A cT air mass is dry and warm.
One magma can produce several different igneous rocks having different mineral
compositions.
Neap tides occur about the time of the first quarter and third quarter phases of the
Moon.
Sunspots appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding solar surface.
Basaltic rocks make up most of the sea floor.
A hot (incandescent) gas under low pressure produces a continuous spectrum.
Dark-line (absorption) spectra can be used to identify the elements present in stars.
Earth Science is the only science that doesn’t use mathematics beyond simple
arithmetic.
An isobar is a line connecting places of equal humidity.
The percentage of radioactive atoms that decay during one half-life is always the same.
When magma rises toward the surface, pressure decreases can lead to release of
dissolved gases in a magma with a volume increase that can produce an explosion.
When stable air is forced to rise, any clouds that are produced are generally thin and flat
lying.
The Himalayan Mountains are the tectonic product of a collision between India and
Eurasia that began 50 million years ago and still continues.
Radio telescopes have an advantage over optical telescopes in that they can be used
during daylight hours.
Like most other liquids, water decreases in volume when it freezes.
Crystal size is controlled by temperature.
The climate system involves only Earth’s atmosphere and solid surface.
Radio telescopes are generally much larger in size than are optical telescopes.
In some instances, light behaves like waves, and in others, like discrete particles.
Lignite and bituminous coals are sedimentary rocks.
Vortices within a tornado vortex, called suction vortices, often cause the greatest
destruction within a given tornado.
Very fine-grained iron oxide particles account for nearly all red, yellow, and brown soil
colors.
A semiarid climate represents a transition zone that surrounds a desert and separates it
from the bordering humid climates.
The signs of the zodiac used in astrology refer to the constellations that lie along the
plane of the ecliptic.
Many magmas are generated when solid rocks are carried to higher levels in the earth
by flow and partially melted by decompression melting.
Slump describes the very slow, downhill movement of soil and regolith.
Tiny solid and liquid particles suspended in the atmosphere are collectively called
aerosols.
The summer months (June through August in the Northern Hemisphere) are the period
of greatest tornado frequency.
Humans are not a part of the Earth System.
Earth’s middle-latitude deserts exist principally because of their positions in the deep
interiors of large landmasses, far removed from the oceans.
The waterline where the ocean meets the land is the boundary between oceanic crust
and continental crust.
Porosity is a measure of the volume of open space in rocks and unconsolidated
geological materials such as alluvium and soils.
In the open ocean, Tsunamis travel at about the same speed as a commercial airliner.
Earth is closest to the Sun in July.
The first true terrestrial land animals were the mammals.
Internally, the earth consists of spherical shells with different compositions and
densities.
Soil belongs to the ________.
A) hydrosphere
B) atmosphere
C) geosphere
D) biosphere
E) All of the above
You are in a ship in deep water offshore from a large island. There is a heavy swell from
the northeast and the island is to the southwest of you when the ship capsizes. Based on
the wave direction, what should you do?
A) Just float, the waves will drive you to shore since the waves are moving toward the
island.
B) Swim like crazy; the waves are going to carry you away from shore.
C) Swim toward the island; the waves aren’t going to take you anywhere.
D) Swim in a circle because that is what the waves are doing.
Tropical cyclones produce the most intense low-pressure systems on earth. To develop
and maintain this low pressure, what must happen aloft in this type of storm?
A) A strong jet stream flow must be present to maintain the inward flow.
B) A strong divergent flow (outflow) aloft must keep up with, or exceed, the inflow
near the surface.
C) The storm must push the tropopause far into the stratosphere to maintain the low
pressure.
D) Rain must fall to force thunderstorms to collapse to keep the air circulation going.
Where are the most active volcanoes in the world?
A) Washington State, in the United States
B) Mexico
C) Italy
D) Hawaii
Humid middle-latitude climates with mild winters tend to have less precipitation in the
summer than during the rest of the year because ________.
A) oceanic subtropical highs migrate poleward during the summer.
B) oceanic subtropical highs migrate toward the equator during the summer.
