Earth/Environmental Science Final
120 questions
5. What percentage of all water on Earth is freshwater?
a. 97%
b. 70%
c. 3%
d. 25%
6. Which science involves the study of how living things interact with their environment?
a. Meteorology
b. Ecology
c. Entomology
d. Petrology
7. Which of the following best describes how Earth operates as a system?
a. A closed group of interacting parts that form a complex whole.
b. A small group of interacting parts that form a complex whole.
c. An open group of interacting parts that form a complex whole.
d. A large group of interacting parts that form a complex whole.
8. What are Earth's two energy sources?
a. The moon and the sun
b. The sun and Earth's core
c. Gravity and inertia
d. The Earth does not have any energy sources
9. When looking at the global grid, which lines are used to measure distance North and South of the equator?
a. Latitude
b. Longitude
c. Neither of the above
d. All of the above
10. How is the doppler effect used in astronomy?
a. To determine how fast Earth is rotating
b. To determine how fast Earth is revolving
c. To determine whether a star is moving toward or away from Earth
d. To determine the exact distance between Earth and the Sun
11. What does the prefix 'Peri' mean?
a. near
b. away
c. above
d. below
12. What is the shape of Earth's orbit?
a. Abnormal
b. Eclipse
c. Rhombus
d. Ellipse
13. According to the Big Bang Theory, when did the universe begin?
a. 6 thousand years ago
b. 13.7 billion years ago
c. 3.7 billion years ago
d. 6 million years ago
14. Which scientist developed the three laws of planetary motion?
a. Hubble
b. Newton
c. Kepler
d. Einstein
15. Planet Earth is closest to the Sun during the month of:
a. June
b. January
c. August
d. July
16. Summer for us in the Northern Hemisphere occurs because:
a. the Earth is closest to the Sun during this season
b. the Earth is tilted so that the Northern Hemisphere is closer to the sun than the Southern Hemisphere
c. the Earth is tilted so that the Sun stays up higher in the sky, for a longer time
d. there are fewer clouds and more sunny days
17. At what degree is Earth's axis tilted?
a. 36.5
b. 23.5
c. 45.5
d. 21.5
18. During which phase of the moon's revolution do we experience spring tides?
a. Full Moon
b. Crescent Waning
c. Crescent Waxing
d. 1st Quarter Moon
19. _____________________is the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity.
a. Conduction b. Convection c. Radiation
d. Confection
20._______________________________is the transfer of heat by mass movement or circulation.
a. Conduction b. Convection
c. Radiation
d. Confection
21.______________________is energy that travels in the form of waves and also through a vacuum.
a. Conduction b. Convection c. Radiation
d. Confection
22. Which of the following is responsible for seasons on Earth?
a. Earth's revolution
b. Earth's rotation
c. Earth's tilt
d. Earth's core
23. ______features such as mountains play an important role in the amount of precipitation that falls over an area.
a. Vegetation
b. Topographic
c. Water Bodies
d. Latitude
24. ____________distributes heat and moisture around Earth.
