Earth Science Quiz 1
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- 1.The windblown top of a thunderstorm is called a
- A.
Anvil
- B.
Gust front
- C.
Eye
- D.
Occluded front
- 2.A boundary where contrasting air masses meet is a
- A.
Hurricane
- B.
Front
- C.
Storm surge
- D.
Eye wall
- 3.A cool, moist air mass is the
- A.
CA
- B.
CP
- C.
MT
- D.
MP
- E.
CT
- 4.Thunderstorms, midlatitudes cyclones, and hurricanes are fed by
- A.
Dense, heavy air
- B.
Atmospheric stability
- C.
The Coriolis force
- D.
Latent head of condensation
- 5.HThe sequence of atmospheric events that develops along the polar jet stream and that produces midlatitude cyclones is called
- A.
Tropical depression
- B.
Cyclogenesis
- C.
Occlusion
- D.
Storm surge
- 6.AThe type of mass wasting depicted is a
- A.
Rockfall
- B.
Earthflow
- C.
Soil creep
- D.
Slump
- 7.TThe location within the Earth where an earthquake originates is the
- A.
Hogback
- B.
Isotope
- C.
Epicenter
- D.
Focus
- 8.The Earth's plates move around on the Earth b/c they float on the
- A.
Crust
- B.
Core
- C.
Asthenosphere
- D.
Plume
- E.
Mantle
- 9.A plate boundary where two plates move horizontally past each other is a
- A.
Convergent boundary
- B.
Divergent boundary
- C.
Passive plate margin
- D.
Transform boundary
- 10.The spreading apart of the Earth's crust by magma rising between fractures in the Earth's plates is called
- A.
Exfoliation
- B.
Overthrusting
- C.
Rifting
- D.
Subduction
- 11.The two kinds of weathering are
- A.
Mechanical and physical
- B.
Mechanical and chemical
- C.
Physical and erosion
- D.
Mechanical and component
- 12.The process by which one lithospheric plate is forced beneath another is called
- A.
Laterization
- B.
Subduction
- C.
Volcanism
- D.
Seismicity
- 13.Expansion and contraction of water in rock cracks due to freezing and thawing is
- A.
Frost wedging
- B.
Frost heaving
- C.
Plant wedging
- D.
Salt-crystal growth
- 14.The types of mechanical weathering do NOT include
- A.
Exfoliation
- B.
Frost wedging
- C.
Salt-crystal growth
- D.
Oxidation
- 15.The agent of erosion associated with mass wasting is
- A.
Water
- B.
Wind
- C.
Ice
- D.
Gravity
- 16.Midlatitude cyclones in the U.S. generally move in what direction?
- A.
East to West
- B.
West to East
- C.
North to South
- D.
South to North
- E.
They remain stationary
- 17.Prior to the development of a midlatitude cyclone, the polar front is a
- A.
Tropical cyclone
- B.
Stationary front
- C.
Occluded front
- D.
Cold front
- E.
Warm front
- 18.Air masses are named by their
- A.
Direction from which they came
- B.
Temperature and humidity characteristics
- C.
Order of occurrence from an alphabetical list
- D.
Location of first occurrence
- 19.The air masses that originate over Canada are the
- A.
MP and cT
- B.
CP and the mP
- C.
CA and the cAA
- D.
CP and the cA
- 20.Cold fronts are characterized by
- A.
Thunderstorms
- B.
Hurricanes
- C.
A rise in temperature
- D.
Several days of slow but steady precipitation
- 21.The four pedogenic processes do NOT include
- A.
Deletions
- B.
Additions
- C.
Translocations
- D.
Metamorphism
- 22.The pines of the southeastern United States (near Charlotte) are characteristic of which biome?
- A.
Boreal forest
- B.
Mediterranean woodland and shrub
- C.
Midlatitude coniferous forest
- D.
Tropical rainforest
- 23.The climate zone with the largest annual range in temperature is
- A.
Mesothermal
- B.
Microthermal
- C.
Arid and semi-arid
- D.
Tropical
- 24.The elevation at which the bottoms of clouds begin to form represents the elevation at which
- A.
The dew point occurs
- B.
Relative humidity reaches 100 percent
- C.
