Planet Earth
Final Exam
Course Introduction
Planet Earth is an interdisciplinary course that explores the dynamic systems and processes that shape our planet. Students will examine the Earth's structure, including its atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere, as well as the relationships among them. Topics such as plate tectonics, the rock cycle, weather and climate patterns, and the impact of human activity on Earth's environment are covered. Through lectures, case studies, and practical activities, learners will gain a foundational understanding of how Earth functions as a complex, interconnected system and the importance of preserving its resources for future generations.
Recommended Textbook
EARTH 1st Edition by Graham R. Thompson
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Chapter 1: Earth Systems
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Sample Questions
Q1) The __________ is a mixture of gases, mostly nitrogen and oxygen.
Answer: atmosphere
Q2) The __________ of the Earth is a thin, rigid surface veneer that lies above the mantle.
Answer: crust
Q3) Homo sapiens and our direct ancestors have been abundant on our planet for about __________ percent of Earth history.
A) 0.1
B) 1.0
C) 10
D) 50
Answer: A
Q4) At its center, Earth is as hot as the Sun's surface.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q5) The increased carbon dioxide level has raised the Earth's average temperature by __________°C since the Industrial Revolution.
Answer: 0.6
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Chapter 2: Minerals
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Sample Questions
Q1) The tendency of some minerals to break along flat surfaces is called __________.
Answer: cleavage
Q2) Minerals whose chemical elements include carbon and oxygen as a major part of their chemical composition are called __________.
Answer: carbonates
Q3) Ice is a mineral.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) __________ __________is the characteristic shape of an individual crystal.
Answer: Crystal habit
Q5) Radon forms by the radioactive decay of __________.
A) gold
B) sodium
C) platinum
D) uranium
Answer: D
Q6) Every silicon atom surrounds itself with __________ oxygens in a silica tetrahedron.
Answer: four
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Rocks
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Sample Questions
Q1) The crystals in granite cannot be seen with the naked eye.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) An example of a metamorphic change in which the new rock has a new texture, but the same minerals, is the transformation of __________ to __________.
A) shale, gneiss
B) granite, gneiss
C) limestone, marble
D) all of the above
Answer: C
Q3) The process of __________ compresses buried sediment and forces water out of pore spaces.
A) partial melting
B) compaction
C) lithification
D) metamorphism
Answer: B
Q4) The weight of overlying sediment on sedimentary grains causes their __________. Answer: compaction
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Chapter 4: Geologic Time: a Story in the Rocks
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Sample Questions
Q1) The principle of original horizontality is based on the fact that:
A) sediment usually accumulates in horizontal layers.
B) sedimentary rocks generally become younger from bottom to top.
C) sedimentary rocks must be older than an intruding dike.
D) rocks can be dated by studying radioactive decay of the elements.
Q2) __________ __________ come from organisms that are abundantly preserved in rocks and are useful for dating.
Q3) Humans evolved during the __________ Era/Eon.
A) Cenozoic
B) Proterozoic
C) Paleozoic
D) Mesozoic
Q4) Scientists have determined the Earth's age to be about __________ years.
A) 65 million
B) 248 million
C) 543 million
D) 4.6 billion
Q5) The thin, sooty iridium-rich layer found at the end of the Permian is an example of a __________ __________.
Q6) Matching rocks of similar ages from different localities is __________.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Geologic Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) Several times during the history of the Earth, shallow seas covered large portions of North America and precipitated evaporite deposits.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Oil or natural gas originate from the:
A) source rock.
B) reservoir rock.
C) cap rock.
D) gas rock.
Q3) Fossil fuels are renewable.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Hydrothermal processes form _______________.
A) relatively little ore
B) most sand and gravel deposits
C) more ore than any other process
D) coal and oil
Q5) __________ __________ form mineral deposits as liquid magma solidifies to form an igneous rock.
Page 7
Q6) __________ __________ contain an oil-like substance called bitumen.
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Chapter 6: The Active Earth: Plate Tectonics
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Sample Questions
Q1) The mantle makes up about __________ percent of the Earth's volume.
A) 8
B) 80
C) 20
D) 0.8
Q2) A continent can be pulled apart at a divergent boundary in a process called __________ __________.
Q3) A mantle plume is a __________.
