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Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary
B
Area that exhibits island arcs
E
Area that exhibits a growing non-volcanic mountain chain due to uplift
C
The intraplate location where hot-spot volcanism is occurring
A
The location where one tectonic plate is being forced beneath another, creating a volcanic arc.
E
The location where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary
C
Most volcanism in the world is associated with
plate boundaries
At which of the following sites does seafloor spreading result in rifts and possible volcanoes?
A
At which of the following sites is an earthquake most likely to occur as two plates slide sideways past each other?
C
At which of the following sites would activity result in volcanoes, island arcs, and mountains?
B
Which of the following explains the variable that would be the best for students to measure to determine the direct impact of soil erosion caused by the construction project on the river?
Turbidity, because a decrease in water clarity would indicate an increase in soil erosion.
Which of the following would be the best control sample for the study?
A sample of water collected just downstream of the northern forest
Which of the following is the dependent variable in the study?
The density of a species of algae growing along the bottom of the river
A student group is involved in a restoration study of a nearby disturbed area. They decide to collect six soil samples and analyze them for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N). Two of the samples are found to be very high in C and N, but the other four samples are low in both. The students also notice that the color of the two soil samples that are high in C and N is very dark. Which of the following is the most likely explanation of the data?
Two of the samples were collected from an A horizon, and the others were collected from a B horizon.
Which of the lettered choices in the soil profile above represents the region with the greatest concentration of organic material?
A
Of the following, which has the greatest permeability?
Sand
Which soil indicated on the soil triangle above would most likely have the highest water-holding capacity?
Soil C
Of the following, which is the most likely composition of the soil sample?
Clay Silt Sand
10% 10% 80%
Which of the following properties of the soil sample most influences the flow of water through the sample?
Permeability
Which of the following best describes why the engineer chose to calculate the permeability of the soil sample in the experimental design in order to evaluate a natural containment system to protect groundwater?
Soils that have low permeability would best help protect groundwater because the soil traps pollutants so that chemical and biological breakdown can occur.
Which of the following best describes the independent variable in this research design?
The sample of material chosen as the potential container material is the variable being tested, so it is the independent variable.
Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?
Clay-Silt-Sand
Sample Percent Component in Sample
Percent Silt Percent Sand Percent Clay Percent Humus
A 30 30 10 30
B 40 10 15 35
C 30 30 10 20
D 20 25 45 5
Based on the data in the table above, which of the following samples would be the most prone to becoming waterlogged?
Sample D
What are the proportions of sand, silt, and clay for the soil at point T?
% Sand % Silt % Clay
60 30 10
Which soil composition would be the best choice for lining a landfill?
Point W
The water-holding capacity of soil is LEAST likely to be affected by the addition of which of the following?
Pesticide
Which of the following shows the approximate concentration of CO2, N2, and O2 in dry air?
CO2 < 1% N2 78% O2 21%
The most abundant element in Earth's atmosphere
Nitrogen
Based on the data in the diagrams, in which layer of the atmosphere would short wave radio signals be reflected?
Thermosphere
Region with the lowest atmospheric pressure
Exosphere
Region largely responsible for the weather experienced at the Earth's surface
Troposphere
The phenomenon causing global warming occurs primarily in this region of the atmosphere.
Troposphere
The beneficial ozone layer is in this region of the atmosphere.
Stratosphere
Most oxygen is found in this layer of the atmosphere.
Troposphere
The most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere is
Nitrogen
Which of the following correctly characterizes one of Earth's atmospheric layers?
Layer "D" is the thermosphere, where auroras are found.
Most of the Earth's deserts are at approximately 30° latitude, north and south because these latitudes are characterized by
descending dry air currents
Most deserts on Earth are located near the 30° north and 30° south latitudes because the humidity is lower at 30°. The best explanation for the lower humidity is that
warm air rises at the equator, cools, and sinks at 30° latitude
Which of the following is a biome found at 30° N and 30° S as seen in the diagram?
