Earth Science Practice
Questions
Course Introduction
Earth Science is an interdisciplinary course that explores the physical characteristics, processes, and history of the Earth. Students will study the four major branches of earth science: geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy. The course covers topics such as plate tectonics, weather patterns, climate change, the structure and dynamics of Earth's interior, natural resources, and the impact of human activity on the environment. Through laboratory experiments, field observations, and interactive activities, students develop a deeper understanding of Earth's systems and their complex interactions, gaining the scientific literacy necessary to make informed decisions about environmental issues.
Recommended Textbook
Visualizing Geology 3rd Edition by Barbara W. Murck
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
16 Chapters
1211 Verified Questions
1211 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1712 Page 2
Chapter 1: Earth As a Planet
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
85 Verified Questions
85 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34007
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the rock cycle?
Answer: The rock cycle is the set of crustal processes that form new rock,modify it,transport it,and break it down.
Q2) The growth process in which bits of solid matter gradually gathered together to form the planets is called ______.
Answer: accretion
Q3) The model of ______ describes the movement and interactions of large segments of Earth's lithosphere.
Answer: plate tectonics
Q4) The ______ hypothesis states that our solar system coalesced from a swirling cloud of interstellar dust and gas.
Answer: nebular
Q5) Earth is a close approximation of a (an) __________system.
A)open
B)closed
C)isolated
D)restricted
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Earth Materials
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34008
Sample Questions
Q1) Two chemical elements make up 70 percent of Earth's crust by weight.What are the two elements,and what family of minerals do they form?
Answer: The two elements are oxygen and silicon.They combine to form silicate minerals.
Q2) With approximately 3,500 known minerals,why are there only about thirty common rock-forming minerals?
Answer: The number of rock-forming minerals is limited by the abundance of the various chemical elements in Earth's crust.Only 12 elements are present at a level of more than one part in a thousand by mass.Oxygen makes up approximately half of the crust and silicon accounts for nearly another one quarter.This uneven distribution of chemical elements in Earth's crust limits the number of naturally occurring minerals.The number of important rock-forming minerals is even smaller.
Q3) The property of ______ is a mineral's resistance to scratching.
Answer: hardness
Q4) The four types of bonding that are important in minerals are ______,covalent,metallic,and Van der Waals.
Answer: ionic
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 4
Chapter 3: How Old Is Old the Rock Record and Geologic
Time
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34009
Sample Questions
Q1) Geologists have divided the three eras of the Phanerozoic Eon into a number of shorter units called periods.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Why is the half-life of a radioactive element important in considering the choice of a method to be used for determining the radiometric age of a mineral or rock?
Answer: If the age of the rock is very old,then an element with a short half-life cannot be used,as there will be too little or none of the parent element remaining.If the age of the rock is very young,then an element with too long a half-life will cause there to be too little to measure of the decayed parent element even with sensitive analytical techniques.
Q3) An isotope that is undergoing radioactive decay is called a parent,and an isotope that forms as a result of radioactive decay is called a _____.
Answer: daughter
Q4) Paleomagnetic studies can be useful in dating both igneous and _____ rocks.
Answer: sedimentary
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: Plate Tectonics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34010
Sample Questions
Q1) How do the glacial deposits observed by Wegener support his idea of continental drift?
Q2) Rocks that are _______ rise at the ridges,and rocks that are cold tend to sink as they travel away from the ridge.
Q3) The exact point where an earthquake occurs below the surface is the _______.
Q4) Which type of plate boundary results from two or more plates coming together?
A)convergent
B)divergent
C)transform
D)hot spot
E)ridge
Q5) How do paleomagnetic stripes on the sea-floor support sea-floor spreading?
Q6) The transform plate margin found in the western United States is characterized by the _______ fault.
Q7) A hypothesis is a scientific theory that has been tested.
A)True B)False
Q8) The Red Sea and East Africa are good examples of divergent plate boundaries. A)True B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Earthquakes and Earths Interior
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34011
Sample Questions
Q1) The area inside the Earth where rock begins to melt is known as the _______.
Q2) The method of using data from three seismic stations to locate an earthquake is known as _______.
Q3) An instrument that measures and detects vibrations in Earth is known as a _______.
A)seismology
B)seismogram
C)seismograph
D)Mercalli Scale
E)Richter Scale
Q4) When olivine is squeezed to pressures equal to that at depths of several hundred kilometers,polymorphs of olivine form.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the differences between Earth's outer and inner core.
