Deck 15: Meteorite Impacts and Extinctions

Question 1

Why do particles like meteors and comets glow in the evening sky?

A) They are made from gases that burn in the Earth's atmosphere.
B) They are very hot while they are in space and they cool off in the Earth's atmosphere.
C) They glow like the sun until they enter the Earth's atmosphere.
D) Friction from the Earth's atmosphere causes them to heat up.
E) Friction from the Earth's atmosphere causes them to cool down.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to astronomical evidence,approximately how long ago did the Big Bang occur?

A) 4000 years ago
B) 4 million years ago
C) 14 million years ago
D) 14 billion years ago
E) 140 billion years ago

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Approximately how old is the sun?

A) 14 billion years old
B) 14 million years old
C) 5 billion years old
D) 5 million years old
E) 5 thousand years old

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Where is the asteroid belt located?

A) between the orbits of Venus and Earth
B) between the orbits of Earth and Mars
C) between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter
D) between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn
E) beyond the orbits of Neptune and Pluto

Question 5

Approximately how old is the planet Earth?

A) 4.6 billion years old
B) 4.6 million years old
C) 14 million years old
D) 5,000 years old
E) 5,000,000 years old

Question 6

What is the significance of the Tunguska River Valley in Siberia in terms of asteroids?

A) It is where the largest comet was sighted.
B) It is where a large airburst of an asteroid occurred in recent history.
C) It is the site of a crater that marks the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs.
D) It is the site of the largest impact crater ever recorded on Earth.
E) It is a site of enormous wildfires in prehistoric times.

Question 7

Which of the following describes a meteorite?

A) large diameter (10m-1000km) object originating from belt between Jupiter and Mars
B) moderate diameter (<10m) object originating from collisions of asteroids
C) small diameter (<10 cm) object destroyed in Earth's atmosphere
D) variable-sized object that intersects the Earth's surface
E) icy object that appears to have a tail as it burns, originates from outside our solar system

Question 8

What triggered the formation of the sun?

A) supernova explosion
B) Big Bang explosion
C) radioactive decay of uranium
D) electromagnetic attractions
E) many comets colliding

Question 9

Comets are distinguished from meteoroids and asteroids by

A) their origin in the comet belt between Mars and Jupiter.
B) their very small size.
C) their metallic core.
D) their glowing tail of gas and dust.
E) a spectacular burst of light.

Question 10

Which of the following describes a comet?

A) moderate diameter (<10m) object originating from collisions of asteroids
B) large diameter (10m-1000km) object originating from belt between Jupiter and Mars
C) small diameter (<10 cm) object destroyed in Earth's atmosphere
D) variable-sized object that intersects the Earth's surface
E) icy object that appears to have a tail as it burns, originates from outside our solar system

Question 11

The Kuiper belt

A) is located in the inner solar system.
B) occurs between Jupiter and Uranus.
C) is where some comets occur.
D) is where most meteors originate.
E) is where most asteroids originate.

Question 12

Tunguska-type events are thought to occur about once every

A) 100 years.
B) 1000 years.
C) 100 000 years.
D) 1 million years.
E) 100 million years.

Question 13

What were the two main components of the solar nebula?

A) iron and oxygen
B) iron and hydrogen
C) iron and helium
D) oxygen and helium
E) hydrogen and helium

Question 14

How are particles in the solar system classified by scientists?

A) based on diameter and temperature
B) based on speed of entry and mass
C) based on diameter and speed of entry
D) based on composition and diameter
E) based on mass and composition

Question 15

The Tunguska event was

A) an impact.
B) created by a comet.
C) an airburst.
D) the largest impact in Earth history.
E) created by a meteorite.

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT true of the Tunguska Event occurring in Siberia in 1908?

A) The crater created by the asteroid was found to be approximately 1 km in diameter.
B) Over 2000 km² of forest was burned and flattened.
C) The asteroid is thought to be between 25 m to 50 m in diameter.
D) The blast from the explosion was heard over an area of at least 1 million km² .
E) These types of events are thought to occur about once every 1000 years.

Question 17

What is a meteor?

A) a rocky body less than a few meters across
B) a dust-sized particle in the asteroid belt
C) a rocky, metallic object up to 1000 km in diameter
D) an icy, rocky body with a highly elliptical orbit
E) a meteoroid that has entered Earth's atmosphere

Question 18

Which of the following geological units comprises the greatest length of time in Earth's history?