C) higher temperatures in those regions carry the moist air higher into the atmosphere.
D) higher temperatures in those regions result in more precipitation over the oceans and
less over the land.
The densest stars known to exist are ________.
A) black holes
B) neutron stars
C) white dwarfs
D) red dwarfs
A cubic centimeter of quartz, olivine, and gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams,
respectively. This indicates that ________.
A) gold has a higher density and specific gravity than quartz and olivine
B) gold is 6 to 7 times harder than olivine and quartz
C) gold and olivine are silicates, whereas quartz is elemental silicon
D) olivine and quartz powders are harder than metallic gold
Water is unique because ________.
A) it is light enough to escape the earth’s gravity but it has not done so
B) it exists in three different states at normal conditions in the earth’s atmosphere
C) its molecules are in motion even when it is solid
D) it forms from a wide range of chemical processes
E) it contracts when it becomes a gas
The word topsoil is commonly used, but not always correctly. The proper definition is
________.
A) the A, E and B horizons
B) the dark, organic rich layers of O and A
C) the entire soil down to the base of the C horizon
D) only the O horizon
Minerals that crystallize directly from seawater are examples of ________.
A) terrigenous sediment
B) biogenous sediment
C) hydrogenous sediment
D) both terrigenous and biogenous sediment
The low grade metamorphism of shale produces ________.
A) marble
B) schist
C) gneiss
D) slate
What type of volcanic material is indicative of eruption under water?
A) AA flows
B) Pyroclastic flows
C) Pillow lavas
D) Pahoehoe flows
E) Lava aprons
Global warming appears to be thawing the permafrost as indicated by ________.
A) disappearing lakes in the Arctic
B) houses sinking into the ground in Alaska
C) increased surface waters in the Arctic
D) all of the above
Light travels 300,000 km/s. Many communications satellites are in geosynchronous
orbit at about 36,000 km above the earth’s surface. If you talk to your friend on the
other side of the world via a geosynchronous satellite using Skype or your phone, what
is the minimum time delay there will be between you and your friend in your
conversation?
A) 8.3 seconds
B) .12 seconds
C) .24 seconds
D) .48 seconds
You buy land in the tropics on steep mountain slopes covered by large trees and deep
soil. You want to build a house on the land. Which of the following building plans is a
very bad idea because of the danger of triggering mass wasting?
A) Excavate a flat bench on the slope for the house, pushing the debris to the slope
below and leave a cut bank above the flat bench with grass planted on the steep slope.
B) Excavate the soil from the building site, install drainage systems, and backfill with
gravel to prevent water accumulation.
C) Terrace the slope, building on the terraces, and constructing a rock retaining well
with voids to allow drainage of water.
D) Sell the land because it will always be prone to mass wasting.
Most of the mass in the solar system is contained ________.
A) in the sun
B) in the sun plus Jupiter
C) in the outer planets
D) in the inner planets
Volcanoes form above subduction zones because ________.
A) the subducting lithosphere melts as it descends and the magma rises to form
volcanoes
B) the lithosphere thickens above the subducting lithosphere and causes volcanoes to
form
C) the asthenosphere is displaced by the subducting lithosphere and rises to the surface
to form volcanoes
D) water is squeezed out of the subducting slab and the water triggers melting of the
overlying asthenosphere
Which one of the following is not part of the continental margin?
A) continental shelf
B) continental slope
C) continental rise
D) continental trench
Clouds can decrease the range of daily temperatures because ________.
A) the clouds reflect solar radiation back into space during the day
B) the clouds diffuse the solar radiation so it is spread out over a larger area
C) the water vapor absorbs the heat from the earth and sends reflects it back to the
ground maintaining a uniform ground temperature during the day
D) the clouds store heat and that helps to maintain a uniform temperature at night and
during the day
The ________ refers to the water-dominated parts of the earth.
A) hydrosphere
B) atmosphere
C) biosphere
D) geosphere
Records indicate that sea level has ________ since 1870.
