Geoscience Fundamentals
Exam Preparation Guide
Course Introduction
Geoscience Fundamentals provides an essential introduction to the scientific study of the Earth, exploring its physical structure, processes, and the dynamic systems that shape our planet. This course covers key topics such as earth materials (minerals and rocks), plate tectonics, earth history, surface processes, and the interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Students will develop foundational skills in observation, data collection, and analysis through laboratory exercises and field investigations, preparing them for advanced study and practical applications in geology, environmental science, and related fields.
Recommended Textbook
Physical Geography A Landscape Appreciation 10th Edition by Darrel Hess
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
20 Chapters
3397 Verified Questions
3397 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1271 Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction to Earth
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
198 Verified Questions
198 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25073
Sample Questions
Q1) The vertical rays of the Sun are present at the Arctic Circle during the June solstice.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The two major branches of geography are cultural geography and ________ geography.
Answer: physical
Q3) The northern hemisphere's shortest day of the year is at the autumnal equinox.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) The ________ is the environmental sphere that encompasses water in all its forms and locations.
Answer: hydrosphere
Q5) There is a parallel or meridian for every degree, minute, and second on the globe.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Portraying Earth
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
166 Verified Questions
166 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25074
Sample Questions
Q1) The one inch to the mile scale map is a small scale map.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Geopositioning technology
A) typically uses receivers larger than filing cabinets.
B) has accuracies better than the best base maps.
C) has never been commercially successful.
D) began in the 1920s.
E) is another term for the drawing of isolines.
Answer: B
Q3) In terms of remote sensing, geographers
A) should not stop using maps and field study.
B) have shown very little interest.
C) will someday identify one remote sensing type best for all purposes.
D) have never used remote sensing.
E) should never use remote sensing.
Answer: A
Q4) Title, date, and legend are three of the five ________ .
Answer: map essentials
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Introduction to the Atmosphere
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
170 Verified Questions
170 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25075
Sample Questions
Q1) The atmospheric content of ________ has been increasing for the last century. Answer: carbon dioxide
Q2) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has concluded that some climate changes are due to increased emissions of heat-absorbing gases.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Which of the following is NOT associated with particulates?
A) sunlight absorption
B) sunlight reflection
C) cause clouds to form
D) breakdown of the ozone layer
E) may remain suspended for months or years
Answer: D
Q4) The basic distribution of heat and cold over the Earth is mainly a function of its rotation.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Insolation and Temperature
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
188 Verified Questions
188 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25076
Sample Questions
Q1) Ultraviolet energy is the name for electromagnetic wavelengths measuring from 10 to 15 micrometers.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Advection is a(n) ________ wind movement.
A) horizontal
B) vertical
C) compressional
D) convectional
E) expansive
Q3) Radiation from the Earth is mostly absorbed in the lower troposphere and ________ back towards Earth.
A) reradiated
B) scattered
C) conducted
D) convected
E) reflected
Q4) Summer temperatures are generally higher over continents than over oceans.
A)True
B)False
Page 6
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 5: Atmospheric Pressure and Wind
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
171 Verified Questions
171 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25077
Sample Questions
Q1) Monsoons bring general devastation to all regions they pass over, with few beneficial side effects.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The basic unit of pressure mapped on weather maps is ________.
A) pounds per square inch
B) knots
C) miles per hour
D) millibars
E) micrometers
Q3) La Niña is usually just as prominent as El Niño.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Coriolis effect deflects wind to the left of its original direction of motion in the Southern Hemisphere.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The atmospheric pressure is force per area exerted by air.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Atmospheric Moisture
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
178 Verified Questions
178 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25078
Sample Questions
Q1) Liquid converts to gas when
A) a crystalline structure is created.
B) molecules break loose from the liquid.
C) cooling reaches the dew point.
D) the liquid heats to freezing.
E) it is good and ready.
Q2) GOES imagery has the characteristic of
A) being taken from fixed points.
B) available once every 24 hours.
C) not being able to sense albedo.
D) best in the ultraviolet wavelengths.
E) using the highest-quality film.
Q3) Fog is a cloud which has a base at or near ground level.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Ice rings within a hailstone are evidence of its encounters with ________ within thunderstorm clouds.
Q5) Water's ability to break down rocks is the result of its ________.
Q6) Air that continues to rise even though the force lifting it has ended is termed
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Atmospheric Disturbances
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
163 Verified Questions
163 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25079
Sample Questions
Q1) The average directional movement of hurricanes is ________.
A) east to west
B) west to east
C) north to south
D) south to north
E) southwest to northeast
Q2) When neither air mass displaces the adjacent one, their boundary is called a(n) ________ front.
A) warm
B) cold
C) stationary
D) occluded
E) dry
Q3) Most midlatitude cyclones have ________.