A) Cenozoic
B) Mesozoic
C) Pleistocene
D) Precambrian
E) Cretaceous

Question 19

Bombardment of the Earth by asteroids and comets early in its history

A) led to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
B) contributed to the growth of the planet.
C) caused the Earth to stop growing.
D) pushed the Earth out of its orbit.
E) created the atmosphere.

Question 20

Which of the following describes an asteroid?

A) large diameter (10m-1000km) object originating from belt between Jupiter and Mars
B) small diameter (<10 cm) object destroyed in Earth's atmosphere
C) variable-sized object that intersects the Earth's surface
D) icy object that appears to have a tail as it burns, originates from outside our solar system
E) generic name for all planetary bodies

Question 21

Most hypotheses to explain mass extinctions involve

A) extraterrestrial impacts.
B) movements of the Earth's lithospheric plates.
C) volcanic eruptions.
D) significant climate change.
E) huge volumes of flood basalts.

Question 22

The Sudbury Impact Basin is famous for nickel-copper-platinum deposits.How is this related to the impact event?

A) These minerals deposits form when hot fluids move upwards along faults.
B) These minerals formed in the depressions at the base of the magma pool.
C) These minerals were deposited directly by the asteroid.
D) These materials were organized by gravity as impact breccia.
E) The impact event created a depression and the mineral deposits formed subaqueously.

Question 23

Why didn't the Tunguska Event in Siberia in 1908 cause any deaths?

A) It was a small diamond-bearing meteorite that was incapable of producing much damage.
B) It was an airburst that flattened trees over a huge area but it occurred in a remote area of the world.
C) It was a meteor that vaporized high in the Earth's atmosphere but it was visible to millions of people for several minutes.
D) It was a meteorite that created one of the largest impact craters ever recorded on Earth but it occurred in a remote area of the world.
E) It was a comet that passed near the Earth but it was visible to people for 18 months.

Question 24

Iridium is a platinum group metal

A) found at all impact sites.
B) that is associated with all major extinctions.
C) found in small concentrations in meteorites.
D) that accumulates rapidly.
E) that is relatively common.

Question 25

The impact that created the Sudbury Basin 1.85 million years ago

A) was created by an asteroid impact.
B) was responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs.
C) created a large, deep crater that is now a lake.
D) created the world's richest nickel-copper mining district.
E) created a crater that extended to Minnesota.

Question 26

The K-T Boundary Mass Extinction coincides with a clay layer in the sedimentary layer which has unusual high concentrations of what metal?

A) iridium
B) nickel
C) iron
D) chromium
E) gallium

Question 27

The Manicouagan Impact Structure

A) is a simple crater.
B) is a complex crater.
C) is located in the province of Alberta
D) was created by an airburst.
E) is not a crater.

Question 28

The general idea that the geologic processes acting upon the Earth today are the same as those that acted upon the Earth in the past is known as

A) Punctuated Uniformitarianism.
B) Natural Selection.
C) Uniformitarianism.
D) Ussherism.
E) Principle of Original Horizontality.

Question 29

Shoemaker-Levy 9 was an unusual comet in that it

A) exploded 3000 km above Jupiter's surface.
B) created rings around Jupiter.
C) was 340 times the height of Mt. Everest.
D) consisted of 21 fragments.
E) almost impacted Earth.

Question 30

Old craters are difficult to identify because

A) there are so few of them.
B) most are located in the ocean.
C) they are generally very small.
D) they have been extensively eroded.
E) they look like volcanic craters.

Question 31

What is the significance of the rock Breccia in an impact crater?

A) It is composed of dust-sized glassy ash particles, indicating melting and a large explosion.
B) It is composed of angular fragments indicating that rocks had been shattered.
C) It contains small-scale layering indicating deposition by settling through water.
D) It is composed of iridium indicating that it was created slowly.
E) It is composed of clay indicating a strong impact.

Question 32

The Barringer Crater

A) is a simple crater.
B) is a complex crater.
C) is located in the province of Quebec.
D) was created by an airburst.
E) is not a crater.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about meteorite impacts is TRUE?

A) During the Earth's history there have been only a few meteorite impacts due to the protection by the Earth's atmosphere, which vaporizes nearly all meteorites.
B) When a large meteorite strikes the Earth, there is a shock wave that compresses, heats, melts, and excavates earth materials.
C) Meteorite impact craters cannot be distinguished from volcanic craters.
D) Meteor Crater in Arizona has been accepted as having formed by a meteorite impact since it was discovered by geologists in the late nineteenth century.
E) Impact craters are all roughly the same size.

Question 34

Why did scientists FIRST hypothesize that a meteorite impact caused the extinction at the K-T boundary?

