EAS term exam 1

Which mineral resource represents the highest-value metallic export of the Philippines, with major reserves in Benguet and Surigao-Davao?

Gold

Which atmospheric layer is the densest, contains 75–80% of total atmospheric mass, and hosts virtually all weather phenomena?

Troposphere

What process converts loose, eroded sediments into solid sedimentary rock through compaction and mineral cementation?

Lithification

Which cosmological theory states that the universe expanded from an extremely hot, dense singularity approximately 13.8 billion years ago?

Big Bang Theory

On the Mohs Scale of Mineral Hardness, what is the standard benchmark mineral for Hardness level 7?

Quartz

In Hans Jenny’s pedogenesis equation S = f(Cl, O, R, P, T), what factor does the symbol Cl stand for?

Climate

The "Goldilocks Zone" or circumstellar habitable zone refers to the ideal distance from a central star that allows a planet to maintain:

Liquid water on its surface

Which energy conversion technology relies on photovoltaic (PV) cells to convert sunlight directly into electrical current?

Solar power

The 1,200-kilometer-long Philippine Fault Zone (PFZ), cutting from Northern Luzon down to Mindanao, is classified as what type of fault?

Transform (strike-slip) fault

What key observational evidence serves as the leftover heat or glow from the early universe supporting the Big Bang Theory?

Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation

Which ancient model assumed that the Earth was stationary at the absolute center of the universe, with all celestial bodies revolving around it?

Geocentric Model

What physical property of a mineral is evaluated by dragging it across an unglazed porcelain plate to observe its powdered color?

Streak

What type of igneous rock forms when magma cools slowly deep subterranean, producing large, visible, interlocking crystals?

Intrusive (Plutonic)

During the early differentiation of Proto-Earth, which dense metallic elements sank to the absolute center to form the core?

Iron and Nickel

Which master soil horizon (Topsoil) serves as the primary zone for plant root growth and seed germination?

A Horizon

Which celestial body is the reigning "Moon King" of our solar system, possessing the largest number of confirmed natural satellites?

Saturn

Earth’s protective magnetic field (magnetosphere) is actively generated by which specific process in Earth's interior?

The geodynamo caused by churning liquid iron and nickel in the outer core

Which agricultural conservation technique involves constructing step-like benches along steep hillsides to slow water runoff and prevent erosion?

Terracing

In which layer of the atmosphere is the protective Ozone Layer (O₃) located?

Stratosphere

What is the fundamental distinction between renewable and non-renewable energy sources?

Renewable energy is naturally replenished on a human timescale, whereas non-renewable energy exists in finite amounts and depletes with use.

What gives comets their characteristic glowing head (coma) and long tail pointing away from the Sun as they enter the inner solar system?

Solar wind and solar radiation vaporizing volatile ice and dust

A mineral that fizzes or effervesces vigorously when exposed to dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) belongs to which mineral group?

Carbonates

The process where a denser oceanic plate slides beneath an overriding plate and sinks into the hot semi-fluid mantle is called:

Subduction

Which fine-grained extrusive igneous rock is the primary constituent of oceanic crust and basaltic lava flows?

Basalt

What is the absolute coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere, where temperatures plummet to approximately -90°C and meteors burn up?

Mesosphere

Planted rows of tall trees or shrubs along field boundaries designed to block topsoil-stripping wind currents are called:

Shelterbelts / Windbreaks

Who are the two historical figures credited with independently developing the early concepts of the Nebular Hypothesis?

Immanuel Kant and Pierre-Simon Laplace

The Philippines ranks 2nd in global production for which vital metallic resource used in EV lithium-ion batteries and stainless steel?

Nickel

What components constitute an ideal, healthy topsoil composition?

45% Minerals, 25% Water, 25% Air, 5% Organic Matter

Which combination of factors represents the foundational "Three Pillars" of a complete sustainability framework?

Economic Viability + Environmental Protection + Social Equity

How do terrestrial (inner) planets differ fundamentally from Jovian (outer) gas giants?