A) short (less than 1,000 km) paths
B) paths from north to south
C) paths from east to west
D) completely unpredictable paths
E) paths determined by the upper air flow
Q4) ________ is another name for a hurricane.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: Climatic and Climate Change
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
187 Verified Questions
187 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25080
Sample Questions
Q1) The main reason for the occurrence of subtropical deserts around the world is
A) locations of anticyclones
B) the westerly winds
C) the intertropical convergence
D) easterly winds
E) position of the cold ocean currents
Q2) For the ENTIRE last 10,000 years Earth temperatures can be characterized as
A) warm and fairly steady
B) unchanged
C) warmed drastically
D) cooled drastically
E) in an ice age
Q3) The concept of climate involves almost continuous variation of temperature and other variables.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain why the western United States has dramatically different climates from the eastern United States.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: The Hydrosphere
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
183 Verified Questions
183 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25081
Sample Questions
Q1) Within each latitudinal zone (tropical, middle, polar), sea surface temperatures are virtually uniform.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The term hydrosphere describes one of the Earth's "spheres" and it includes all of the
A) water on and below the continents
B) fresh water on the planet
C) liquid water on the Earth minus ice
D) waters on the surface of the continents
E) water in the Earth system
Q3) Ice, when it is frozen year-round in the ground, is termed ________.
A) berg ice
B) permafrost
C) ice pack
D) shelf ice
E) groundwater
Q4) Spring tides are defined as those which occur after winter and before summer.
A)True
B)False
Page 11
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Cycles and Patterns in the Biosphere
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
163 Verified Questions
163 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25082
Sample Questions
Q1) Imagine a lodgepole pine forest in Yellowstone National Park. Write a paragraph explaining five specific environmental relationships important in the forest.
Q2) Which of the following is a key environmental constraint on biota?
A) light
B) soil
C) moisture
D) temperature
E) all of the above
Q3) ________ is the term for the total complex of plant and animal life in an area.
A) Ecosystem
B) Flora
C) Ecotone
D) Fauna
E) Biota
Q4) Which of the following does NOT describe the Linnaean biological taxonomy?
A) formulated in the 1700s
B) hierarchical
C) comprehensive
D) losing acceptance
E) binomial
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 12
Chapter 11: Terrestrial Flora and Fauna
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
172 Verified Questions
172 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25083
Sample Questions
Q1) A large component of the world's selva is located in ________.
A) central Australia
B) central Africa
C) eastern Canada
D) U.S. midwest
E) Tasmania
Q2) According to the concept of vertical zonation, changes in ________ are the counterpart of changes in altitude.
A) latitude
B) slope angle
C) precipitation
D) soil
E) longitude
Q3) In the desert biome, animal life can be said to be ________.
A) non-existent
B) composed mainly of snakes
C) inconspicuous
D) Sun-loving
E) hygrophytic
Q4) Midlatitude grasslands dominated by short grasses are known as ________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: Soils
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
171 Verified Questions
171 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25084
Sample Questions
Q1) The productive wheat lands of parts of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are underlain by soils incorporating volcanic ash and classified as ________.
A) Andisols
B) Mollisols
C) Alfisols
D) Oxisols
E) Histosols
Q2) Draw a "normal" soil profile associated with calcification. Label its major features.
Q3) Ultisols generally lack ________.
A) clay
B) iron
C) humus
D) aluminum
E) phosphorus
Q4) The porosity in the soil is measured by dividing the volume of the ________ by the total volume of the soil.
Q5) ________ are organisms that create organically rich casts.
Q6) The analogy between palimpsest and soils means that ________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: Introduction to Landform Study
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
174 Verified Questions
174 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25085
Sample Questions
Q1) In terms of Earth history, life appeared
A) almost directly after the beginning.
B) after 99% of the time had elapsed.
C) before the first true "landscapes".
D) before the Grand Canyon began.
E) after the continents started to drift.
Q2) Slate, schist, and gneiss are all rocks which are classified as ________.
A) metamorphic and foliated
B) metamorphic and unfoliated
C) igneous and intrusive
D) igneous and extrusive
E) sedimentary and clastic
Q3) Like climate and vegetation, landforms have "predictable" worldwide distributions.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain the "struggle" between the internal and external processes in shaping Earth's surface.
Q5) The ________ is usually covered by a layer of broken and partly decomposed rock particles.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 15
Chapter 14: The Internal Processes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
174 Verified Questions
174 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25086
Sample Questions
Q1) The Lewis Overthrust in Glacier National Park in Montana is such a large thrust fault that sediments have been displaced as much as 30 kilometers.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Relatively cooler magma in an erupting volcano is apparently the result of
A) the amount of water present
B) depth of magma formation
C) position of astronomical bodies
D) surface salinity
E) the relatively high amount of silica present
Q3) The plate boundaries which are ________ are likely to make island arcs.
