EARTH 112 Final

Which of the following are true about the formation of the Great Lakes? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Giant glaciers eroded Earth’s surface, carving out the basins that now hold the Great Lakes. 

B. The glaciers flowed from Lake Superior to Lakes Michigan and Huron, then to Lake Erie, then to Lake Ontario. 

C. The glaciers advanced and retreated due to human-caused climate change. 

D. The weight of the glaciers pushed down the Earth’s crust, forming the basin that now hold the Great Lakes. 

E. The water in the Great Lakes now is from melting of glaciers. 

Giant glaciers eroded Earth’s surface, carving out the basins that now hold the Great Lakes. 

The weight of the glaciers pushed down the Earth’s crust, forming the basin that now hold the Great Lakes. 

Which of the following accurately describe evidence of the glaciers that carved the Great Lakes, and the ancestral lakes that preceded them? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Grooves on Kelly’s Island show ancient shorelines of Lake Nippising.

B. Cliffs on Mackinac Island were made by waves from ancient Lake Algonquin. 

C. Erratics all over the midwest are evidence of the activity of massive glaciers. 

D. Moraines are ridges that were left behind by debris from melting glaciers. 

E. Arch Rock on Mackinac Island was carved by glaciers. 

Cliffs on Mackinac Island were made by waves from ancient Lake Algonquin. 

Erratics all over the midwest are evidence of the activity of massive glaciers. 

Moraines are ridges that were left behind by debris from melting glaciers. 

Which of the following most accurately explains why Lake Superior is deeper than the other Great Lakes?

A. Glaciers caused a midcontinent rift, which created a valley that now hosts Lake Superior. 

B. The sedimentary rocks that overlie Lake Superior were weaker than those on the other Great Lakes, allowing rivers and glaciers to erode deeper. 

C. A giant volcano created a caldera (the depression in the middle of the volcano), which glaciers then eroded to create the basin that now hosts Lake Superior. 

D. A midcontinent rift formed a valley, which then filled with sediments and sedimentary rock layers. Glaciers then eroded the sediments and rocks to create the basin that now hosts Lake Superior.

E. A massive lava flow created a deep trench, which guided the rivers, which guided the glaciers, which ultimately carved the Lake Superior basin. 

A midcontinent rift formed a valley, which then filled with sediments and sedimentary rock layers. Glaciers then eroded the sediments and rocks to create the basin that now hosts Lake Superior.

Which of the following are true about the processes governing the midcontinent rift, ore deposits, and mining? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. The ore deposits caused the midcontinent rift. 

B. Ore deposits formed due to circulation of hot fluids through fractures in the Earth’s crust at the midcontinent rift. 

C. Mining operations caused deforestation and water pollution, and continue to harm fish. 

D. Ore deposits contain metals such as copper. 

E. We all use products that were made from copper that comes from mining of ore deposits. 

Ore deposits formed due to circulation of hot fluids through fractures in the Earth’s crust at the midcontinent rift. 

Mining operations caused deforestation and water pollution, and continue to harm fish. 

Ore deposits contain metals such as copper. 

We all use products that were made from copper that comes from mining of ore deposits. 

Which of the following most accurately describes where banded iron formations (BIFs) come from?

A. Formation of ore deposits associated with midcontinent rifting.

B. Cooling of the mantle and differentiation of iron layers from element.

C. Human pollution.

D. From iron-rich oceans, in which iron reacts with oxygen to form iron minerals that were deposited to the seafloor.

E. Uplift of an ancient mountain range.

From iron-rich oceans, in which iron reacts with oxygen to form iron minerals that were deposited to the seafloor.

What factors lead to the degradation of Great Lakes waters in the 1800s and 1900s? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Larger and denser human populations.

B. Increases in industry and human sewage.

C. Use of water for industry and transport.

D. Weak or non-existent environmental laws.

E. A prevailing view that the lakes were big enough to absorb the pollution.

Larger and denser human populations.

Increases in industry and human sewage.

Use of water for industry and transport.

Weak or non-existent environmental laws.

A prevailing view that the lakes were big enough to absorb the pollution.

Which of the following are true of the environmental movement in the 1960s? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. It was led by the companies and industries that were responsible for pollution.

B. It was highly successful, leading to new environmental policies and laws that resulted in measurable improvements.

C. It was spurred by the Cuyahoga River catching fire, the first and only time a US river caught on fire.

D. UM played an important role, hosting the first Earth Day.

E. It was specific to the Great Lakes, and did not really address national issues.

It was highly successful, leading to new environmental policies and laws that resulted in measurable improvements.

