question

On average, how many damaging earthquakes occur each year?

answer

1000

question

The point within Earth from which earthquake wave energy radiates is known by which of the following terms?

answer

focus

question

During the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the Pacific Plate moved 4.7 meters (15 feet) north relative to the North American Plate. Which of the following types of stress was exerted on the rocks during this earthquake?

answer

shear stress

question

Which of the following events allows rocks on either side of a fault to rebound elastically, causing an earthquake?

answer

Friction along the fault plane is overcome.

question

What do we call seismic waves that are transmitted along the outside of Earth?

answer

surface waves

question

Which of the following motions best describes the movement of S waves as they travel through rocks following the release of energy during an earthquake?

answer

shaking particles at right angles to the direction of travel

question

Which of the three types of seismic waves travels through rock with the greatest velocity?

answer

P waves

question

Which of the following types of seismic body waves travels only through solids?

answer

S waves

question

Early in the study of earthquakes, seismologists learned that P waves arrive at seismograph stations all over Earth, but a shadow zone exists for S waves. Which of the following responses best explains this phenomenon?

answer

The outer core of Earth is liquid.

question

Which type of seismic waves generally cause the most structural damage as they travel through Earth?

answer

surface waves

question

Earthquakes with a deep focus are most often associated with which of the following tectonic settings?

answer

trenches

question

As stress is applied to rocks and deformation occurs, which of the following terms best characterizes the energy that is stored in the process?

answer

elastic energy

question

Earthquakes occurring at depths up to 700 km (435 mi) are associated with which of the following plate boundaries?

answer

convergent boundaries

question

Which of the following responses provides the best reason for why the asthenosphere is not capable of storing elastic energy?

answer

Elastic energy can only be stored in cold, brittle rocks.

question

How can the epicenter location of earthquakes at an oceanic-oceanic convergence zone be used to determine which plate is being subducted?

answer

The epicenters will be located on the plate that is not being subducted.

question

Which kind of seismic wave is fastest-moving?

answer

P waves

question

Which kind of seismic wave is responsible for the most shaking (and thus, the most damage to human structures)?

answer

surface waves

question

A ________ is an instrument that is used to record earthquake vibrations.

answer

seismograph

question

On a typical seismogram, ________ will show the highest amplitudes.

answer

surface waves

question

How does triangulation determine the epicenter of an earthquake?

answer

On a map, a circle is drawn around each of three recording stations, with the radius being the distance from the station to the epicenter of the earthquake. The epicenter is located where the three circles intersect.

question

Which type(s) of seismic waves tend(s) to cause the greatest destruction to buildings?

answer

surface waves

question

What are the differences between P waves, S waves, and surface waves?

answer

P waves are the fastest and have the lowest amplitudes; S waves are the second fastest and have the second lowest amplitudes; surface waves are the slowest and have the highest amplitudes.

question

What is an earthquake, and how do earthquakes generally occur?

answer

a sudden shaking of the ground that is caused by the rapid movement of one block of rock past another block of rock at a fault

question

Plants consume water during photosynthesis. They also release it to the atmosphere during ________.

answer

transpiration

question

________ is the process by which liquid water changes into water vapor.

answer

Evaporation

question

What is the primary energy source that drives the hydrologic cycle?

answer

the Sun

question

What is evapotransapiration?

answer

the transfer of water directly from the land's surface into the atmosphere

question

External processes that occur at or near Earth's surface and are powered by ________.

answer

the Sun

question

External processes include weathering, mass wasting, and ________.

answer

erosion

question

The downslope movement of rock or soil due to the influence of gravity is ________.

answer

mass wasting

question

Contrast weathering, mass wasting, and erosion.

answer

Weathering is the physical breakdown of rock at Earth's surface, mass wasting is the transfer of rock and soil downslope due to gravity, and erosion is the physical removal of material by a mobile agent such as water or wind.

question

How might a forest fire influence mass wasting?

answer

Because plants on a slope bind the regolith with their roots and shield the soil surface from raindrops, a wildfire that destroys these plants would render the soil looser and more susceptible to the erosional forces of rain.

question

What is the relationship between earthquakes and landslides?

answer

If a slope exists under conditions that favor mass wasting but it has not had any movement occur, the shaking force from an earthquake may jar the material loose from the slope.

question

Why doesn't sea level drop even though oceans have a higher rate of evaporation than precipitation?