A) risen by 2.5 meters
B) risen by 25 centimeters
C) not changed
D) decreased by 25 centimeters
E) decreased by 2.5 meters
Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?
A) Tilted strata lie below the unconformity; bedding in younger strata above is parallel
to the unconformity.
B) Horizontal lava flows lie below the unconformity and horizontal; sedimentary strata
lie above.
C) The discordant boundary between older strata and an intrusive body of granite.
D) Tilted strata that lie below the unconformity are truncated at the unconformity, and
strata above the unconformity are also tilted and truncated, but at a different angle
The era of “ancient life” is the ________ era.
A) Cenozoic
B) Paleozoic
C) Mesozoic
D) Precambrian
The town of Grand Isle, Louisiana is built on a barrier island that has been shrinking for
decades. They have tried the following approaches to protect the island from coastal
erosion. Which of these is not a feature intended to simulate natural barrier island beach
processes?
A) offshore sand dredging and deposition to rebuild the beach
B) placement of large concrete donuts on the seabed in the surf zone
C) placement of groins
D) construction of artificial dunes and planting coastal grasses on the dunes
Low latitude dry climates are found primarily ________.
A) near the equator.
B) near the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
C) between the equator and the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
D) near 35o north and south latitudes.
E) near 45o north and south latitudes.
Rayed craters like Tyco and Copernicus are known to be younger than the lunar maria
because ________.
A) they have been dated directly by radiometric dating of samples
B) they are formed on lunar highlands that are known to be younger than the maria
C) they contain volcanos in their centers which indicate the moon still had magma
available when they formed
D) their ejecta, seen as rays, lies across the surface of the maria
According to the Ptolemaic (Greek) model of the universe, how many “heavenly”
bodies could be observed wandering along the background of stars?
A) one
B) two
C) five
D) seven
The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of
gases and dispersed solid particles.
A) protogalactic theory
B) nebular theory
C) extrastellar solar hypothesis
D) planetary compression theory
The most popular theory for the origin of the moon today is ________.
A) the moon and Earth coalesced from an eddy in the solar nebular, forming a binary
planet system.
B) the earth captured a small planet, which is our moon.
C) the moon was formed when Mars and a comparable size planet collided, and the
moon was ejected toward Earth and captured.
D) the early Earth and a planet the size of Mars collided, and the ejected material
coalesced to form the earth’s moon.
Which planet has the highest recorded winds in the solar system?
A) Uranus
B) Neptune
C) Venus
D) Mars
In North America “no till farming” has become a widespread practice made possible by
genetically modified (GM) crops that can be sprayed with herbicide that kills
everything but the GM plant. Evaluate the following statements on the role of GM
crops on soil conservation issues?
A) They are a disaster. By killing all plants except the GM organism they expose the
soil to increased erosion.
B) They have no effect one way or the other on soil erosion.
C) The no till practice dramatically improves soil conservation by providing loose
organic matter cover to the soil surface, breaking up wind and runoff, lowering erosion
rates.
D) The herbicides kill beneficial plants and animals and eventually will make the soil
sterile.
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
What are the three variables used in the Kppen system to establish the boundary
between dry and humid climates?
________ is defined as the drop in elevation of the stream surface divided by the
distance the water flows.
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
What is the most abundant, naturally produced, weak acid involved in chemical
weathering and soil formation?
The two primary motions of the Earth are ________ and ________.
The principal technique for finding ocean depth today is ________.
Which fate of the universe is currently favored: Big Crunch or Big Chill?
The angular distance north or south of the celestial equator is called ________.
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
How are carbon dioxide and other trace gases thought to be potentially related to global
warming? Are the levels of these gases in our atmosphere increasing or decreasing and
why are levels changing? Finally, what are some of the observed climatic trends and
possible consequences associated with global warming?
Examine the words and/or phrases for each question below and determine the
relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the option which does not fit
the pattern.
Igneous rocks that contain mostly quartz and feldspar with small amounts of biotite
would be described as having a(n) ________ composition.