Deck 1: Why We Study Earth

Question 1

In 1850 the majority of energy consumption by humans came from

A) coal.
B) wood.
C) oil.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

In 1925 the majority of energy consumption by humans came from

A) coal.
B) wood.
C) oil.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In what country is 76% of electrical energy produced by nuclear power?

A) United States
B) Sweden
C) France

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following fossil fuels releases the most carbon dioxide per unit of energy consumed?

A) coal
B) oil
C) natural gas

Question 5

Which energy resource is considered to be risk-free and renewable?

A) nuclear energy
B) coal energy
C) solar energy

Question 6

During which decade did spacecraft first enable us to look from the outside at planet Earth?

A) 1950's
B) 1960's
C) 1970's
D) 1980's

Question 7

Who wrote An Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth?

A) Buckminster Fuller
B) Neil Armstrong
C) L. Ron Hubbard
D) George Lucas

Question 8

Complete the following sentence. In 1987, the United Nations defined ___________________to be "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

A) the Kyoto Urbanization Pact
B) member nation urbanization policy
C) eco-friendly development
D) sustainable development

Question 9

Burning of fossil fuels has led to declining atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.

Question 10

What was the approximate increase in global population between the years 1930 and 2000?

A) Population increased by 50%.
B) Population doubled.
C) Population tripled.
D) Population increased 10-fold.

Question 11

The assessment of resources is less certain than the assessment of reserves.

Question 12

What was the primary energy source for the United States in the early 1800's?

A) coal
B) oil
C) hydroelectric
D) wood

Question 13

About when in U.S. history did the use of energy from oil and natural gas exceed that from coal?

A) 1850
B) 1900
C) 1950
D) 2000

Question 14

Complete the following sentence. The average U.S. citizen consumes about _________ energy than the average person on Earth.

A) 50% less
B) two times more
C) four-and-a-half times more
D) seven-and-a-half times more

Question 15

Which of the following energy resources produces the most carbon dioxide for a given amount of energy?

A) coal
B) natural gas
C) oil
D) nuclear

Question 16

Due to modern technological advances, per capita demand for raw geologic materials is decreasing in the United States.

Question 17

What is the largest reservoir of liquid fresh water?

A) lakes and rivers
B) groundwater
C) surface reservoirs
D) atmospheric water

Question 18

Where does most of the acid rain in the United States occur?

A) Northwest
B) Northeast
C) Southwest
D) Southeast

Question 19

What chemical found in refrigerants is responsible for much of the stratospheric ozone depletion?

A) nitric acid
B) sulfuric acid
C) CFCs

Question 20

Concerns about sulfur emissions from power plants and smelters led to the ___ to legislate the reduction sulfur emissions.

A) Clean Air Act
B) Montreal Protocol
C) Kyoto Accord

Question 21

In 1988, the United Nations established the ___ to assess the risk of human-induced climate change and its potential impacts.

A) Montreal Protocol
B) Kyoto Protocol
C) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Question 22

One of the consequences of global warming is

A) stronger hurricanes and typhoons.
B) sea level rise.
C) A and B

Question 23

Relatively small hazardous events occur more frequently than large hazardous events.

Question 24

Which is a correct difference that distinguishes a hurricane from a typhoon?

A) Hurricanes occur in the Atlantic Ocean and typhoons occur in the Pacific Ocean.
B) Hurricanes are low-pressure systems, whereas typhoons are high-pressure systems.
C) Hurricanes are bigger storms than typhoons.
D) Hurricanes occur in summer, whereas typhoons occur in winter.

Question 25

Floods are most commonly caused by:

A) high tides
B) storm surges
C) rivers overflowing
D) dam failure

Question 26

Which of the following hazards are associated with earthquakes?

A) fire
B) tsunami
C) landslide
D) all of these
E) none of these

Question 27

Modern geology has enabled scientists to predict when an earthquake will occur.

Question 28

Which volcano poses the greatest risk in the United States?

A) Mt. Rainier in Washington
B) Mt. Kilauea in Hawaii
C) Mt. Mitchell in N. Carolina
D) Mt. Katmai in Alaska

Question 29

Which of the following is considered a bolide?

A) meteorite
B) flooding event
C) volcanic eruption
D) landslide

Question 30

A bolide collision comparable to a large nuclear blast probably occurs on Earth about every _________ years.

A) 10 to 50
B) 500 to 1000
C) 10,000 to 50,000
D) 500,000 to 1,000,000

Question 31

The overall risk to society from natural hazards has decreased since the beginning of the 20th century.

Question 32

Complete the following sentence: The ______________ of a hurricane can be reduced by effective planning.

A) hazard
B) risk
C) frequency
D) intensity

Question 33

About what percentage of the forested area of the world have humans converted to other land uses?

A) 5%
B) 15%
C) 33%
D) 75%

Question 34

Which source produces most of the gasses that cause acid rain?

A) coal-fired power plants
B) cars and trucks
C) the use of freon
D) agricultural wastes

Question 35

Ozone is a form of what gas?

A) nitrogen
B) sulfur
C) methane
D) oxygen

Question 36

Long-term projections indicate that the depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer will decrease over the next several decades.

Question 37

Which agreement required chlorofluorocarbon production to be phased out?

A) The Clean Air Act
B) The Montreal Protocol
C) The Kyoto Accord
D) The UN Resolution on Climate Change

Question 38

According to the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) considerable question still exists regarding whether or not global warming is occurring.

Question 39

Which of the following fields of study is not important to the study of geology?

A) math
B) chemistry
C) biology
D) physics
E) All are important to the study of geology.

Question 40

Which is the most appropriate age for the oldest rocks on Earth?

A) thousands of years old
B) millions of years old
C) billions of years old
D) trillions of years old