A) convergent boundary between two plates
B) divergent boundary between two plates
C) transform boundary between two plates
D) rising column of hot, plastic mantle rock
Q4) The inner core is molten.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The lithosphere is:
A) hot, plastic, but solid rock.
B) mostly liquid magma.
C) composed mostly of sedimentary rocks.
D) cool, hard, and strong.
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Chapter 7: Earthquakes and the Earths Structure
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Q1) A type of continuous, snail-like rock movement that occurs along parts of the San Andreas Fault is called __________ __________.
Q2) Surface waves radiate from the __________ along the Earth's surface.
Q3) The Mercalli scale expresses the amount of energy released by an earthquake.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The total amount of energy released during an earthquake, calculated from the amount of movement and the surface area of a fault, is measured by the ___________________ scale.
Q5) P and S waves travel through all types of material.
A)True
B)False
Q6) P and S waves travel more rapidly in the crust than they do in the mantle below the asthenosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q7) Only deep earthquakes occur along the Mid-Oceanic Ridge.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 8: Volcanoes and Plutons
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following processes causes melting of the asthenosphere and the generation of magma?
A) removal of water
B) increasing pressure
C) decreasing temperature
D) decreasing pressure
Q2) The circular depression left when the roof of a magma chamber collapses is called a/an __________.
Q3) Oceanic crust is typically of __________ composition.
A) basaltic
B) granitic
C) peridotitic
D) magnetic
Q4) __________ is lava with a jagged, broken surface.
A) Pahoehoe lava
B) Aa lava
C) Cosmic lava
D) Plutonic lava
Q5) Long chains of silicate tetrahedra form in magma with __________ composition.
Page 10
Q6) Granitic magma contains __________ water than basaltic magma.
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Chapter 9: Mountains
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Sample Questions
Q1) If tectonic forces fracture the Earth's crust, rocks on opposite sides of the fracture may move past each other to create a fault.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The sides of a fold in rock are called __________.
Q3) A/an __________ __________ is any feature produced by rock deformation.
Q4) In a normal fault, the hanging wall has moved __________ relative to the footwall.
Q5) A cool rock near the Earth's surface is more likely to __________ than a similar rock that is hot and under great pressure.
A) deform plastically
B) undergo pressure-release melting
C) undergo brittle fracture
D) metamorphose
Q6) A circular anticline is called a:
A) dome.
B) basin.
C) mountain.
D) valley.
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Chapter 10: Weathering, Soil, and Erosion
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Sample Questions
Q1) In soils, leached ions and clay frequently accumulate in the:
A) B horizon.
B) O horizon.
C) A horizon.
D) C horizon.
Q2) During a __________, a coherent block of material fractures and moves downslope.
A) slide
B) fall
C) flow
D) slump
Q3) As feldspar weathers to clay, water reacts with the feldspar in a process called: A) exfoliation.
B) oxidation.
C) hydrolysis.
D) dissolution.
Q4) In a moist tropical climate, dissolved ions may be leached out of the soil, forming __________.
Q5) The combined O and A soil horizons are also called __________.
Q6) Frost wedging is an example of __________ weathering.
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Fresh Water: Streams, Lakes, Ground Water, and Wetlands
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Sample Questions
Q1) Clay has __________ porosity and __________ permeability.
A) high, low
B) high, high
C) low, low
D) low, high
Q2) The water table does not fluctuate with the seasons.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Stream energy directed toward the stream's banks causes __________ erosion.
Q4) Friction between flowing water and the stream channel slows current velocity.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Steep V-shaped streams are common in both deserts and glacial environments.
A)True
B)False
Q6) The portion of a valley covered by water during a flood is the:
A) natural levee.
B) delta.
C) meander.
D) flood plain.
Page 13
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Page 14
Chapter 12: Water Resources
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Sample Questions
Q1) PCBs are troublesome water pollutants because they:
A) are toxic in high doses.
B) are carcinogenic in low doses.
C) survive in aquatic systems for decades.
D) all of the above
Q2) Most of the water in the Ogallala Aquifer accumulated during the Pleistocene.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A/an __________ pollutant can be consumed and destroyed by organisms.
A) nonbiodegradable
B) biodegradable
C) radioactive
D) toxic organic
Q4) A/an __________ __________ __________ forms near a well where water is withdrawn faster than it can flow.
