APES U4 TEST PRACTICE

1. Region with the lowest atmospheric pressure

Exosphere

2. Region that contains the majority of molecules in the atmosphere

Troposphere

3. Region where the protective ozone layer is located

Stratosphere

4. Region largely responsible for the weather experienced at the Earth's surface

Troposphere

5. Based on the graph, which of the following can be concluded about the latitudes of the two locations?

Location 1 is close to the equator, and Location 2 is in the Northern Hemisphere.

6. Which soil horizon has very little organic matter and accumulates soluble metals and nutrients that are transported from other soil layers?

C

7. Which soil horizon is best developed in areas with dense vegetation, such as forests and grasslands, since the horizon consists of decomposing leaves and other plant material?

A

8. Which soil horizon is the least weathered horizon and contains rock that is starting to break down into soil?

D

9. Which of the following best explains why the lower portion of the troposphere is warmer than the upper portion?

The surface of Earth absorbs sunlight, heating the lower portion of the troposphere more than the upper part.

10. This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the fewest molecules of the layers shown, and the low density of gas leads to very few molecules transferring heat to an object. In this layer, ultraviolet radiation causes photodissociation of molecules, creating ions

Thermosphere

11. At this site a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, which occurred at a nearby subduction zone, triggered one of the largest nuclear reactor disasters in history

D

12. Which of the following statements correctly explains the tectonic plate activity on the West Coast of the United States:

Earthquakes occur at the San Andreas Fault when stored energy is released from locked plates.

13. Which of the following is the correct order of soil particles in order of increasing size?

Clay - silt - sand

14. A team at a university in Pennsylvania has concerns about the health of streams in a watershed because of the various land uses in the area. There has been an increase in road repair work, and the area has many dairy farms. Which of the following would be most effective at preventing sediment runoff into the streams of the watershed?

Maintain zones of grass at least 100 m wide on the sides of streams in the area.

15. Which of the following is a primary cause of El Niño climate variations?

Warmer surface waters in the Pacific Ocean

16. Which of the following is the best method for preventing soil erosion in an agricultural area?

Terrace farming

17. This layer of Earth's atmosphere contains the ozone layer that absorbs the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Stratosphere

18. Which of the following is the most abundant gas by volume in the atmosphere?

N2

19. The Sun's radiation provides the energy for all of the following EXCEPT

plate tectonics

20. Based on the diagram, which of the following changes are most likely to occur in the central and eastern tropical Pacific during El Niño?

The Peruvian current weakens, leading to warmer-than-average sea-surface temperatures.

21. Based on the diagram, which of the following statements best explains why the climate of the West Coast of Africa is drier than that of the East Coast of the United States, even though they are located at similar northern latitudes?

The cold ocean currents off Africa absorb heat from land and therefore cool the atmosphere

22. Based on the soil texture triangle, which of the following would describe soil that was 25% clay. 25% silt, and 50% sand?

Sandy clay loam

23. Which of the following properties is most likely associated with soils that contain more sand-sized particles than soils that contain more clay-sized particles?

High permeability

24. Area that exhibits island arcs

E

25. Area that exhibits a growing nonvolcanic mountain chain due to uplift

C

26. Area where new crust is being created at a divergent plate boundary

B

27. The high sea surface temperature in 1998 was most likely due to

El Niño

28. The low anchovy catch in 1998 was most likely the result of

reduced ocean upwelling along the coast

29. This area is most susceptible to erosion, leading to increased suspended solids and increased turbidity downstream

B

30. Which of the following best describes a transform boundary?

An area where two tectonic plates slide past one another

31. Corn is a crop that grows best in soil that drains well. Which of the following soils is best suited to grow corn?

Sandy loam because it has large amounts of sand and less than 20% clay.

32. This layer of Earth's atmosphere has the highest density of any atmospheric layer and contains most of the water vapor in the atmosphere.

Troposphere

33. Which soil composition would be the best choice for lining a landfill?

Point W

34. What are the proportions of sand, silt, and clay for the soil at point T?

Sand: 60%, Silt 30%, Clay: 10%

35. Earth currently rotates on an axis at an angle of 23.5 degrees. If that axis changed to 20 degrees, so that the axis was closer to vertical, which of the following would be expected to occur?

Earth would experience a change in seasonal timing and length

36. The city of London in the United Kingdom is found approximately at the same latitude as the city of Calgary in Canada. Calgary has an average high temperature in December of -4.6 degrees Celsius, while London has an average high temperature of 8.6 degrees Celsius. Which of the following statements best explains why the average temperature of London is warmer than that of Calgary in December?

Oceanic currents warm the atmosphere in London.

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.

38. Which of the following properties of the soil sample most influences the flow of water through the sample?

Permeability

39. Of the following, which is the most likely composition of the soil sample?

Clay: 10%, Silt: 10%, Sand: 80%

40. A Farm is experiencing extensive crop loss due to high rains causing overly saturated soils. Which of the following approaches would best help the farmer alleviate the problem

Amending the soil with sand to increase the permeability of the soil contains most of the water vapor in the atmosphere.