Earth Science
Midterm Exam
Course Introduction
Earth Science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the physical constitution of the Earth and its atmosphere, encompassing the study of geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. The course examines Earth's structure, processes, and the dynamic systems that have shaped our planet over time, such as plate tectonics, weather patterns, natural disasters, and the water cycle. Through laboratory experiments, fieldwork, and case studies, students gain a foundational understanding of Earth's materials, natural resources, and the environmental challenges facing our world today, preparing them to think critically about the relationship between human activities and the planet's evolving systems.
Recommended Textbook
Introducing Physical Geography 5th Edition by Alan H. Strahler
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17 Chapters
1169 Verified Questions
1169 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Earth As a Rotating Planet
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52 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) An isohyet is an example of an isopleth used to describe altitude.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) When a plane passing through the center of the Earth intersects the Earth's surface,the result is a
A)line of longitude
B)line of latitude
C)great circle
D)small circle
E)meridian
Answer: B
Q3) How many degrees separate each time zone?
A)1 degree
B)2 degrees
C)5 degrees
D)10 degrees
E)15 degrees
Answer: E
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Earths Global Energy Balance
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59 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) At what wavelength does the Sun emit most energy?
A)ultraviolet
B)visible
C)infrared
D)near infrared
E)gamma radiation
Answer: B
Q2) Water vapor can exceed 4% of the total gases in the Earth's atmosphere.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following is a consequence of the Sun's relatively higher temperature compared to that of the Earth?
A)The Earth is heated more by solar longwave radiation than by solar shortwave radiation
B)The Earth emits shortwave rather than longwave radiation
C)The Earth emits longwave rather than shortwave radiation
D)The Earth receives more scattered energy than direct radiant energy
E)The Earth receives more direct radiant energy than scattered energy
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Air Temperature
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58 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is not one of the major factors influencing surface temperature?
A)Coastal compared to interior locations
B)Suface type
C)Elevation
D)Insolation
E)Cloudiness
Answer: E
Q2) Generally,the height above the ground for a weather thermometer placement is approx.4 ft.,because:
A)it is easier for short people to read.
B)temperature extremes occur if placed too close to the ground.
C)because that is the way it has always been done.
D)of overall ease of use.
E)if all thermometer's are placed at that height,then accurate comparisons between recording stations can occur.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Atmospheric Moisture and Precipitation
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59 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Cooling occurs at a lesser rate at the wet adiabatic lapse rate compared to the dry adiabatic lapse rate.
A)True
B)False
Q2) During which of the following processes is latent heat released?
A)deposition
B)sublimation
C)melting
D)evaporation
E)precipitation
Q3) Describe the passage of air,including changes in lapse rates,across a mountain to demonstrate the formation of orographic rain.
Q4) Unstable air is typical of cool,winter air masses.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Describe the changes in the characteristics of water is it is transferred through the cycle linking the three states of water.
Q6) Compare and contrast the principles of dry and wet adiabatic lapse rates.
Q7) Describe the volumes of each of the reservoirs of the hydrological cycle.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Winds and the Global Circulation System
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60 Verified Questions
60 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe and explain the factors leading to the Asian monsoon seasons.
Q2) Describe the role and development of deep ocean currents.
Q3) A sea breeze flows __________.
A)during the day from the body of water towards the adjacent land area
B)during the day from the land surface towards the adjacent body of water
C)during the night from the body of water towards the adjacent land area
D)during the night from the land surface towards the adjacent body of water
E)during the night from mountain regions towards the adjacent body of water
Q4) The name given to the apparent deflecting influence of the earth's rotation on moving objects such as wind and ocean currents is called _______.
A)the aphelion effect
B)the ecliptic process
C)parallelism
D)the Coriolis force
E)the pressure gradient force
Q5) Using the map of ocean currents (Fig.5.29)review the effects of ocean currents on local climates.
Q6) Explain the concept of "El Nino".
Q7) Describe the different types of jet streams and compare their characteristics.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Weather Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) When cold air invades warm a air which type of front will occur?
