question

Phanerozoic

answer

the geologic eon that is known for abundant fossil records and living organisms is called

question

eons

answer

major blocks of time in the geologic time scale are called

question

principle of original horizontality

answer

the observation that sediments are commonly deposited in flat-lying layers is called

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fossil since it is an indication of former life

answer

according to evidence, a human footprint found preserved in baked clay is about 5,000 years old. according to the definitions used by paleontologists, this footprint is a

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evidence of ancient organisms

answer

the meaning of the word fossil is

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major worldwide extinctions of life on Earth

answer

the geologic time scale identified major blocks of time in Earth's past by

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photosynthesis

answer

the oxygen in our atmosphere is the result of

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fossil

answer

evidence of former life is called a

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mesozoic

answer

dinosaurs first appeared in what era?

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mesozoic

answer

mammals first appeared in what era?

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index fossils

answer

distinctive fossils of plants or animals that were distributed widely but lived only a short time with a common extinction time are called

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225 million years ago

answer

pangaea formed approximately

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precambrian

answer

the time before the time of life is called

question

unconformity

answer

rock sequence with rocks missing from the sequence

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paleontology

answer

the science of discovering fossils and their history is

question

principle of crosscutting relationships

answer

a geologic feature that cuts across or is intruded into a rock mass must be younger than the rock mas. this is based on the

question

sedimentary

answer

fossils are most often found in what type of rock?

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age correlation

answer

the ability to use index fossils along with the ages of rocks in different locations is

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precambrian

answer

you would expect to find the least number of fossils in rocks from which era?

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uncomformity

answer

a time break in the rock record is called an

question

Divergent Plate Boundaries (Spreading Ridges)

answer

which feature is formed where oceanic plates are separating?

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true

answer

a poleward-moving ocean current is considered a warm current

question

submarine canyons

answer

within the continential margin, deep, steep-sided valleys known as _______ are found

question

pacific

answer

the ________ ocean is largest.

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true

answer

in a few locations such as Iceland, the mid-oceanic ridge actually extends above sea level

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all of the above

answer

which of the following is correct regarding a wave in the open ocean?

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isolated mid-ocean volcano

answer

which of the following describes a seamount?

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sea-stack

answer

an isolated remnant of wave erosion is a

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breakwater

answer

which one of the following structures is built to protect boats from large breaking waves?

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longshore current

answer

the movement of water within the surf zone that parallels the shore is termed

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gulf

answer

a small area of ocean that is partially surrounded by land is called a

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baymouth bar

answer

a sand bar that completely crosses a bay, sealing it off from the open ocean is a

question

sea arch

answer

which one of the following is a landform created by wave erosion?

question

false

answer

the continental margin off of the wast coast of South America is very similar to the continental margin off of the east coast of North America

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Pacific

answer

which ocean has the greatest average depth?

question

continental slope

answer

the boundary between continental crust and oceanic crust occurs at the base of the

question

refraction

answer

when waves reach shallow water, they are often bent and tend to become parallel to the shore. this process is termed

question

true

answer

in regions of heavy precipitation, the salinity of surface waters is reduced

question

abyssal plain

answer

which feature is more extensive in the Atlantic Ocean than the Pacific?

question

true

answer

the energy that creates surface ocean currents comes from the prevailing winds

question

water table

answer

the surface of the boundary between the zone of saturation and the zone above is called the

question

artesian

answer

an __________ well is one through which water flows freely with no pumping necessary

question

permeability

answer

the ability of a given sample of sediment to transport water is defined as

question

spring

answer

a _______ is a natural flow of groundwater to the earth's surface that is found where the ground dips below the water table

question

aquifer

answer

a layer of sand, gravel, sandstone, or any other highly permeable material beneath Earth's surface through with groundwater can move is an

question

cavern

answer

a _________ is a large cavern, often containing many smaller, connecting chambers

question

a nearby lake or reservoir

answer

the amount of groundwater in a specific area does not depend on

question

hard water

answer

water that contains relatively large amounts of dissolved minerals, especially ions of calcium, magnesium, and iron, is called

question

bed

answer

the part of the stream channel that is below the water level is its

question

hydrologic cycle

answer

evaporation, precipitation, and return of water to the oceans are called the

question

mud pot

answer

a _______ is produced by volcanic gases dissolved in the water that mix with weathered rock and hot water to form liquid clay that bubbles at the surface

question

precipitation

answer

what is the major source of freshwater?

