What fundamental concept states that in a horizontal sequence of conformable
sedimentary strata, each higher bed is younger than the bed below it?
A) law of original correlation
B) theory of correlative deposition
C) law of superposition
D) theory of superstition
The largest known galaxies are ________.
A) spiral
B) barred spiral
C) elliptical
D) irregular
E) round
Stars having the same surface temperature radiate the same amount of energy per unit
area.
Which of the following is a tabular intrusive body with subparallel intrusive contacts?
A) dike
B) laccolith
C) stock
D) columnar joints
The Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn were identified by the ancient Greeks
as the ________.
A) edges of the world
B) center of areas that were the hottest on earth
C) center of areas that were moderate temperature on earth
D) center of areas that were both hot and wet
E) boundaries between the moderate and hot areas on earth
Which of the following is not a fossil?
A) imprint of an invertebrate shell in a mudstone
B) a tooth from an early man site in a lake sediment deposit
C) a mummified sloth in a cave
D) None of the above-these are all fossils.
During the early Paleozoic era, the continent of Gondwanaland included North and
South America.
The old fashioned incandescent light bulb produces yellowish colored light by heating
tungsten to a very high temperature and the tungsten radiates light peaking in the
yellowish-white range. If you wanted a more blue light that was brighter, what would
you need to do with a simple filament light bulb?
A) You would have to add more electrical current to raise the filament to a higher
temperature, which would make it burn out faster.
B) You would have to make the filament thicker and add more current to make it glow
brighter (for example, a 75w vs 40w bulb).
C) You would have to add a layer of some other material that would absorb the longer
wavelengths of light.
D) You couldn’t do this; it isn’t possible.
Carbonates always include ________.
A) SiO4
-4
B) SO4
-2
C) CO3
-2
D) Cl-1, F-1, or Br-1
TV meteorologists often point at things labeled L on a map and describe them as low
pressure centers. What are they?
A) low pressure centers that are mini-equivalents of hurricanes
B) midlatitude cyclones
C) severe weather systems with tornadoes
D) low level pressure centers, hence the term L
________ is the principal gas in the Venusian atmosphere and also a minor component
of the atmospheres of Earth and Mars.
A) Ozone
B) Nitrogen
C) Carbon dioxide
D) Methane
Which of the following best describes the bedrock in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in
California?
A) basalt; dikes
B) gabbro; plutoliths
C) andesite; laccoliths
D) granite; batholiths
What theory dramatically improved geologist’s ability to predict where certain ore
deposits were formed?
A) geosynclines
B) faulting theory
C) plate tectonics
D) quantum mechanics
If you were 200 kilometers ahead of the surface position of a warm front, you would
find the frontal surface at a height of about ________ km overhead.
A) 0.5
B) 1.0
C) 1.5
D) 2.0
Aftershocks occur because ________.
A) seismic energy continues to build up for a period of time after a major earthquake
B) the day after a large earthquake there are tidal forces that continue to create
additional earthquakes
C) the area surrounding a region that experienced a large earthquake needs time to
adjust to the displacements on the main fault
D) there are always small earthquakes on major faults, but we do not notice them until
there is a large event that makes us aware of them
In which area would weathering by frost wedging probably be most effective?
A) in a moist, tropical forest
B) in cool high desert areas
C) where the subsoil is permanently frozen
D) in moist, temperate climates
The longest wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum are ________.
A) gamma
B) ultraviolet
C) radio
D) infrared
The principle of lateral continuity proposes that sedimentary rock layers continue in all
directions until they grade into a different rock type or thin out on the edge of a basin is
important because ________.
A) it showed that catastrophism could not explain the flat layers of the earth
B) it provided a way to recognize if rocks had been deformed
C) it provided an explanation how rocks behave in a depositional setting
D) it allowed geologists to correlate sedimentary rock units over large distances
Approximately how much of the Earth’s water supply is saline?
A) 20%
B) 43%
C) 67%
D) 98%
E) 100%
On this date the length of daylight gets progressively longer going south from the
equator.
A) June 21
B) March 21
C) September 21
D) December 21
One result of wave refraction is that wave energy is concentrated ________.
A) on headlands projecting into the water
B) in the recessed areas between headlands
C) in estuaries
D) none of the above
Assuming rivers of comparable discharge, which type of stream would most likely be
crossable by wading rather than having to swim?
A) braided stream
B) meandering stream
C) bedrock stream
D) There would be no difference.
If you are on a beach, you might recognize that a tsunami is approaching because
________.
A) waves will gradually get higher and higher as the tsunami approaches
B) waves will gradually get closer together and approach the beach faster than normal
C) the water will withdraw from the beach farther than usual
D) the water will run up on the beach farther than usual
The Bermuda high is a large, persistent high pressure system centered roughly on the
island of Bermuda in the mid-Atlantic, hence the name. Air circulates clockwise around
high pressure systems because of the Coriolis effect. Is there any connection between
Atlantic ocean currents and this weather feature?
A) No, the North Atlantic Ocean circulation is counterclockwise, like all Northern
Hemisphere gyres.
B) No, north Atlantic circulation is clockwise, but the connections to the Bermuda high
circulation are only circumstantial; the ocean circulation is a bigger feature.
C) Yes, north Atlantic circulation is approximately the same as the long term average
circulation of the Bermuda high.
D) Yes, they are crudely correlated, but the weather systems are so chaotic that the
correlation is not meaningful.
Where are Polar Climates most well developed?
A) Alaska and Greenland
B) Antarctica and Alaska
C) Iceland and Antarctica
D) Iceland and Alaska
E) Antarctica and Greenland
An alluvial fan ________.
A) is another name for a small delta forming along a beach
B) a fan-shaped mass of sediment deposited at the base of a mountain front due to an
abrupt change in stream gradient
C) a fan-shaped sediment mass generated by a distributary channel
D) a plant that grows in deltas and is diagnostic of a delta
You are interested in buying a piece of land overlooking the sea. You find a place atop a
50m high sea cliff. The lot is only about 30m wide but is 200m long parallel to the
coast, so you think you are getting a large expanse of the coastline. What would be the
most important thing to look for in considering this purchase?
A) the view
B) quality of the beach
C) the stability of the sea cliff, rock type, etc.
D) accessibility of the beach
When an active cold front overtakes a warm front, ________.
A) the fronts cancel one another out
B) cloud formation ceases
C) an occluded front forms
D) a stationary front is created
Apparent changes in the position of the magnetic pole measured in rocks in Europe is
attributed to ________.
A) changes in the solar flux
B) movement of lithospheric plates
C) polar wandering
D) random magnetic reversals
Hurricanes generally are ________.
A) larger than tornadoes
B) smaller than mid-latitude cyclones
C) areas of heavy rainfall and strong winds
D) all of these
A(n) ________ is likely to host a waterfall or steep rapids today.
A) outwash plain
B) hanging valley
C) striated drumlin
D) horn peak