Relative humidity reaches 0 percent
- D.
A and B
- E.
A and C
- 25.The soil layer that has abundant humus and is the most fertile is the ___ layer
- A.
B
- B.
C
- C.
R
- D.
E
- E.
A
- 26.The conversion of solar radiation into chemical energy by plants that releases oxygen is called
- A.
Dendrochronology
- B.
Respiration
- C.
Plant succession
- D.
Photosynthesis
- 27.The climate most noted for summer droughts and winter precipitation is
- A.
Marine west-coast
- B.
Mediterranean dry-summer
- C.
Humid subtropical hot-summer
- D.
Humid continental mild-summer
- 28.The severity of storm activity along a warm front is ____ than that along most cold fronts because the rate of uplift is ____ along a warm front
- A.
Greater, Slower
- B.
Greater, Faster
- C.
Less, Slower
- D.
Less, Faster
- 29.Which of the following statements is true?
- A.
One would expect more precip near the equator than near the poles
- B.
One would expect winters in Siberia to be very dry, with little precip
- C.
When air is cooled, its ability to hold moisture decreases
- D.
One would expect precip to occure when moist air rises over a mountain
- E.
All of these are true
- 30.Which of the following represents the correct sequence of soil horizons from top down?
- A.
E-C-O-B-A
- B.
O-A-E-B-C
- C.
A-B-C-E-O
- D.
C-B-A-E-O
- 31.The broad biome types do NOT include
- A.
Tundra
- B.
Forest
- C.
Savanna
- D.
Desert
- E.
Grassland
- 32.The climatic influence that results in variation in radiation intensity and lenth of day is
- A.
Air mass circulation
- B.
Latitude
- C.
Longitude
- D.
Topographic effects
- 33.An mT air mass is likely to be _____ than a cT air mass b/c the mT air mass _____
- A.
Hotter; forms over the ocean
- B.
Drier; forms under the equatorial low
- C.
Wetter; forms over the ocean
- D.
Drier; is a cold air mass
- E.
Wetter; is warmer than the cT air mass
- 34.When water condenses, it ____ heat energy and ____ surrounding air.
- A.
Absorbs; cools
- B.
Releases; cools
- C.
Releases; heats
- D.
Absorbs; heats
- 35.Which of the following is not an example of a soil forming factor?
- A.
Rainfall
- B.
Steep slopes
- C.
The A horizon
- D.
Worms
- 36.The transition area where two or more ecosystems merge is the
- A.
Humus
- B.
Ulac slope
- C.
Ecotone
- D.
Adret slope
- E.
Biomass
- 37.The major climate group that is NOT based on temperature is
- A.
C
- B.
E
- C.
B
- D.
A
- E.
D
- 38.Which part of a hurricane consits of sinking air and relatively calm conditions?
- A.
Eye wall
- B.
Cold front
- C.
Spiral rain bands
- D.
Eye
- 39.Relative humidity is
- A.
The amount of water vapor in the air compared to the normal amount
- B.
The amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature expressed as a percentage of the moisture capacity of the air
- C.
The amount of moisture in the air relative to your own sensible feelings
- 40.Which of the following is Not true about soils?
- A.
Plants, animals, and bacteria living in and above a soil influence the amount of organic matter a soil has
- B.
Steep slopes tend to have thicker, wetter soils than soils at the base of a hillslope
- C.
As soils get older, they tend to get thicker and have better developed horizons
- D.
The climate of a region affects soil development by controlling the rate of chemical reactions
- 41.Dense biomass and tremendous species diversity characterize the
- A.
Tropical forests
- B.
Midlatitude forests
- C.
Deserts
- D.
Grasslands
- 42.A boundary where contrasting air masses mees is a
- A.
Hurricane
- B.
Front
- C.
Squall line
- D.
Eye wall
- 43.The wet adiabatic lapse rate is ____ than the dry adiabatic lapse rate because ____.
- A.
Greater; condensation heats the air
- B.
Greater; condensation cools the air
- C.
Less; condensation heats the air
- D.
Less, condensation cools the air
- 44.The soil horizon that has the most organic matter is labeled the ___ horizon
- A.