question

hot spring

answer

hot groundwater that rises to the surface before cooling produces a

question

porosity

answer

the total amount of pore spaces in a given sample of sediment is defined as

question

pond

answer

a small body of standing water is called a

question

mature river

answer

a _______ has well established tributaries and drains its watershed effectively

question

watershed

answer

the land that is drained by a stream is called the

question

well

answer

water that usually does not have to be filtered is obtained from a

question

human body

answer

to be called a hot spring, the water must be at least as warm as the

question

25 times the amount of surface water

answer

the amount of groundwater is estimated to be

question

barometer

answer

atmospheric pressure is measured using a

question

the ozone shield

answer

ultraviolet radiation is filtered by

question

dew point

answer

the temperature at which condensation begins is the

question

troposhere

answer

what is the layer of the atmosphere where we live?

question

decreases

answer

near the surface, what happens to the temperature of the atmosphere with increasing altitude?

question

some of the energy is reradiated back toward the surface

answer

the greenhouse effect results in warmer temperatures near the surface because

question

sea breeze

answer

air moving from the ocean to the land is called a

question

aerosols

answer

tiny solid or liquid smoke, soot, dust, and salt crystals found in the atmosphere are

question

tropopause

answer

what is the boundary between the troposphere and the stratosphere?

question

tiny droplets of liquid water

answer

fog and clouds are composed of

question

relative humidity

answer

the relationship between the actual absolute humidity at a particular temperature and the maximum absolute humidity that can occur at that temperature is called the

question

inversion

answer

a layer of the atmosphere where the temperature increases with height is an

question

greenhouse effect

answer

what is the process of heating the atmosphere by the absorption of solar radiation and reemission of infrared radiation?

question

all of the above

answer

the solar radiation that does reach Earth's surface

question

a jet stream

answer

a rapidly moving "stream" of air near the top of the troposphere is

question

wind

answer

a general horizontal movement of air is called

question

21%

answer

approximately how much of the total volume of the atmosphere is oxygen?

question

a and c

answer

which molecules in the atmosphere absorb infrared radiation?

question

it is compressed as it moves to lower elevations

answer

air moving down a mountain slope is often warm because

question

meterology

answer

the science that studies the atmosphere and weather phenomena is

question

mP

answer

this air mass often originates as a different air mass in Siberia and is subsequently altered

question

stratus

answer

the cloud form that is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky is termed

question

mT

answer

an air mass from the gulf of Mexico is labeled

question

cumulonimbus clouds

answer

hail is most commonly associated with

question

fujita scale

answer

one commonly used guide to classify tornadoes is known as the

question

cold

answer

on a weather map, __________ fronts are shown by a line with triangular points on one side

question

nimbostratus

answer

a dark gray cloud that blankets the sky and often generates precipitation is called

question

alto

answer

this term is used to describe clouds found in the middle height range

question

northwest to southeast

answer

cold fronts generally move from _________

question

tornado

answer

the smallest, most violent weather event is a

question

warm

answer

on a weather map, ______ fronts are shown by a line with semicircles extending from one side

question

hurricane

answer

typhoon is another name for a

question

cumlonimbus

answer

thunder and lightning are associated with the clouds

question

cirrus

answer

high clouds that form delicate veil-like patches or extended wispy fibers are termed

question

cirrostratus

answer

a halo around the sun or moon indicates that this cloud type is present

question

altostratus

answer

this cloud type is confined to the middle height range

question

cP and mT

answer

the air masses that have the greatest influence on weather conditions in the central United States are

question

tropical

answer

the __________ climate zone is near the equator and receives the greatest amount of sunlight throughout the year

question

cyclone

answer

a low-pressure center where the winds move counterclockwise into the low-pressure center is called a

question

front

answer

a boundary between air masses is called a

question

new Earth

answer

if you see a full moon, an astronaut on the moon looking back at Earth at the same time would see a

