Space
Earth, the Sun, and billions of stars are contained within
(1) a single constellation
(2) the Milky Way galaxy
(3) the solar system (4) a giant cloud of gas
(2) the Milky Way galaxy
What is the approximate P-wave travel time from an earthquake if the P-wave arrives at the seismic station 8 minutes before the S-wave? (
1) 4 minutes 20 seconds
(2) 6 minutes 30 seconds
(3) 10 minutes 0 seconds
(4) 11 minutes 20 seconds
What is (3) 10 minutes 0 seconds
Which two elements make up the greatest percentages by mass in Earth’s crust?
(1) oxygen and potassium
(2) oxygen and silicon
(3) aluminum and potassium
(4) aluminum and silicon
(2) oxygen and silicon
Scientists infer that oxygen first began to enter Earth’s atmosphere after the appearance of
(1) the earliest grasses
(2) the earliest flowering plants (3) coal-forming forests
(4) oceanic cyanobacteria
(4) oceanic cyanobacteria
Which mantle hot spot is correctly matched to its overlying tectonic plate?
(1) Tasman Hot Spot–Pacific Plate
(2) Canary Island Hot Spot–Eurasian Plate
(3) St. Helena Hot Spot–South American Plate
(4) Yellowstone Hot Spot–North American Plate
(4) Yellowstone Hot Spot–North American Plate
The Foucault pendulum and the Coriolis effect both provide evidence of Earth’s
(1) revolution (3) tilted axis
(2) rotation (4) elliptical orbit
(2) rotation
The time difference between the P-wave and S-wave is 6 minutes and 40 seconds from the epicenter of the earthquake. What is the distance from the epicenter of the earthquake?
5,000 km
The lithosphere is made up of 2 layers. Name them.
The crust and mantle
Geologic history is divided into eras, periods, and epochs based on the
(1) type of rock deposited at different times throughout history
(2) half-life of radioactive isotopes found in
(3) inferred movements of Earth’s landmasses
(4) fossil evidence found in bedrock
(4) fossil evidence found in bedrock
Which two New York State landscape regions have surface bedrock that formed about 1000 million years ago?
(1) Hudson Highlands and Adirondack Mountains (2) Erie-Ontario Lowlands and Atlantic Coastal Plain (3) Tug Hill Plateau and Allegheny Plateau (4) Newark Lowlands and Manhattan Prong
(1) Hudson Highlands and Adirondack Mountains
Approximately how many degrees does Earth travel in its orbit in one month?
(1) 1° (3) 30°
(2) 15° (4) 360°
What Is
(3) 30°
What is the approximate P-wave travel time from an earthquake if the P-wave arrives at the seismic station 8 minutes before the S-wave?
(1) 4 minutes 20 seconds
(2) 6 minutes 30 seconds
(3) 10 minutes 0 seconds
(4) 11 minutes 20 seconds
What is:
(3) 10 minutes 0 seconds
Which two factors caused the interior layering of Earth and other planets in our solar system during their formation?
(1) cosmic background radiation and density differences
(2) cosmic background radiation and specific heat
(3) gravity and density differences (4) gravity and specific heat
(3) gravity and density differences
The Tug Hill region of New York State is geologically classified as a plateau because this region has relatively
(1) high elevation and deformed bedrock
(2) low elevation and deformed bedrock
(3) high elevation and horizontal bedrock
(4) low elevation and horizontal bedrock
(3) high elevation and horizontal bedrock
_____________________ plate boundaries, plates move toward each other and collide.
Convergent
In 1851, French physicist Léon Foucault used a swinging pendulum to demonstrate that Earth
(1) is rotating
(2) is revolving
(3) has a curved surface (4) has a gravitational pull
n
(1) is rotating
Why are P-waves received, but S-waves are not received by seismic stations located on the opposite side of Earth from an earthquake epicenter?
(1) S-waves travel slower than P-waves.
(2) S-waves travel faster than P-waves.
(3) Earth’s inner core absorbs S-waves.
(4) Earth’s outer core absorbs S-waves.
(4) Earth’s outer core absorbs S-waves.
Which two factors have the most influence on the development of landscape features?
(1) bedrock age and weathering rates
(2) bedrock structure and climate variations
(3) rate of deposition and thickness of the bedrock
(4) rate of erosion and fossils in the bedrock
(2) bedrock structure and climate variations
Radioactive decay of 40K atoms in an igneous rock has resulted in a ratio of 25 percent 40K atoms to 75 percent 40Ar and 40Ca atoms. How many years old is this rock?
(1) 0.3 109 y
(2) 1.3 109 y
(3) 2.6 109 y
(4) 3.9 109 y
What is (3) 2.6 109 y
At the _______________ plate boundaries that make up the mid-ocean ridges, plates are moving away from each other.
Divergent
Compared to the terrestrial planets, the Jovian planets are
(1) larger and less dense
(2) smaller and more dense
(3) closer to the Sun and less rocky
(4) farther from the Sun and more rocky
What is
(1)larger and less dense
The first P-wave of an earthquake took 11 minutes 30 to travel to a seismic station from the epicenter
of the earthquake. What is the seismic station’s distance to the epicenter of the earthquake and how long did it take for the first S-wave to travel that distance?
(1) Distance to epicenter: 3350 km S-wave travel time: 4 min 50 sec
(2) Distance to epicenter: 3350 km S-wave travel time: 6 min 10 sec
(4) Distance to epicenter: 7600 km S-wave travel time: 20 min
(4) Distance to epicenter: 7600 km S-wave travel time: 20 min
Which land surface characteristics produce the greatest amount of absorption of insolation at Earth’s surface?
(1) dark color and rough texture
(2) dark color and smooth texture
(3) light color and rough texture
(4) light color and smooth texture
(1) dark color and rough texture
What is the approximate percentage of geologic time that humans have existed on Earth since its origin?
(1) less than 1% (3) 11.8%
(2) 1.8% (4) more than 25%
(1) less than 1%
This occurs when the plate that is denser sinks into the asthenosphere below the other plate.
Subduction