Q5) __________ is a technique that uses microorganisms to decompose a contaminant in ground water.
Q6) Heat can pollute water.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: Glaciers and Ice Ages
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Q1) When a glacier retreats steadily, it deposits a/an __________ moraine.
A) medial
B) terminal
C) recessional
D) ground
Q2) A/an __________ is a small lake at the base of a/an __________.
A) tarn, cirque
B) tarn, crevasse
C) arête, horn
D) arête, cirque
Q3) A/an __________ is an elongate hill, usually occurring in clusters, that was deposited and eroded by a glacier.
A) ground moraine
B) drumlin
C) gremlin
D) erratic
Q4) A glacier that covers an area of 50,000 square kilometers or more is a/an
Q5) A small glacial valley lying high above the floor of the main valley is called a/an
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Chapter 14: Deserts and Wind
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Q1) The leeward face of a dune is called the __________ __________.
Q2) The largest loess deposits in the world are found in __________.
A) New York
B) the North American Great Plains
C) central China
D) the Atacama Desert in Peru
Q3) Many of the world's largest deserts lie at about 30° north and south of the equator.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Large desert rivers, like the Nile River, receive most of their water from:
A) ground water reserves.
B) occasional, intense summer thunderstorms.
C) seasonal rains.
D) wetter, mountainous areas bordering the arid lands.
Q5) When moisture-laden air flows over a mountain range, it cools and loses its ability to hold moisture.
A)True
B)False
Q6) The growth of a desert by human mismanagement is called __________.
Page 17
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Chapter 15: Ocean Basins
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Sample Questions
Q1) Continental margins on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean are __________ __________ __________.
Q2) The depth of the central parts of the ocean basins is about __________ kilometers.
A) 6
B) 5
C) 4
D) 3
Q3) A/an __________ is a submarine mountain that rises 1 kilometer or more above the surrounding sea floor.
A) seamount
B) white smoker
C) island arc
D) pillow basalt
Q4) Rift valleys are characterized by __________ faults and __________ earthquakes.
A) reverse, shallow
B) normal, shallow
C) reverse, very deep
D) normal, very deep
Page 18
Q5) Oceanic crust is mostly composed of __________.
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Chapter 16: Oceans and Coastlines
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Q1) The __________ of seawater is the total quantity of dissolved salt, expressed as a percentage.
Q2) During the past 40,000 years, sea level has fluctuated by __________ meters.
A) 0.15
B) 1.5
C) 15
D) 150
Q3) A spring tide is a __________ tide formed when the Sun and Moon are __________.
A) small, 90° out of alignment
B) large, 90° out of alignment
C) small, aligned
D) large, aligned
Q4) An ocean wave moves along the sea surface, but the water in the wave travels in circular paths.
A)True
B)False
Q5) If a coastline is flooded or sea level rises a/an __________ coastline is created.
Q6) A/an __________ is any strip of shoreline washed by waves and tides.
Q7) A/an __________ is a continuous flow of water in a particular direction.
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Chapter 17: The Atmosphere
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Q1) James Lovelock used the term __________ to refer to the Earth, comparing it to a living creature due to the interconnectivity of all of its systems.
A) Gaia
B) Pangea
C) Venus
D) Hydra
Q2) A/an __________ is used to measure air pressure.
A) anemometer
B) thermometer
C) compass
D) barometer
Q3) Which of the following orders of the layers of the atmosphere is correct? (Start with the lowest layer.)
A) thermosphere < stratosphere < troposphere < mesosphere
B) troposphere < mesosphere < stratosphere < thermosphere
C) stratosphere < troposphere < mesosphere < thermosphere
D) troposphere < stratosphere < mesosphere < thermosphere
Q4) __________ in the stratosphere absorbs ultraviolet radiation.
Q5) The layer of air closest to the Earth, the layer we live in, is the __________.
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Chapter 18: Energy Balance in the Atmosphere
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Q1) The __________ __________ is the continuum of radiation of different wavelengths and frequencies.
Q2) Frequency means __________ per __________.
A) number of wave cycles, meter
B) wavelength, meter
C) number of wave cycles, second
D) wavelength, minute
Q3) When a substance changes from one state to another, __________ heat is absorbed or released.
