Geoscience Day Starters

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1. What does geology mean?a. Study of the Earth and its neighbors c. Study of maps and chartsb. Study of the solid earth d. Study of solid Earth and oceans

2. Who would study a meteor?a. Geologist c. Meteorologistb. Astronomer d. Mineralogist

3. What are the four subdivisions of Earth Sciencea. Anthropology, Geology, Meteorology and Biologyb. Oceanography, Biology, Meteorology and Geologyc. Geology, Oceanography, Astronomy and Meteorologyd. Mineralology, Oceanography, Astrology and Geology

4. The Earth started as aa. Cloud of gas and dust c. Small moonb. Dying star d. Cloud of Helium and Hydrogen

1. Where is most of the carbon found in the environment?a. The Oceans c. The Atmosphereb. The trees and such d. The rocks and the crust

2. Which holds the most carbon, and absorbs it the fastest?a. Warm water, low pressure c. Warm water, high pressureb. Cold water, low pressure d. Cold water, high pressure

3. Which letter refers to the lower mantle? _________

4. What is located between the crust, and the core of the Earth?

5. About how much CO2 is put into the atmosphere each year, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels?a. 8,000 tonnes b. 800,000 tonnes c. 8,000,000 tonnes d. 8,000,000,000 tonnes

6. The curst and very top of the mantle make up a rigid layer called thea. Asthenosphere b. Lithosphere c. Geosphere d. Crustosphere

1. When rocks, in different regions, are matched up by similar age; what is it called?a. Superposition c. Uniformitarianismb. Geology d. Correlation

2. This principle states that layers of sediment are generally deposited in horizontal position?a. Tarbuk’s law c. Superpositionb. Hutton’s law d. Original Horizontality

3. Who developed the idea of Uniformitarianism?a. John Wesley Powellb. Edward Kirianovc. James Huttond. Dennis Tarbuk

4. Relative dating will tella. Sequence of rock formation c. Age of rocksb. Rock composition d. Fossil types

5. The rock record showsa. evidence of geological events c. Types of animals that existedb. relative ages of meteor strikes d. Age of rivers

1. Petrifaction occurs when?a. When wood is dried out c. Cells are replaced with mineralsb. Wood is buried in wet soil d. Wood is caught in tree sap

2. This principle states that layers of sediment are generally deposited in horizontal position?a. Law of original horizontality c. Superpositionb. Hutton’s law d. Law of inclusion

3. Fossils do what, with respect to evolution?a. Provides a scientific basis c. Calls evolution into questionb. Nothing d. Fills in all the blanks and questions

4. Which kind of fossil would a mummy (wrapped, dried body) be?a. Petrified c. Mold and Castb. Unaltered remains d. Trace fossil

5. Relative dating will tella. Sequence of rock formation c. Age of rocksb. Rock composition d. Fossil types

1. What three things do index fossils need to be effective?a. Widespread, hard parts, abundantb. Widespread, abundant, largec. Short geographic time, abundant and widespreadd. Water, abundant and short geographic time

2. Which animal, now a fossil, gave the Earth its early oxygen atmosphere?a. Algae c. Trilobiteb. Stromatolite d. Phytoplankton

3. What is fossilized dinosaur feces?a. Trilobite c. Gastrolithb. Coprolite d. I try not to think about it

4. A cast and mold would result from what type of organism?a. An animals hard parts being replaced by minerals

b. A tree root decomposing, and leaving behind a void that fills with mineralsc. A bee being stuck in tree sapd. A mammoth drying out in the cold and unforgiving tundra of Siberia

5. Fossil preservation is favored by two conditionsa. Abundance and geographic location c. Water and heatb. Unique characteristics, and hard parts d. Hard parts and rapid burial

