Changes in Landforms
Maps and Geologic Features
Weathering, erosion, deposition
Chance 1
Chance 2
100
The map below shows the ages of the top layers of soil in an area where scientists are searching for fossils.
Scientists located a fossil in the top layers of soil in region W, which formed up to 66 million years ago (mya). However, the scientists were unable to locate that same type of fossil in the other regions of the map. Which statement best explains why the scientists were unable to locate this fossil type outside of region W?
A. The fossil type was carried to the area by the river.
B. The fossil type is younger than regions X, Y and Z.
C. The fossil is from an animal that went extinct 50 mya.
D. The fossil is from an animal that went extinct 3.5 mya
C. The fossil is from an animal that went extinct 50 mya.
100
A geologist drew the map below.
What major landform is shown on the map?
A. coastline
B. forest
C. mountain range
D. river delta
C. mountain range
100
The cracks in this rock were made by ice. Water went into small cracks and froze. When the ice formed it pushed the rock apart. This happened many times, and each time the cracks got bigger.
What is this an example of?
A. evaporation
B. weathering
C. deposition
D. erosion
B. weathering
100
Steve fixes one end of a rope to a wall and moves the other end of the rope up and down to create a wave, as shown below.
If Steve wants to increase the wavelength of the wave, what should he do?
A. He should use a longer rope to make the wave.
B. He should move the rope up and down more quickly.
C. He should use a shorter rope to make the wave.
D. He should move the rope up and down more slowly.
D. He should move the rope up and down more slowly.
100
Wind turbines are used to transform energy from wind into electrical energy. This happens when a wind turbine spins after wind blows on it. The energy of motion from the spinning wind turbine is then transformed into electrical energy. A picture of wind turbines is shown below.
How can this source of energy best be described?
A. It is a clean, renewable source of energy that works best in places with open fields.
B. It is nonrenewable source of energy that works best in places with underground heat energy.
C. It is a clean, renewable source of energy that works best in places with lots of sunlight.
D. It is a nonrenewable source of energy that works best in places with many rivers.
A. It is a clean, renewable source of energy that works best in places with open fields.
200
Scientists began to dig in a new location where there are many layers of artifacts and fossils. Today, archaeologists reached the lowest layer and discovered fossils of fish bones and plants there.
What might have been in this area many years ago before all of the other layers of fossils came into being?
A. desert
B. water
C. mountains
D. restaurants
B. water
200
The image below shows where minor earthquakes happened during a 24-hour period. The larger dots represent stronger earthquakes.
What does the map show about earthquakes and their locations?
A. Most earthquakes happen close to where a continent meets an ocean.
B. Most earthquakes happen close to the middle of oceans.
C. Most earthquakes happen anywhere on Earth with no pattern.
D. Most earthquakes happen in the middle of continents.
A. Most earthquakes happen close to where a continent meets an ocean.
200
Which of these would be best for investigating how moving waves cause changes to land?
A. observing the shape of the banks of a fast moving river
B. building a model of a hill made from dirt and slowly pouring water over it
C. observing the shape of the land in different places along the ocean shore
D. modeling the way that waves move in a bathtub or a swimming pool
C. observing the shape of the land in different places along the ocean shore
200
The power went out at Rachel's house, so she lit a candle.
What two forms of energy does the burning candle release?
A. electrical and heat
B. light and mechanical
C. heat and light
D. light and electrical
C. heat and light
200
Several objects are shown below.
Which object was designed to convert electrical energy into sound?
A. xylophone
B. speaker
C. light bulb
D. heater
B. speaker
300
Scientists found an index fossil in layer Z that was about 400 million years old. They determined that in that area, a new layer of earth was deposited every 50 million years.
If a fossil was found in layer W, how old was the fossil?
A. about 300 million years old
B. less than a million years old
C. over 400 million years old
D. about 100 million years old
D. about 100 million years old
300
Ocean trenches are the deepest parts of the ocean floor. They are shown as blue lines on the map below. The area where frequent volcanic activity takes place around the Pacific Ocean is known as the Ring of Fire. This area is highlighted on the map.
Image courtesy of USGS
What does the map show about the locations of the trenches and volcanoes?
A. Trenches and volcanoes occur around the same locations.
B. Trenches and volcanoes occur in the Northern Hemisphere only.
C. Trenches occur only in the Southern Hemisphere, and volcanoes occur in the Northern Hemisphere.
D. Trenches occur only in oceans, but volcanoes never occur in oceans.
A. Trenches and volcanoes occur around the same locations.
300
Jasmine made a stream table by putting some sand on a cookie sheet. She tilted the sheet and ran water down it.
Which of these could Jasmine learn from the stream table?
A. how freezing water causes weathering
B. how running water weathers stone
C. how erosion caused by running water shapes land
D. how to protect streams from too much erosion
C. how erosion caused by running water shapes land
300
A waterwheel is a device that spins as water flows across it, as shown in the picture below.