answer

Surface water running off into the oceans make up the difference between evaporation from the oceans and precipitation into the oceans, creating a balance.

question

Distinguish between internal and external processes.

answer

The sun drives external processes, and heat inside the Earth drives internal processes.

question

Which of the following is the primary step that allows water to enter the groundwater system?

answer

infiltration

question

Which of the following statements about the global water supply is true?

answer

Decreased precipitation could impact water supply available for humans.

question

Rank the following sources of water from largest to smallest in terms of percentage of the world's total supply.

answer

SmallestLargest Oceans -Glaciers-Groundwater- Non-glacial ice and snow- Lakes-Rivers

question

Which of the following locations contains the most water in Earth's hydrosphere aside from the oceans?

answer

glaciers

question

In the hydrologic cycle, water that falls on land in the form of precipitation returns to the ocean in which of the following pathways?

answer

groundwater flow streams runoff All of the responses are correct. further precipitation

question

Which of the following conditions is associated with high infiltration rates?

answer

permeable soil abundant vegetation gentle slopes

question

When considering the movement of water on Earth within the hydrologic cycle, which of the following choices is responsible for driving this process?

answer

The hydrologic cycle works because water exists on Earth in solid, liquid, and gaseous states.

question

Water in the hydrologic cycle readily moves from the land to the oceans through several pathways. How does the vast majority of water get from the ocean to the land surface?

answer

clouds and precipitation

question

According to the hydrologic cycle, once precipitation has fallen on land, what paths might the water directly take? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

answer

runoff into a lake,runoff into the sea,infiltration into the ground

question

What are the three main zones of a river system from highest to lowest?

answer

zone of sediment production, zone of transportation, and zone of deposition

question

How do gradient, discharge, channel size, and channel roughness typically change from the head to the mouth of a stream?

answer

From the head of a stream to its mouth, the gradient and channel roughness decrease while the discharge and channel size increase.

question

In what ways does a stream transport its load, and which part of the load moves most slowly? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

answer

as a bed load, which is the slowest mode of particle transport in streams, as a suspended load as a dissolved load

question

What is the difference between capacity and competence?

answer

Capacity is the maximum load of solid particles a stream can transport per unit time, whereas competence is a measure of a stream's ability to transport particles based on size rather than quantity.

question

Where are bedrock channels more likely to be found?

answer

Bedrock channels are typically found in the headwaters of river systems where streams have steep slopes.

question

What is groundwater, and how does it relate to the water table?

answer

Groundwater is water that occupies the zone of saturation within the ground. The water table is the upper limit of the groundwater.

question

Please contrast porosity and permeability.

answer

Porosity is the percentage of the total volume of rock or sediment that consists of pore spaces, whereas permeability is the ability of a rock or sediment to transmit fluid.

question

The Mississippi Delta is an example of which of the following?

answer

zone of deposition

question

If you were to examine the longitudinal profile of a typical river, you would probably find that the gradient is ________.

answer

steepest near the headwaters

question

Gravel would most likely exist in the ________ of a river.

answer

bed load

question

Calcium and sodium ions make up much of the ________ of streams.

answer

dissolved load

question

Streams erode downward until they reach ________.

answer

their base level

question

Groundwater is the largest reservoir of ________.

answer

freshwater that is readily available to humans

question

Groundwater tends to flow through bodies of rock or sediment that ________.

answer

have a high permeability

question

Daily changes in the elevation of the ocean surface are called ________.

answer

tides

question

A ________ is characterized by a single high and low tide each tidal day.

answer

diurnal tidal pattern

question

A ________ is characterized by two high tides and two low tides each tidal day, with both the high and low tides having approximately the same height.

answer

semidiurnal tidal pattern

question

When does the spring tide occur?

answer

when the Sun, Moon, and Earth are aligned in a straight line

question

The daily tidal range is of the least magnitude during ________.

answer

neap tides

question

How is climate different from weather?

answer

Climate is the sum of all statistical weather information that helps describe a region.

question

Air is best described as ________.

answer

a mixture of gases, with solid particles and liquid droplets in it

question

Which one of the following is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

answer

nitrogen

question

Weather is ultimately driven by ________.

answer

energy input from the Sun

question

________ is when Earth is closest to the sun, whereas the farthest point is called ________.

answer

Perihelion; aphelion

question

The line separating the dark half of Earth from the lighted half is called ________.

