Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
1. Which property of loose earth materials most likely increases as particle size
decreases?
A) capillarity
C) permeability
B) infiltration
D) porosity
2. Which New York State landscape region is composed primarily of metamorphic
bedrock at its surface?
A) Manhattan Prong
C) St. Lawrence Lowlands
B) Allegheny Plateau
D) Erie-Ontario Lowlands
3. In New York State, both the Delaware River and the Susquehanna River flow over
landscapes classified as
A) mountain regions
C) lowlands
B) coastal plains
D) plateaus
4. Under the same conditions of temperature and pressure, three different samples of
the same uniform substance will have the same
A) shape
B) density
C) mass
D) volume
Base your answers to questions 5 and 6 on the map of Long Island, New York. AB, CD, EF and GH are reference lines on the map.
5. The cross section below represents the sediments beneath the land surface along one of the reference lines shown on the map.
Along which reference line was the cross section taken?
A) AB
B) CD
C) EF
D) GH
6. A major difference between sediments in the outwash and sediments in the moraines is that the sediments deposited in the outwash are
A) larger
B) sorted
C) more angular
7. A large, scratched boulder is found in a mixture of unsorted, smaller sediments
forming a hill in central New Jersey. Which agent of erosion most likely
transported and then deposited this boulder?
A) wind
C) ocean waves
B) a glacier
D) running water
Page 1
D) older
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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8. The diagram below represents a cross section of a stream. Points A, B, C, D, and E are locations within the stream channel.
Which graph best represents stream velocity at locations A through E?
A)
B)
C)
D)
9. An observer in New York State measures the altitude of Polaris to be 44º. The
location of the observer is nearest to
A) Watertown
C) Buffalo
B) Elmira
D) Kingston
Page 2
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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10. Which diagram best represents the location of Polaris for an observer located at
the Equator?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Page 3
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
11. The map below shows Rockaway Peninsula, part of Long Island's south shore, and the location of several stone barriers, A, B, C, and D, that were built to
trap sand being transported along the coast by wave action.
On which map do the arrows best show the direction of wave movement that created the beaches in this area?
A)
B)
C)
D)
12. Water has the greatest density at
A) 100ºC in the gaseous phase
C) 4ºC in the solid phase
B) 0ºC in the solid phase
D) 4ºC in the liquid phase
13. When rain falls on an area of sandy soil, infiltration will usually be greater than
surface runoff if the
A) soil surface has a steep slope
C) rate of precipitation is low
B) soil is saturated
D) surface is impermeable
Page 4
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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14. The block diagram below shows a region that has undergone faulting.
Which map shows the stream drainage pattern that would most likely develop on the surface of this region?
A)
B)
C)
D)
15. The photograph below shows a sand dune that formed in a coastal area.
This sand dune was most likely formed by
A) water flowing from the left
C) wind blowing from the left
B) water flowing from the right
D) wind blowing from the right
16. Landscapes with horizontal bedrock structure, steep slopes, and high elevations
are classified as
A) plateau regions
C) lowland regions
B) plain regions
D) mountain regions
17. A landslide is an example of
A) river deposition
C) mass movement
B) glacial scouring
D) chemical weathering
18. Precise measurements of the Earth indicate that its polar diameter is
A) shorter than its equatorial diameter
B) longer than its equatorial diameter
C) the same length as its equatorial diameter
Page 5
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
19. The photograph below shows a sign near the Esopus Creek in Kingston, New York.
The main purpose of the word "watershed" on this sign is to communicate that the Esopus Creek
A) is a tributary of the Hudson River
C) forms a delta in the Hudson River
B) is a flood hazard where it flows into the Hudson River
D) contains ancient fish fossils
20. A student performed a laboratory activity in which water was poured slowly into four cups containing equal volumes of loosely packed sediment samples,
as shown in the diagram below. All particles were spherical in shape and uniform in size within a container. After the water level reached the surface of
each sample, the student determined the amount of water that had been added.
The results of the activity should have indicated that approximately equal amounts of water were added to the cups of
A) silt and pebbles, only
C) pebbles and the mixture, only
B) sand, silt, and pebbles, only
D) sand, pebbles, and the mixture, only
Page 6
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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21. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which shows
ocean waves approaching a shoreline. A groin (a short wall of rocks
perpendicular to the shoreline) and a breakwater (an offshore structure) have been
constructed alone the beach. Letters A, B, C, D, and E represent locations in
the area.
At which location will the beach first begin to widen due to sand deposition?
