Deck 1: Understanding Earth: a Dynamic and Evolving Planet

Question 1

What are some of the consequences of global warming predicted to be?

Answer 1

Warmer temperatures overall; melting glaciers that would result in the loss of freshwater, ice caps, and sea ice; increased droughts in some locations, increased precipitation in other locations; difficulty growing food in some agricultural areas; and spread of tropical diseases into areas that have been too cold.

Question 2

Briefly list a few examples that would support the principle of uniformitarianism.

Answer 2

Processes occurring today such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and severe weather serve as good examples regarding the principle. The principle narrates that these processes have been in occurrence even prior to human existence.

Question 3

What distinguishes science from other forms of human inquiry?

Answer 3

Scientific ideas are based on data and observation that can be tested. Other forms of inquiry are based on faith, emotion, or something else that cannot be scientifically tested.

Question 4

Name, locate, and describe Earth's three concentric layers. What are these divisions based on and what volume does each layer take up?

Question 5

Briefly explain with the help of a couple of examples how Earth behaves as a dynamic planet.

Question 6

How is a theory formulated?

Question 7

What is the scientific method?

Question 8

What is the definition of theory as used in science? How is the word misused in day-to-day language?

Question 9

What is the greenhouse effect, and how does it work? What happens when greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere increase?

Question 10

Briefly explain how the themes of plate tectonics, organic evolution, and geologic time provide a cohesive story of the history of Earth.

Question 11

Briefly explain the importance of the geologic time scale.

Question 12

Briefly explain how geologists can formulate theories about events that occurred on Earth before humans were here to make observations.

Question 13

Describe how the universe, galaxies, stars, and chemical elements formed.

Question 14

Describe the ways in which geology affects our everyday lives.

Question 15

How have natural resources been important in history? Provide an example of a situation in which natural resources have altered the course of history.

Question 16

Why is overpopulation a concern geologically?

Question 17

Briefly explain the importance of the principle of uniformitarianism to the study of historical geology.

Question 18

What are two examples of geology-related environmental concerns? Briefly explain why geology holds an important position in environmental science.

Question 19

How are the rock cycle and plate tectonics related?

Question 20

Briefly explain the solar nebula theory of Earth's origin, including how and why it came to be differentiated by composition.

Question 21

Historical geology is the study of ____________________.

Question 22

What are the three ways sedimentary rocks can form?

Question 23

Physical geology is the study of ____________________.

Question 24

What is Pluto now that it is no longer a planet, and what are the characteristics of that type of body?

Question 25

What extremely important theory is as foundational and unifying to geology as the theory of evolution is to biology?

Question 26

Why is Earth considered to be a dynamic (as opposed to static) planet?

Question 27

What is a system? What are four Earth systems?

Question 28

What is one way in which geologic knowledge is used to benefit humans?

Question 29

How do metamorphic rocks form?

Question 30

What are the characteristics of the terrestrial planets?

Question 31

How do igneous rocks form?

Question 32

What is natural selection?

Question 33

What is the basic premise of the principle of uniformitarianism?

Question 34

Describe how temperature increases will occur in all global warming scenarios.

Question 35

What is the difference between a rock and a mineral?

Question 36

What are the characteristics of the Jovian planets?

Question 37

What does geology have to do with the standard of living that societies have?

Question 38

What is the name of the method that is used to determine the absolute age of a rock body?

Question 39

What are the three types of tectonic plate boundaries?

Question 40

What is Doppler effect?

Question 41

Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are referred to as _____________ planets.

Question 42

The two primary materials that geologists use as clues to understand Earth's past are ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 43

When the universe originated, it was composed of 100% ____________________ and ____________________, but now consists of ____________________% hydrogen and 2% ____________________ elements.

Question 44

The solid upper mantle and the overlying crust is referred to as ___________.

Question 45

Theories are formed via a process called _______________.

Question 46

Assemblages of mineral(s) are generally referred to as ______________.

Question 47

The material in Earth's inner core is ____________________, while the outer core is ____________________.

Question 48

Earth formed ____________________ billion years ago.

Question 49

The crust and the underlying uppermost mantle make up the ____________________.