a. Elevation
b. Latitude
c. Water Bodies
d. Atmospheric Circulation
25. What happens when solar radiation is absorbed and emitted by greenhouse gases?
a. Ozone is created in Earth's atmosphere
b. Ozone is destroyed in Earth's atmosphere
c. Heat is trapped in Earth's atmosphere
d. Heat decreases in Earth's atmosphere
26. What is the result of increasing levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in our atmosphere?
a. Global Warming
b. Global Cooling
c. Transgression
d. Regression
27. What is the relationship between elevation and climate?
a. The higher the elevation is, the colder the climate
b. The lower the elevation is, the colder the climate
c. The higher the elevation is, the warmer the climate
d. There is no relationship between elevation and climate
28. What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?
a. Nitrogen
b. Carbon Dioxide
c. Hydrogen
d. Oxygen
29. Which form of oxygen contains three oxygen atoms in one molecule?
a. Argon
b. Chlorofluorocarbon c. Ozone
d. Omnilite
30. True or False?: In order for condensation to occur, the air must be saturated.
a. False
b. True
31. Almost all weather happens in the___________________,
a. Exosphere
b. Thermosphere
c. Troposphere
32. Which of the following is an example of sublimation
a. Frost
b. Dry Ice
c. Heat
d. Melting
d. Mesosphere
33. What happens to radiation when it strikes the Earth's surface?
a. radiation is absorbed, reflected, or transmitted
c. radiation is detected, rejected, or adjected
b. radiation is diffracted, refracted, or abrased
d. nothing happens to radiation
34. What happens to the level of energy as water moves from the solid state to the gas state?
a. Energy increases
b. Energy decreases
c. Energy stays the same
d. Both a and b
35. What controls the temperature of outdoor air?
a. Heating of the Exosphere
b. Heating of the ozone layer
c. Heating of the Earth's surface
d. all of the above
36. Which factors contribute to temperature variations on Earth?
a. Gases in the atmosphere, air currents, volcanoes, trees
b. Heating of land and water, altitude, geographic position, cloud cover
c. Animal respiration, humans, plant transpiration, deep sea currents
d. All of the above
37. What is the significance of the ozone layer?
a. It keeps Earth warm
b. It blocks harmful UV radiation
c. It lowers air pollution
d. All of the above
38. Which gas is most important for understanding atmospheric processes?
a. Oxygen
b. Ozone
c. Water Vapor
d. Carbon Dioxide
39. Which of the following refers to the temperature at which air needs to cool in order to reach saturation?
a. dew point
b. vapor
c. adiabatic rate
d. relative point
40. When air expands or compresses, what type of temperature change does it experience?
a. volumetric temperature change
b. radiational temperature change
c. adiabatic temperature change
d. external temperature change
41. Which cloud type is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky?
a. cumulus
b. cirrus
c. alto
d. stratus
42.Which cloud type is associated with hail?
a.cirrocumulus
b. nimbostratus
c. cumulonimbus
d. all of the abov
43. Lines on a weather map that connect points of equal pressure are called______________________.
a. Isobars
b. Isotherms
c. Contour Lines
d. Isogrids
44. Widely spaced isobars indicate________________?
a. High winds
b. Light winds c. Variable winds
d. Wind oriented north to south
45. What is responsible for deflection of winds across Earth?
a. Bergeron effect
b. Coalescence effect c. Coriolis effect
d. Collision effect
46. Centers of low pressure are called_____________________.
a. anticyclones
b. jet streams c. cyclones
d. None of the above
47. Fair weather can usually be associated with the approach of which of the following?
a. cyclone
b. anticyclone
c. low-pressure system
d. none of the above
48. A land breeze usually originates during______________________
a. the evening and flows toward land
b. the day and flows toward the land
c. the evening and flows toward the water
d. the day and flows toward the water
49. In the Northern hemisphere, which way do hurricanes and tornadoes rotate?
a. Clockwise
b. Counterclockwise
c. All of the above
d. None of the above
50. Winds are named according to which of the following?
a. The direction from which they flow
b. The region in which they are located
c. Whether they originate on land or water
d. The temperature at which they form
51. El Niño reduces the _____________of cold, nutrient-rich water that sustains large fish populations.
a. Storm Surge
b. Upwelling
c. Downwelling
d. Rotation
52. An mT air mass is best described as_____________.
a. Cold and dry
b. Warm and dry
c. Cold and Wet
d. Warm and Wet
53. Look at the National Weather Forecast for 01/13/15: What kind of front is located over California?
a. Stationary
b. Cold
c. Warm
d. Occluded
54. In which type of front is the flow of air almost parallel to the line of the front?
a. Stationary
b. Occluded
c. Warm
d. Cold
55. What is responsible for the sound of thunder?
a. Temperature of Air
b. Expansion of Air
c. Compression of Air
d. Depression of Air
56. During La Niña , upwelling is increased, causing water to be ________________than normal.
a. Warmer
b. Colder
c. Deeper
d. Shallower
57. Which of the following reactions specifically involves CO2 combining with H2O to form H2CO3?
a.
Oxidation
b.
Carbonation
c.
Acid Precipitation
d.
Reactions with Water
58. Which of the following reactions specifically involves burned fossil fuels (i.e. coal and petroleum) reacting
with water molecules?
a.
Oxidation
b.
Carbonation
c.
Acid Precipitation
d.
Reactions with Water
For the following questions (59-60), match each soil horizon to its proper description:
59. A layer containing large amounts of minerals and lacks organic material
a. Humus- O horizon
b. Topsoil - A Horizon
c. Subsoil- B Horizon
d. Parent Rock- C Horizon
e. Bedrock- R Horizon
60. A layer of organic material, animal remains, and plant remains
a. Humus- O horizon
b. Topsoil- A Horizon
c. Subsoil-B horizon
d. Parent Rock- C Horizon
e. Bedrock- R Horizon
61. How are soil textures classified?
a. by particle type
b. by particle size
c. by particle composition
d. all of the above
62. A soil that is characteristic of the humid western United States is ________________________.
a.laterite
c.pedocal
b.pedalfer
d.humus
63. Which of the following factors is the main contributor to soil formation?
a. Climate
b. Seasons
c. Earth’s rotation
d. Earth’s core
64. Earth’s geologic history spans over a length of ______________years?
a. 13.7 billion years
b. 6 billion years
c. 4.5 billion years
d. 6 million years
65. Which of the following states that Earth’s surface consists of rigid, but moving pieces?
a. theory of continental drift
b. theory of plate tectonics
c. plate tectonics hypothesis
d. continental drift hypothesis
66 . What type of boundary is associated with gaining crust?
