Final (1)

Front 1

1. Hot and deep plumes of mantle material that
rises up through cooler, denser surrounding
rock to produce volcanism are:
a. due to friction of the lithosphere sliding
atop the asthenosphere
b. due to factors that remain completely
unknown at this time
c. used to create an absolute reference
framework to calculate plate velocities
d. used to predict dense concentrations of
radioactive isotopes at various points in the
crust
e. the Earth’s magnetic field

Back 1

c. used to create an absolute reference

Front 2

2. At a divergent plate boundary, two opposed
plates ____________.
a. slide past one another
b. move away from one another
c. move toward one another
d. are now relatively motionless wit;h regard to
each other

Back 2

move away from one another

Front 3

3. Wegener’s idea of continental drift was rejected
by American geologists because ____________.
a. his English was too poor to be understood
by them
b. he had relatively little evidence supporting
the existence of a supercontinent
c. the apparent fit of continental coastlines is
blurred when the margins are defined by the
edges of continental shelves rather than sea
level
d. he could not conceive of a valid mechanism

Back 3

d. he could not conceive of a valid mechanism

Front 4

4. Hawaii is an example of ____________.
a. mid-ocean ridge volcanism
b. hot-spot volcanism
c. transform margin
d. convergent margin
e. divergent margin

Back 4

hot-spot volcanism

Front 5

5. The terrestrial planets ____________.
a. are older than the non-terrestrial planets.
b. include all planets in our Solar System
(home of Terra).
c. include all those in our Solar System that
are principally composed of rock.
d. are younger than the non-terrestrial planets.
e. include all large asteroids and moons.

Back 5

include all those in our Solar System that

Front 6

6. Under the theory of plate tectonics, the plates
themselves are ____________.
a. very thick (approximately one-quarter of
Earth’s radius)
b. composed only of continental rocks, which
plow through the weaker oceanic rocks
c. discrete layers of lithosphere that are
vertically stacked one atop the other
d. discrete pieces of lithosphere at the surface
of the solid Earth that move with respect to
one another

Back 6

discrete pieces of lithosphere at the surface
of the solid Earth that move with respect to
one another

Front 7

7. The branch of science that studies the structure
and history of the Universe is ____________.
a. universalism
b. scientology
c. cosmology
d. cosmetology

Back 7

cosmology

Front 8

8. The magnetic field of Earth in the geologic past
is ____________.
a. unknown, but it is assumed to have been
identical to today’s
b. known to have been constant through time,
on the basis of theoretical calculations
c. known to have been constant through
geologic time, due to remnant magnetization
of iron-rich minerals in rocks
d. known to have experienced numerous
polarity reversals, due to remnant
magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks

Back 8

known to have experienced numerous
polarity reversals, due to remnant
magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks

Front 9

9. The philosophy and logic we call
science___________.
a. dates back thousands of years to early
civilizations of Greece and Egypt.
b. is really something that originates with
World War Two.
c. is only used by PhDs.
d. was first defined about 200 years ago by
French academics.

Back 9

dates back thousands of years to early
civilizations of Greece and Egypt.

Front 10

10. The Earth’s magnetic field is produced by
_____________.
a. movement of electrically charged material
within the mantle
b. the interaction of Solar Wind and the
Earth’s atmosphere.
c. the interaction of Solar Wind and the
Earth’s gravitational field.
d. movement of electrically charged material
within the liquid outer core.

Back 10

d. movement of electrically charged material
within the liquid outer core.

Front 11

11. Currently, most geologists ____________.
a. agree that continental drift occurs; the
mechanisms that drive this are at work in
the upper mantle and were unknown in
Wegener’s time
b. agree that continental drift occurs; the
mechanisms that drive this are at work in
the lower mantle and outer core and were
unknown in Wegener’s time
c. continue to reject continental drift
d. agree that continental drift occurs, but they
still do not understand why it occurs
e. believe that the continents move as plates
over inert ocean crust

Back 11

a. agree that continental drift occurs; the
mechanisms that drive this are at work in
the upper mantle and were unknown in
Wegener’s time