question

the sun appears above the horizon all day at least one day during the summer

answer

the significance of the Arctic Circle (66.5 degrees N latitude) is that

question

the Sun appears directly overhead south of this latitude some time during a year

answer

the significance of the tropic of Cancer (23.5 degrees N latitude) is that

question

the plane of the moon's orbit is inclined to the ecliptic

answer

a lunar eclipse does not occur every month because

question

summer solstice

answer

in the Northern Hemisphere, the North Pole points toward the sun during the

question

seasons

answer

the consistent tilt and the orientation of its axis as earth moves around its orbit is responsible for

question

12 noon

answer

you are traveling west by jet and cross three time zone boundaries. if your watch reads 3 p.m. when you arrive, you should reset it to

question

rotation

answer

the spinning of a planet on its axis, an imaginary line through its poles, is called

question

slowing the rotation of earth

answer

friction between the tides and the ocean basin is

question

full moon

answer

a lunar eclipse occur only during the moon phase of

question

new moon

answer

a total solar eclipse can occur only during the moon phase of

question

new moon

answer

the moon is positioned between earth and the sun. this phase is the

question

noon

answer

the movement of the sun across the celestial meridian is defined as

question

mean solar time

answer

clocks and watches are set to measure a uniform standard time based on

question

plane of the ecliptic

answer

the plane of earth's orbit is called the

question

January

answer

earth as a whole receives the most solar energy during what month?

question

"after the meridian"

answer

in the time 1 p.m., the p.m. means

question

spring tides

answer

tides that occur at the full and new moon phases are called

question

a very large object hit earth, and the moon was formed from ejected material

answer

what is the accepted theory about the origin of the moon?

question

ancient molten lava seas on the moon

answer

maria are

question

Venus

answer

this terrestrial planet is shrouded in a thick cloud cover making earthbound observation through a telescope impossible

question

Uranus

answer

which of the following is a Jovian planet?

question

Ceres

answer

_______ is the smallest dwarf planet in the solar system and the only one located in the main asteroid belt

question

meteorite

answer

if a meteoroid survives its fiery trip through the atmosphere to strike the surface of earth, it is called a _______

question

Charon

answer

one of Pluto's moons

question

Mars

answer

This planet contains Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system

question

Galilean moons

answer

the four largest and brightest of Jupiter's moons are called the

question

astronomical unit

answer

the distance from earth to the sun is called a

question

Titan

answer

the only moon in the solar system with a substantial atmosphere is

question

dwarf planet

answer

Pluto is classified as a _________

question

meteor

answer

a shooting star is a

question

Venus

answer

this planet is often mistaken for a morning or evening star

question

asteroids

answer

what bodies in the solar system orbit between Mars and Jupiter?

question

Mars

answer

this planet has a bright reddish color

question

terrestrial planets

answer

what type of planets are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars?

question

Pluto

answer

_________ is the second largest known dwarf planet in the solar system

question

Venus

answer

this planet is often referred to as earth's sister planet due to its similar mass, size and density

question

Mars

answer

this terrestrial planet has ice caps that change in size with the changing seasons

question

Eris

answer

______ is the largest known dwarf planet in the solar system

question

dwarf planet

answer

a _______ is defined as an object that is orbiting the sun, is nearly spherical, but has not cleared matter from its orbital zone is not a satellite

question

absolute magnitude

answer

the _________ of a star is an expression of luminosity, the total amount of energy radiated into space each second from the surface of a star

question

Hubble Space Telescope

answer

evidence that points to the existence of black holes was provided by

question

Milky Way

answer

our galaxy is called the

question

Edwin Hubble

answer

who developed the classification system that divides galaxies into spiral, elliptical, and irregular and classifies spirals by the size of their nuclear region and the tightness of winding their arms?

question

supernovae

answer

high-mass stars end their life as a

question

absolute magnitude

answer

the brightness of a star at a defined standard distance is

question

planetary nebula

answer

in the process of a less massive star growing old, its outer layer is sometimes blown off into space, forming a

question

apparent magnitude

answer

the ___________ is how bright a star appears to be, whether or not it is a nearby star, or extremely distant

question

distance

answer

the period-brightness relationship of a Cepheid variable star allows astronomers to measure

question

blue-white

answer

which of the following colors of starlight is from the hottest star?

HSU Earth Systems and Environment Ch. 7-14 – Flashcards

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