A) A
B) B
C) C
D) E
22. The Sun is approximately 141,000,000 kilometers from the Earth. This distance
correctly expressed in scientific notation (powers of ten) would be
A) 1.41 × 106 km
C) 1.41 × 108 km
B) 1.41 × 107 km
D) 1.41 × 109 km
23. Compared to the weight of a person at the North Pole, the weight of the same
person at the Equator would be
A)
B)
C)
D)
slightly less, because the person is farther from the center of Earth
slightly less, because the person is closer to the center of Earth
slightly more, because the person is farther from the center of Earth
slightly more, because the person is closer to the center of Earth
24. Which quartz sample has probably undergone abrasion in a stream for the longest
period of time?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Page 7
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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Class:________
25. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram provided which shows observations made by a sailor who left his ship and landed on a small
deserted island on June 21. The diagram represents the apparent path of the Sun and the position of Polaris, as observed by the sailor on this island.
Based on the sailor's observations, what is the latitude of this island? Include the units and the compass direction in your answer.
26. Base your answer to the following question on
the data table below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The data table shows the average monthly discharge, in cubic feet per second, for a stream in
New York State.
Explain one possible reason why this stream’s discharge in April is usually greater than this stream’s discharge in January.
Page 8
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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Class:________
27. Base your answer to the following question on the topographic map below, which shows an area of the Saranac River just west of Plattsburgh, New York.
Points A and B are locations in the river.
Why is erosion of the stream bank more likely at point A than at point B?
Page 9
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
Base your answers to questions 28 and 29 on the block diagram below, which shows the landscape features of an area of Earth's crust. Two sedimentary
rock layers, A and B, are labeled in the diagram. The rock symbol for layer B has been omitted.
28. The graph below shows the particle sizes that compose the clastic sedimentary rock in layer B.
In the area below, draw the map symbol that represents rock layer B.
29. Describe how the caverns formed in rock layer A.
Page 10
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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Class:________
30. Base your answer to the following question on
on the diagram below, which shows laboratory materials used for an investigation of the effects of sediment size on permeability, porosity, and water
retention. Four separate columns, labeled A through D, were filled to the same level with different sediments. The sediments within each column are of
uniform size.
Describe the relationship between the sediment size and the permeability that will be observed when water is poured through these sediments.
Page 11
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
31. Base your answer to the following question on
the topographic map below. Points A and B are reference points on the map. The
Elevations are shown in feet.
Class:________
symbols show the highest elevations on Eagle Hill and Timony Hill.
State a possible elevation of the top of Patriot Hill.
Page 12
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
32. Base your answer to the following question on the map below, which shows the snowfall from the fall of 1976 through the spring of 1977, measured in
inches, for most of New York State. The 200-inch snowfall isolines are shown on the map.
On the map above, draw the 100-inch snowfall isoline. Extend the isoline to the edges of New York State.
33. Part of which generalized New York State landscape region is drained by the Susquehanna River and its tributaries?
Page 13
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
34. Base your answer to the following question on passage and time zones map shown below.
Time Zones
In 1883, Earth was divided into 24 time zones. The United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) has four time zones, which are indicated by
different shadings on the map.Each zone is roughly centered on lines of longitude that are 15° apart. These lines are shown as dashed lines on the
map. Most locations within a time zone have the same time.This time is called standard time. As you move to the west, the time in each zone is one
hour earlier than the previous time zone
Explain, in terms of Earth's rotation, why the time zones are 15° of longitude apart.
Page 14
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
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35. Base your answer to the following question on the photograph below, which shows a mountainous region cut by a large valley in its center.
What characteristic of this large valley supports the inference that glacial ice formed the valley?
Page 15
Class:________
Name:____________________________
Mid Term Exam
Make sure to record all your answers on answer sheet
Class:________
36. Base your answer to the following question on passage and map below. The map shows a portion of the continent of Antarctica.
Antarctica's Ice Sheet
The size and shape of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet depends on many factors, including melting and freezing beneath the glacier, the amount of
snowfall, snow removal by wind, iceberg formation, and the rate of ice flow. Glacial moraines are found in the Executive Committee Mountains
shown on the map. Moraines are located up to 100 meters in elevation above the present ice sheet surface, which indicates that a thicker ice sheet
existed 20,000 years ago.
The world's oceans and climate are influenced by Antarctica's ice. Even a small increase in sea level from melting glaciers would be a disaster for
the nearly two billion people who live near coastal areas.
Identify one piece of evidence found on the sides of some Antarctic mountains that indicates that an ice sheet, hundreds of meters thicker than the current
ice sheet,existed in the past.
