Earth Science Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Earth Science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the dynamic processes and complex systems shaping our planet. This course covers the fundamental principles of geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy, providing insights into the structure, composition, and history of the Earth. Students will examine the interactions between Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, as well as human impacts on these systems. Emphasis is placed on understanding natural phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, weather patterns, climate change, and resource management, fostering an appreciation for the planet's diversity and the importance of sustainable stewardship.
Recommended Textbook
Essentials Of Oceanography 11th Edition by Alan P. Trujillo
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16 Chapters
1202 Verified Questions
1202 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2099 Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Planet Earth
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41802
Sample Questions
Q1) Magellan
A)first European explorer to see the Pacific Ocean
B)led voyage that first circumnavigated the globe
C)used ecological approach to solve fisheries problem
D)mapped world with Roman knowledge showing latitude and longitude
E)first determination of Earth's circumference
F)led voyage that first used the marine chronometer
G)made important observations about drift of sea ice
H)mapped the Mediterranean Sea for the Greeks
I)established impermanent settlement in North America and the first Europeans to explore Iceland and Greenland
J)incorrectly concluded that no life exists in deep ocean
Answer: B
Q2) Oceanic crust is primarily:
A)basalt.
B)carbonate sedimentary rocks.
C)clay minerals.
D)granite.
E)siltstone.
Answer: A
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Plate Tectonics and the Ocean Floor
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Iceland is geologically active because it is located along the mid-Atlantic ridge.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The book The History of Ocean Basins, which contained the idea of seafloor spreading, was written by geologist:
A)Harry Hess.
B)Frederick Vine.
C)Alfred Wegener.
D)Drummond Matthews.
E)John Tuzo Wilson.
Answer: A
Q3) The origin of many seamounts and tablemounts is related to volcanic activity occurring at hotspots.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 3: Marine Provinces
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Pacific Ring of Fire is the seismically active area along the margins of the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Oceanic ridges and rises result from seafloor spreading along:
A)convergent plate boundaries.
B)divergent plate boundaries.
C)transform plate boundaries.
D)none of the above.
Answer: B
Q3) The deepest portions of the ocean are part of the relatively narrow features called submarine canyons.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 4: Marine Sediments
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) A glacial deposit is well sorted.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Phosphate-rich nodules form in:
A)continental shelf waters.
B)estuaries.
C)hydrothermal vent areas.
D)intermediate to shallow depth water.
E)mid-ocean ridges.
Q3) halite
A)cosmogenous sediment
B)hydrogenous sediment
C)lithogenous (terrigenous)sediment
D)biogenous sediment
Q4) Sediments derived from weathered rock and volcanic activities are called biogenous sediments.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the sources of biogenous sediments.
Q6) List and describe the four types of marine sediments.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Water and Seawater
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern
A) desalination
B) solar distillation
C) pycnocline
D) electrolysis
E) reverse osmosis
Q2) Processes that decrease seawater salinity include evaporation and sea ice formation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern
A) sodium ion
B) calcium ion
C) potassium ion
D) hydrogen ion
E) magnesium ion
Q4) Describe the various methods used to desalinate seawater.
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Chapter 6: Air-Sea Interaction
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The trade winds can be found between 30° and 60°N and S latitudes.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Polar easterlies
A)located at 23.5° N latitude
B)located at 23.5° S latitude
C)located at 30° S latitude
D)prevailing wind pattern at tropical latitudes
E)prevailing wind pattern at polar latitudes
F)area where warm, moist air rises close to the equator
G)prevailing wind pattern at temperate latitudes
H)located at 90° N latitude
Q3) The lowermost portion of the atmosphere where most weather occurs is called the: A)tropopause.
B)stratosphere.
C)ozone layer.
D)troposphere.
E)upper atmosphere.
Q4) Why are there high-pressure areas at each pole and a low-pressure belt in the equatorial region?
8
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Chapter 7: Ocean Circulation
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Briefly describe the different ways that ocean currents are measured.
Q2) During its time in the deep ocean, deep water can become enriched in oxygen.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a western boundary current?
A)Benguela Current
B)Brazil Current
C)Canary Current
D)California Current
E)Peru Current
Q4) The worldwide effects of El Niño include all of the following except:
A)coral reef deaths in the Pacific Ocean.
B)crop failure in the Philippines.
C)drought in the U.S. Gulf coastal states.
D)increased Pacific cyclone activity.
E)water shortages in Sri Lanka.
Q5) Briefly describe the effects of severe El Niño events.
Q6) Surface currents affect about 90% of the world's ocean water.
A)True
B)False
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Waves and Water Dynamics
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The diameter of a wave orbital at the surface is equal to:
A)wave height.
B)wave height/wavelength.
C)wavelength.
D)wavelength/wave period.
E)wave period.
Q2) Tsunamis travel as deep-water waves over the open ocean.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The speed of a shallow-water wave is proportional to:
A)water depth.
B)wave frequency.
C)wave height.