Q6) _______ are fragments of unmelted rock that are sometimes incorporated in magma.
Q7) _______ is the bouncing back of a wave from an interface between two mediums.
Q9) Measurements on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale range from _______. Page 7
Q8) The strength of an earthquake can also be called the _______ of the earthquake.
Q10) A _______ wave is a type of wave that travels along Earth's surface.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 6: Volcanoes and Igneous Rocks
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34012
Sample Questions
Q1) The degree to which a substance resists flow is known as _______.
A)magma
B)composition
C)tephra
D)fumaroles
E)viscosity
Q2) Discuss how large eruptions like Mt.Pinatubo in 1991 and Tambora in 1815 affected Earth's climate.
Q3) Shield volcanoes can commonly extend more than 10 km in height from their bases.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The eruption of _______ in 1815 resulted in the "year without a summer".
Q5) The most violent volcanic eruptions in history are classified as _______ eruptions.
Q6) Basaltic magma has a high amount of dissolved gases and is very explosive. A)True
B)False
Q7) When magma is injected horizontally between layers and solidifies,a(n)_______ forms.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Q8) A Strombolian eruption produces cones of loose volcanic rocks known as _______.
Chapter 7: Weathering and Erosion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34013
Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the primary difference between mechanical weathering and chemical weathering?
Q2) Describe the difference between laminar and turbulent flow in a liquid.
Q3) A _______ is a fracture in the rock in which no appreciable movement has occurred.
A)wedge
B)soil
C)slump
D)joint
E)bedload
Q4) The splitting of rocks due to the repeated freezing and thawing is known as root wedging.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In areas of high rainfall,where soil is thin over bedrock,and in areas where the ground is frozen to depth,slow slurry flows can occur through a process called _______.
Q6) What is the difference between weathering and erosion?
Q7) _______ often involve(s)the massive displacement of rock or sediment straight down a steep slope.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 8: From Sediment to Sedimentary Rock
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34014
Sample Questions
Q1) A _____ is a sedimentary deposit that forms where a stream enters a standing body of water.
A)delta
B)turbidite
C)reef
D)back arc basin
E)banded iron formation
Q2) Explain how a turbidity current forms a graded bed.
Q3) The _____ is an example of a divergent boundary where a new ocean is forming between Africa and Arabia.
Q4) Ophiolites expose oceanic crust and underlying mantle at the surface.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The group of processes that transform sediments into rock is known as _____.
A)compaction
B)transportation
C)diagenesis
D)oxidation
E)lithification
Q6) Discuss the similarities and differences between calcareous and siliceous ooze.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 9: Folds, faults, and Geological Maps
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34015
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following geologic structures has the youngest rocks in the middle?
A)syncline
B)anticline
C)fault
D)craton
E)dome
Q2) Tensional faults are also called _____ faults.
A)thrust
B)left-lateral strike-slip
C)right-lateral strike-slip
D)normal
E)reverse
Q3) The compass orientation of a line of intersection between a horizontal plane and a planar feature such as a rock layer or a fault is known as the strike.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A stress that is usually associated with spreading centers is known as _____ stress.
Q5) Describe the main factors that affect how a rock deforms.
Q6) Folds that are so overturned they are almost lying flat are said to be _____.
Page 12
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Metamorphism: New Rock From Old
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34016
Sample Questions
Q1) Greenschists and amphibolites form in moderate to high temperatures where pore fluids are present.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A high-grade metamorphic rock that is commonly banded is referred to as _____.
Q3) Explain the difference between low grade and high grade metamorphic rocks.
Q4) _____takes place in the continental crust in areas covering thousands of square kilometers.
Q5) What are the differences between blueschist and greenschist?
Q6) A very fine-grained,low-grade metamorphic rock that results from the metamorphism of shale is known as _____.
A)gneiss
B)schist
C)phyllite
D)eclogite
E)slate
Q7) A nonfoliated metamorphic rock that derives from limestone and contains calcium carbonate as its main ingredient is known as _____.
Q8) What is the difference between slaty cleavage and schistosity?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 11: Water on and Under the Ground
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34017
Sample Questions
Q1) In today's society,26 countries and 250 million people are classified as _____,which is a problem that must be addressed in the future.
Q2) The _____ is below the water table in which all the pore spaces are filled with water.
Q3) A(n)_____ occurs when a stream's discharge becomes so great that it exceeds the capacity of the channel,causing the stream to overflow its banks.
