PSC 121 NAME _______KEY_____________GAGESPRING 2004 DATE_______________

REVIEW QUESTIONS

____ 1. Igneous rock is formed:a. by weathering of pre-existing rockb. by changes in mineral compositionc. at great depth within the earthd. by crystallization of molten rock

____ 2. Which of the following is not a factor in chemical weatheringa. decompositionb. frost wedgingc. hydrolysisd. oxidatione. solution

____ 3. Which is the most abundant gas in Earth’s atmosphere:a. oxygenb. argonc. nitrogend. carbon dioxidee. water

____ 4. Your position on a spherical body north of its equator is called:a. meridianb. longitudec. paralleld. latitudee. altitude

____ 5. When using a psychrometer, if the two temperature readings are identical you can conclude that:

a. your instrument is inaccurateb. a change in temperature is likelyc. the humidity is very lowd. the humidity is very highe. none of the above

___ 6. Pangea is:a. the Alaskan earthquake of 1964b. a portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridgec. the name of a fossild. the German word for plate tectonicse. a supercontinent

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_____ 7. Subduction zones are associated with:a. transform fault boundariesb. divergent plate boundariesc. convergent plate boundariesd. all of the abovee. none of the above

_____ 8. A worm has a poor chance of being fossilized because:a. there are relatively few worms in the animal kingdomb. worms have no hard partsc. worms are not marine creaturesd. worms do not contain materials that are radioactivee. none of the above

_____ 9. The gently sloping submerged surface extending from a shoreline to the deeper ocean is called the:

a. continental riseb. continental shelfc. continental sloped. wave boundarye. ocean basin

_____ 10. In Washington, D.C., the Sun’s rays are directly overhead:a. at noon each dayb. at noon on the first day of summerc. at noon in the middle of the summerd. never

_____ 11. Which of the following is a science process skill:a. theoryb. experimentingc. using a spectroscoped. drawing a graphe. none of the above

_____ 12. The release of water vapor to the air by plants is called:a. evaporationb. degassingc. infiltrationd. transpiratione. photosynthesis

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_____ 13 The lowermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere is called the:a. ionosphereb. tropospherec. mesosphered. thermospheree. stratosphere

_____14. When there is a waxing first quarter Moon in the Maryland, people in Russia will see this moon within the same time period:

a. waxing first quarterb. waxing third quarterc. waning first quarterd. waning third quarter

_____ 15. The presence of ice has been confirmed on:a. all planetsb. all terrestrial planetsc. some moons of Jupiterd. Earth only

_____ 16. The region that separates one watershed region from another is a:a. streamb. drainage basinc. drainage divided. floodplaine. river

_____ 17. When rock in a hanging wall moves down relative to the other rock segment, which type of fault has occurred:

a. slip-strikeb. reversec. normald. transforma. thrust

_____ 18. Seismic activity describes:a. earthquake activityb. volcanic activityc. tsunamisd. a and be. a, b, and c

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_____ 19. The asthenosphere is:a. a rigid zone above the lithosphereb. a part of the crustc. another term for the liquid outer cored. a source of magma at divergent boundariese. none of the above

_____ 20. Which of the following provides evidence of plate tectonics:a. patterns of earthquakes and volcanic activityb. sea-floor spreadingc. patterns in oceanic magnetic reversalsd. none of the abovee. all of the above

_____ 21. The continuous movement of water from oceans to atmosphere to land to oceans is called:

a. evapotranspirationb. Kreb cyclec. water cycled. atmospheric cyclee. evaporation cycle

_____ 22. The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is called:a. hardnessb. cleavagec. fractured. streake. resistance

_____ 23. Many metamorphic rocks:a. contain fossilsb. have a linear orientation of mineralsc. are unaltered sedimentary rocksd. form from molten rock materiale. none of the above

_____ 24. The volume in a rock soil sample occupied by air or water is called:a. permeabilityb. densityc. flow rated. pore spacee. water retention

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_____ 25. Which sediment would be transported farthest in a stream:a. boulderb. siltc. sandd. pebblee. cobble

_____ 26. The vertical drop of a stream channel over a certain distance is called the stream’s:

a. dischargeb. gradientc. laminar flowd. alluviumb. elevation

_____ 27. To pinpoint your east-west position on the Earth you would state your:a. latitudeb. longitudec. longitude and latituded. parallele. none of the above

_____ 28. The elevation of a point on a topographic map is found using the:a. symbolsb. contour intervalsc. contour linesd. contour gradientse. none of the above

_____ 29. Plates move apart leaving a gap at:a. divergent plate boundariesb. convergent plate boundariesc. transform fault boundariesd. synclinese. anticlines