A) They found evidence of a giant tsunami on the Gulf coast.
B) They found evidence of an impact crater in Mexico.
C) They found evidence of wildfires in many regions throughout the globe.
D) They found evidence of iridium enrichments in a clay layer that led them to believe that the iridium was the remains of a meteorite impact.
E) They found evidence of acid rain in the rocks in the Southern Hemisphere.

Question 35

Acid rain is a characteristic of a catastrophic impact

A) that occurs minutes after impact.
B) that occurs months after impact.
C) that occurs years after an impact.
D) into an ocean.
E) that produces an airburst.

Question 36

The K-T boundary refers to

A) the boundary between ejecta and the crater floor.
B) the boundary at the abrupt onset on the Younger drays cold episode.
C) a mass extinction event caused by volcanic activity.
D) a mass extinction event caused by a change in plate movements.
E) an extinction that coincides with the end of the Cretaceous Period.

Question 37

When an asteroid strikes a desert area what is the layer of debris that often surrounds the crater?

A) Ejecta blanket
B) Pseudotacylite
C) Outward fallout
D) Metamorphism
E) Impacted fallout

Question 38

Which of the following statements is NOT a reason why meteorite impact craters are much more common on the Moon than on the Earth?

A) Many impact craters on the Earth are buried by sediment over geologic time and so we don't see them.
B) Many impact craters on the Earth are destroyed by plate tectonic processes.
C) Smaller meteoroids and comets tend to burn up and disintegrate in the Earth's atmosphere before striking its surface.
D) The Earth's crust is very strong and so it is difficult for meteorite impact craters to form there.
E) The Earth's gravity is less than that of the moon's making impact much less likely.

Question 39

A unique characteristic of the Chicxulub crater was

A) its age.
B) its size.
C) its nearly circular shape.
D) the presence of sinkholes around its edge on land.
E) the presence of an impact breccia.

Question 40

Why couldn't researchers find the crater created by the asteroid that resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs?

A) It was in a remote part of the world where nobody lives.
B) It was too small for anyone to notice.
C) It was destroyed by plate tectonic processes.
D) It was buried by sedimentary rock and the seafloor.
E) It was buried in snow and ice.

Question 41

If we identified a large object on a collision course with Earth,what would be the best approach to minimize the hazard,given today's technology?

A) Evacuate the area where the object is expected to hit.
B) Blow the object apart with nuclear weapons before it impacts Earth.
C) Blow the object apart with conventional weapons before it impacts Earth.
D) Attempt to deflect the object onto a different orbital path.
E) Do nothing, since we have no appropriate technology at this time.

Question 42

Bombardment of planet Earth by asteroids and comets was severe about 4.6 billion years ago,but has now ceased completely.

Question 43

The meteorite impact at the K-T boundary vaporized lots of sulphur-bearing limestone rocks.What was the effect on climate due to this vaporization?

A) The vaporized rock blocked the sunlight, shutting down photosynthesis.
B) Sulphuric acid and subsequently acid rain was produced in the atmosphere.
C) The limestone rocks released large amounts of greenhouse gases.
D) The vaporized rock caused an "impact winter."
E) The vaporized rock formed clouds which blocked the sunlight.

Question 44

Asteroids are only found in the Oort Cloud.

Question 45

Where is the crater that caused the mass extinction 65 million years ago located?

A) Chesapeake Bay
B) Arizona
C) Quebec
D) Antarctica
E) Yucatan Peninsula

Question 46

The Kuiper belt contains comets and asteroids.

Question 47

An impact or an airburst from an object several kilometres in diameter

A) would likely kill several thousand people.
B) would be felt worldwide.
C) occurs every 1000 to 10 000 years.
D) would cause great damage but little loss of life.
E) has yet to occur on the Earth's surface.

Question 48

The cause of the most recent mass extinction identified in Earth's history is

A) a meteorite impact.
B) large scale volcanism.
C) major change in ocean circulation.
D) continental glaciation.
E) human activities.

Question 49

If there was an asteroid of the same size as the one at the K-T boundary,would it mean a mass extinction that includes humans? Choose the best answer.

A) Yes. Humans could not survive the heat and shock waves of an asteroid impact.
B) Yes, if the impact was in the ocean. Humans could not survive the tsunami.
C) No. Humans have too much technology to be hurt.
D) No. Asteroids aren't strong enough to cause a mass extinction.
E) Probably. Humans are at the top of the food chain, which makes them vulnerable.

Question 50

At present,what is the smallest sized asteroid that we are able to detect and track?

