Rocks
Sedimentary rock is formed in layers. It follows a process of formation through deposition, compaction, and cementation. When sedimentary rock is melted by high heat and then cools, what kind of rock does it form?
a. Igneous
b. Sedimentary
c. Metamorphic
d. Minerals
a. Igneous
Bedrock—layers of hard rock below the surface of Earth—can be worn down over a long period of time. Which of the following materials is not formed by the breakdown of bedrock?
a. Humus
b. Gravel
c. Silt
d. Sand
a. Humus
Coal develops over an extremely long period of time. Various forms of coal are available, from peat to anthracite coal. What causes the formation of anthracite coal?
a. Photosynthetic organisms
b. Burial
c. Metamorphism
d. Sedimentation
c. Metamorphism
Energy transfer at Earth’s surface can occur when heat is transferred directly from the ground to the air. Which process best explains what causes this to happen?
a. Convection
b. Radiation
c. Reflection
d. Conduction
d. Conduction
Humans contribute heavily to ocean pollution by dumping chemicals, sewage, and other waste into the water. Which of the following is a point source of water pollution?
a. Animal waste
b. Industrial waste
c. Chemical runoff
d. Farm pesticides
b. Industrial waste
Sedimentary rock is formed in layers. It follows a process of formation through deposition, compaction, and cementation. When sedimentary rock is melted by high heat and then cools, what kind of rock does it form?
a. Igneous
b. Sedimentary
c. Metamorphic
d. Minerals
a. Igneous
Miss Mary has a large rock formation decorating her garden. She eventually noticed that a red streak had developed in the rocks. Which of these processes is causing the red streak in the rocks?
a. Erosion
b. Deposition
c. Chemical weathering
d. Physical weathering
c. Chemical weathering
A mineral is a non-living substance that is solid and made from a particular combination of elements. Minerals form in several different ways. Which choice is not a way minerals form?
a. From organic material
b. Crystallization after water evaporates
c. Heat from the sun
d. Cooling magma and lava
c. Heat from the sun
Carolina is reading a book about the ocean as she is traveling from California to New Zealand. There is an illustration that shows the surface current patterns around the world. She notices that the currents in New Zealand and those at home flow in opposite directions. Which of the following factors does not cause the surface currents to go in two different directions?
a. Unequal heating
b. Coriolis effect
c. Density
d. Global winds
c. Density
Humans rely on water for life, industry, and agriculture. Which statement describes a way that human activities affect the water supply?
a. Humans help create new habitats by damming surface water and altering its natural path.
b. Humans dig wells in aquifers to help replenish groundwater sources.
c. Humans cause pollution through farming, industry, and fossil fuel usage, which impacts the quality of surface and groundwater sources.
d. Humans melt polar ice to distribute it to areas where fresh water is not readily available.
c. Humans cause pollution through farming, industry, and fossil fuel usage, which impacts the quality of surface and groundwater sources.
The formation of magma, volcanoes, and mountain ranges play a part in the rock cycle. They occur as a result of several forces. Which of the following processes does not contribute to the formation of mountains?
a. Deposition
b. Heat and pressure
c. Convection currents
d. Tectonic plates
a. Deposition
Hal is observing the weathering on two headstones in a cemetery. He notices that the neighboring stones are both weathered, but that the older one appears less so than the newer one. What could account for the differences in the amount of weathering on the stones?
a. The color of the stone
b. The shape of the stone
c. The weight of the stone
d. The material of the stone
d. The material of the stone
Geologists use the Law of Superposition to date rock layers. However, the Earth’s geologic record is incomplete. What is one reason geologists cannot always read Earth’s rock layers to reconstruct history?
a. Radioactive decay
b. Igneous intrusion
c. Unconformity
d. Faults
c. Unconformity
The Florida Keys are located off the southern tip of the state. The Keys are surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other side. How does the location of the Keys impact the local climate?
a. It causes a dry and hot climate.
b. It causes a cool and dry climate.
c. It causes a cold and windy climate.
d. It causes a humid and breezy climate.
d. It causes a humid and breezy climate.