UM played an important role, hosting the first Earth Day.

Which of the following best describes the conditions that were primarily responsible for record low water levels in the Great Lakes in 2013?

A. Lower that average precipitation (rainfall and snow melt).

B. Increased ice over, which reduced inflows.

C. Decreased winter ice cover, which increased water temperature and evaporation.

D. Lower than average surface runoff.

E. Greater than average outflows.

Decreased winter ice cover, which increased water temperature and evaporation.

Which of the following are likely correct about the link between polar vortex, climate change, and Great Lakes Water levels? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. 

A. The big snow storm of March 15th, 2014 was caused by to climate change. 

B. Climate change has been linked to a destabilized jet stream, which can lead to polar vortex. 

C. Polar vortexes resulted in very high winter ice cover, which led to reduced rates of evaporation. 

D. Ice cover reduces evaporation in part by reflecting sunlight and reducing warming of lake water during the winter. 

E. The polar vortexes of 2014 and 2015 were a clear sign that climate change had ceased. 

Climate change has been linked to a destabilized jet stream, which can lead to polar vortex. 

Polar vortexes resulted in very high winter ice cover, which led to reduced rates of evaporation. 

Ice cover reduces evaporation in part by reflecting sunlight and reducing warming of lake water during the winter. 

TRUE or FALSE: Inputs into a lake (runoff, precipitation) must equal outputs (evaporation, outlets).

False

Which of the following best describes how the Great Lakes Compact protects water from withdrawal and consumption?

A. It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water for industrial purposes.

B. It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water for drinking water.

C. It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water for agriculture.

D. It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water for power plants. 

E. It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water by people outside of the Great Lakes watershed/basin.

It bans large-scale use of Great Lakes water by people outside of the Great Lakes watershed/basin.

Imagine you turn on your tap in Ann Arbor, MI, full your glass with water, gulp it down, and later use the restroom and flush this water down the toilet. TRUE or FALSE: This water will eventually find its way to the Great Lakes.

True

Which of the following are true of the St. Lawrence Seaway? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. It allowed ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

B. It is natural, requiring no human engineering.

C. It never fully achieved the expected economic stimulus, in part because of limitations on the size of ships that could pass through it.

D. It allowed invasion on non-native species, which would devastate Great Lakes ecosystems.

E. It dramatically changed Great Lakes water levels.

It allowed ships to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.

It never fully achieved the expected economic stimulus, in part because of limitations on the size of ships that could pass through it.

It allowed invasion on non-native species, which would devastate Great Lakes ecosystems.

How were sea lamprey able to devastate Great Lakes fish populations? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Sea lamprey, previously blocked by barriers such as Niagara Falls, were able to enter the Great Lakes through shipping channels.

B. There were no natural predators of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.

C. Lake trout and other Great Lakes species did not have natural defenses against the sea lamprey.

D. The sea lamprey fishery shut down, leading to an explosion in the population size of sea lamprey.

E. Great Lakes populations such as Lake Trout were slow-growing, could not bounce back quickly.

Sea lamprey, previously blocked by barriers such as Niagara Falls, were able to enter the Great Lakes through shipping channels.

There were no natural predators of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.

Lake trout and other Great Lakes species did not have natural defenses against the sea lamprey.

Great Lakes populations such as Lake Trout were slow-growing, could not bounce back quickly.

Which of the following most accurately describes the sequence of events that lead to alewife take-over and massive die-offs in Lake Michigan?

A. Alewife swam up shipping channels from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes; lake trout were lost due to overfishing, allowing alewife to take over.

B. Alewife were stocked in the Great Lakes, out-competed other small fish, and quickly dominated, accounting for 90% of the fish mass in Lake Michigan at one point.

C. Alewife were not able to reproduce in the freshwater of the Great Lakes.

D. Alewife adapted to use sea lamprey as a food source, and starved when sea lamprey were brought under control by the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.

E. Shipping channels allowed alewife to migrate from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes; with no top-down control from lake trout the alewife took over, but alewife struggle with some Great Lakes conditions, leading to die-offs.

Shipping channels allowed alewife to migrate from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes; with no top-down control from lake trout the alewife took over, but alewife struggle with some Great Lakes conditions, leading to die-offs.

