Earth Science Review Questions
Course Introduction
Earth Science is an interdisciplinary field that explores the processes, materials, and history of our planet. This course covers key topics such as geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy, providing students with an understanding of Earth's dynamic systems. Students will examine the structure and composition of the Earth, the forces shaping its surface, the behavior of the atmosphere, and the interconnectedness of natural phenomena. Through practical investigations and scientific inquiry, the course emphasizes critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for interpreting Earth's past, present, and future.
Recommended Textbook Essentials of Geology 3rd Edition by Stephen Marshak
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19 Chapters
739 Verified Questions
739 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Earth in Context
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Sample Questions
Q1) The metallic content of Earth's core is ____________.
A) likely similar to what has been found in metallic meteorites
B) partly liquid and partly solid
C) an iron alloy (mostly iron with a few other elements mixed in)
D) all of the above
Answer: D
Q2) In the whole Earth,the four most common elements are oxygen,silicon,magnesium,and ____________.
A) copper
B) lead
C) iron
D) zinc
Answer: C
Q3) A fracture in the crust,where rocks slide past one another,is termed a ____________.
A) fold
B) fault
C) flying layer
D) frictional discontinuity
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics
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Sample Questions
Q1) The deep ocean floor is flat and nearly featureless.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) At a subduction zone,the downgoing (subducting)plate ____________.
A) is always composed of continental lithosphere
B) is always composed of oceanic lithosphere
C) may be composed or either oceanic or continental lithosphere
Answer: B
Q3) The thickness of oceanic lithosphere is ____________.
A) uniformly 100 km
B) greatest at the geographic poles and least near the equator
C) greatest near the mid-ocean ridges and thins out away from the ridges
D) least near the mid-ocean ridges and thickens away from the ridges
Answer: D
Q4) At a convergent plate boundary,two opposed plates ____________.
A) move toward one another
B) move away from one another
C) slide past one another
Answer: A
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals
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35 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following minerals is hardest?
A) quartz
B) calcite
C) talc
D) fluorite
Answer: A
Q2) The most abundant minerals belong to a chemical group termed the ____________.
A) silicates
B) carbonates
C) halides
D) oxides
Answer: A
Q3) Minerals utilized by humans as a source of metal are termed ____________.
A) metallic minerals
B) ore minerals
C) source minerals
Answer: B
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks
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Sample Questions
Q1) Geologically,melts are equivalent to both ____________.
A) felsic and mafic magmas
B) felsic and mafic lavas
C) lavas and magmas
D) fine-grained and coarse-grained igneous rocks
Q2) The formation of magma within Earth is NOT caused by which of the following processes?
A) decompression (drop in pressure)
B) addition of volatiles
C) transfer of heat from adjacent magma or very hot rocks
D) loss of volatiles to the atmosphere
Q3) When rock is partially melted,the chemistry of the melt is ____________.
A) more mafic than the original chemistry of the rock that was partially melted
B) more felsic than the original chemistry of the rock that was partially melted
C) identical to the original chemistry of the rock that was partially melted
D) completely unpredictable (it could be more mafic or more felsic)
Q4) When magma crystallizes,____________ are formed.
A) intrusive igneous rocks C. volatiles
B) extrusive igneous rocks D. pyroclastic debris
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Chapter 5: The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions
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Sample Questions
Q1) Basaltic lavas ____________.
A) contain more iron and magnesium than rhyolitic lavas
B) contain more silica than rhyolitic lavas
C) are more viscous than rhyolitic lavas
D) contain a greater proportion of trapped volatiles than rhyolitic lavas
Q2) Pillow lavas are associated with ____________.
A) continental rhyolitic eruptions
B) continental basaltic eruptions
C) submarine rhyolitic eruptions
D) submarine basaltic eruptions
Q3) Nonviolent eruptions characterized by extensive flows of basaltic lava are termed
A) pyroclastic
B) effusive
C) explosive
Q4) One of the reasons volcanic eruptions are so deadly is that there is no way to predict where an eruption will occur in the near future.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the grains above,which possesses greater sphericity?
A) grain A
B) grain B
C) Neither, both grains possess approximately equal sphericity.
Q2) If water is the transport medium of sediment,the grain size of sedimentary deposits most closely indicates the ____________.
A) geographic extent of the weathering source rock at outcrop
B) average velocity of the water from the time of erosion until deposition
C) velocity of the water at the moment the sediment settled to the bottom
Q3) Sea level rises locally,and marine sediments are deposited on top of terrestrial sediments during events termed ____________.
A) regressions
B) transgressions
C) divarications
Q4) Cemented shells of marine organisms form which kind of sedimentary rock?