1. What is the approximate half-life of Carbon-14?a. 750 yearsb. 5,700 yearsc. 5,730 yearsd. 57,500 years

2. Carbon-14 takes advantage of what kind of dating?a. Radioactive c. Radiometricb. Relative age d. Relativistic

3. How much Carbon-14 would be left in an animal after 3 - ½ lifes?a. ½ c. ¼ b. 1/16th d. 1/8th

4. A cast and mold would result from what type of organism?a. An animals hard parts being replaced by minerals

b. A tree root decomposing, and leaving behind a void that fills with mineralsc. A bee being stuck in tree sapd. A mammoth drying out in the cold and unforgiving tundra of Siberia

5. Fossil preservation is favored by two conditionsa. Abundance and geographic location c. Water and heatb. Unique characteristics, and hard parts d. Hard parts and rapid burial

1. What is the longest era…..by far?a. Cenezoic c. Paleozoicb. Precambrian d. Mesozoic

2. What was the first atmosphere of Earth composed of?a. Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide c. Argon and Oxygenb. Oxygen and Water vapor d. Hydrogen and Carbon dioxide

3. What are large areas of Precambrian rocks that make up the surface of some continents?

a. Oceans c. Granite mountainsb. Ore zones d. Shields

4. What is the fossil that marks the end of the Precambrian era, and the start of the Paleozoic era?

a. Stromatolite c. Dinobiteb. Trilobite d. Cynobite

5. Which statement is true?a. Continents are made of light basalt, oceans of heavy basaltb. Continents are made of basalt, oceans of granitec. Continents are made of granite, oceans of basaltd. Oceans are made of heavy granite, continents of light granite

1. What is the best evidence for plate tectonics?a. fossils c. glacial till in Indiab. sea floor spreading d. continental jigsaw

2. Where is the Ocean getting “bigger”?a. mid-ocean ridge c. oceanic trenchb. north and south poles d. equator

3. What is the term that means that the ocean crust is being pushed under the continental crust?a. diversion c. subductionb. conversion d. transform

4. What is the best evidence for sea-floor spreading?a. reversal of magnetic stripes on ocean-floor rockb. mountains in Indiac. coal fields in Antarcticad. fossils

5. Where would ocean rocks be the oldest?a. near the middle of the ocean c. near the coast of continentsb. near the north and south poles d. near the equator

6. What word means the study of ancient magnetism on Earth?a. magnetology c. paleomagnetismb. historical magnetism d. neomagnetism

1. What concept did Alfred Wegener develop?a. Superposition c. Continental driftb. Plate tectonics d. Uniformitarianism

2. Where did the eastern coast of South America bump up against?a. Aftrica c. Europeb. North America d. Australia

3. What caused scientists to believe that the positions of the continents were very different in the past than they are now?

a. Glacial till in India c. Ferns in Antarcticab. Fossil positions d. All of the above

4. The name of the animal, whose fossil remains are found on two continents of questons two, was named what?

a. Stromatolite c. Mesosaurusb. Trilobite d. Cynosaurus

5. Which statement is true?a. No evidence for plate tectonics has been foundb. Plate tectonics was developed by Alfred Wegenerc. Plate tectonics has only become accepted since the 1960’sd. Both “b” and “c”.

1. What system uses sound waves to calculate the distance to an object?a. Radar b. Sonarc. Freemantle d. Fathomization

2. What is the letter of the description of a subduction zonea. where an oceanic plate is forced beneath a second plateb. where an oceanic plate grinds past a second platec. where a continental plate grinds past a second plated. where an oceanic plate moves away from a second plate

3. What is the letter of the oldest coeanic crusta. near the edges of the continentsb. between the edge of ocean, and edge of continentc. at a ridge crestd. deep in the asthenosphere

4. A “hot spot” is responsible for what geological structure?a. Himalaya mountains b. Mid-ocean ridgeb. Iceland d. Yellowstone

5. Where is new Earth createda. Mid ocean ridge b. Subduction zonec. “hot spots” d. Transform zones

1. In what kind of plate boundary do the plates slide past each other?a. Divergent c. Convergentb. Transform fault d. Revergent