a. Convergent
b. Divergent
c. Transform
d. All of the above
67. What type of boundary is associated with losing crust?
a. Convergent
b. Divergent
c. Transform
d. All of the above
68. Which of the following geologic features is associated with divergent boundaries?
a. Trenches
b. Island Arcs
c. Subduction Zones
d. Rift Valleys
69. Which boundary is associated with subduction zones?
a. Divergent
b. Convergent
c. Transform
d. All of the above
70. What type of geologic fault is displayed in the diagram to the right?
a. Reverse Fault
b. Normal Fault
c. Strike-Slip Fault
d. Thrust Fault
71. What is an earthquake’s epicenter?
a. the place on the surface directly above the focus
b. a spot halfway between the focus and the surface
c. the spot below the focus
d. any spot along the nearest fault
72. A seismogram shows that P waves travel
a. at the same speed as surface waves
b. more slowly than S waves
c. at the same speed as S waves
d. faster than S waves
73. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of S waves?
a. they travel more slowly than P waves
b. they temporarily change the volume of material they pass through by compression and expansion
c. they shake particles at right angles to their direction of travel – side to side, like a snake
d. they cannot be transmitted through water or air
74. What type of volcano is fairly symmetrical and has both layers of lava and highly explosive pyroclastic material?
a. cinder cone volcano
b. shield volcano
c. pyroclastic volcano
d. stratovolcano
75. What is the name of a feeder stream that flows into a mainstream?
a. Headwater
b. Tributary
c. Mouth
d. Reservoir
76. The ability of a channel to erode and transport material depends largely on its
a. width
b. velocity
c. density
d. length
77. Which of the following refers to the amount of open spaces in rock or sediment?
a. Permeability
b. Pressure
c. Porosity
d. Purity
78. If a rock or sediment has high permeability, then
a. Water will move rapidly through the rock
b. Water will move slowly through the rock
c. Water will not move through the rock
d. None of the above
79. What does a Water Table represent?
a. Where water is drawn up by capillary action
b. The upper surface of the layer where all pore spaces are full
c. The layer of groundwater where all pore spaces are full
d. Body of rock where large amounts of water can flow and much water is stored
80. Which of the following best defines an aquifer?
a. Where water is drawn up by capillary action
b. The upper surface of the layer where all the pore spaces are full
c. A large cave with connecting chambers
d. Where large amounts of water can flow and much water is stored
81. The upper confining layer of rock is also called a cap rock or the _________________?
a. top layer of permeable rock
b. top layer of impermeable rock
c. top layer of porous rock
d. top layer of pristine rock
82. A formation in which groundwater rises naturally and under pressure is a(n)____________________.
a. aquifer
b. artesian well
c. cone of depression
d. hot spring
83. What is the difference between a geyser and hot spring?
a. Geysers have different temperatures
b. Geysers have gradient variations
c. Geyser have periodic eruptions
d. There is no difference
84. If water has a strong metallic taste it is usually called______________________.
a. Soft Water
b. Alkaline Water
c. Hard Water
d. Acidic Water
85. Which of the following is the result of a cavern ceiling collapse?
a. Artesian Well
b. Cone of Depression
c. Sinkhole
d. Pollution
86. Stalactites are a result of which of the following processes?
a. Erosion by groundwater
b. Weathering by groundwater
c. Sorting by groundwater
d. leaking sewage
87. If the volume of water moved by a stream in a given time is large, the stream is considered to have__________?
a. low discharge
b. high discharge
c. high gradient
d. low gradient
88. What happens to a rejuvenated river when there is movement in Earth’s crust?
a. Porosity increases
b. Porosity decreases
c. Gradient and Velocity decrease
d. Gradient and Velocity increase
89. Which of the following rivers has a ‘U-shaped’ valley?
a. Youthful River
b. Mature River
c. Old River
d. Rejuvenated River
90. Which of the following rivers has a “V – shaped” valley?
a. Youthful River
b. Mature River
c. Old River
d. Rejuvenated River
91. Which of the following rivers has a straight and narrow path?
a. Youthful River
b. Mature River
c. Old River
d. Rejuvenated River
92. What is the benefit of building earthen mounds on the banks of rivers?
a. erosion control
b. flood control
c. pollution control
d. gradient control
93. What term refers to an area between the water table and surface that remains dry except during rainfall?
a. Zone of saturation
b. Zone of aeration
c. Zone of permeability
d. Zone of porosity
94. Rock or sediment with a large percentage of open spaces is considered to have __________________
a. low permeability
b. high purity
c. low porosity
d. high porosity
95. Rock or sediment that is packed tightly together is considered to have _______________
a. low porosity
b. high porosity
c. high permeability
d. none of the above
96. Which process is the principle source of dissolved solids in ocean water?
a. Erosion
c. evaporation
b. outgassing
d. infiltration
97. The highest salinity would be found in which of the following areas?
a.