B
- B.
O
- C.
C
- D.
E
- 45.The biomes of the tropical monsoon climate are
- A.
Tropical deciduous forest and scrub and tropical rainforest
- B.
Tropical rainforest and hot desert
- C.
Tundra and tropical savanna
- 46.The factor below with the LEAST direct significance to climate is
- A.
Air mass circulation
- B.
Longitude
- C.
Latitude
- D.
Topography
- 47.Which of the following are necessary for cloud formation?
- A.
Saturated air
- B.
Saturated air and condensation nuclei
- C.
Ice crystals
- D.
None of the above
- 48.Which soil order is home to Charlotte's soils?
- A.
B horizon
- B.
Catawbasol
- C.
Andisol
- D.
Ultisol
- 49.Of the solar radiation entering the atmosphere, about ___% reaches the surface directly as direct radiation.
- A.
3
- B.
7
- C.
21
- D.
25
- 50.This process allows heat energy to be transferred between objects.
- A.
Conduction
- B.
Convection
- C.
Radiation
- D.
All of the above
- 51.The sun always illuminates half of the earth at any given time, while the other half is in shadow.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 52.The Earth revolves around the sun (relative to a view above the North Pole)
- A.
Oblately
- B.
Clockwise
- C.
Counterclockwise
- D.
Perpendicularly
- 53.Radiation is electromagnetic energy that is transmitted in the form of waves.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 54.Choose the latitude with the greatest Sun angle
- A.
50 degrees
- B.
30 degrees
- C.
40 degrees
- D.
35 degrees
- 55.On the vernal equinox the subsolar point is located at
- A.
The Arctic circle
- B.
The Equator
- C.
The Tropic of Capricorn
- D.
The Antarctic circle
- 56.Where is the subsolar point when all latitudes above 66.5N experience 24 hours of darkness?
- A.
The Arctic Circle
- B.
The Equator
- C.
The Tropic of Capricorn
- D.
The Antarctic Circle
- 57.There are ___ constant gasses in the atmospere
- A.
3
- B.
6
- C.
4
- D.
5
- E.
2
- 58.The most important variable gases are
- A.
Oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor
- B.
Argon, carbon dioxie, and methane
- C.
Carbon dioxide, water vapor, and ozone
- D.
Nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide
- 59.The point in the Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun is called
- A.
Aphelion
- B.
Preihelion
- C.
The rotation axis
- D.
The plane of the ecliptic
- 60.Water Vapor is one of the greenhouse gases
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 61.Common natural hazards in the Mediterranean woodland and shrub biome are
- A.
Blizzards
- B.
Tornadoes
- C.
Wildfires
- D.
Hurricanes
- 62.The global average air temperature since 1880 has
- A.
Increased by 1 degree C
- B.
Decreased by 1 degree C
- C.
Increased by 2 degree C
- D.
None of the above
- 63.The uplift of air that occurs when bubbles of warm air rise within an unstable body of air is called
- A.
Orographic uplift
- B.
Frontal uplift
- C.
Convergent uplift
- D.
Convectional uplift
- 64.The process of losing water from the soil to the air both from the ground and from plants is called
- A.
Albedo
- B.
Capillary action
- C.
Evapotranspiration
- D.
Discharge
- 65.The climate most closely associated with the boreal forest is
- A.
Tundra
- B.
Humid continental hot-summer
- C.
Subarctic
- D.
Marine west-coast
- E.
Mediterranean dry-summer
- 66.The global average air temperature is projected to increase by at least ___ degrees C over the next century?
- A.
4
- B.
1
- C.
3
- D.
2
- E.
0
- 67.The zone of illuviation is the layer called
- A.
E
- B.
C
- C.
O
- D.
B
- E.
A
- 68.The sequence of atmospheric events that develops along the polar jet stream and that produces midlatitude cyclones is called
- A.
Cyclogenesis
- B.
Rainshadow
- C.
Occlusion
- D.
Storm surge
- E.
Tropical depression
- 69.The change in environmental characteristics that occur with respect to altitude is called
- A.
Gradient
- B.
Riparian zonation
- C.
Plant succession
- D.
Vertical zonation
- E.
Deforestation
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