Which of the following accurately describes the introduction of salmon into the Great Lakes? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. The salmon were brought in from the Pacific coast.

B. Salmon were raised artificially in a “hatchery”.

C. As a tertiary consumer, the salmon effectively controlled alewife.

D. The alewife were ecologically equivalent (had a similar lifestyle) to the lake trout they replaced.

E. The introduction of salmon into the Great Lakes created a world-class sport fishery.

The salmon were brought in from the Pacific coast.

Salmon were raised artificially in a “hatchery”.

As a tertiary consumer, the salmon effectively controlled alewife.

The introduction of salmon into the Great Lakes created a world-class sport fishery.

How did invasive mussels get to the Great Lakes?

A. After spreading across Europe for centuries, they were able to swim to the Great Lakes once the St. Lawrence Seaway was constructed.

B. They filled the ecological niche left open by the loss of the Lake Trout.

C. They “hitched rides” in the ballast water of ships that traveled between Europe and the Great Lakes.

D. They were originally stocked there by the state of Michigan in an effort to make Lake Michigan’s waters more clear.

E. A local citizen released them into the Great Lakes when he cleaned out his aquarium.

They “hitched rides” in the ballast water of ships that traveled between Europe and the Great Lakes.

Which of the following accurately describes the effect of invasive mussels on the Great Lakes food web? SELECT ALL THE APPLY. 

A. It was a top-down effect. 

B. It was a bottom-up effect. 

C. The mussels are filter feeders that consumed many of the primary producers. 

D. Because native fish do not efficiently eat the invasive mussels, the mussel invasion resulted in greatly reduced energy going towards fish. 

E. It helped to improve the health of the salmon fishery. 

It was a bottom-up effect. 

The mussels are filter feeders that consumed many of the primary producers. 

Because native fish do not efficiently eat the invasive mussels, the mussel invasion resulted in greatly reduced energy going towards fish.

Which of the following are characteristics of harmful algal blooms? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. They may produce toxins that can be harmful to people and animals.

B. They threaten drinking water, fishing, and other recreation.

C. They are new, having only been discovered in the past 30 years.

D. They often form dense scums.

E. They can occur in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and oceans.

They may produce toxins that can be harmful to people and animals.

They threaten drinking water, fishing, and other recreation.

They often form dense scums.

They can occur in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, and oceans.

Which of the following are true about the role of nutrients in harmful algal blooms? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Algae/cyanobacteria need the following nutrients to grow: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur (CHNOPS).

B. Carbon pollution is a main cause of blooms.

C. Phosphorus and nitrogen are often limiting nutrients in aquatic ecosystems (eg oceans and lakes).

D. The main cause of the blooms in Lake Erie is phosphorus from agriculture (fertilizer and manure washed off farm fields).

E. Most of the phosphorus that goes into Lake Erie is from animal manure.

Algae/cyanobacteria need the following nutrients to grow: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur (CHNOPS).

Phosphorus and nitrogen are often limiting nutrients in aquatic ecosystems (eg oceans and lakes).

The main cause of the blooms in Lake Erie is phosphorus from agriculture (fertilizer and manure washed off farm fields).

Which of the following most accurately characterize the changes in land use in the Great Black Swamp area, and their effects in the late 1800s and early 1900s?

A. The Great Black Swamp was a major source of nutrients to Lake Erie, causing cyanobacteria blooms.

B. The Great Black Swamp covered what is now Lake Erie; when it was removed the harmful cyanobacteria moved in.

C. The Great Black Swamp was drained, reducing the flow of vital nutrients into Lake Erie.

D. Removal of wetlands and vegetation reduced the capacity of nature to filter out nutrients, leading to harmful cyanobacteria blooms.

E. The Great black Swamp, after being largely drained, has now been restored and is effectively removing nutrients once again.

Removal of wetlands and vegetation reduced the capacity of nature to filter out nutrients, leading to harmful cyanobacteria blooms.

Which of the following are causes of harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie in the past 20 years? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Runoff of fertilizers and nutrients from farm fields.

B. Invasive mussels, which filter out “good” algae.

C. Invasive mussels, which directly remove nitrogen and phosphorus from the water.

D. Introduction of salmon.

E. Increases in point sources of nutrients.

Runoff of fertilizers and nutrients from farm fields.

Invasive mussels, which filter out “good” algae.

Which of the following are true about environmental policies aimed at protecting water from pollution? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. 

