Earth Space Spring Final

1.

1 point

Most of the information about Earth’s interior was obtained by studying ____.

seismic waves

meteorites

rocks of ocean crust

rocks in deep wells

2.

1 point

Which two properties characterize an air mass?

temperature and moisture

temperature and location

temperature and pressure

moisture and pressure

3.

1 point

Ocean tides result largely from the gravitational attraction of the

sun

moon

closest neighboring planets

core of Earth

4.

1 point

A rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth’s surface is called an ____.

intrusive igneous rock

intrusive metamorphic rock

extrusive igneous rock

extrusive sedimentary rock

5.

1 point

What is the ultimate base level of a stream?

a large lake

a larger stream

the ocean

a resistant layer of rock

6.

1 point

Seasonal changes occur because of

time of year

Earth's tilt

Earth's shape

distance between Earth and moon

7.

1 point

Most important weather phenomena occur in the ____.

troposphere

thermosphere

stratosphere

mesophere

8.

1 point

Currents affect climate by

changing the density of water in the tropics.

transferring heat from the polar regions to the tropics.

making ocean water evaporate.

transferring heat and cold between the tropics and polar regions.

9.

1 point

Permeable rock layers or sediments that transmit groundwater freely are called ____.

caverns

aquitards

aquifers

springs

10.

1 point

Most of Earth’s dry air is made up of

oxygen and argon

nitrogen and argon

carbon dioxide and oxygen

nitrogen and oxygen

11.

1 point

Which one of the following statements is true about P waves?

They are the most destructive type of seismic wave.

They travel only through solids.

They cannot be recorded on a seismograph.

They travel faster than S waves.

12.

1 point

The change of state from a gas to a liquid is called ____.

sublimation

evaporation

deposition

condensation

13.

1 point

Which of the following human activities has caused an increase in soil erosion?

clear cut logging

clearing land for construction

plowing land for farming

all

14.

1 point

In the Northern Hemisphere, winds associated with a high-pressure system blow ____.

counterclockwise outward from the center

counterclockwise toward the center

clockwise outward from the center

clockwise toward the center

15.

1 point

Hydroelectric power is produced by ____.

tides that pour through a dam barrier

falling water that turns a turbine

hot water that comes from deep underground

electric current that flows across a dam

16.

1 point

A drainage basin is ____.

the channel of a stream

the land area that contributes water to a stream

the land covered by floodwaters

all streams that flow directly into an ocean

17.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT a factor that controls temperature?

geographic position

altitude

longitude

cloud cover

18.

1 point

Which of the following is an example of a nonrenewable resource?

trees

cattle

uranium

cotton

19.

1 point

The atmosphere balances the unequal heating of Earth’s surface by moving

cool air toward the east and warm air toward the west.

warm air toward high latitudes and cool air toward the equator.

warm air toward the east and cool air toward the west.

cool air toward high latitudes and warm air toward the equator.

20.

1 point

Wave impact and pressure cause ____.

erosion

deposition

tides

refraction

21.

1 point

Limiting development on floodplains is effective because it ____.

allows floodplains to absorb floodwaters with little harm to structures

eliminates wide stream meanders

is more expensive to build structures on flat land

helps keep floodwaters within stream channels

22.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT a process that lifts air?

orographic lifting

localizing convective lifting

divergence

frontal wedging

23.

1 point

Variations in air pressure from place to place are the principal cause of ____.

wind

snow

clouds

rain

24.

1 point

Rain, snow, sleet, and hail are all examples of ____.

precipitation

evaporation

condensation

deposition

25.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT an agent of metamorphism?

hydrothermal solution

heat

pressure

running water

26.

1 point

Which of the following is an example of a nonpoint source of fresh water pollution?

leaking toxic waste landfill

sewage treatment plant

pesticide runoff from farm fields

factory waste piped into a stream

27.

1 point

Which of the following represents the correct order of the processes involved in sedimentary rock formation?

erosion, weathering, compaction, cementation, deposition

deposition, cementation, compaction, erosion, weathering

weathering, erosion, deposition, compaction, cementation

compaction, cementation, deposition, weathering, erosion

28.

1 point

Weather in the United States is moved by the westerlies in a(n)

east to west direction across the continent.

southeast to northwest direction across the continent.

west to east direction across the continent.

northwest to southeast direction across the continent.

29.

1 point

An earthquake’s epicenter is ____.

the place on the surface directly above the focus

a spot halfway between the focus and the surface

any spot along the nearest fault

the spot below the focus

30.

1 point

The process that occurs when physical forces break rock into smaller pieces without changing the rock’s chemical composition is called ____.

mechanical weathering

differential weathering

erosion

chemical weathering

31.

1 point

The ability of a stream to erode and transport material depends largely on its ____.

width

length

velocity

density

32.

1 point

Which cloud type is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky?

cumulus

cumulonnimbus

stratus

cirrus

33.

1 point

Which of the following affects the amount of destruction caused by earthquake vibrations?

the design of structures

the intensity and duration of the vibrations

the nature of the material on which structures are built

all of the above

34.

1 point

Which of these factors affects the rate of weathering?

climate

chemical composition of the exposed rock

surface area of the exposed rock

all

35.

1 point

What is true about warm, saturated air?

contains less water vapor than cold air

contains more water vapor than cold air

doesn't contain any water vapor

contains same amount of water vapor as cold air

36.

1 point

Renewable resources ____.

can be replenished over months, years or decades

have finite supplies

include iron, natural gas, and copper

are all living resources

37.

1 point

Which air masses have the greatest effect on weather conditions in much of the United States?

mT and cT

mP and cT

cP and mT

mP and cP

38.

1 point

A fault is ____.

the place on Earth’s surface where structures move during an earthquake

a place on Earth where earthquakes cannot occur

another name for an earthquake

a fracture in the Earth where movement has occurred

39.

1 point

Which of the following is true?

land heats less rapidly than water

land reaches higher temperatures than water

land heats more rapidly than water

both land heats more rapidly than water and land reaches higher temperatures than water

40.

1 point

Earth receives energy from the sun through what method of heat transfer?

conduction

convection

radiation

none

41.

1 point

The advantages of solar energy include the fact that it is ____.

expensive

non-polluting

nonrenewable

absent at night

42.

1 point

Which of the following is a warm countercurrent that periodically flows southward along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru?

mountain breeze

La Nina

El Nino

none

43.

1 point

The energy that drives surface ocean currents comes from ____.

salinity variations

temperature differences

wind

wave action

44.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT one of the three types of rock?

igneous

sedimentary

metamorphic

magma

45.

1 point

Which of the following is NOT a major component of soil?

earthworms

mineral matter

air

humus

46.

1 point

Which gas is most important for understanding atmospheric processes?

water vapor

carbon dioxide

ozone

oxygen

47.

1 point

What factor commonly triggers mass movements?

saturation of surface materials with water

earthquakes

removal of vegetation

all

48.

1 point

The height, length, and period of a wave does NOT depend upon which of the following?

wind speed

tidal range

the length of time the wind has blown

fetch

49.

1 point

All of the energy that drives Earth’s rock cycle comes from ____.

the wind

breakdown of organic matter

movement of water over Earth's surface

Earth's interior and the sun

50.

1 point

Fair weather can usually be expected with the approach of which of the following?

anticyclone

none

low pressure system

cyclone