answer

the circle of illumination

question

All places at the same ________ have identical angles of sunlight and lengths of daylight.

answer

latitude

question

A day of the year when the length of the night is equal to the length of the day is known as a(n) ________.

answer

equinox

question

The tilt of Earth's axis from the perpendicular to the plane of Earth's axis is called ________.

answer

the inclination of axis

question

Which of the following happens on June 21 or 22 each year?

answer

The Northern Hemisphere experiences the longest day of the year.

question

The amount of water vapor in the air is called ________.

answer

humidity

question

Dust in the atmosphere is responsible for which of the following?

answer

reflection of solar energy

question

Even though ground-level ozone is a health hazard, the "ozone layer" in the stratosphere is a health benefit because ________.

answer

it screens out some harmful solar radiation

question

it screens out some harmful solar radiation

answer

ozone

question

Which of the following gases is the greatest absorber of energy emitted by Earth?

answer

carbon dioxide (CO2)

question

In which layer of the atmosphere do most weather phenomena occur?

answer

troposphere

question

Ozone is concentrated in the middle part of the ________.

answer

stratosphere

question

The lowest layer of the atmosphere is the ________.

answer

troposphere

question

Why is the ozone layer crucial to our existence?

answer

Creation of ozone molecules absorbs harmful UV rays.

question

What is the primary cause of the seasons?

answer

changes in the angle of the Sun above the Earth's horizon

question

On Earth, what causes the development of winds, ocean circulation patterns, and weather?

answer

unequal heating of Earth's surface

question

Which represents the point in Earth's revolution around the Sun when it is at aphelion?

answer

in early July

question

As the angle of the Sun's rays striking Earth flattens out at a particular location, how does this affect the amount of solar heating at that location?

answer

Solar rays are more spread out and less intense.

question

If the tilt of Earth on its rotational axis were changed to vertical (perpendicular to the plane of orbit), how would that affect seasonality?

answer

No seasonality would occur on Earth.

question

Which of the following characteristics of Earth's relationship to the Sun explains the existence of Earth's seasons?

answer

Earth orbits around the Sun, completing one orbit each year. Earth's axis always points in the same direction relative to the stars. Earth's axis is tilted relative to its orbital plane. Earth spins on its axis, completing one rotation each day.

question

What is the June solstice?

answer

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly toward the Sun

question

How does the inclination of Earth's axis change over the course of a year?

answer

The inclination of Earth's axis does not change.

question

What is the December solstice?

answer

the time of the year when Earth's geographic North Pole is leaning most directly away from the Sun

question

When are the Sun's rays perpendicular to Earth's surface at the equator?

answer

March Equinox September Equinox

question

Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the winter solstice?

answer

Equatorial regions

question

Which location receives the most sun energy per unit area during the spring equinox?

answer

Equatorial regions

question

When do the Sun's rays hit the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes at the highest angle?

answer

Summer solstice

question

What causes it to be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer in the northern hemisphere?

answer

Summer temperatures are warmer because more sun energy per unit area is received during this time.

question

The Moon has __________ because all energy is reradiated back to space.

answer

a relatively low average surface temperature

question

The Sun emits __________ radiation, but it is radiated back off of planetary bodies as __________ radiation.

answer

shortwave; longwave

question

f the greenhouse effect ceased to exist on Earth, which of the following would result?

answer

The average surface temperature would drop to below the freezing temperature of water.

question

Which of the following is true about Venus?

answer

The dense atmosphere of Venus is ________, causing most incoming solar radiation to be _________.

question

The view that the sun is the center of the solar system is called a ________.

answer

heliocentric model

question

Approximately how much further away from the sun is Saturn, as compared to Earth?

answer

10 times as far

question

One astronomical unit (AU) is equal to approximately ________.

answer

150 million kilometers (93 million miles)

question

Which of the following is an example of a terrestrial planet?

answer

Venus

question

The material expelled when a meteorite strikes the surface of a planet is called ________ and it creates a(n) ________.

answer

ejecta; impact crater

question

The moon's light-colored areas are called ________.

answer

lunar highlands

question

Which of the following is the oldest feature on the Moon's surface?

answer

the lunar highlands

question

Which planet revolves around the sun the fastest?

