Earth Science Exam 2 Trivia Review

Exam 2 Trivia Review 1. The change from thinking the continents are stationary to understanding that the outer layer of the earth moves slowly nearly all of the time occurred primarily because ________. A) we got space travel and could see the motions B) we improved our surveying instruments significantly C) we had two world wars and learned a lot from them about the oceans that explained how continents moved D) we began to make global observations that required recognition that the continents and oceans had not always been in their current positions Answer: D 2. On a typical seismogram, ________ will show the highest amplitudes. A) P waves B) S waves C) surface waves D) body waves Answer:C 3. Although Wegener's evidence about continents drifting was sound, he was not able to provide a mechanism explaining how these continents drifted. Decades later, the theory of plate tectonics was proven and was able to explain how plates (both oceanic and continental) are constantly drifting. A)True B)False Answer: A 4. ________ have the highest velocities A) Primary waves (P-waves) B) Secondary waves (S-waves) C) Surface waves D) Refracted S-waves Answer:A 5. Why do plate move? A) Due to convection currents in the mantle B) Due to the liquid nature of the outer core C) Because the plates are light and float on top of liquid rock D) Because of tectonic forces from volcanic sites Answer: A Exam 2 Trivia Review 6. One measurement that is widely used to determine how far the focus of an earthquake is from the seismograph where it is recorded is ________. A) the amplitude of the P-wave B) the amplitude of the S-wave C) the difference in travel time between the P and the S wave D) the difference in amplitude between the P and the S wave Answer: C 7. What is the most likely scenario to happen when an oceanic plate collide with a continental plate? A) The continental plate sinks into the mantle B) The oceanic plate sinks into the mantle C) The two plates form a mountain range at their boundary Answer: B 8. The epicenter of an earthquake is on the surface of the Earth directly above the focus. A) True B) False Answer: A 9. S waves can travel through solid and liquid media. A) True B) False Answer: B 10. Does continental crust ever subduct? A) Yes, continental crust subduct at continent-continent plate boundaries B) No, continental crust never subduct due to its low density Answer: B 11. A magnitude scale is a measure of the energy released. It does not measure the extent of building damage or loss of life. A) True B) False Answer: A 12. The former late Paleozoic supercontinent is known as ________ A) Pandemonia B) Pancakea C) Pangaea D) Panatopia Answer: C Exam 2 Trivia Review 13. Which of the following statements apply to the asthenosphere, but not the lithosphere? A) zone in the upper mantle that deforms by plastic flowage B) cool, rigid layer of crust and upper mantle that forms the tectonic plates C) deforms mainly by brittle fracturing and faulting D) partial melting of rising granitic plumes produces huge volumes of basaltic magma Answer: A 14. The lithosphere is the outer layer of the earth characterized by ________. A) soft rocks that flow easily B) hard rocks that break C) layers of both hard and soft rocks D) magma Answer: B 15. Nashville and Paris are on two separate plates and the distance between the cities is ________. A) constant B) increasing C) decreasing Answer: B 16. The Himalayas formed as a result of ________ A) an ocean-ocean convergence B) an ocean-continent convergence C) a continent-continent convergence D) a hot spot Answer: C 17. When two plates move toward each others, lithosphere is ________. A) not changed B) destroyed C) created D) melted Answer: B Exam 2 Trivia Review 18. The San Andreas fault zone in California is an example of ________. A) a transform plate boundary B) a continental rift C) a divergent plate boundary D) an ocean-continent collision Answer: A 19. What is a typical rate for seafloor spreading? A) 1 inch/s B) 1 inch/hr C) 1 inch/day D) 1 inch/yr Answer: D 20. Water runoff is a major factor in soil erosion, what is a common land use practice on slopes to minimize soil erosion? A) planting trees B) adding a rock mulch layer to slow water runoff C) planting row crops with rows running downhill, to minimize channelization of flow D) terracing slopes to stop downslope runoff and rill formation Answer: D 21. After the drought of the 1930's farmers in the Great Plains were encouraged to plant rows of trees across fields to decrease soil erosion. How would this reduce soil erosion? A) Tree roots would retard runoff and prevent erosion. B) The trees can serve as windbreaks to slow wind erosion. C) The trees helped shade the ground, retaining moisture. D) The trees had no effect; they were just used to improve the land appearance after the great depression. Answer: B 22. At which type of plate boundaries do we find earthquakes? A) Convergent B) Divergent C) Transform D) All types Answer: D 23. At which type of plate boundaries do we find deep earthquakes? A) Convergent B) Divergent C) Transform D) All types Answer: A Exam 2 Trivia Review 24. When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to as the ________. A) inertial point B) epicenter C) focus D) seismic zone Answer: C 25. Your friend returns from a trip to the Arizona desert and shows you a photo of a strange rock formation. The photo shows a large boulder being supported by a small pillar of rock. The boulder on top is wider around than the rock pillar underneath and completely overshadows it. You friend wants to know how it could be made. Putting your college education to work, what do you tell her? A) The pillar of rock is sedimentary while the top rock is igneous B) The pillar of rock is clearly a type that is more susceptible to weathering than the top rock C) The pillar of rock is metamorphic while the top rock is igneous D) The top rock is clearly a type that is more susceptible to weathering than the pillar of rock Answer: B 26. Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as ________. A) aftershocks B) foreshocks C) tremors D) hyposhocks Answer: A 27. The position on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source is called the ________. A) epicenter B) inertial point C) focus D) seismic zone Answer: A Exam 2 Trivia Review 28. Which of the following is not a type of plate boundary? A) hot spot B) transform C) convergent D) divergent Answer: A 29. Oceanic crust is composed primarily of ________. A) granite B) basalt C) sandstone D) andesite Answer: B 30. Oceanic crust is less dense than continental crust. A)True B)False Answer: B 31. The composition of the earth's inner core is thought to be ________. (A) basalt (B) granite (C) peridotite (D) solid iron-nickel alloy Answer: D 32. Which one of the following statements best describes erosion? A) disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface B) movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope C) the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere D) the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass Movement Answer: C 33. One important relationship between chemical and mechanical weathering is ________. A) chemical weathering can produce smaller pieces of rock that can then be modified by mechanical weathering B) chemical weathering can form brittle materials that are easily broken into smaller pieces by mechanical weathering C) mechanical weathering can produce smaller pieces of rock that have more surface area for chemical weathering to work on. D) mechanical weathering forms more brittle materials that are easily broken down by chemical weathering. Answer: C Exam 2 Trivia Review 34. Which of the following is not a physical weathering process? A) frost wedging B) salt crystallization C) tree root growth D) rocks reacting with organic acids from plants Answer: D 35. Chemical weathering rates are highest in ________. A) hot dry climates B) hot wet climates C) cold wet climates D) cold dry climates Answer B 36. In correct order from the center outward, Earth includes which units? (A) Core, lower mantle, upper mantle, crust (B) Core, mantle, soils, crust (C) Inner core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere (D) Core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere Answer: A 37. .................................is the theory explaining the mechanism of earthquake occurrence is: (A) Vibration mechanism (B) Plastic rebound (C) Elastic rebound (D) Continental drift Answer: C 38. Continental crust is much denser and much thicker than oceanic crust (A) True (B) False Answer: B 39. Water erosion is responsible on ________ of all US soil erosion A) 1/3 (third) B) 2/3 (two-thirds) C) 100% D) 10% Answer: B Exam 2 Trivia Review 40. Steep slopes often have poorly developed soils A)True B)False Answer:A