Question 50

Substances that are naturally occurring in a solid state, with a definite or a range of chemical composition and definite crystalline structure are called _____________.

Question 51

The scientific theory for the origin of our solar system, involving the condensation and collapse of interstellar material in a spiral arm of the Milky Way galaxy, is the ____________________ theory.

Question 52

The two types of crust are ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 53

Which of the following statements about a scientific theory is not true?

A) It is an explanation for some natural phenomena.
B) It has a large body of supporting knowledge.
C) It is testable.
D) It is conjecture or guess.
E) none of the above

Question 54

A combination of related parts that interact in an organized fashion is a(n) ____________________.

Question 55

The three eras that have taken place since the end of the Precambrian from oldest to youngest are the ____________________, ____________________, and ____________________.

Question 56

Earth's human population reached ____________________ in 2011 and is projected to be ____________________ in 2045.

Question 57

Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are referred to as _____________ planets.

Question 58

The theory that modern-day organisms are related and happen to have descended with modifications form organisms living in the past is called the theory of _____________.

Question 59

Global warming is caused by increased concentrations of ____________________ in the atmosphere.

Question 60

The explanation present is the key to the past is referring to the principle of _____________.

Question 61

Most scientists argue that the greatest environmental problem facing the world today is:

A) climate change.
B) the ozone hole.
C) water pollution.
D) overpopulation.

Question 62

Overpopulation will affect many Earth systems, but there is enough fresh water for many billions of people.

Question 63

A hypothesis is

A) thought to be the truth by most scientists.
B) a tentative explanation.
C) a description of something that happens without fail.
D) a guess.

Question 64

A theory-such as the theory of plate tectonics or the theory of evolution-is not accepted by a large number of scientists.

Question 65

Science does not utilize beliefs or supernatural explanations because they

A) have been proven to be true and so science isn't needed.
B) none of these.
C) have been proven to be untrue.
D) cannot be tested.

Question 66

Which of the following statements about the asthenosphere is not true?

A) It lies beneath the lithosphere.
B) It is a rigid rock layer.
C) It behaves plastically.
D) Partial melting within it generates magma.

Question 67

Many wars are fought over natural resources.

Question 68

In the 19th century, geologists developed the geologic time scale using

A) fossils.
B) radiometric dating techniques.
C) absolute ages.
D) the principle of uniformitarianism.

Question 69

Historical geology is the study of how geology is related to human history.

Question 70

At the moment of the Big Bang, both ____ and ____ were compressed into an infinitely small high-temperature and high-density state.

A) matter, energy
B) gravity, energy
C) nuclear power, matter
D) energy, matter
E) matter, weak nuclear forces

Question 71

Scientists have indicated that there is no supernatural or spiritual realm.

Question 72

The age of the universe is estimated by the:

A) temperature of the universal background radiation.
B) age of comets formed in interstellar space.
C) rate at which galaxies are moving away from one another.
D) age of subatomic particles as determined by radioactive decay.

Question 73

Physical geology involves the study of Earth materials as well as processes operating on the surface and within Earth.

Question 74

Fossils are:

A) useful for reconstructing past environmental conditions.
B) evidence that evolution has occurred.
C) evidence that Earth has a long history predating humans.
D) the remains or traces of once-living organisms.
E) all of the above

Question 75

The theory that all living organisms are descendants of different life forms that existed in the past is called:

A) organic evolution.
B) paleontology.
C) plate tectonics.
D) natural selection.

Question 76

At the moment of the Big Bang, both ____ and ____ were set at zero.

A) matter, energy
B) time, space
C) nuclear power, weak nuclear forces
D) gravity, chemistry

Question 77

Earth's core is probably:

A) composed of rock with high silica content.
B) molten throughout.
C) composed of potassium- and aluminum-rich silicates.
D) composed mostly of iron and nickel.

Question 78

The Jovian planets are:

A) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
B) Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.
C) Earth, Mars, and Jupiter.
D) Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

Question 79

The Big Bang took place approximately ____ years ago.

A) 140 billion
B) 40 billion
C) 14 billion
D) 14 million
E) 14,000

Question 80

The zone between the core and the crust is the:

A) asthenosphere.
B) lithosphere.
C) mantle.
D) convection center.