answer

Mercury

question

The dominant force currently shaping the Martian surface is ________.

answer

wind erosion

question

Which is the largest planet in the solar system?

answer

Jupiter

question

Saturn's well-developed rings are made of ________.

answer

numerous particles of water ice and rocky debris

question

Which of the following is a dwarf planet?

answer

Pluto

question

Why is Pluto classified as a dwarf planet?

answer

Pluto is not large enough to sweep its orbit clear of other debris.

question

Who discovered that planetary orbits are ellipses rather than circles?

answer

Johannes Kepler

question

What differentiates terrestrial planets from Jovian planets?

answer

Terrestrial planets are smaller, more dense, and closer to the Sun than Jovian planets, which are larger, less dense, and farther from the Sun.

question

Compare the Moon's maria to its highlands.

answer

The maria are smooth plains of dark basaltic lava, whereas the highlands are light elevated areas filled with breccia.

question

How are the appearances of craters used in the relative dating of the Moon's surface features?

answer

Craters that are surrounded by bright rays are younger than rayless craters because the rays are material ejected from the crater onto the surrounding surface.

question

What other body in our solar system most resembles Mercury?

answer

the Earth's Moon

question

How are Venus and Earth similar to and different from each other?

answer

Venus and Earth are similar in that they have similar interior compositions; however, Venus has a weaker magnetic field than Earth, has a thicker atmosphere than Earth, and is more heavily cratered than Earth.

question

What surface features do Mars and Earth have in common?

answer

What surface features do Mars and Earth have in common?

question

What is the nature of Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

answer

What is the nature of Jupiter's Great Red Spot?

question

How are Jupiter and Saturn similar to one another?

answer

Both planets have rings. The internal structures of both planets are very similar.

question

The internal structures of both planets are very similar.

answer

It is possibly the most volcanic body in our solar system.

question

What evidence suggests that Mars had an active hydrologic cycle in the past? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

answer

Mars has surface structures similar to dendritic drainage patterns on Earth. Ice caps are found on Mars below 30 degrees latitude. Mars has empty stream-like valleys.

question

Why are the largest volcanoes on Earth so much smaller than the largest ones on Mars?

answer

The tectonic plates on Earth are still in motion, constantly moving active volcanoes away from the mantle plumes below. However, the tectonic plates on Mars are not in motion, so active volcanoes remain over the lava plumes and grow extremely large because of repeated eruptions.

question

How did the lunar maria most likely originate?

answer

huge impact basins that were nearly filled with basaltic lava flows

question

The soil-like layer of the moon composed of igneous rocks, breccia, glass beads, and fine lunar dust is called ________.

answer

lunar regolith

question

Valles Marineris, a series of vast canyons on Mars, most likely formed by ________.

answer

down-faulting

question

Which of the terrestrial planets has the least dense atmosphere?

answer

Mercury

question

It was stated in the animation that in our solar system, Mars generates more interest by scientists and nonscientists than any other planet. For which reason do you think Mars generates so much interest by these groups?

answer

Besides Venus, Mars is the planet closest to Earth and has many similarities.

question

Olympus Mons, thought to be the largest volcano in the solar system, can be found on which planet?

answer

Mars

question

The blue color of both Uranus and Neptune is caused by the presence of which gas in their atmospheres?

answer

methane

question

Which satellite in the solar system exhibits active volcanism?

answer

Io

question

Which is the only planet in the solar system whose axis of rotation is in an orientation parallel to its orbital plane?

answer

Uranus

question

What evidence observed on Mars indicates that at one time it may have had a warmer climate and a water cycle similar to that on Earth? What evidence observed on Mars indicates that at one time it may have had a warmer climate and a water cycle similar to that on Earth?

answer

large valleys that resemble river channels

question

The following images show five planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on the amount of time it takes them to orbit the Sun, from longest to shortest. (Not to scale.)

answer

order longest time to shortest neptune jupiter mars earth mercury

question

The following images show five planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on their average surface (or cloud-top) temperature, from highest to lowest. (Not to scale.)

answer

highest to lowest mercury earth mars jupiter neptune

question

The following images show four planets in our solar system. Rank these planets from left to right based on the number of moons that orbit them, from highest to lowest. (Not to scale.)

answer

highest to lowest jupiter mars earth mercury

question

Which of the following is a possible distance of the Kuiper Belt from the Sun?