Front 12

12. The mid-ocean ridges ____________.
a. characterize continental coastlines
b. rarely display seismic (earthquake) activity
c. are usually barren of life because of the great
heat and pressure
d. always have coral reefs on them
e. have magnetic anomaly belts parallel to
them

Back 12

e. have magnetic anomaly belts parallel to
them

Front 13

13. Continental lithosphere ____________.
a. is denser than oceanic lithosphere
b. is thicker than oceanic lithosphere
c. contains no crustal material, consisting
solely of lithified upper mantle
d. contains more mafic rocks than oceanic
lithosphere

Back 13

b. is thicker than oceanic lithosphere

Front 14

14. Atoms that are lighter than iron (#26) but
heavier than boron (#5) are generally produced
by ____________.
a. the Big Bang
b. fission reactions within stars
c. fusion reactions within stars
d. explosion of supernovas

Back 14

c. fusion reactions within stars

Front 15

15. Large, thick, non-volcanic mountain belts, like
the Himalayas are features associated with
____________ plate boundaries.
a. convergent
b. cold spot
c. transform
d. divergent

Back 15

a. convergent

Front 16

16. Paleobiological evidence for a united
supercontinent that existed prior to 250 million
years ago comes from all except
a. salt water animals, such as the sharks
b. land plants with hard seeds, for example the
palms
c. salt water plants, such as the algae
d. land animals, including early dinosaurs
e. terrestrial plants with soft seeds, for
example some ferns

Back 16

e. terrestrial plants with soft seeds, for
example some ferns

Front 17

17. In the whole Earth, the four most common
elements are oxygen, silicon, and
____________.
a. magnesium and iron.
b. copper and zinc.
c. tin and tungsten.
d. sodium and calcium.
e. aluminium and sulfur.

Back 17

a. magnesium and iron.

Front 18

18. Earthquakes are characteristic of which plate
boundary(ies): ____________.
a. convergent, divergent, and transform
b. convergent and transform
c. convergent and divergent
d. divergent and transform
e. divergent only

Back 18

a. convergent, divergent, and transform

Front 19

19. Sea-floor spreading is driven by volcanic
activity ____________.
a. in the middle of abyssal plains
b. along the mid-ocean ridges
c. at hot spots
d. in the middle of continental plates
e. at the edges of continental shelves

Back 19

b. along the mid-ocean ridges

Front 20

20. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is an example of a
____________ plate boundary.
a. convergent
b. transform
c. hot spot
d. divergent

Back 20

d. divergent

Front 21

21. The primary difference between lithospheric
and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to
numerous patterns of physical behavior, is
____________.
a. chemical composition (the lithosphere is
mafic, and the asthenosphere is felsic)
b. physical state (the lithosphere is solid, and
the asthenosphere is liquid)
c. temperature (the lithosphere is mostly
above the melting point and the
asthenosphere is well below this)
d. chemical composition (the lithosphere is
felsic, and the asthenosphere is mafic)
e. temperature (the lithosphere is elastic and
the asthenosphere plastic)

Back 21

e. temperature (the lithosphere is elastic and
the asthenosphere plastic)

Front 22

22. We can demonstrate the Earth rotates on its
axis from ____________.
a. Foucault’s experiments with pendulums
and angular inertia.
b. sailing around the world and estimating its
circumfrence.
c. watching other planets do this.
d. the Sun coming up every morning, then
setting every evening.

Back 22

a. Foucault’s experiments with pendulums
and angular inertia.

Front 23

23. Within the sea floor, the rate of geothermal heat
flow is greatest ____________.
a. in the center of abyssal plains
b. along mid-ocean ridges
c. at the edges of ocean basins
d. along fracture zones

Back 23

b. along mid-ocean ridges

Front 24

24. From choices below, the best estimate of the
age of the Universe is ____________ old.
a. 14 billion
b. 3 million
c. 140 billion
d. 3 billion

Back 24

a. 14 billion

Front 25

25. Most ocean-floor topography lies within a
range of altitude between ____________.
a. the ocean-floor has no topography
b. 6 to 8 km below sea level
c. sea level and 1 km below sea level
d. sea level and 3 km below sea level
e. 3 to 5 km below sea level

Back 25

e. 3 to 5 km below sea level

Front 26

26. A recent US federal budget analysis shows that
research and development is:
a. no longer done
b. dominated by military and defense spending
c. dominated by space exploration
d. dominated by health and education spending

Back 26

b. dominated by military and defense spending

Front 27

27. Science includes all except:
a. democratic decision-making
b. experiments
c. observations
d. A methodology for predicting some types of
future events.