D)wave period.
E)wavelength.
Q4) Waves at the ocean surface are called orbital or interface waves.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Describe the relationship between the following: wave height, wavelength, wave speed, and wave steepness.
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Chapter 9: Tides
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When spring tides coincide with lunar perigee, the tidal range is increased.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The difference between centripetal forces and gravitational forces is called the:
A)diurnal force.
B)dynamic force.
C)solar force.
D)resultant force.
E)tidal force.
Q3) center of an open ocean tidal system
A)flood current
B)neap tide
C)spring tide
D)tidal current
E)amphidromic point
F)cotidal point
G)tidal bore
H)ebb current
Q4) How do centripetal forces and gravitation forces interact to produce the tides?
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Chapter 10: The Coast: Beaches and Shoreline Processes
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Large deposits of sediment at the mouths of rivers are called:
A)barrier flats.
B)barrier islands.
C)bay-mouth bar.
D)deltas.
E)tombolos.
Q2) The Gulf coast of the United States is an example of a coast where tectonic subsidence is occurs.
A)True
B)False
Q3) barrier flats
A)exposed at low tide and covered at high tide
B)flows parallel to shore within surf zone
C)young features formed by non-marine processes
D)found between dunes and high marsh
E)beyond the low-tide breakers
F)moves water from swash zone out to sea
G)deposit at mouth of a river
H)colonized by grasses; very productive
Q4) Distinguish between an emerging shoreline and a submerging shoreline.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: The Coastal Ocean
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The greatest sources of hydrocarbons in the marine environment include urban runoff and petroleum shipping.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A) DDT
B) mercury
C) nitrates
D) phytoplankton
E) petroleum
Q3) The most biologically devastating oil spills in the marine environment are usually a result of:
A)blow out accidents on drilling platforms.
B)collision and/or sinking of oil tankers.
C)discharge from refueling tankers and ships.
D)natural deep-sea seeps.
E)urban run-off.
Q4) Compare and contrast salt marshes and mangrove swamps.
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Chapter 12: Marine Life and the Marine Environment
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The hadal zone is associated with deep-ocean trenches.
A)True
B)False
Q2) can never swim against a current
A)meroplankton
B)picoplankton
C)nekton
D)infauna
E)holoplankton
F)nanoplankton
G)epifauna
Q3) Planktonic organisms that spend part of their life in planktonic form, and the rest of their life as either benthos or nekton are called:
A)bacterioplankton.
B)holoplankton.
C)macroplankton.
D)meroplankton.
E)zooplankton.
Q4) Distinguish between plankton, nekton, and benthos and give an example of each.
Q5) Explain why the majority of marine organisms are benthic.
14
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Chapter 13: Biological Productivity and Energy Transfer
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77 Verified Questions
77 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sargassum
A)decomposer
B)consumer
C)producer
Q2) Compensation depth is the depth in the ocean where the photosynthetic rate exceeds the rate of cellular respiration.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Most marine algae are limited to depths shallower than 100 meters; however, some red algae have been observed growing at depths of over 250 meters.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The area of the ocean that produces the largest standing stock of commercial fish is in the:
A)coastal areas.
B)bathypelagic zone.
C)mesopelagic zone.
D)tropical areas.
E)upwelling areas.
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Chapter 14: Animals of the Pelagic Environment
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The caudal fin of fast-cruising fish such as tuna is:
A)forked.
B)heterocercal.
C)lunate.
D)rounded.
E)truncate.
Q2) Which set of fins is used for moving fast?
A)anal and dorsal
B)caudal and dorsal
C)caudal and pectoral
D)pectoral and anal
E)anal and pelvic
Q3) Define symbiosis and compare and contrast the different types of symbiotic relationships and give an example of each.
Q4) An example of a "cruiser" is a:
A)flounder.
B)grouper.
C)mackerel.
D)shark.
E)tuna.
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Chapter 15: Animals of the Benthic Environment
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ligia (rock louse)
A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Q2) sea anemone
A)supratidal zone
B)middle tide zone
C)high tide zone, supratidal zone
D)low tide zone
E)middle tide zone, tide pool
F)high tide zone
Q3) Species diversity is highest in coral reef communities.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compare and contrast the primary production (producers)in a sea grass and a coral reef including in your answer a typical energy pyramid for both ecosystems.
Q5) Discuss the role of sea urchins in kelp forest ecosystems.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Oceans and Climate Change
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A) Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet melting
B) deep ocean water thermal expansion
C) melting of terrestrial glaciers and ice caps
D) surface ocean water thermal expansion
E) tectonic uplifting
Q2) Examine the five words and/or phrases and determine the relationship among the majority of words/phrases. Choose the one option that does not fit the pattern.
A) CH (methane)
B) CO (carbon dioxide)
C) N (molecular nitrogen)
D) N O (nitrous oxide)
E) O (ozone)
Q3) Studying carbon dioxide trapped in seafloor sediments can be used to predict future climate patterns.
A)True
B)False
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