answer

50 AU

question

Which of the following is a possible distance of the asteroid belt in our solar system from the Sun?

answer

3 AU

question

Which of the following describes a trend that occurs with increasing distance from the Sun?

answer

Distance between planets increases.

question

Cosmology is the study of ________.

answer

the universe

question

A light-year is ________.

answer

the distance light travels in one (Earth) year

question

According to the big bang theory, the first two elements to form in the universe were ________.

answer

hydrogen and helium

question

Our solar system resides in the ________.

answer

Milky Way galaxy

question

It is believed our solar system formed approximately ________ years ago.

answer

4.6 billion

question

The first galaxies and stars are believed to have formed ________ years ago.

answer

13.8 billion

question

Our Sun is current in the ________ stage of solar evolution.

answer

main sequence star

question

A star's ________ can be determined from its color.

answer

surface temperature

question

Very large red stars, such as Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion, are called ________.

answer

supergiants

question

Approximately ________ percent of all stars are ________.

answer

90; main sequence stars

question

Which are the hottest stars?

answer

blue main-sequence stars

question

Supernova explosions occur in ________ stars.

answer

high-mass

question

If a star ends its life cycle as a black hole, that implies it has a ________ mass.

answer

large

question

The Crab Nebula is a planetary nebula that formed due to a ________ in the year 1054 A.D., an event recorded by Chinese astronomers.

answer

supernova

question

On an H-R diagram, where do stars spend most of their life span?

answer

as main-sequence stars

question

How does the Sun compare in size and brightness to other main-sequence stars?

answer

The Sun has a medium brightness and a medium size among the other main-sequence stars.

question

What element is the fuel for main-sequence stars?

answer

hydrogen

question

What is the final state of a medium-mass (Sunlike) star?

answer

a white dwarf with a mass less than 1.4

question

Why are black holes hard to find in spite of the fact that they are thought to be abundant?

answer

The gravity of a black hole is so powerful that even light cannot escape it; thus, the black hole cannot be seen.

question

The Milky Way galaxy is an example of a(n) ________ galaxy.

answer

spiral

question

Which choice correctly describes the three types of galaxies?

answer

1. spiral galaxies, which are flat, disk-shaped, and have arms extending from a central nucleus; 2. elliptical galaxies, which are semi or nearly spherical and have no arms; 3. irregular galaxies, which show no symmetry or patterns

question

What type of galaxy is our Milky Way?

answer

a spiral galacy

question

Our own galactic cluster, called the Local Group, consists of more than ________.

answer

40 galaxies

question

Which of the following is a galaxy classification?

answer

irregular

question

How did astronomers determine that the universe is expanding?

answer

The lights emanating from other galaxies are moving away from the Milky Way, which we can detect as the shift of the galaxies' spectral lines towards the red end of the spectrum.

question

Compared to a main-sequence star with a short lifetime, a main-sequence star with a long lifetime is __________.

answer

less luminous, cooler, smaller, and less massive

question

Compared to a high-luminosity main-sequence star, stars in the upper right of the H-R diagram are __________.

answer

cooler and larger in radius

question

Compared to a low-luminosity main-sequence star, stars in the lower left of the H-R diagram are __________.

answer

hotter and smaller in radius

question

Which of the following statements is true regarding the life cycle of a star?

answer

Every star begins its life cycle as a nebula.

question

Which of the following best describes the transition from a protostar to main sequence star?

answer

Thermonuclear fusion begins in the core.

question

What causes the transformation of a red giant to a planetary nebula?

answer

Fusion ceases in the core and collapse under the force of gravity occurs, leading to an enhancement of hydrogen fusion in the shell.

question

The __________ stage is present in the evolution of medium-mass stars, but absent in low-mass stars.

answer

red giant

question

A __________ or __________ are created during the last stage of high-mass star evolution.

answer

neutron star, black hole

question

A central bulge of differing color

answer

Which of the following is a very common feature of spiral galaxies?

question

A __________ is a relatively small concentration of stars that are closely packed in a spherical form.

answer

globular cluster

question

A central bulge is characteristic of what galaxy type?

answer

Spiral

question

Which of the following represents the small- to large-scale classification of celestial bodies?

answer

stars, galaxies, clusters, groups

question

What might cause the distorted shape of an irregular galaxy?

answer

The collision of two galaxies

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