A. Farm runoff like pollution of Lake Erie is largely unregulated by federal law.

B. The Clean Water Act established pollution standards that have been effective at regulating both point source and nonpoint source pollution.

C. The Clean Water Act and Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement had no impact on harmful algal blooms in Lake Erie.

D. Best management practices include applying the right amount of fertilizer at the right time, as well as vegetation and wetlands to intercept and remove nutrients before they get to streams and lakes.

E. Best management practices (“alternative methods”) have been scientifically show to reduce nutrient runoff compared to conventional methods.

Farm runoff like pollution of Lake Erie is largely unregulated by federal law.

Best management practices include applying the right amount of fertilizer at the right time, as well as vegetation and wetlands to intercept and remove nutrients before they get to streams and lakes.

Best management practices (“alternative methods”) have been scientifically show to reduce nutrient runoff compared to conventional methods.

Which of the following accurately describe farming best management practices (BMPs) and their implementation in our three case studies? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Economic incentives have successfully encouraged enough farmers to adopt BMPs that it has made a big difference for Lake Erie.

B. BMPs include restoring some aspects of the Great Black Swamp, including wetlands and vegetation at the edge of fields and streams.

C. Whereas nutrient management strategies of Lake Erie and the Chesapeake Bay have failed, the Mississippi River watershed has successfully managed nutrients and stopped the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

D. Enforced regulation has worked, but voluntary measures have not worked.

BMPs include restoring some aspects of the Great Black Swamp, including wetlands and vegetation at the edge of fields and streams.

Enforced regulation has worked, but voluntary measures have not worked.

Which of the following accurately describe issues of Environmental Justice? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. Major sources of pollution, hazardous waste, toxins tend to be located near poor, minority communities.

B. Minority populations tend to face more exposure to environmental health hazards.

C. Environmental Justice was an issue in the early 20th century, but it has now been solved.

D. Environmental action that prevents environmental hazards in one location often results in the movement/placement of the hazard to a location where the community does not have the means to fight it.

E. By 1990, environmental organizations recognized that they had not sufficiently addressed environmental justice and many now have environmental jusrtive initiatives.

Major sources of pollution, hazardous waste, toxins tend to be located near poor, minority communities.

Minority populations tend to face more exposure to environmental health hazards.

Environmental action that prevents environmental hazards in one location often results in the movement/placement of the hazard to a location where the community does not have the means to fight it.

By 1990, environmental organizations recognized that they had not sufficiently addressed environmental justice and many now have environmental jusrtive initiatives.

How old are the Great Lakes?

A. As old as the North American continent - more than a billion years old.

B. The Great Lakes were formed just after the extinction of the dinosaurs, ~60 million years ago.

C. The Great Lakes were formed when glaciers melted starting about 14,000 years ago.

D. The Great Lakes were formed during the Little Ice Age, beginning in the 14th century.

E. The Great Lakes were created by the US Army Corps of Engineers in the early 1800s.

The Great Lakes were formed when glaciers melted starting about 14,000 years ago.

Where does the water now in the Great Lakes mainly come from?

A. Comets

B. Glaciers

C. Rain and snow

D. Groundwater

E. Oceans

Rain and snow

A raindrop falls in Lake Superior. About how long will it take to reach the Atlantic Ocean?

A. One week

B. One month

C. A few years

D. Hundreds of years

E. Thousands of years

F. It will never reach the ocean!

Hundreds of years

Which of the following are true of the glaciers that carved the Great Lakes?

A. They were a part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered 5 million square miles.

B. They moved.

C. They were 1-3 miles thick!

D. They left behind moraines.

E. When they melted, they formed proglacial lakes.

They were a part of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered 5 million square miles.

They moved.

They were 1-3 miles thick!

They left behind moraines.

When they melted, they formed proglacial lakes.

Which of the following accurately describe the structure and flow of the Great Lakes? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. The Great Lakes are not connected.

B. The Great Lakes have always been connected, but you couldn’t sail from the ocean to Lake Superior until we built canals.

C. The Great Lakes have always been connected, and you could always sail form the ocean to Lake Superior.

D. The Great Lakes can be thought of as one giant lake that doesn’t flow anywhere.

E. All of their lake floors are above sea level.

The Great Lakes have always been connected, but you couldn’t sail from the ocean to Lake Superior until we built canals.

Which of the following is the correct order of events, from oldest to youngest through geological history, that led to formation of the Great Lakes?

