surface waves
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56. All of the continents were once combined into a single supercontinent called _________________.
A. Panthalassa B. Gondwanaland C. Pangaea D. Tethys E. Laurasia |
C. Pangaea
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57. Earthquake-induced ground motions cause buildings to sway at certain periods. In general, the taller the structure, the _______ the period.
A. shorter B. longer C. period does not depend on building height |
B. longer
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58. When the carrying capacity of an area is exceeded, what occurs to the population?
A. nothing, this is when the population is most stable B. the population increases only gradually C. the population increases exponentially D. the population decreases |
D. the population decreases
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59. In the _________, Steno stated that in an undeformed sequence of sedimentary rock layers, each sedimentary rock layer is younger than the bed beneath it, but older than the bed above it.
A. law of retrogression B. law of superposition C. law of original continuity D. law of original horizontality E. law of cosines |
B. law of superposition
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60. The largest earthquakes are generated by which of the following?
A. divergent boundaries like Iceland B. convergent boundaries like the Himalayas C. strike-slip faults like the San Andreas fault in California D. transform faults like the Alpine fault in New Zealand |
B. convergent boundaries like the Himalayas
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61. Ocean floor depths _____________ systematically with seafloor age, moving ___________.
A. increase, away from mid-ocean ridges B. decrease, towards the ocean margins C. decrease, away from mid-ocean ridges D. increase, towards mid-ocean ridges |
A. increase, away from mid-ocean ridges
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62. Using the rule of 70, a population growth rate of 4% annually will result in doubling a population in _________ years.
A. 2 B. 5 C. 35 D. 10.5 E. 17.5 |
E. 17.5
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63. The hotspot-melting-through-lithosphere process forms lines of extinct volcanoes on the ocean floor, from youngest to oldest, _______________________.
A. in a direction pointing toward the sun B. pointing in the direction of plate movement C. pointing at 90 degrees to the direction of plate movement D. with random ages along the lines E. pointing in the opposite direction of plate movement |
B. pointing in the direction of plate movement
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64. The early differentiation of the Earth into a mantle and a core was created by _________________.
A. gravitational accretion of silicate-rich particles in the core, followed by build-up of iron-rich particles in the mantle. B. all of the choices. C. the buildup of heat and the melting of iron which was pulled by gravity to the center of the Earth. D. nuclear fission in the center of the Earth, which converted hydrogen and helium to iron. |
C. the buildup of heat and the melting of iron which was pulled by gravity to the center of the Earth.
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65. Which of the following is evidence for the impact origin of the moon?
A. absence of water and gases on the moon B. dominance of iron in moon rock composition C. all of the choices are correct D. impacts of chrondritic meteors on Earth E. abundance of meteor impacts on the moon's surface |
A. absence of water and gases on the moon
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66. The stopping of ______ waves at the core-mantle boundary indicates that the outer core is mostly liquid.
A. Rayleigh B. Love C. S- D. P- |
C. S-
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67. Shallow subduction zone earthquakes occur ___________________.
A. None of the choices are correct. B. All of these are correct. C. in the overriding plate D. in the upper portion of the down-going plate E. at the bend in the subducting plate |
B. all of these are correct
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68. The return period of a disaster is the average number of years _________________.
A. before the economy returns to pre-disaster levels B. between events of the same type, regardless of size C. before survivors return to their homes D. between same-sized events E. to exponentially decay to zero |
D. between same-sized events
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69. What is the LEAST dense layer of the Earth?
A. asthenosphere B. liquid outer core C. oceanic crust D. mantle E. continental crust |
E. continental crust
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70. Usually, the biggest concern in designing buildings to withstand large earthquakes is the ____________ components of movement.
A. downward pull from the vertical B. sideways push from the horizontal C. upward push from the vertical |
B. sideways push from the horizontal
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71. The type of strike-slip fault in the diagram is called a ___________ fault.
A. left-stepping, right-lateral B. left-stepping, left-lateral C. right-stepping, right-lateral D. right-stepping, left-lateral |
C. right stepping, right-lateral
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72. The point underground where a fault first ruptures is known as the ________.
A. hypocenter B. rupture area C. epicenter D. endocenter |
A. hypocenter
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73. For studying the record of sediments and fossils in the ocean over the greatest period of time the most complete record would be found _________________.
A. at any point on the ocean floor B. at the mid-ocean ridge C. at hot spots D. at the margins of oceans E. between the ocean ridges and margins of the oceans |
D. at the margins of oceans
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74. Earthquakes are most commonly caused by _______________.
A. volcanic activity B. explosions of nuclear bombs C. undersea landslides D. sudden earth movements along faults E. meteorite impacts |
D. sudden earth movements along faults
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75. Why do you suppose there has been an overall increase in the number of deaths and monetary losses related to natural disasters on Earth?
A. Events are better documented today than in the past. B. Human populations are increasing in areas of risk. C. There are more earthquakes occurring every year. D. all of the choices are correct E. The magnitudes of natural hazard events are increasing. |
B. Human populations are increasing in areas of risk.
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76. The Earth is divided into layers that differ in composition and density. What is the proper sequence from most dense to least dense?
A. core, mantle, crust B. crust, mantle, core ] C. crust, core, mantle D. mantle, crust, core E. mantle, core, crust |
A. core, mantle, crust
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76. The Earth is divided into layers that differ in composition and density. What is the proper sequence from most dense to least dense?
A. core, mantle, crust B. crust, mantle, core ] C. crust, core, mantle D. mantle, crust, core E. mantle, core, crust |
A. core, mantle, crust
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77. All of the following are considered evidence for plate tectonics EXCEPT for:
A. the presence of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core B. the shape of the continents C. seafloor magnetization D. hot-spot tracks E. earthquake locations |
A. the presence of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core
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78. Most damaging earthquakes at subduction zones occur at depths less than ___________.
A. 40 km B. 5 km C. 25 km D. 38 km E. 700 km |
C. 25 km
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79. Using the S-P timing method, epicenters can be located using seismograms from a minimum of ______ recording stations.
A. one B. two C. four D. three |
D. three
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80. Which of the following is NOT true about water?
A. it has the highest latent heat of vaporization of all substances B. it expands when it freezes C. water is naturally present in two states of matter on Earth D. water is a bipolar molecule E. it has the highest surface tension of all liquids |
C. water is naturally present in two states of matter on Earth
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