Earth Science Chapter 12 Quiz – Flashcards
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Why is it important that we have a rigid lithosphere overlying a weak asthenosphere?
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If we did not have the rigid lithosphere and weak asthenosphere, the earth would not have plate tectonics and would be covered entirely by water.
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Earth's core, mantle, and crust formed during the ________.
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Hadean
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The Goldilocks scenario suggests that ________.
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we are very fortunate to be in the right place in the universe and to have had the right condition to develop and sustain life
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Which one of the following represents the greatest expanse of geological time?
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Precambrian
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One group of reptiles, exemplified by the fossil Archaeopteryx, led to the evolution of ________.
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Birds
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The Great Oxygen Event marks the time, approximately 2.5 billion years ago, when ________.
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there was significant oxygen in the atmosphere
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Which of the following gases was NOT part of Earth's original atmosphere?
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oxygen
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What would have happened to the earth if it were 10% closer to the sun?
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Our atmosphere would consist mainly of carbon dioxide.
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During the early Paleozoic era, South America, Africa, Australia, Antarctica, India, and perhaps China comprised the vast southern continent of ________.
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Gondwanaland
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Zircons found in continental rocks give evidence that continental crust was forming as long ago as ________.
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4.4 billion years ago
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Which of the following is not a scientific hypothesis for how life began?
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Outgassing and related volcanic materials brought proto amino acids to the surface of the earth.
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The most common Precambrian fossils are ________, layered mounds of calcium carbonate.
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Stromatolites
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The beginning of the Phanerozoic is marked by the ________.
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evolution of land plants and animals
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In the early history of the earth, the solid surface of the earth weathered more rapidly than now because ________.
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the early rain was very acidic
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The major source of free oxygen in the atmosphere is from ________.
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green plants
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Why is the molten metallic outer core and the magnetic field important to life on Earth?
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If we did not have the molten core and the magnetic field, we would be bombarded by cosmic rays that would strip away our atmosphere.
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The ________ period was a time of major extinctions, including 75 percent of amphibian families.
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Permian