2. What will form when ocean crust subducts under ocean crust?a. Mountain chain c. Island Arcb. Divergent plate boundary d. Transform plate boundary

3. Where does a trench form?a. Divergent boundaries c. Convergent boundariesb. Transform fault boundaries d. Revergent areas

4. Which of the following is a transform plate boundary?a. Los Angoles c. Himalayas Mountainsb. Yellowstone d. Mid Ocean Ridges

5. Where is new Earth formeda. Mountain chain c. Island Arcb. Divergent plate boundary d. Transform plate boundary

6. What is the best evidence of sea-floor spreading?

1. The only planet with liquid water isa. Mercury b. Venusc. Mars d. None of the above

2. The largest difference between the terrestrial planets and Jovian planets area. Size b. Densityc. Chemical compositon d. All of the above

3. The terrestrial planets are mostly made of a. Ice b. Gasc. Rock d. Boiling hot magma, with lava sharks and “puppies”

4. The theory that the Solar System started in a spinning cloud is thea. Cloud theory b. Solar theoryc. Nebular theory d. Spinning theory

5. The hottest planet in the solar system isa. Mercury b. Venusc. Earth c. Mars

6. The ages area. Universe 4.6 billion, Earth 3.6 millionb. Universe 15 billion, Earth 1.8 billionc. Universe 4.6 trillion, Earth 4.6 billiond. Universe 15 billion, Earth 4.6 billion

1. If a planet is moving towards you, it is a. looking red c. looking blueb. hotter d. cooler

2. When pitch changes as a result of a moving source, it is calleda. Doppler effect c. Coriolis effectb. Centripital effect d. Moving effect

3. What wavelength is shorter than visible light?a. Ultraviolet c. Infraredb. Radio d. Microwave

4. Light is carried by aa. Graviton c. Protonb. Photon d. Electron

5. What are the bright lines called against a continuous spectrum?a. Absorption lines c. Emission linesb. Continuous lines d. Bright lines

6. What is the instrument called that examines the light from a star?a. Lightometer c. Spectrometerb. Photonometer d. Wave Excitrometer

1. A telescope that uses a lens to bend light is aa. Refracting c. Reflectingb. Radio d. Hubble

2. The first space telescope isa. Hubble c. Chandrab. Fermi d. Gamma

3. A telescope is space has a advantage because1. ___________________________________2. ___________________________________3. ___________________________________

4. The telescope that can see through gasses in space is aa. Reflecting c. Gammab. Radio d. Hubble

1. A red star isa. Cool c. Hotb. Moving away d. “a” or “b”

2. How many constellations are there, originallya. 12 c, 88b. 144 d. 365

3. How many stars are there in a binary systema. 1 c. Threeb. 2 d. Four or more

4. Parallax would be greater for a star that isa. moving away c. Closeb. moving towards an observer d. Far away

5. How long would it take for light to reach Earth, from a star that is 25.3 light years away?a. 4 parsecs c. 2.53 yearsb. 25.3 years d. it depends upon the speed of the light

6. To find the North Star (Polaris), it is easiest to first finda. Rigel c. Big Dipperb. The Southern Cross d. Orion’s belt

7. Sun’s burna. Hydrogen b. Helium c. Oxygen d. Carbon e. Argon f. Phone fuel

1. The H-R diagram comparesa. absolute and apparent brightness c. Apparent brightness and temperatureb. Absolute brightness and temperature d. Apparent brightness and distance

2. Our Sun will die as aa. White dwarf c. Black dwarfb. Black hole d. Neutron star

3. The two opposing forces in a star area. Gravity and density c. Gravity and Pressureb. Pressure and density d. Mass and gravity

4. About what percentage of stars are on the main sequence?a. 10% c. 75%b. 50% d. 90%

5. Which lasts longer?a. Small star c. Large starb. Mediaum sized star d. Stinking, stinking HUGE star

6. Which is brighter?a. A star with an apparent magnitude of 5 c. Star with actual magnitude of -10b. Star with an apparent magnitude of -5 d. Star with an actual magnitude of 10