_____ 30. The Coriolis Effect:a. applies only to tidesb. is caused by Earth’s rotationc. exists only in the Northern Hemisphered. is greatest near the equatore. is caused by deep sea currents

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_____ 31. Practically all clouds and storms occur in this layer of the atmosphere:a. ionosphereb. stratospherec. thermosphered. dynamospheree. troposphere

_____ 32. The African rift valleys are associated with:a. divergent boundaryb. oceanic-oceanic convergent boundaryc. oceanic-continental convergent boundaryd. continental-continental convergent boundarye. transform fault boundary

_____ 33. The densest layer of the Earth is the:a. oceanic crustb. continental crustc. mantled. outer coree. inner core

_____ 34. If the half-life of material “X” is 1000 years and you find a specimen with 1/8 the amount of X expected (plus the materials “X” changes to), the age of the rock specimen is about how many years old?:

a. 125b. 500c. 1000d. 3000e. 8000

_____ 35. Which of the following can be used to measure elevation of landforms:a. radio wavesb. topographic mapsc. tape measuresd. geologic mapse. none of the above

_____ 36. Impact features are sharper on the Moon than on the Earth or Mars because:a. the Moon has a more brittle surfaceb. Earth and Mars have an atmospherec. the Moon is tectonically actived. the Moon used to have volcanic activitye. all of the above

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_____ 37. Summer occurs in the Northern Hemisphere when the:

a. North Pole is tilted toward the Sun and Earth is closest to the Sunb. North Pole is tilted toward the Sun and Earth is farthest from the Sunc. North Pole is not tilted and the Earth is closet to the Sund. South Pole is tilted toward the Sun and Earth is closest to the Sune. South Pole is tilted toward the Sun and Earth is farthest from the Sun

_____ 38. A lunar eclipse may occur during:a. full Moonb. new Moonc. gibbous Moond. crescent Moon

_____ 39. Which of the following processes releases heat:a. evaporationb. boilingc. sublimationd. condensatione. rotating

_____ 40. Lines on a weather map connecting points of equal pressure are called:a. isovectorsb. isothermsc. isogridsd. isobarse. isopressures

_____ 41. Craters on planets are formed through:a. volcanic activityb. impactsc. ground subsidenced. impacts and volcanic activitye. all of the above

_____ 42. Groups of fossil plants and animals succeed each other in definite and determinable order and any period can be recognized by its fossils. This is a statement of the principle of:

a. superpositionb. original horizontalityc. faunal successiond. absolute datinge. fossil dating

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_____ 43. Convergent boundaries are zones where plates:a. slide past each otherb. move together, causing one to slide beneath the otherc. move apart, leaving a gapd. cause sea-floor spreadinge. none of these

_____ 44. Intrusions will be made of:a. igneous rockb. metamorphic rockc. sedimentary rockd. fossiliferous rocke. stratified rock

_____ 45. Rock strata can be most accurately dated based on:a. cross-cutting relationshipsb. paleomagnetismc. radioactive emissionsd. compositione. superposition

_____ 46. In the Northern Hemisphere, winds associated with a high pressure system blow:a. clockwise and toward the centerb. counterclockwise and toward the centerc. clockwise and outward from the centerd. counterclockwise and outward from the center

_____ 47. On a weather map, which type of front is shown by a line with triangular points on one side?

a. stationaryb. coldc. warmd. occluded

_____ 48. Change of state from a gas to a liquid is called:a. evaporationb. transpirationc. condensationd. meltinge. sublimation

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_____ 49. Which of the following is typical for sedimentary rocks:a. foliationb. stratificationc. interlocking, angular crystalsd. mineral obliteration

_____ 50. The early Earth was extremely dynamic. The first rocks on the Earth’s surface were:

b. sedimentaryc. igneousd. metamorphice. clastic

_____ 51. Which of the following is an erosion factor:a. windc. gravityd. streame. all of the above

_____ 52. High permeability is associated with:a. low pore spaceb. low flow ratec. high water retentiond. high pore spacee. none of the above

_____ 53. The dew point is the temperature at which:a. water in the liquid state changes to vaporc. sleet is formedd. water vapor condenses to liquide. rain occursf. none of the above

_____ 54. New ocean crust forms at:a. transform fault boundariesb. subduction zonesc. convergent plate boundariesd. trenchese. divergent plate boundaries

_____ 55. The dark areas on the Moon are called:a. highlandsb. raysc. cratersd. mariae. rilles

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_____ 56. Low pressure systems cause:a. rainb. windc. low barometer readingsd. fair weathere. none of the above

_____ 57. Constellations generally:a. rise in the east and set in the westb. rise in the west and set in the eastc. rise at all different points along the horizond. do not rise or set because they are always up

_____ 58. The elements in a star or distant planet’s atmosphere have been identified because:

a. they have be sampled and analyzed in the laboratory on Earthb. have been collected and analyzed by spacecraftc. are the same as what is on Earthd. emit a unique pattern of visible light

TRUE-FALSE:

Decide if each of the following statements is true or false. If it is false, explain why.