A)warm
B)cold
C)occluded
D)stationary
E)high
Q2) Arctic air masses contains less moisture than Polar air masses.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following statements describes the global paths of tropical cyclones.
A)From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from west to east in the southern hemisphere
B)From west to east in the northern hemisphere and from east to west in the southern hemisphere
C)From east to west in both the northern and southern hemispheres
D)From west to east in both the northern and southern hemispheres
E)From east to west in the northern hemisphere and from south to north in the southern hemisphere
Q4) Describe the development of wave cyclones.
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Chapter 7: Global Climates
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Sample Questions
Q1) Using two annotated climographs,compare the wet-dry tropical climate type to the dry tropical climate type
Q2) Which of the following types of vegetation is associated with moist subtropical climates?
A)taiga
B)chaparral
C)short grass prairie
D)needleleaf trees
E)broad leef trees
Q3) The wet equatorial band in an idealized supercontinent extends polewards on the western coast because of the influence of the trade winds.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What are the steppes?
A)Mid-latitude semi-arid grasslands
B)Mid-latitude west coast woodland
C)Moist subtropical woodland
D)Trade wind coastal woodland
E)Sub-arctic grassland
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Chapter 8: Biogeographic Processes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Sympatric speciation occurs where populations are geographically isolated and gene flow between the populations does not take place.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The process in which plants combine water,carbon dioxide,and solar energy to form carbohydrates is called:
A)the carbon cycle
B)the ecological process
C)photosynthesis
D)respiration
E)the food web
Q3) Which of the following processes is used to produce biogas as an energy source?
A)burning of fossil fuels
B)burning of wood and crop residues
C)accumulation of gases from the production of charcoal
D)digestion of wastes by bacteria
E)conversion of agricultural wastes to alcohol
Q4) Using examples,either from your local region or a region of your choice,compare and contrast different types of competition between animals.
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Chapter 9: Global Biogeography
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Sample Questions
Q1) Semidesert is a transitional formation class found in a wide of latitudes from the tropical zone to the midlatitudes.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Using an annotated diagram,describe a transect of vegetation types from the low to high altitudes
Q3) Biomes may be broken down into smaller vegetation units referred to as:
A)species
B)life forms
C)formation classes
D)habitats
E)climax communities
Q4) Using examples of well-known and familiar plants,describe the biomes from which they naturally originate and the physiological characteristics that suggest their origins.Examples could include,indoor plants,garden plants,or exotic fruits and vegetables.
Q5) Mid-latitude deciduous forests are associated with moist continental climates. A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Global Soils
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Sample Questions
Q1) The epipedon and a subsurface horizon formed by the accumulation or removal of matter are referred to as the diagnostic horizons.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The accumulation of clays in the B horizon is the direct result of which of the following processes?
A)illuviation
B)eluviation
C)salinization
D)humification
E)transformation
Q3) Using an annotated diagram,describe the soil common to your location in its natural state.How has agriculture changed these soils?
Q4) Which of the following features characterizes an argillic horizon?
A)salts
B)calcium carbonate
C)clays
D)sesquioxides
E)silicate minerals
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Chapter 11: Earth Materials
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111 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Granite and basalt differ because __________________.
A)Granite is extrusive and basalt is intrusive.
B)Granite is intrusive and basalt is extrusive
C)Granite is an igneous rock and basalt is a metamorphic rock
D)Basalt is an igneous rock and granite is a metamorphic rock
E)Basalt is an sedimentary rock and granite is a metamorphic rock
Q2) The asthenosphere is a soft layer in the Earth's crust.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The rocks of the continental crust are most commonly described as ________.