A) divergent between continental plates
B) convergent between continental plates
C) divergent between oceanic plates
D) convergent between oceanic plates
E) none of the above
Q4) All faults are on a north-south axis.
A)True B)False
Page 16
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 15: Preliminaries to Erosion: Weathering and Mass Wasting
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
164 Verified Questions
164 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25087
Sample Questions
Q1) The single most important weathering agent is
A) carbon dioxide.
B) water vapor.
C) liquid water.
D) oxygen.
E) nitrogen.
Q2) A talus slope has a characteristic angle of repose of about 35 degrees.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In percolating rainwater, dissolved gases and the decay products of local vegetation increase the water's capacity to ________.
A) evaporate
B) condense
C) drive chemical reactions
D) freeze
E) undergo mechanical weathering
Q4) Joints existing in series of parallel fractures are known as ________.
Q5) When fragments deposited by mass movement are at the ________, they are in a fine balance between the pull of gravity and the cohesion and friction of the rock material.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 17
Chapter 16: Fluvial Processes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
168 Verified Questions
168 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25088
Sample Questions
Q1) ________ is the counterpart of "scouring".
A) Filling
B) Erosion
C) Turbulence
D) Degradation
E) Corrosion
Q2) A ________ stream has an interwoven network of small channels separated by much loose debris.
A) meandering
B) competent
C) high-capacity
D) thalweg-less
E) braided
Q3) Aggradation occurs on geologically uplifted parts of Earth's crust.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compare/contrast the main ideas of the geomorphic cycle with equilibrium theory.
Q5) Deltas are built as sediments erode from near the mouth of a stream.
A)True
B)False
18
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 17: Karst and Hydrothermal Processes
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
123 Verified Questions
123 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25089
Sample Questions
Q1) ________ is the term for solution topography in areas of limestone bedrock.
A) Hydrothermal
B) Dripstone
C) Doline
D) Travertine
E) Karst
Q2) ________ is a term which refers to solution landscapes and literally means "barren land".
A) Dolomite
B) Doline
C) Karst
D) Speleothem
E) Fumarole
Q3) Which of the following is a MASSIVE accumulation of calcium carbonate?
A) granite
B) tufa
C) sinter
D) travertine
E) carbonic acid
Q4) ________ is the end product of the solution of limestone in water.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: The Topography of Arid Lands
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
172 Verified Questions
172 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25090
Sample Questions
Q1) ________ is a term that means steep cliffs.
Q2) In mesa-and-scarp topography, less resistant rock erodes more quickly than caprock. Which type of rock is noted as a less resistant rock in such areas?
A) granite
B) limestone
C) sandstone
D) shale
E) basalt
Q3) A dark, shiny coat of iron and manganese oxides on pebbles, stones, and larger outcrops is known as ________.
A) a reg
B) desert varnish
C) pediment
D) a hamada
E) an erg
Q4) Explain the "special" processes that make desert landforms differ from humid landforms.
Q5) The "Four Corners" country of the United States is dominated by a major landform assemblage called ________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20
Chapter 19: Glacial Modification of Terrain
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
166 Verified Questions
166 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25091
Sample Questions
Q1) Besides the Antarctic Ice Cap, the only other contemporary ice cap is the ________ Ice Cap.
Q2) Alaska seems to be alone in the world in terms of significant glacial shrinkage.
A)True
B)False
Q3) ________ is compressed snow which might change into glacial ice.
A) Nunatak
B) Névé
C) Cirque
D) Ablation
E) Calcium carbonate
Q4) The movement of a glacier is normally measured in ________ per day.
A) centimeters
B) meters
C) tens of meters
D) kilometers
E) tens of kilometers
Q5) Most sediment in glacial regions consists of glacial flour.
A)True
B)False
21
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 20: Coastal Processes and Terrain
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
146 Verified Questions
146 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/25092
Sample Questions
Q1) As they travel on the open sea, tsunamis ________.
A) have very short wavelengths
B) can be as tall as 30 meters
C) become taller and taller
D) are inconspicuous
E) move at speeds of 5-10 kilometers per hour
Q2) The Great Barrier Reef is associated with ________.
A) Greenland
B) Australia
C) California
D) Florida
E) South Africa
Q3) The disastrous tsunami of 2004 ________.
A) affected the Indian Ocean
B) was well predicted
C) would have been worse except for the tsunami warning system
D) killed approximately 1,000 people
E) could never happen again
Q4) A connecting bar which connects two headlands is also known as a ________ bar.
Q5) Cliffs and wave-cut ________ are commonly found occurring together.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 22