Earth science exam 3

Metamorphism that occurs over broad areas when the pressure and associated heat of overlaying rocks or other tectonic forces cause the rocks to undergo deformation is known as

regional metamorphism

The transition zone from the upper mantle to the crust is known as the ________ discontinuity

Mohorovicic

________ are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries

hot spots

Areas of crustal collision and subduction occur along

convergent boundaries

When geologists conclude that the Grand Canyon sequence of rocks was formed through hundreds of millions of years of depositions, mountain building, and erosion, they are basing this conclusion on the principles of ________ which states that _________.

uniformitarianism; all geologic processes take immense amounts of time to occur and always occur at the same rate

The major rocks of Earth’s crust are classified into principal types based on

the manner in which they formed

Earth’s interior is layered because

materials became sorted based on density as the Earth solidified

The Precambrian Eon encompasses what percentage of Earth’s total history?

88.3%

Coarser grained igneous rocks tend to be _______ because ________

intrusive; slower cooling of magma allows more time for crystals to form

In terms of dating of specific rocks, structures, or landscaped, absolute age refers to

the age of geological features based on radiometric dating techniques

Which of the following is correct regarding the geologic time scale?

The bulk of Earth’s history has occurred during the Precambrian eon

Which of the following lists, in proper sequential order, the steps leading to the formation of clastic sedimentary rocks?

erosion, transportation, deposition, lithification

The most recent epoch in the geologic time scale is the _________, though numerous scientists agree we have entered a new epoch called the _______

Holocene; Anthropocene

The ________ is liquid and is responsible for producing Earth’s magnetic field

outer core

The process of isostatic adjustment is most closely associated with which of the following?

buoyancy

The Andes of South America formed as a result of the Nazca plate subducting beneath the South American plate. This is an example of _______ collision

oceanic plate-continental plate

The ________ scale would use Roman numerals to qualitatively describe an earthquake based actual effects experienced at the exact time and location of the quake

Modified Mercalli Intensity

When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit, displacement occurs in the process known as

faulting

An element or combination of elements that forms an inorganic, natural compound is called a

mineral

Glaciers that once covered the Hudson Bay area melted 8,000 years ago. As a result of this, the bay is gradually rising. In another 10,000 years or so, it will have risen above sea level and become dry. This process can best be considered an example of

isostasy

Finer grained igneous rocks tend to be ______ because _______

extrusive; the faster cooling of lava limits time for crystals to form

A craton is best described as

the stable remains of ancient tectonic activity

Which of the following is an exogenic process?

weathering

What type of rock forms from the solidification of molten material?

igneous

The rigid crust and uppermost mantle are known collectively as the

lithosphere

Along ________, new ocean floor is formed by upwelling flows of magma, whereas along _______, old oceanic crust is destroyed

mid-ocean ridges; subduction zones

Which of the following is correct regarding Alfred Wegener’s theory of continental drift?

He believed that 225 million year ago all the continents were joined together to form Pangea

The “Ring of Fire” is a volcanic island arc extending from the southwestern Pacific through Indonesia/ The island arc formed as a result of _______ collision

oceanic plate-oceanic plate

Which of the following best describes soil?

Soil is a dynamic material compound of water, air, mineral fragments, and organic matter

________ streams have some groundwater input, but only flow for certain periods during a year

Intermittent

Expandable clay soils, such as montmorillonite, characterize this soil order

Vertisols(mont)

Material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast is called a

barrier spit

The horizon identified as regolith is the _______ horizon

C

The area of land from which all water in it drains into the same place is known as a(n)

watershed

The height of a tsunami grows as it approaches a coastline primarily because

its wavelength shortens

Bed load is moved by

both saltation and traction, but not suspension

The multiyear period of sever wind erosion and soil loss occurred in the Great Plains during the 1930s is known as

the Dust Bowl

Human intervention along a coastline intended to interrupt beach drift can include all of the following except

tombolos

A soil that is 20% sand, 60% silt, and 20% clay is classified as

silt loam

Planting mangroves helps

protect corals, restore marine and terrestrial habitat, and protect against tsunami damage

Maximum velocity in a straight channel is found

at the center and near the surface, corresponding with the deepest parts of the stream channel

High tides are known as _______ whereas low tides are known as _______

flood tides; ebb tides

Which of the following soil horizon designations is the correct sequence from the surface to the bedrock?

O,A,E,B,C,R

As the discharge of a stream increases, which of the following also happens?

Width, depth and/or velocity increase

The branch of soil science that deals with the origin, classification, distribution, and description of soils is known as

pedology

In which of the following regions would you expect to have the highest levels of seawater salinity?

subtropical oceans

Which of the following is incorrectly matched?(erosion)

point bar - area of substantial erosion

Which of the following is correct regarding the color of soil?

Color reflects composition and chemical makeup of a soil

Barrier islands make ______ sites for real estate development because ________

poor; they are unstable and often mobile and they can be overrun by storm surges

On average, ocean water is

slightly basic (pH around 8)

This graph, showing the effects of urbanization on streamflow over time, is an example of a

hydrograph

Rounded peds have ________ space between them than other peds, and are therefore _______ for plant growth

more; better

Soils will develop at faster rates in which of the following environments?

warm and humid

The horizon that is commonly called topsoil is the ______ horizon

A

Which of the following is not correct regarding tides?

They are produced solely by the gravitational pull of the Sun.

An earthquake, a submarine landslide, or an eruption of an undersea volcano is capable of producing a

tsunami

When the Sun and Moon are on the same side of Earth or on opposite sides of Earth, the _______ occurs and results in the _______ tidal range between low and high tides

spring tides; highest

As a stream’s velocity decreases, which of the following sizes of sediments will be deposited last?

clay

A stream’s volume of flow per unit of time is its

discharge

Which of the following statements best describes seawater?

Seawater is a solution

A wave-cut platform is the erosional remnant of a

cliff

These features, here from Lake Michigan, disrupt sediment movement along a coast

groins

If the material deposited in a long ridge extending out from a coast grows to completely cut off the bay from an ocean, it becomes a

baymouth bar

Stream drainage patterns are determined by which of the following?

climate, regional steepness and relief, landscape characteristics, and variations in rock resistance

The science of water and its global circulation, distribution, and properties is known as

hydrology

Which of the following is not an example of an erosional coastal landform?

tombolo

This tree-like drainage pattern efficiently moves water and sediment through its system due to minimization of the total length of each branch

dendritic

Within the deep cold zone, average temperature and salinity

remain fairly constant with depth

This drainage pattern results when streams flow off a central peak or dome

radial

Seawater that exceeds the 35% average is termed

brine

These soils are high in expandable clays and found in regions experiencing highly variable soil-moisture balances through the seasons

Vertisols