A) a few metres in diameter
B) a few hundred metres in diameter
C) about a kilometre in diameter
D) a few kilometres in diameter
E) about 10 kilometres in diameter

Question 51

Is the risk of disaster from asteroid impacts high or low? Choose the best answer.

A) relatively high because although large asteroid impacts are rare, they can cause catastrophic effects such as mass extinction
B) low because asteroid impacts only cause damage in a very local region
C) high because large asteroid impacts are fairly common
D) low because there are only two documented large asteroid impacts in the Earth's entire geologic history
E) No one really knows because asteroid impacts are completely unpredictable.

Question 52

Structurally,what is the primary difference between a simple impact crater and a complex impact crater?

A) Simple impact craters do not have a raised rim.
B) Simple impact craters do not produce shocked quartz.
C) Simple impact craters do not have an ejecta blanket outside the crater.
D) Simple impact craters are older and therefore more eroded.
E) Simple impact craters do not have an uplifted centre.

Question 53

The Chelyabinsk Meteor in 2013 in Russia caused over 300 deaths,making it the deadliest airburst ever.

Question 54

The earliest mass extinction event identified in the geologic record occurred about 446 million years ago at the end of the Ordovician Period.Which of the following situations/events coincided with this mass extinction?

A) continental glaciation
B) large scale volcanism
C) meteorite impact
D) extreme greenhouse conditions
E) major continental collisions

Question 55

Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter in 1993.If a comet of similar size strikes Earth

A) the resulting impact crater would be about the same size as Meteor Crater in Arizona.
B) the resulting impact crater would be about the size of Manicougan Crater in Quebec.
C) the resulting impact crater would be about the size of New York City.
D) the worst damage would probably be from a mega-tsunami, if it hits the ocean.
E) it would definitely cause a mass extinction on Earth.

Question 56

Which of the following solar system features is farthest from the sun?

A) the Oort cloud
B) the Kuiper belt
C) Pluto
D) the asteroid belt
E) Neptune

Question 57

A Tunguska-like event would cause catastrophic damage

A) no matter where it occurred.
B) if it happened over land.
C) if it happened over an urban area.
D) if it happened over the north pole.
E) unless warnings were issued.

Question 58

Scientific acceptance of the idea that asteroids could strike Earth and wreak havoc is relatively recent.What event made this possibility become nearly universally accepted?

A) discovery of the iridium layer at the K-T boundary
B) discovery of the Chicxulub Crater
C) observation of comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's collision with Jupiter
D) discovery of Near-Earth-Objects that have Earth-crossing orbits
E) recognition of ancient eroded craters in Canada

Question 59

What does it mean for an asteroid to be "differentiated"?

A) It has both iron and nickel in its composition.
B) It contains more than one type of carbon compound.
C) It is in a group of asteroids of similar size.
D) It has experienced igneous processes.
E) It is from the Kuiper belt.

Question 60

The Tunguska event in Siberia in 1908 produced a crater about 1 km in diameter.

Question 61

Craters formed by meteorites are unique from craters formed by other processes.

Question 62

According to Archbishop James Ussher,who lived in the 17th century,the Earth was created in 4004 B.C.

Question 63

Airbursts are not really dangerous to life on the Earth's surface because they explode so high in the atmosphere.

Question 64

There are more impact craters found on continents than in the oceans because asteroids are more likely to strike land.

Question 65

The Barringer Crater is the oldest recorded impact even in recorded history.

Question 66

The diameter of the explosions produced by the impact of Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter were larger than the diameter of Earth.

Question 67

As long as asteroids remain in the asteroid belt located between Mars and Jupiter,they pose no hazard to Earth.

Question 68

The earliest time period in the Earth's history is the Paleozoic Era.

Question 69

The tail of a comet is produced when icy material melts and gas and dust are shed from the comet.

Question 70

Shoemaker-Levy 9 was unusual in that it consisted of 21 fragments.

Question 71

Massive stars have longer lives than smaller ones do.

Question 72

All meteorites have similar chemical and mineralogical compositions.

Question 73

All extinction events occur due to a geologic or impact event.

Question 74

A meteoroid does not contain any ice.

Question 75

Canada contains two of the five largest known impact craters in the world.

Question 76

After the demise of the dinosaurs,mammals evolved and became the top of the food chain.

Question 77

The solar system that we live in started as a spinning "pancake" of matter.

Question 78

A meteor can have a stony,metallic,carbonaceous,or icy composition.

Question 79

The craters on Earth's Moon were formed by meteorite impacts.

Question 80

Because most asteroids are structurally weak and would probably explode at high altitudes,they pose no threat to Earth.