Desserts
Which of the following causes the air to rise high into the atmosphere in the areas labeled A, B, and C on the diagram?
Warm, moist air that is less dense than the surrounding air
Which of the following is the source of energy driving the circulation pattern labeled C in the diagram?
Solar radiation
Which of the following best describes why understanding a watershed and its boundaries is important in designing housing developments along a river?
Surface water and stormwater runoff will drain downstream within the watershed boundaries, so it is important to understand the flow of water through the watershed.
Hoover Dam is the largest dam in the United States, built on the Colorado River to supply hydroelectric power and flood control. Which of the following best describes a downstream environmental effect of Hoover Dam on the Colorado River watershed?
The damming of the Colorado River led to a change in streamflow, preventing river water and sediments from reaching the delta area.
Which of the following should be included in a watershed map to best determine the non-point source of a pollutant, such as fertilizer, found in a river?
The land use upstream of the river and water quality indicators in streams that run downstream into the river
Reasons that human populations historically have settled in floodplains include which of the following? 1. The soil in floodplains is usually fertile. 2. The terrain in floodplains tend to be flat. 3. Floodplains are close to rivers for transportation.
1, 2 and 3
Which of the following areas receives the most intense solar radiation at the time of year shown in the diagram, and why?
The Tropic of Capricorn, because this latitude is nearly horizontal to incoming solar radiation
If the diagram illustrates Earth's relative position on December 21 of a given year, which of the following statements would be correct?
The Tropic of Cancer has a shorter day and lower solar radiation intensity because there is a direct relationship between day length and radiation intensity.
Which of the following correctly describes the season and length of day at the Tropic of Cancer at the time of year shown in the diagram?
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun so it is winter at the Tropic of Cancer and daylight is less than twelve hours per day.
The primary cause of Earth's seasons is the
constant tilt of Earth's rotational axis with respect to the plane of its orbit around the Sun
Which of the following factors is fundamentally responsible for seasons on Earth?
The tilt of Earth's axis of rotation
Which has latitude shown on the diagram above experiences 24 hours of daylight on December 21?
E
Which of the following best explains why the shaded area receives more snowfall than the other parts of New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio?
Moisture picked up from the warmer water in the Great Lakes is deposited as snow downwind.
In the desert regions of the southwestern United States, daily high and low temperatures will frequently fluctuate by 40°F (33°C) or more. Which statement below best explains the large variation in temperature?
There are no bordering oceans or large bodies of water to provide a stabilizing humidity to the air.
Which of the following does NOT exert a major influence on Earth's overall climate?
The seasonal development of temperature inversions in geographical basins
Which of the following best explains why City B regularly receives less precipitation than City A?
The rain shadow effect causes City B to be drier because the mountain blocks precipitation from reaching the city.
El Niño, a periodic warming of ocean surface waters, occurs in which of the following regions?
Tropical East Pacific
El Niño and La Niña are natural phenomena associated with changing water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. The occurrence of these events can result in changes in global weather and ocean circulation patterns.
Which of the following is a positive effect likely to result from an El Niño event?
Fewer hurricanes forming in the Central Atlantic basin
Which of the following changes in eastern Pacific Ocean food webs is typically associated with La Niña events?
Increased phytoplankton concentrations
During an El Niño-Southern Oscillation event, which of the following best describes conditions in the eastern part of the tropical Pacific Ocean (e.g., near Peru and Ecuador)?
Sea Surface Temperature Rainfall
High High
Which of the following is the most likely effect of a strong El Niño event on the weather patterns in the United States?
Wetter weather and cooler than average temperatures in the southeastern states and warmer temperatures in the Pacific Northwest
Brown pelicans are fish-eating birds. As a result of an El Niño event, the population of brown pelicans in southern California declines. Which of the following best explains the relationship between the El Niño event and the population decline?
Warmer ocean temperatures can cause fish to move to colder water farther from pelican nest sites.
The high sea surface temperature in 1998 was most likely due to
El Niño
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