Q4) An aquifer in which the water is allowed to rise to its natural level is known as a confined aquifer.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Any recently deposited sediment is referred to as an alluvial fan.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Stalactites are carbonate deposits that commonly occur on the floors of caves.
A)True
B)False
Q7) The water table is located at the top of the zone of saturation.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 12: The Ocean and the Atmosphere
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34018
Sample Questions
Q1) Like tides,ocean waves are powered by the Moon's gravity.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Atmospheric convection cells in low latitudes (0°-30°)are called _____cells.
Q3) Cold,salty water off the coast of Greenland sinks to form a large ocean mass called _____.
A)New England seawater
B)Antarctic Bottom water
C)North Atlantic Deep Water
D)Subtropical Convergence
E)Arctic Top Water
Q4) Sea level fluctuates as the result of _____.
A)changes in water volume due to ocean warming
B)changes in ocean basin volume from shifts of lithospheric plates
C)tidal forces
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
Q5) Earth's weather is primarily generated in the _____.
Q6) What factors contribute to creating weather?
Q7) Wave-washed sediment along a coast forms a(n)_____.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 15
Chapter 13: Climatic Extremes: Deserts and Glaciers
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34019
Sample Questions
Q1) _____is a type of sediment transport in which the wind causes particles to roll along the ground.
A)Surface creep
B)Saltation
C)Desertification
D)Suspension
Q2) An abraded and wind-shaped sediment or rock is a(n)_____.
Q3) A ridge of material that rides along the middle of a glacial ice stream is called a _____ moraine.
A)terminal
B)recessional
C)medial
D)lateral
Q4) An ice deposit formed as a glacier melts and recedes is a(n)_____ moraine.
Q5) Land degradation is the invasion of desert conditions into non-desert areas.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Freeze-thaw cycles in tundra create _____ ground.
Q7) Why do desert sand dunes take on several specific shapes?
Q8) What techniques can be used to halt desertification of agricultural lands?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 14: Earths Climates:
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34020
Sample Questions
Q1) Radiatively active gases are located mainly in the _____.
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a variation in Earth's orbit that has an effect on Climate?
A)eccentricity
B)obliquity
C)precession
D)All are considered variations in Earth's orbit that affect climate.
E)None are considered variations in Earth's orbit that affect climate.
Q3) A rapid cooling interval that occurred between 11,000 and 10,000 years ago is known as the
Q4) What are some of the lines of evidence and methods that climate scientists use to reconstruct past climates and glacial history?
Q5) Fossils of tiny sea creatures called foraminifera,which once lived in surface waters,equilibrate with the water around them,preserving a chemical record of past climatic changes.
A)True
B)False
Q6) A _____ occurs when a system is stabilizing or self-limiting.
Page 17
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 15: A Brief History of Life on Earth
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34021
Sample Questions
Q1) What is evolution?
Q2) Which of the following is NOT a way in which organisms obtain energy _____.
A)anaerobic metabolism
B)fermentation
C)aerobic metabolism
D)chemosynthesis
E)cryogenesis
Q3) Vascular plants exchange gases through adjustable leaf openings called _____.
Q4) A type of sedimentary rock formed during the transition from a reducing to an oxidizing atmosphere is known asbanded ______ formation.
Q5) What is volcanic outgassing and why is it important?
Q6) How does the early history of atmospheric oxygen track with the history of life?
Q7) The mass extinction event at the end of the Mesozoic Era (the K-T extinction)is hypothesized as the result of extraterrestrial impact.Discuss the evidences and consequences of such an impact.
Q8) The most devastating of all mass extinction events occurred at the end of the Paleozoic Era (Permian Period)around _____ million years ago.
Q9) How does the scientific use of the term "theory" differ from everyday use?
Q10) What are the basic assumptions of Darwin's theory of evolution?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 18
Chapter 16: Understanding Earths Resources
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/34022
Sample Questions
Q1) Valuable mineral resources often precipitate from hot groundwater sources.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Wind energy is likely to remain a niche energy source.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Why is producing oil from tar sands a complicated procedure?
Q4) Approximately 10 percent of the world's electricity is derived from nuclear power plants.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Peat is the initial stage in the formation of _____.
Q6) Explain what is meant by a fossil fuel.
Q7) Please describe some of the more significant uses of energy in the United States.?
Q8) Why is using renewable over nonrenewable resources always a better plan?
Q9) The heavy dependence on oil and natural gas as major fuels has occurred since _____.
Q11) Windmills are actually powered by a form of ______ energy. Page 19
Q10) Earth's primary energy sources are the sun,geothermal,and the _______.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 20