A) latent
B) specific
C) special
D) temperate
Q4) __________ measures the total energy in a sample.
A) Temperature
B) Heat
C) Conduction
D) Specific heat
Q5) On the __________, every portion of the globe receives 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness.
21
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Chapter 19: Moisture, Clouds, and Weather
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Q1) El Niño is a weather pattern caused by:
A) increased upwelling at the west coast of South America.
B) the slackening of the trade winds in the Pacific Ocean.
C) orographic lifting.
D) frontal wedging.
Q2) When relative humidity reaches 100 percent, the air is:
A) saturated.
B) unsaturated.
C) extremely dry.
D) supersaturated.
Q3) When air blows against a mountainside, it is forced to rise by a process called
Q4) When a moving mass of cool, dense air slides under a warm air mass forcing the warm air upward, this process is called __________ __________.
Q5) Cumulus clouds are wispy clouds that look like hair blowing in the wind.
A)True
B)False
Q6) A high-pressure region with outward spiraling surface wind is called a/an
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Chapter 20: Climate
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Q1) The __________ jet stream flows at __________ altitudes between the trade winds and the westerlies.
A) subtropical, high
B) subtropical, low
C) polar, high
D) polar, low
Q2) The __________ __________ is characterized by dry summers, rainy winters, and moderate temperature. This climate zone occurs along the coast in southern California.
Q3) High-altitude winds from the equator continue to flow all the way to the poles because they are deflected by the Coriolis effect.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Temperate rainforests are common along the northwest coast of America, from Oregon to Alaska.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A/an __________ is a community of plants growing in a large geographic region characterized by a particular climate.
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Chapter 21: Climate Change
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Q1) Snowfields and glaciers have high albedos and cool Earth by __________ sunlight.
Q2) Plant pollen can only be used for the past several hundred years to infer climate conditions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Water in the atmosphere can cause both warming and cooling.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Climate change does not follow linear relationships.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Snow and ice have __________ albedos and __________ Earth by reflecting sunlight.
A) low, warm
B) low, cool
C) high, warm
D) high, cool
Q6) When carbon dioxide gas dissolves in seawater, it reacts to form bicarbonate and __________ ions.
Q7) __________ impacts can cause rapid and catastrophic climate changes.
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Chapter 22: Motions in the Heavens
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Q1) Constellations as observed from Earth do not change with the seasons.
A)True
B)False
Q2) When the Moon passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, a/an __________ __________ occurs.
Q3) For each complete orbit around the Sun, the Earth spins approximately __________ times.
A) 29.5
B) 365
C) 2
D) 12
Q4) The Pole Star is a __________ point in the sky.
A) fixed
B) circling C) meandering
D) jumping
Q5) Copernicus proposed the geocentric Universe.
A)True
B)False
Q6) __________ are celestial bodies that revolve around stars.
Page 25
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Chapter 23: Planets and Their Moons
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Q1) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune have retained large amounts of hydrogen and helium and are called the __________ __________.
Q2) Neptune has never been visited by spacecraft.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The chemical composition of Jupiter is most similar to that of __________.
A) the Sun.
B) the Earth.
C) the Moon.
D) Io.
Q4) The rings of Saturn are believed to be:
A) an auroral display of ionized gases.
B) small particles of dust, rock, and ice.
C) the remains of a hurricane-like storm that was first recorded by Galileo.
D) particles of pure ice.
Q5) __________ planets are mostly solid rock with metallic cores.
Q6) Asteroids may change their orbits frequently and erratically.
A)True
B)False
Q7) Europa is a moon of __________.
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Chapter 24: Stars, Space, and Galaxies
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Q1) Up to 96 percent of our Universe is invisible dark matter.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Five billion years from now, the hydrogen in our Sun's core will be exhausted, and the Sun will become a red giant.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Our Sun is __________ as a main-sequence star.
A) halfway through its mature phase
B) just starting its time
C) almost finished with its time
D) in the very young phase
Q4) A/an __________ is smaller than a galaxy, emits more energy, and usually exhibits a large red shift.
Q5) A __________ is a concentration of billions of stars held together by their mutual gravitation.
A) galaxy
B) pulsar
C) quasar
D) black hole
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