Humans contribute heavily to ocean pollution by dumping chemicals, sewage, and other waste into the water. Which of the following is a point source of water pollution?
a. Animal waste
b. Industrial waste
c. Chemical runoff
d. Farm pesticides
b. Industrial waste
Plate boundaries behave in different ways, depending on the location and their motion. What are two possible outcomes for a divergent boundary?
a. rift valley and mid-ocean ridge
b. deep ocean trenches and earthquakes c
. mountain building and subduction
d. volcanoes and seamounts
a. rift valley and mid-ocean ridge
Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the longest cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles to explore. Which of these explains how these caves were most likely formed?
a. Gravity deposited the rocks in a cave formation.
b. People dug the caves using shovels and other equipment.
c. The caves were formed by mechanical weathering processes.
d. Soft rock underground dissolved and the harder rock remained.
d. Soft rock underground dissolved and the harder rock remained.
The interactions at plate boundaries cause huge changes on both the land and the ocean floor. Mountains such as the Himalayas result from what type of plate boundary?
a. Divergent
b. Convergent
c. Transform
d. Strike-slip fault
b. Convergent
The Florida Keys are located off the southern tip of the state. The Keys are surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other side. How does the location of the Keys impact the local climate?
a. It causes a dry and hot climate.
b. It causes a cool and dry climate.
c. It causes a cold and windy climate.
d. It causes a humid and breezy climate
d. It causes a humid and breezy climate
Human activity causes many sources of point and nonpoint pollution. There is a group of human-made gases that destroy the ozone layer, a protective shield surrounding Earth. What happens on Earth when the ozone layer is damaged?
a. more smog
b. more emissions
c. more acid rain
d. more UV radiation
d. more UV radiation
Ocean floor mapping uncovered evidence of mid-ocean ridges that extend throughout Earth’s oceans. What is the cause of sea-floor spreading?
a. The development of deep-water ocean trenches with magma that comes from Earth’s crust.
b. Ocean floor sedimentation that develops over millions of years that adds sedimentary rock layers.
c. The flow of magma from the mantle through cracks in Earth’s crust that makes strips of new rock on both sides.
d. A plate of dense oceanic crust sinks below a less dense plate of continental crust to form an undersea valley.
c. The flow of magma from the mantle through cracks in Earth’s crust that makes strips of new rock on both sides.
. Miss Mary has a large rock formation decorating her garden. She eventually noticed that a red streak had developed in the rocks. Which of these processes is causing the red streak in the rocks?
a. Erosion
b. Deposition
c. Chemical weathering
d. Physical weathering
c. Chemical weathering
Geologists often date rocks using relative age, which includes the use of index fossils. What is an index fossil?
a. A fossil of an organism that existed for a long time geologically and distributed over a wide area.
b. A fossil of an organism that existed for a short time geologically and was found in a very specific area.
c. A fossil of an organism that existed for a long time geologically and was found in a very specific area.
d. A fossil of an organism that existed for a short time geologically and was distributed over a wide area.
d. A fossil of an organism that existed for a short time geologically and was distributed over a wide area.
Julia was reading a book about a woman who lived during an ice age. The idea fascinated her, so she looked up information about ice ages and what might cause them. What occurs at regular intervals that could trigger an ice age?
a. A period of ocean cooling
b. A time of increased volcanic activity
c. Reflection of solar energy into the atmosphere
d. Variations in the tilt of Earth on its axis and orbit
d. Variations in the tilt of Earth on its axis and orbit
Humans have used many natural resources to the point of depletion. They have also caused problems such as desertification and loss of habitat. What is an example of a sustainable management practice for natural resources?
a. Strip mining
b. Erosion control
c. Housing development
d. Clear-cutting forests
b. Erosion control