Deck 8: The Earth

Question 1

The Coriolis effect is a consequence of

A)The rotation of the Earth
B)The revolution of the Earth
C)Tides
D)The saros cycle

Answer 1

The rotation of the Earth

Question 2

Approximately how fast is continental drift moving the continents apart with respect to each other?

A)Cm per day
B)Cm per year
C)Cm per century
D)Cm per million years

Answer 2

Cm per year

Question 3

In the plate tectonic model of the Earth's crustal activity,where is crustal material destroyed?

A)Along mid-ocean ridges
B)In zones of convergence
C)In the centers of continents
D)In mountain chains

Answer 3

In zones of convergence

Question 4

Which of the following occurs because of the rotation of the Earth?

A)Coriolis effect
B)Aberration of starlight
C)Stellar parallax
D)Retrograde motion of the planets

Question 5

As a result of the Coriolis effect,a missile fired northward toward the equator will seem to be deflected

A)Too far to the north
B)Too far to the south
C)Toward the west
D)Toward the east

Question 6

S waves cannot travel through the Earth's outer core.What does this tell us about the outer core?

A)The outer core is very cold
B)The outer core is made of air
C)The outer core is liquid
D)The outer core is made of silicate rock

Question 7

Which of the following descriptions of the Earth's core is true?

A)Made of metal,denser than the mantle
B)Made of metal,less dense than the mantle
C)Made of silicate rock,denser than the mantle
D)Made of silicate rock,less dense than the mantle

Question 8

The layer of the Earth's atmosphere in which weather occurs is the

A)Stratosphere
B)Troposphere
C)Exosphere
D)Mesosphere

Question 9

In which part of the Earth's interior are pressure,temperature,and density the greatest?

A)Inner core
B)Outer core
C)Mantle
D)Crust

Question 10

Which of the following occurs because of the revolution of the Earth about the Sun and cannot be accounted for in geocentric models of the solar system?

A)The Coriolis effect
B)The aberration of starlight
C)Planetary retrograde motion
D)The phenomenon of day and night

Question 11

What causes the Earth's mesosphere (also known as the ozone layer)to be warmer than layers just above or below it?

A)Chemical reactions involving ozone produce heat
B)Ozone absorbs solar energy
C)Heat is transported into the ozone layer by convection from the troposphere
D)Energetic particles hit the mesosphere to produce heat and aurorae

Question 12

Which of the following is not likely to occur at a boundary where two crustal plates collide?

A)Formation of new crust
B)Volcanic activity
C)Earthquakes
D)Formation of mountain ranges

Question 13

The particles that are found in the Van Allen belts are primarily

A)Neutral atoms
B)Photons
C)Small rocky particles
D)Protons and electrons

Question 14

Which of the following accounts for the circulation patterns around high and low pressure regions in the Earth's atmosphere?

A)Parallax
B)Coriolis effect
C)Aberration
D)Centrifugal force

Question 15

The primary evidence for the existence of a molten core in the Earth is

A)The measurement of continental drift
B)The abnormally high surface temperature of the Earth
C)The tidal effect of the Moon
D)The emission of molten lava from volcanoes
E)Seismic waves from earthquakes

Question 16

What takes place at the earth's mid-oceanic ridges?

A)Crustal material is subducted back into the mantle
B)Plate collisions
C)New crustal material is produced
D)Nothing

Question 17

Which of the following can be accounted for by the heliocentric model of the solar system,but not the geocentric model?

A)The motion of the Moon with respect to the stars
B)Retrograde motion of the planets
C)The variation in the length of the day during a year
D)The aberration of starlight

Question 18

Plate tectonic is believed to be caused by which of the following?

A)Changes in the Earth's rotation rate
B)Convection currents in the mantle
C)Changes in the Earth's magnetic field
D)Shrinkage of the crust as the Earth cools

Question 19

The layer of plastic,deformable rock just beneath the lithosphere is the

A)Magnetosphere
B)Aesthenosphere
C)Crust
D)Outer core

Question 20

What are the two most abundant gases in the Earth's atmosphere?

A)Nitrogen and oxygen
B)Oxygen and carbon monoxide
C)Water vapor and argon
D)Methane and hydrogen

Question 21

What is the primary reason that aurorae are more likely to be seen in Canada and Alaska than in Iowa?

A)The particles that produce aurorae strike the atmosphere only near the poles
B)There are fewer hours of nighttime each year in Iowa than in Canada
C)Aurorae can only be seen above the Arctic Circle
D)Aurorae are sunlight reflected from snow,which is more common in Canada

Question 22

The Earth's magnetopause is

A)The outer boundary of Earth's magnetic domain
B)A period of time when Earth's magnetic field strength was zero
C)The same as the magnetic equator of Earth
D)The region of Earth's interior where the magnetic field disappears

Question 23

What produces aurorae?

A)Chemical reactions in the upper atmosphere
B)Meteors
C)Collisions of high energy particles with atmospheric gas
D)Reflection of sunlight by high clouds

Question 24

What is the primary cause of the Earth's magnetic field?

A)Currents in the Earth's core
B)Permanent magnetism left over from the formation of the Earth
C)The flow of ionized gases in the Earth's upper atmosphere
D)Pockets of solar magnetism captured from the solar wind

Question 25

The Earth's mantle is in what state?

A)solid
B)liquid
C)gas
D)plasma

Question 26

In the plate tectonic model of the Earth's crustal activity,where is crustal material created?

A)Along mid-ocean ridges
B)In zones of convergence
C)In the centers of continents
D)In mountain chains

Question 27

Aurorae are produced when the Earth's atmosphere is bombarded by a blast of

A)Energetic protons and electrons from the Sun
B)Asteroidal debris
C)A flash of gamma rays
D)Small meteorites

Question 28

The Earth's inner core is in what state?

A)solid
B)liquid
C)gas
D)plasma