an area with high rates of precipitation
b.
an area with high rates of evaporation
c.
an area with plenty of runoff
d.
all of the above
98. The ocean zone of rapid temperature change with depth is known as the ____.
a.
trophic level
c.
mixed zone
b.
deep zone
d.
thermocline
99. In addition to salinity, what factor impacts the density of seawater?
a.
depth
c.
temperature
b.
latitude
d.
dissolved gases
100. Where would you find the lowest density seawater?
a.
surface mixed zone
c.
deep zone
b.
transition zone
d.
abyssal zone
101. What determines the color of the ocean?
a. Salinity and Density
c. Absorption and Reflection
b. Temperature and Vegetation
d. Conduction and Convection
102. Which property of water is responsible for increasing the amount of dissolved gases in ocean water?
a. Color
c. Density
b. Oxygen
d. Temperature
103. Which two elements are the most abundant substances in ocean water?
a. Mg, K
c. Cl, Na
b. S, Cl
d. Na, O
104. In which layer of the ocean would you expect to have the highest salinity?
a. Where the water is coldest
c. Where the water receives the most wave action
b. Where the water receives the most sunlight d. Where the water is warmest
105. In which layer of the ocean would you expect to find marine plants?
a. Halocline
c. Thermocline
b. Deep Zone
d. Mixed Layer
106. Because of the Coriolis effect, ocean currents in the Northern Hemisphere are deflected to the ____.
107.
108.
a.
Left
c.
Right
b.
North d.
South
Which force is involved in the development of surface currents?
a.
gravity
c.
friction
b.
inertia
d.
none of the above
Ocean currents that move toward the poles are ____.
a.
b.
c.
d.
109.
110.
warm
cold
warm in the Northern Hemisphere and cold in the Southern Hemisphere
cold in the Northern Hemisphere and warm in the Southern Hemisphere
What is true about an ocean current that is moving toward the equator?
a.
It is warm.
c.
It is cold.
b.
It is fast.
d.
It is slow.
The energy that drives surface ocean currents comes from ____.
a.
salinity variations
c.
temperature differences
b.
wind
d.
wave action
111. What controls the horizontal flow of surface currents?
112.
113.
a.
Deep currents c.
Earth’s revolution
b.
Earth’s rotational effect d.
Global Temperatures
The rising of cold water from deeper layers to replace warmer surface water is called ____.
a.
the Coriolis effect
c.
upwelling
b.
a surface current
d.
Reflection
Deep Density currents move ____.
a.
horizontally
c.
from north to south
b.
vertically
d.
from south to north
114. Which of the following can cause an increase in the density of ocean water?
a.
a decrease in temperature
c.a decrease in ocean circulation
b.
an increase in salinity
both a and b
d.
115. Which protective structure includes a quiet zone?
a. groin
c. seawall
b. breakwater
d. all of the above
116. The movement of water that parallels the shore is called ____.
a.
tidal current
c.
b.
salinity current d.
beach drift
longshore current
117. Which of the following is a landform created by wave erosion?
a.
estuary
c.
sea arch
b.
tombolo
d.
breakwater
118. A ridge of sand projecting into a bay and often having a hooked end is a ____.
a.
spit
c.
sea stack
b.
jetty
d.
groin
119. On which side of an ocean would you expect to find a cool current?
a. Southern
c. Eastern
b. Western
d. both b and c
120. In which three oceans can you find the five major ocean gyres?
a. Pacific, Arctic, Indian
c. Atlantic, Arctic, Indian
b. Pacific, Indian, Atlantic
d. Atlantic, Indian, Arabian
121. Which term is associated with the bending of waves as they approach the shore?
a. Reflection
c. Abrasion
b. Barrier
d. Refraction
122. Which depositional feature forms a seal to the open ocean?
a. Spit
c. Baymouth Bar
b. Tombolo
d. None of the above
123. Why are barrier islands considered a hazardous place?
a. Severe Deposition
c. Severe Refraction
b. Severe Erosion
d. All of the above
124. Which of the following structures are built perpendicular to prevent sand from moving?
a. Groin
c. Wave Cut Platform
b. Sea Arch
d. Barrier Island
125. Which of the following is designed to prevent or slow shoreline erosion?
a. groin
c.
seawall
b. beach nourishment
d.
all of the above