Back 27

a. democratic decision-making

Front 28

28. The driving mechanisms for plate tectonics
includes all except ____________.
a. ridge push
b. slab pull
c. continental glaciation
d. asthensosphere convection

Back 28

c. continental glaciation

Front 29

29. Distinctive rock sequences dating to about 250
million years ago suggest a single
supercontinent because ____________.
a. a major meteor impact destroyed all the
northern hemisphere continents.
b. a major volcanic event produced nearly all
these continents at the same time and place
c. a major glaciation event is recorded
suggesting all modern continents were
clustered at the modern south pole.
d. a magnetic reversal is preserved on all the
continents
e. this is the age of the Earth

Back 29

c. a major glaciation event is recorded
suggesting all modern continents were
clustered at the modern south pole.

Front 30

30. Inductive reasoning leads from:
a. specific observations to hypotheses
b. hypotheses to tests
c. hypotheses to theories
d. theories to laws

Back 30

a. specific observations to hypotheses

Front 31

31. Earth’s geothermal gradient is the rate of
temperature change incurred by ____________.
a. traversing down within Earth’s interior
b. traversing from either pole towards the
equator
c. increasing depth at ocean trenches
d. increasing altitude in the atmosphere

Back 31

a. traversing down within Earth’s interior

Front 32

32. Non-scientific ideas are often characterized by all
the following except:
a. They usually replace scientific ideas after
some time elapses.
b. There are no know ways to test them,
especially to falsify them.
c. The are unable to predict future events.
d. They often call upon supernatural events or
powers.

Back 32

a. They usually replace scientific ideas after
some time elapses.

Front 33

33. Tectonic plates might consist of
____________.
a. continental lithosphere only
b. oceanic lithosphere only
c. oceanic or continental lithosphere or a
combination of both
d. either oceanic or continental lithosphere,
but not both

Back 33

c. oceanic or continental lithosphere or a
combination of both

Front 34

34. Strong evidence that the Universe is expanding
comes from the fact that the light emitted from
distant galaxies appears to be ____________.
a. red shifted
b. green shifted
c. blue shifted
d. none of the above

Back 34

a. red shifted

Front 35

35. The Big Bang theory states that
____________.
a. all stars will end their lives explosively as
supernovas
b. meteors were responsible for the extinction
of the dinosaurs
c. Earth formed through a series of violent
collisions
d. all matter in the Universe was once confined
to a single point

Back 35

d. all matter in the Universe was once confined
to a single point

Front 36

36. Topography is used to predict the
____________ of a lithospheric plate.
a. magnetic field
b. edges
c. absolute velocity
d. density

Back 36

d. density

Front 37

37. The Puerto Rico Fracture and associated broad
seismic zone, which lead to the 2010 Haiti
earthquake that killed 250,000, displays no
volcanic activity. It is an example of a
____________ plate boundary.
a. divergent
b. convergent
c. hot spot
d. cold spot
e. transform

Back 37

e. transform

Front 38

38. We can predict the Earth’s internal structure
because ____________.
a. the gravity we experience at the surface
requires a much denser interior.
b. magnetic fields require special materials and
motions.
c. earthquake waves are reflected and refracted
by the different layers.
d. observed heat flow and volcanism require
special materials and motions.
e. all the choices listed are correct.

Back 38

e. all the choices listed are correct.

Front 39

39. The age of oceanic crust ____________ with
increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge.
a. decreases
b. increases
c. is the same
d. is unknown

Back 39

b. increases

Front 40

40. Earth’s magnetic field provides an important
shield against ____________.
a. earthquakes along the margins of Earth’s
plates.
b. dangerous ionized high velocity particles
coming from the Sun.
c. meteorites and comets.
d. alien spacecraft.

Back 40

b. dangerous ionized high velocity particles
coming from the Sun.