A) biochemical
B) clastic
C) organic
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8
Chapter 7: Metamorphism: a Process of Change
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Sample Questions
Q1) Burial metamorphism produces ____________.
A) foliated rocks only
B) nonfoliated rocks only
C) both foliated and nonfoliated rocks
Q2) Thermal (contact)metamorphism occurs ____________.
A) in areas surrounding igneous intrusions
B) only where gneiss is in contact with schist
C) as consequence of the sinking of a broad region to great depth
D) only at the surface, where rock is in contact with the atmosphere
Q3) A mineral within a metamorphic rock that can be used to provide a narrow constraint on the temperature and pressure of formation of the rock is termed a(n)____________.
A) thermineral
B) index mineral
C) mafic mineral
D) halide mineral
Q4) Dynamothermal metamorphism produces ____________.
A) foliated rocks only
B) nonfoliated rocks only
C) both foliated and nonfoliated rocks
Page 9
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Chapter 8: A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes
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Sample Questions
Q1) At any point along the surface of an oblique (nonvertical)fault,the ____________.
A) hanging wall lies vertically above the footwall
B) footwall lies vertically above the hanging wall
C) hanging wall lies to the left of the footwall
D) footwall lies to the left of the hanging wall
Q2) California is the only state in the United States that experiences frequent or strong earthquakes.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Faulting and earthquakes are examples of ____________.
A) brittle behavior
B) ductile behavior
Q4) Surface waves ____________.
A) travel more rapidly than body waves
B) cause most of the damage to buildings during earthquakes
C) are the first waves initially produced in an earthquake
D) are the first waves to arrive at a seismograph station after an earthquake
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Chapter
Deformation and Mountain Building
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Sample Questions
Q1) The distinction between joints and faults is that ____________.
A) faults are joints that are greater than one square meter in areal extent
B) faults are fractures along which displacement has occurred; displacement does not occur along joints
C) joints are fractures along which displacement has occurred; displacement does not occur along faults
D) there is no distinction; the two terms are synonymous
Q2) A fold shaped like an elongate arch is a(n)____________.
A) anticline
B) basin
C) dome
D) syncline
Q3) Normal,reverse,and thrust are all examples of ____________ faults.
A) strike-slip
B) dip-slip
C) oblique-slip
Q4) A joint always occurs as a single,isolated plane within a rock.
A)True
B)False
11
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Chapter 10: Deep Time: How Old Is Old
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Sample Questions
Q1) Concerning relative ages of the shale and sandstone,____________.
A) the shale must be older, according to the principle of superposition
B) the sandstone must be older, according to the principle of superposition
C) the shale must be older, according to the principle of components
D) their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given
Q2) Two atoms of a single element that differ in number of neutrons are said to represent two distinct ____________ of that element.
A) isomers
B) isotopes
C) isotherms
D) atomic species
Q3) Precisely speaking,a measured radiometric age for a mineral crystal within an igneous rock denotes the amount of time that has passed since the ____________. A) atoms within the crystal were part of a body of molten magma
B) crystal solidified
C) temperature of the crystal became equal to the Curie point for the mineral D) temperature of the crystal became equal to the closure temperature for the mineral
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Chapter 11: A Biography of Earth
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Sample Questions
Q1) Greenstones are metamorphosed sedimentary rocks; as sediments,they were deposited in the oceans during the ____________.
A) Hadean
B) Paleozoic
C) Proterozoic
D) Archean
Q2) The late Proterozoic Grenville orogen is an event related to the ____________.
A) uplift of the modern Rocky Mountains
B) uplift of the Ancestral Rockies
C) assembly of the supercontinent Pangaea
D) assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia
Q3) The earliest forests containing woody trees appeared during the ____________.A.late Proterozoic
A) early Paleozoic (in the Ordovician Period)
B) middle Paleozoic (in the Devonian Period)
C) late Paleozoic (in the Permian Period)
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13
Chapter 12: Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) A buried body of rock that is induced by heat to exude oil is termed a ____________.
A) reservoir rock
B) seal rock
C) source rock
Q2) Shale,salt,and fine-grained limestone that is not fractured are all good candidates to serve as ____________ within an oil field.
A) a reservoir rock
B) a seal rock
C) a source rock
D) either a source or a reservoir rock
Q3) A permeable and porous rock,regardless of lithology,is a good candidate to serve as a ____________ in an oil-producing scenario.
A) reservoir rock
B) seal rock
C) source rock
Q4) Most metals used by society are obtained from ____________.
A) native metals
B) ore minerals
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Chapter 13: Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) The principal difference between a debris flow and a debris slide is ____________.
A) the shape of the path taken by the moving mass
B) the grain size of the moving mass
C) that the former mass contains abundant water whereas the latter is dry
D) that the former mass contains pyroclastic debris from a volcanic eruption
Q2) For dry sediments,the angle of repose is approximately ____________ degrees.