A)ferrous
B)felsic
C)granitic
D)mafic
E)basaltic
Q4) The lithosphere is the outermost shell including the crust and the outer portion of the mantle.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Compare and contrast the characteristics and formation of granite and basalt.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Volcanic and Tectonic Landforms
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Sample Questions
Q1) A horst is a _____________ whereas a graben is a (an)_________________
A)sunken block / raised block
B)raised block / sunken block
C)sunken block / downthrown block
D)raised block / upthrown block
E)sunken block / echelon block
Q2) A stream that develops its course by stream erosion along a band or belt of weaker rock is a/an:
A)Braided stream
B)Graded stream
C)Alluvial stream
D)Consequent stream
E)Subsequent stream
Q3) The East African Rift Valley demonstrates the early stage of the:
A)formation of a new ocean basin
B)formation of a new land mass
C)formation of a continental suture
D)formation of a transform plate boundary
E)formation of a new subduction zone
Q4) Using annotated diagrams compare and contrast the different types of volcano
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Chapter 13: Weathering and Mass Wasting
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Sample Questions
Q1) Polluted urban air may be more acidic leading to more rapid chemical weathering.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Niche formation is associated with which of the following types of weathering?
A)acid action
B)oxidation
C)frost action
D)salt-crystal growth
E)granular disintegration
Q3) Alpine permafrost is restricted to elevations at which the mean annual temperature is below freezing.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The sorting of surface pebbles and cobbles on slopes in periglacial regions results in:
A)stone nets
B)stone polygons
C)stone rings
D)stone stripes
E)stone wedges
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Chapter 14: Fresh Water of the Continents
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Sample Questions
Q1) A bed of clay and shale would be an effective aquifer
A)True
B)False
Q2) Surface runoff is also known as ____________ .
A)flooding
B)overland flow
C)infiltration
D)erosion
E)stream flow
Q3) Using a recent example of a flood from the news or a historic case study,describe and explain the factors that lead to the flood.
Q4) Sand or Sandstones' ability to hold water often make it a good ____________ .
A)recreational site
B)construction material
C)aquifer
D)building location
E)none of the above
Q5) Describe the effects of groundwater extraction with particular reference to the problems of over extraction.
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Chapter 15: Landforms Made by Running Water
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements describing the grading of a river is incorrect?
A)In the final stages,lakes and waterfalls are abundant
B)Initially there are large fluctuations in slope profile
C)At intermediate stages,the stream profile becomes smoothed into a uniform curve
D)The angle of the final graded profile is us lower than in earlier stages
E)At the earliest stage,there are large fluctuations in the slope profile
Q2) Sequential landforms that are shaped by progressive removal of the bedrock mass are __________________ landforms.
A)initial
B)erosional
C)fluvial
D)ablation
E)depositional
Q3) Using an annotated diagram describe the formation of ox-bow lakes.
Q4) Compare and contrast slope erosion in humid and in arid or semi-arid regions.
Q5) Splash erosion can eventually cause a soil to be less able to absorb water.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Landforms Made by Waves and Wind
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Sample Questions
Q1) A coral reef that is lies out from the shoreline is referred to as a/an:
A)atoll
B)fringing reef
C)barrier reef
D)barrier island
E)raised shoreline
Q2) Coastal plains are found along active tectonic plate boundaries.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Wave backwash flows _______________________.
A)at the same angle that the original wave arrived
B)at right angles to the shoreline
C)at right angles to the direction of the original wave
D)parallel to the sea edge
E)parallel to the wind direction
Q4) Barchan dunes usually rest on sand seas and usually occur singly rather than in groups.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Using an annotated diagram describe the features in a barchan dune.
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Chapter 17: Glacier Landforms and the Ice Age
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Sample Questions
Q1) A narrow,steep-sided,elongated estuary formed from a glacial trough inundated by seawater is referred to as a/an:
A)fiord
B)esker
C)horn
D)arête
E)tarn
Q2) The uppermost layer of a glacier is brittle,but beneath the ice behaves as a plastic substance and moves by slow flowage.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The last glaciation reached its furthest extent over North America around _________ years ago.
A)25,000
B)18,000
C)15,000
D)1,000
E)500
Q4) Describe and explain the possible causes of the Late Cenozoic Ice Age.
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