When a waterwheel is connected to a generator, the kinetic energy of the waterwheel is converted into electric energy. What change to the waterwheel would help it make more electricity?
A. increasing the speed of the water and the wheel
B. slowing down the water before it reaches the wheel
C. moving the wheel so that less water reaches it
D. adding material to the wheel to make it heavier
A. increasing the speed of the water and the wheel
300
Landforms have changed during Earth's history. Which of these can be used to explain how the landforms in an area have changed over time?
A. the types of plants and animals species living in the area
B. the amount of top soil and the weather patterns in the area
C. the patterns in rocks and the types of fossils in rock layers
D. the heights of mountains and the sizes of bodies of water
C. the patterns in rocks and the types of fossils in rock layers
400
The image below shows a land formation in the southwestern United States.
What process most likely caused this land formation?
A. a moving river cutting through rock over time
B. the rock layers moving away from each other over time
C. a moving river forming layers of rock over time
D. the rock layers growing taller over time
A. a moving river cutting through rock over time
400
The image below shows a map of certain mountain ranges and earthquakes in North and South America.
What does the map show about where earthquakes occur?
A. Earthquakes generally occur in the central region of America.
B. Earthquakes generally occur along the eastern coast of America.
C. Earthquakes generally occur only in the ocean.
D. Earthquakes generally occur around mountain ranges
D. Earthquakes generally occur around mountain ranges.
400
Which of these is an example of wind erosion?
A. Water vapor found in the air causes iron to rust and break off into small pieces over very long periods of time.
B. Strong air currents break off small pieces of boulders and carry those pieces away over very long periods of time.
C. Lava from different eruptions of a volcano cools and forms different rock layers over very long periods of time.
D. A river breaks off small pieces of rock from the ground and carves out a canyon over very long periods of time.
B. Strong air currents break off small pieces of boulders and carry those pieces away over very long periods of time.
400
Marcie takes a picture of a canyon. She notices layers in the rock of the canyon walls and a river running deep within the canyon. Her picture is shown below.
Marcie claims the canyon formed because the river cut away at the rock over a long period of time. What evidence in her picture best supports her claim?
A. the height of the canyon walls is the same everywhere
B. the color of the rock is orange
C. the direction of the river changes
D. the layers of rock on each side of the river are similar
D. the layers of rock on each side of the river are similar
400
The maps below show information about volcanoes and earthquakes in a certain region of Earth.
Modified images courtesy of NASA
Which statement best describes volcanoes and earthquakes?
A. Volcanoes and earthquakes are located in bands on the boundaries between oceans and continents.
B. Volcanoes and earthquakes are located all over Earth the same distance from each other in no pattern.
C. Volcanoes and earthquakes are located in the middle of continents far away from continent boundaries.
D. Volcanoes and earthquakes are located in bands in the middle of oceans far away from ocean boundaries.
A. Volcanoes and earthquakes are located in bands on the boundaries between oceans and continents.
500
The picture below is a model of many rock layers.
What does the model show?
A. Rocks can be broken in two by falling objects.
B. Large rock layers can crack and move over time.
C. Smaller rocks can come together to form larger rocks.
D. Rock layers are broken in two by soil erosion.
B. Large rock layers can crack and move over time
500
A satellite image and a topographic map of the island of Hawaii are shown below.
A farmer wants to buy a large, flat piece of land on the island to plant crops. What location best fits this description?
A. Z
B. W
C. Y
D. X
C. Y
500
Sonia's teacher shows her class an example of weathering and erosion in the diagram below.
How could Sonia’s teacher lead her class in an investigation that models this type of weathering and erosion?
A. Put a large rock onto a table, chip off a small piece of the rock, put it in the refrigerator, and observe.
B. Place a large piece of ice on a layer of smaller rocks, place them in the refrigerator, and observe later.
C. Place several rocks into a freezer, take them out the next day, pour water on them, and observe.
D. Put a rock with small cracks in it in water to soak, put the rock in the freezer, and observe it later.
D. Put a rock with small cracks in it in water to soak, put the rock in the freezer, and observe it later.
500
The picture below shows several layers of rock.
Marine fossils are found in layer 3. Land-dwelling animal fossils are found in layer 1. What does the location of the fossils indicate about the land in this area?
A. The area was at one time a desert.
B. The area was at one time underneath the ocean.
C. The area was at one time covered by ice.
D. The area was at one time a rainforest.
B. The area was at one time underneath the ocean.
500
Some of the electricity used in homes come from coal-burning power plants. Cars use gasoline as fuel. Gasoline comes from oil that went through processing plants.
Where do coal and oil come from?
A. resources that are formed through wind and solar power
B. resources created in power plants and processing plants
C. natural resources that are developed by humans
D. natural resources that come from the Earth
D. natural resources that come from the Earth