A) 10
B) 15
C) 20
D) 30
Q3) Which type of mass movement includes a large proportion of ash derived from a volcanic eruption?
A) stromboli
B) lahar
C) debris flow
D) wadi
Q4) Mass wasting always involves a sudden movement of material downslope.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Running Water: the Geology of Streams and Floods
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Sample Questions
Q1) All else being equal,water will flow faster in a stream that has a ____________.
A) steep stream gradient
B) gentle stream gradient
Q2) Within a meander,where is sediment most likely to be deposited?
A) on the outer banks of the meander
B) on the inner banks of the meander
C) uniformly to either side of the meander
Q3) All else being equal,water will flow faster in a stream with ____________.
A) well-developed meanders
B) a straight channel
Q4) A meander that is cut off to become completely isolated from the main channel but that retains water is a(n)____________.
A) meander neck
B) cut bank
C) oxbow lake
D) abandoned meander
Q5) Ultimately,the base level of a stream valley can be no lower than ____________.
A) the average elevation of the continent on which it is found
B) sea level
C) the average elevation of the ocean basins
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Chapter 15: Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Rogue waves arise from constructive interference of multiple convergent waves; these waves occasionally can be more than 100 feet high.
A)True
B)False
Q2) At the equatorial ocean basins,sea surface temperatures may reach 30°C or greater; at the sea floor 5 km below,the temperature is ____________.
A) slightly warmer (33°C)
B) about room temperature (25°C)
C) cool (10-15°C)
D) near freezing (2-4°C)
Q3) Due to the Coriolis effect,surface currents in the oceans are always pulled to the ____________ in the northern hemisphere as compared to the prevailing wind direction.
A) north
B) east
C) right
D) left
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Chapter 16: A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater
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Sample Questions
Q1) An artesian well is one that ____________.
A) induces an upward flow of groundwater without any pumping
B) has its intake sited within the saturated zone of an unconfined aquifer
C) has its intake sited within the unsaturated zone of an unconfined aquifer
D) has its recharge area at an elevation below sea level
Q2) As a rule,groundwater always flows from areas ____________.
A) of greater elevation to those of lesser elevation
B) of greater water pressure to those of lesser water pressure
C) of greater hydraulic head to those of lesser hydraulic head
D) near streams to areas beneath mountain ranges
Q3) A dry well will result whenever the base of the well is above the water table.
A)True
B)False
Q4) If groundwater is clear,it can be assumed that it is drinkable.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Material through which water readily flows is termed ____________.
A) fluent
B) porous C) permeable
Page 18
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Chapter 17: Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts
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Sample Questions
Q1) During heavy rainstorms,rates of physical weathering and erosion are
A) greater in humid climates than in deserts, because dry desert soils can soak up all of the available moisture
B) greater in deserts than in humid climates, where vegetation tends to hold soil together
C) greater in humid climates than in deserts, because vegetation in humid climates tends to break up the soil
D) about equally as fast in deserts or in humid climates
Q2) To qualify as a desert,a region must be ____________.
A) hot, with a mean annual temperature greater than 25°C (77°F)
B) arid, with less than 15% of the ground surface vegetated
C) both hot and arid
D) either hot or arid
Q3) Most regions that are now deserts have ____________.
A) been deserts throughout the geologic past
B) experienced other climates in the geologic past
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Chapter 18: Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages
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Sample Questions
Q1) When sea level rises,causing the ocean to fill a glacially carved valley,a ____________ results.
A) smorgasbord
B) tarn
C) fjord
D) ford
Q2) Mars has polar ice caps that differ from the Earth's Antarctic ice cap in that ____________.
A) the Martian caps consist of a combination of water ice and frozen carbon dioxide (dry ice)
B) the Martian caps have a spiral fracture pattern not found in Antarctica
C) Martian caps are ablated by sublimation only; there is currently no liquid water on Mars
D) All of the above are correct.
Q3) Today,continental glaciers are limited to Antarctica and ____________.
A) Alaska
B) Greenland
C) Canada
D) Siberia
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Page 20
Chapter 19: Global Change in the Earth System
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following processes may be responsible for short-term cooling,yet in the long term favors warm,greenhouse climate?
A) atmospheric carbon dioxide
B) formation of extensive ice sheets
C) volcanism
D) formation of large continents located near the poles
Q2) Cyclical global change includes the formation of core,mantle,and crust from a homogeneous mixture,a state to which one day Earth will return.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The factors that affect Earth's long-term climate are different from those that affect climate on shorter time scales.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Due to global warming,the Earth is now warmer than it ever has been in geologic history.
A)True
B)False
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