Page 16
Earth Science[2016-2017 MidTerm[1/20/2016]]- Eduware Classification
6.GROUND WATER (6)
6.A.Earth's Water (3)
6.A.i.Ground Water (3)
6.A.i.d.Capillary (1)
6.A.i.a.Infiltration (1)
6.A.i.c.Porosity (1)
6.B.The Local Water Budget (1)
6.B.i.Stream Discharge and Water Budget (1)
6.C.Constructed Response VI (2)
8.THE DEPOSITIONAL PROCESS (6)
8.C.Landscape Characteristics (5)
8.C.iv.Landscape Regions of New York State (3)
8.C.iii.Stream Patterns (1)
8.C.ii.General (1)
8.E.Constructed Response VIII (1)
1.PROLOGUE (2)
1.B.Simple Measurements (2)
1.B.ii.Density (2)
1.B.ii.a.Qualitative Answers (2)
7.THE EROSIONAL PROCESS (12)
7.B.Erosion (9)
7.B.ii.Factors affecting Transportation (4)
7.B.ii.c.Wind and Ice Erosion (3)
7.B.ii.b.Water Erosion/Stream Channel Shape (1)
7.B.i.Evidence of Erosion (3)
7.B.i.b.Properties of Transported Materials (3)
7.B.iii.Coastal Processes (2)
7.C.Constructed Response VII (3)
2.DESCRIBING THE EARTH (7)
2.B.Positions on Earth (1)
2.B.i.Latitude/Longitude/Polaris (1)
2.A.Earth Dimensions (2)
2.A.i.Shape (2)
2.C.Constructed Response II (4)
3.ASTRONOMY (1)
3.E.Constructed Response III (1)
Total Questions: 36
Exam Question Summary
#
2016-2017 MidTerm
QID# Ans Thinking Skills
1/20/2016
Difficulty
Standards
Capillary
1
658
A
Unassigned
2
2686
A
Unassigned Landscape Regions of New York State
3
6676
D
Unassigned Landscape Regions of New York State
4
2196
B
Unassigned
Qualitative Answers
5
6094
C
Unassigned
Wind and Ice Erosion
6
6095
B
Unassigned
Wind and Ice Erosion
7
3360
B
Unassigned
Properties of Transported Materials
8
2114
A
Unassigned
Water Erosion/Stream Channel Shape
9
702
A
Unassigned
Archived Questions
10
3227
D
Unassigned
Latitude/Longitude/Polaris
11
4055
A
Unassigned
Coastal Processes
12
1844
D
Basic
Qualitative Answers
13
19
C
Unassigned
Infiltration
14
6073
C
Unassigned
Stream Patterns
15
5813
D
Unassigned
Wind and Ice Erosion
16
5311
A
Unassigned
General
17
7285
C
Unassigned
Properties of Transported Materials
18
2578
A
Unassigned
Shape
19
5593
A
Unassigned
Stream Discharge and Water Budget
20
4797
B
Unassigned
Porosity
21
2792
B
Unassigned
Coastal Processes
22
592
C
Unassigned
Archived Questions
23
2637
A
Unassigned
Shape
24
1359
A
Basic
Properties of Transported Materials
25
5376
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response III
26
5793
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response VI
27
6830
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response II
28
6013
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response VII
Knowing
Page 18
Exam Question Summary
2016-2017 MidTerm
#
QID# Ans Thinking Skills
29
6012
n/a
30
6444
n/a
31
6297
32
1/20/2016
Difficulty
Standards
Unassigned
Constructed Response VII
Applying
Unassigned
Constructed Response VI
n/a
Analyzing
Intermediate
Constructed Response II
6825
n/a
Applying
Unassigned
Constructed Response II
33
5697
n/a
Unassigned
Landscape Regions of New York State
34
6032
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response II
35
5045
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response VIII
36
6040
n/a
Unassigned
Constructed Response VII
Page 19
Answer Key
2016-2017 MidTerm
1.
A
2.
A
3.
D
4.
B
5.
C
6.
B
7.
B
8.
A
9.
A
10.
D
11.
A
12.
D
13.
C
14.
C
15.
D
16.
A
17.
C
18.
A
19.
A
20.
B
21.
B
22.
C
23.
A
24.
A
25.
Responses include, but
are not limited to:
23°30'N (±1°); 23.5°N
(±1°)
26.
Examples: —
Snowmelt in April
results in a greater
discharge. — greater
rainfall in April —
Saturated ground
would cause more
runoff in April.
27.
28.
– Erosion is greater on
the outside of the
meander curve. – The
velocity of the stream
is greater at point A.
29.
Examples: —
Limestone reacts with
acids in groundwater.
— Acids in water
cause limestone to
dissolve. — Chemical
weathering of
limestone — Water
flowing through
cracks removes
limestone.
30.
Examples: –The larger
the sediment size, the
greater the
permeability. –The
smaller the particles,
the slower the water
flows through. –There
is a direct relationship.
31.
Any elevation between
680 feet and 700 feet
32.
33.
Examples: –
Allegheny Plateau –
Appalachian Plateau
(uplands) – Catskills
34.
Examples: — Earth
rotates at a rate of
15°/hr. — Earth's
period of rotation is 24
hours. — Earth spins
360° in 24 hours.
35.
• The valley has a
U-shaped cross
section. • The bottom
of the valley is round.
• Nonglaciated
mountain valleys are
V-shaped; this one is
U-shaped.
36.
Examples: —
moraines — grooved
bedrock — scratched
bedrock — polished
bedrock — U-shaped
valleys