1. The Milky Way is abouta. 100,000 deep and 1,000,000 miles wide c. 10,000 light years acrossb. 10,000 ly deep and 100,000 ly across d. 1,000,000 miles deep

2. A red star isa. Moving away c. Moving towards usb. Moving towards us d. “a” or “b”

3. Our Solar System started as a a. Planetary nebula c. White dwarfb. Supernova d. Red giant

4. The next stage of our Sun is aa. White dwarf c. Black dwarfb. Red Giant d. Black hole

5. The last stage of our Sun will be aa. White dwarf c. Black dwarfb. Neutron star d. Black hole

6. Pulsars come from froma. Black holes c. Neutron starsb. Red giants d. White dwarfs

1. What is the unending circulation of the Earth’s water supplya. water balance c. Water Cycleb. Base level d. Transpiration cycle

2. Water leaving the atmosphere and entering the geosphere, or hydrosphere is calleda. Runoff c. Transpirationb. Precipitation d. Infiltration

3. The lowest point that a stream can erode down to is itsa. Mouth c. Headwatersb. Valley d. Base level

4. A bend in a stream is called aa. Meander c. Tributaryb. Mouth d. Valley

5. The steepness of a stream channel is aa. Valley c. Channelb. Base level d. Gradient

1. Below about what level does the temperature of ocean water change rapidly?a. 100 meters c. 300 metersb. 500 meters d. 1,000 meters

2. What is mean by salinity?a. The amount of salt in ocean water c. The amount of dissolved solids in seawater.b. The average density of seawater d. The ratio of fresh water to sea water

3. What is the salinity of the ocean (roughly)?a. 35% c. 35 parts per hundredb. 35 parts per thousand d. 35 parts per million

4. What two things most influence the density of seawater?a. Salinity and gravity c. Temperature and lattitudeb. Salinity and temperature d. Temperature and current values

5. What is the most common dissolved solid in sea water?a. Common rocks c. Magnesium chlorideb. Organic matter d. Table salt

6. Where is there a fast change in ocean water salinity?a. Pycnocline c. Densoclineb. Thermocline d. Deep zone

1. What is a large whirl of water within an ocean basin?a. Upwelling area b. Gyrec. Density currents d. Coreolis Current

2. What current keeps “Jolly of England” warm and foggy?a. Northern equatorial current b. North Atlantic currentc. Gulf Stream d. Carolina current

3. Ocean currents transfer ___________ from low latitudes to high latitudes.a. Salty water b. Fresh waterc. Nutrients d. Heat

4. Where is ocean water the most dense?a. at the equator b. Antarcticac. Australia d. Mediterranean Sea

5. What two things influence the density of ocean water?a. Salinity and gravity b. Temperature and lattitudec. Salinity and temperature d. Temperature and current values

6. Below about what level does the temperature of ocean water change rapidly?a. 100 meters c. 300 metersb. 500 meters d. 1,000 meters

1. About how much of our atmosphere is Nirtrogen?a. 1/4th c. ½b. 3/4th d. 90%

2. Albedo is the amount of light that isa. absorbed by land c. Reflected away by all sourcesb. absorbed by water d. Reflected by clouds

3. The part of the Earth that would be warmed by the Sun the most would bea. Where the Sun shines at a 45º angle c. The polar regionsb. Where the Sun shines at a 90º angle d. At the equator

4. Heat transfer by the direct contact of particles isa. Radiation c. Conductionb. Convection d. Transpiration

5. Warm air rises. This is an example of a. Radiation c. Conductionb. Convection d. Transpiration

6. Ozone isa. A single oxygen atom c. Two oxygen atomsb. Three oxygen atoms, making one ozone moleculed. A water and oxygen atom mixed together