A. inland seas > midcontinent rift > iron oceans > glaciers

B. iron oceans > midcontinent rift > inland seas > glaciers

C. midcontinent rift > inland seas > glaciers > iron oceans

D. glaciers > midcontinent rift > inland seas > iron oceans

iron oceans > midcontinent rift > inland seas > glaciers

Which of the following can be considered as evidence of midcontinent rift? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. 

A. Igneous rocks around Lake Superior

B. Glacial erratics in Minnesota

C. The shape of Lake Ontario

D. Moraines in Michigan

E. Copper ore deposits

Igneous rocks around Lake Superior

Copper ore deposits

Which of the following correctly characterize how geological processes and/or materials provided us with natural resources for modern economic activity in the Great Lakes region?

A. Banded iron formations provide iron for steel.

B. Evaporation of ancient seas gave us salt deposits, which we mine for use in melting ice on roads in the winter.

C. Hot waters circulating through fractures in the midcontinent rift formed ore deposits, which provide us with copper for wiring, etc.

D. Water from melting glaciers now serves as an important source of drinking water.

E. Iron mined from the Lake Erie region is transported to Minnesota for refinement.

Banded iron formations provide iron for steel.

Evaporation of ancient seas gave us salt deposits, which we mine for use in melting ice on roads in the winter.

Hot waters circulating through fractures in the midcontinent rift formed ore deposits, which provide us with copper for wiring, etc.

Which of the following best explains why Great Lakes water levels stayed high and even increased from 2016-2023?

A. High ice levels slowed down evaporation.

B. Drought resulted in higher runoff.

C. Increased precipitation, including more frequent large storms.

D. Efficient engineering control systems such as dams.

E. Cooler water temperatures and decreased evaporation.

Increased precipitation, including more frequent large storms.

Which of the following were factors in the 2014 drinking water crisis? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY. 

A. A harmful cyanobacteria bloom had formed in the western basin of Lake Erie. 

B. The cyanobacterium Microcystis was producing the toxin, microcystin. 

C. This was the first harmful algal bloom to occur in Lake Erie. 

D. Winds blew the bloom right into the Toledo drinking water intake. 

E. Boiling the water does not make it safe, in fact it makes it worse.

A harmful cyanobacteria bloom had formed in the western basin of Lake Erie. 

The cyanobacterium Microcystis was producing the toxin, microcystin. 

Winds blew the bloom right into the Toledo drinking water intake. 

Boiling the water does not make it safe, in fact it makes it worse.

Which of the following are true about regulations to reduce the number of invasive species coming into the Great lakes? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. There were no warning signs of the mussels until they showed up in the Great Lakes.

B. Ships in US waters were allowed to dump ballast water through an exemption to the Clean Water Act of 1972.

C. A 1994 policy stated that vessels should flush ballast tanks with salt water in the open ocean.

D. Because the 1994 policy only covered fully ballasted ships and it was not enforced, it did not work.

E. In 2007, all overseas vessels coming to the Great lakes were required to flush ballast tanks with salt water. This policy reduced the rate of increase of new invasive species by 85%.

Ships in US waters were allowed to dump ballast water through an exemption to the Clean Water Act of 1972.

A 1994 policy stated that vessels should flush ballast tanks with salt water in the open ocean.

Because the 1994 policy only covered fully ballasted ships and it was not enforced, it did not work.

In 2007, all overseas vessels coming to the Great lakes were required to flush ballast tanks with salt water. This policy reduced the rate of increase of new invasive species by 85%.

Which of the following are high probability effects of climate change on the Great Lakes? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. more flooding

B. more nutrient runoff, more blooms, and dead zones

C. extreme evaporation, precipitation = extreme fluctuations in lake levels

D. increases in water temperature

more flooding

more nutrient runoff, more blooms, and dead zones

extreme evaporation, precipitation = extreme fluctuations in lake levels

increases in water temperature

Why has the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) been successful? SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.

A. It sovled the issue of harmful algal blooms in the mid-1970s.

B. It has enjoyed widespread public support.

C. It had enjoyed bi-partisan support in Congress.

D. Every dollar invested in the GLRI brings more than $3 in additional economic benefits across the region.

E. It made significant progress in reducing invasive mussels.

It has enjoyed widespread public support.

It had enjoyed bi-partisan support in Congress.

Every dollar invested in the GLRI brings more than $3 in additional economic benefits across the region.