Terrestrial planets have rocky surfaces, higher densities, and few to no moons.

What term describes a mineral's tendency to break smoothly along smooth, flat planes of weak chemical bonding?

Cleavage

When living plants release water vapor into the atmosphere through microscopic pores on their leaves, the process is known as:

Transpiration

Located on the western side of Luzon in the South China Sea, which trench is responsible for subducting oceanic crust beneath western Luzon?

Manila Trench

What silicate model maps the specific temperature sequence in which minerals crystallize from cooling magma?

Bowen’s Reaction Series

How do scientists primarily infer the solid/liquid state and compositional boundaries of Earth's deep interior layers?

By analyzing the behavior, speed, and shadow zones of seismic waves (P and S waves)

Which non-metallic natural resources provide the essential raw inputs for the domestic cement and glassmaking industries?

Limestone and Silica

Which specialized volcanic soil order, common in agricultural regions like Benguet and Bukidnon, is porous, light, and highly fertile?

Andisols

The International Space Station (ISS) orbits within which high-temperature atmospheric layer where solar radiation causes extreme thermal readings?

Thermosphere

How does practicing crop rotation with leguminous plants (e.g., beans, peanuts) conserve soil fertility?

By fixing atmospheric nitrogen back into the soil naturally

Which theory proposes that the universe undergoes infinite cycles of expanding through a Big Bang and then contracting through a Big Crunch?

Oscillating Universe Theory

What space rocks are called when they survive the intense friction of Earth's atmosphere and successfully strike the ground surface?

Meteorites

Which compositional mineral group is the most abundant in Earth’s crust, defined by combinations of Silicon (Si) and Oxygen (O)?

Silicates

What type of metamorphism occurs when host rocks are thermally "baked" by direct contact with surrounding high-temperature magma intrusions?

Contact Metamorphism

The Philippine archipelago is caught in a complex tectonic compression zone squeezed between which three major plates?

Eurasian, Philippine Sea, and Indo-Australian Plates

What constitutes the primary chemical gas composition of Earth’s atmosphere?

78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen, 1% Other gases

What dense subterranean layer forms beneath topsoil when heavy farm machinery repeatedly compacts agricultural land?

Plow pan

Which of the following is classified as a non-renewable fossil fuel formed from ancient organic matter subjected to heat and pressure over millions of years?

Coal

What physical law explains why the spinning solar nebula rotated faster and flattened out as its radius shrank inward under gravity?

Law of Conservation of Angular Momentum

On the Mohs Hardness Scale, which common item can scratch Gypsum (Hardness 2) but cannot scratch Calcite (Hardness 3)?

Human fingernail (≈ 2.5)

A dark, glassy igneous rock with razor-sharp edges and no visible crystalline matrix is identified as:

Obsidian

Which deep ocean trench is positioned directly along the eastern side of Mindanao and the Visayas?

Philippine Trench

Which master soil horizon is known as the "Zone of Eluviation" due to intense leaching of minerals downward?

E Horizon

What energy source captures the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water through dams to turn electric generators?

Hydroelectric energy

Dwarf planet Pluto, along with thousands of other icy bodies, resides in which outer region of our solar system?

Kuiper Belt

Why do temperatures actually increase with altitude within the Stratosphere, reversing the trend seen in the Troposphere?

Ozone molecules absorb harmful ultraviolet (UV) solar radiation, releasing heat.

Gold (Au) and Copper (Cu) found in their pure, uncombined elemental forms belong to which mineral group?

Native Elements

A metamorphic rock displaying alternating light and dark mineral alignment stripes (foliation) formed under intense directional pressure is classified as:

Gneiss

What strategy effectively mitigates environmental damage and heavy metal runoff caused by open-pit mining operations?

Implementing progressive land rehabilitation, tailing containment ponds, and reforestation

How does calculating the "Payback Period" support the economic sustainability of a proposed energy conservation project?

It determines the time required for operational energy savings to equal the initial investment capital cost.