_____ 1. Misconceptions are generally easily overcome.False, they are hard to overcome because they make sense to the possessor_____ 2. The following statement is a fact: “The Sun will continue as a yellow star for another 10 billion years.”False, this is a projection based on what we have observed/theorized, not a provable statement _____ 3. The tilt of Earth’s axis is responsible for its seasons.

_____ 4. An eclipse of the Moon occurs approximately every 28 days.False, because of the tilt of the Moon’s orbit it will not always fall in the Earth’s shadow_____ 5. The amount of the lunar surface that is illuminated by the Sun changes over a period of about 28 days. False, approximately 50% of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated but because of Earth’s position, we may only see part of that illuminated surface._____ 6. The objects at your zenith change during the course of the evening.

_____ 7. The spectrum of hydrogen looks different when hydrogen is in the Sun compared to when it is analyzed on Earth.False, spectrum is characteristic of an element not its location_____ 8. A mineral many contain more than one type of rock.False, a rock may contain more than one mineral_____ 9. The best way to identify a mineral is by its streak. False, no one property is best

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_____ 10. A sedimentary rock can be foliated.False, foliation occurs through pressure and heating in metamorphic processes_____ 11. Erosion is the same as weathering.False, erosion requires transport from site of degradation_____ 12. All regolith started out as igneous rock.

_____ 13. The greater the grain size of an Earth material sample, the greater the water retention. False, smaller particles have larger surface area therefore more sites for water retention_____ 14. The ocean floor can be mapped with radar.

_____ 15. There is no weathering on planets without atmospheres.False, there can be micrometeorite bonbardment that affects surfaces_____ 16. A meridian marks a series of points at a given longitude.

_____ 17. Contour lines cross each other at extremely low elevations.False, contour lines never cross since they denote specific elevations._____ 18. Headwaters originate at the highest point in a stream’s elevation.

_____ 19. In an anticline, rock strata reverse their positions.False, the strata are folded or bent but the order does not change_____ 20. Volcanoes are dry landforms.False, they can exist underwater in island arcs or at mid-ocean ridge_____ 21. Oceanic crust is older than continental crust.False, newer because it is forming from mid-ocean ridge_____ 22. Most fossils represent marine animals.

_____ 23. Footprints preserved in mud over millions of years are not true fossils.False, any documentation of life processes can be classified as a fossil_____ 24. Maryland has a state fossil.

_____ 25. A watershed is also called a drainage divide.False, watershed is a drainage basin_____ 26. Most of the western segment of Maryland is in the watershed of the Susquehanna River.

_____ 27. As snow forms, the surrounding air heats up.

_____ 28. Air pressure is caused by changes in altitude.False, pressure is generated by number and motion of air particles_____ 29. Relative humidity compares the mass of water in the air to the mass of air it is in.False, mass of water in air is compared to maximum amount that can be in air_____ 30. Rain occurs most often at the meeting of two air masses.False, only if the masses have different pressures or temperatures_____ 31. The temperature drops when a low pressure system moves into an area.False, low temperature is not the same as low pressure.

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_____ 32. All ocean gyres circulate counterclockwise.False, the direction depends on the hemisphere (cc in south)_____ 33. Density differences in ocean waters can cause ocean currents.

_____ 34. High tides occur when the Moon is at right angles to the region experiencing the high tide.False, occur when the Moon is directly above or 180 degrees away_____ 35. When studying the timing of the tides, the amount of sunlight is a variable. False, the position of the Sun, not the amount of sunlight is a variable

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This is a diagram (not to scale) of the orbit of the Earth around the Sun. Use it to answer the questions below.

1. Which position represents summer in the Southern Hemisphere? _____4_____

2. Which position represents spring in the Northern Hemisphere? _____1_____

Write or draw the answers for #3 and 4 on the diagram below.

3. For Earth position 3, draw the position of the Moon that will result in a New Moon phase.

4. For Earth position 4, draw in the position of the Moon for a lunar eclipse.

M M

5. Identify the type of geologic formation in the photos below.

_syncline____ _______anticline_____ ___reverse fault__

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