Download SIO15 Final Exam, Friday Dec. 9, 2016 TEST VARIATION: 2

SIO15 Final Exam, Friday Dec. 9, 2016
TEST VARIATION: 2
1) In the U.S., on average, more people die from extreme cold than from extreme heat.
a) true
b) false
2) In the U.S., on average, which natural disaster causes the highest number of fatalities?
a) a cold storm
b) a hurricane
c) a landslide
d) an earthquake
e) a heat wave
3) Which of these statements about condensation is wrong?
a) releases latent heat
b) takes up latent heat
c) ends an adiabatic process
d) can happen when air cools
4) Which of these is NOT a type of energy?
a) potential energy
b) kinetic energy
c) heat
d) rotational energy
e) inertia
5) What is the alignment of Sun, Earth and Moon during New Moon?
a) Earth, Moon and Sun make a right angle
b) Sun-Moon-Earth as viewed from above Earth’s orbit around the Sun
c) Sun-Earth-Moon as viewed from above Earth’s orbit around the Sun
6) What is the tidal range?
a) the Earth-Moon distance
b) the difference between spring and neap tide
c) the time period between spring and neap tide
d) the range to which tidal wave run up on the shore
e) the sea level difference between high and low tide
7) Where is the Kuiper belt located?
a) between Sun and Mercury
b) beyond Neptune
c) between Venus and Earth
d) between Earth and Mars
e) between Mars and Jupiter
8) What is a meteor?
a) a space object entering Earth’s atmosphere
b) a remnant of a space object after it impacted on Earth’s surface
c) the light phenomenon caused by a space object burning up in Earth’s atmosphere
9) Which of these planets is most distant from the Sun?
a) Neptune
b) Jupiter
c) Earth
d) Saturn
e) Mercury
10) In Earth’s most recent history, magnetic reversals have occurred on what time scale?
a) on order of days
b) on order of years
c) on order of hundreds of year
d) on order of thousands of year
e) on order of millions of years
11) What does the principle of isostasy describe?
a) outer core is liquid
b) balance between potential and kinetic energy
c) lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere
d) asthenosphere floats on the lithosphere
12) Which of these statements is wrong?
a) the lithosphere is brittle
b) the asthenosphere is strong but brittle
c) the asthenosphere can flow
d) lithosphere is stronger than the asthenosphere
e) lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere
13) About how old is the oldest oceanic lithosphere?
a) 2 billion years
b) 200 million years
c) 2 million years
d) 200,000 years
e) 5,000 years
14) The San Andreas Fault is what kind of plate boundary?
a) divergent
b) ocean-ocean convergent
c) ocean-continent convergent
d) right-lateral transform
e) left-lateral transform
15) What is meant by post-glacial rebound?
a) species rebound from near-extinction
b) species migrate back to its previous climate zone
c) lithosphere sinks after ice sheets melt
d) lithosphere rises after ice sheets melt
16) Which of these types of earthquake is most likely to occur in a subduction zone?
a) normal
b) reverse
c) strike-slip
d) all of the above
e) convergent
17) Tsunami are shallow-water waves.
a) true
b) false
18) Which of these San Diego areas is most likely to experience liquefaction during an earthquake?
a) UCSD campus
b) Clairemont Mesa
c) Mt. Soledad
d) Lindbergh Field airport
19) Through which process can an earthquake trigger the formation of a mud volcano?
a) friction
b) liquefaction
c) heating of water to steam
d) melting of rock
e) conduction
20) A tsunami is a form of tidal wave.
a) true
b) false
21) Which earthquake magnitude scale describes the extent of damage?
a) moment magnitude
b) Richter magnitude
c) Richter intensity
d) Mercalli intensity
22) A tsunami is caused by what kind of earthquake?
a) thrust
b) strike-slip
c) normal
d) all of the above
e) a) and c)
23) What is the name of the only active faults within San Diego city limits?
a) San Andreas
b) San Clemente
c) San Jacinto
d) Rose Canyon
e) Laguna Salada
24) Strain is a form of
a) deformation
b) heat
c) energy
d) force
25) Which of these waves is most damaging?
a) primary wave
b) P waves
c) body wave
d) Rayleigh waves
e) acoustic waves
26) How is INSAR used to forecast earthquakes?
a) monitors volcanic eruptions
b) monitors groundwater movement
c) monitors slow ground movement in aseismic periods
d) counts number of small earthquakes
27) Volcanic eruptions can be forecast better than earthquakes?
a) true
b) false
28) Which of these volcanic hazards is NOT among the top three killers?
a) pyroclastic flows
b) indirect/famine
c) ash fall
d) tsunami
29) What distinguishes a dormant volcano from an extinct volcano?
a) a dormant volcano is older
b) a dormant volcano has erupted in historic times (last 10,000 years)
c) a dormant volcano has erupted in the last 50 years
d) a dormant volcano exclusively produces effusive eruptions
30) Of which VEI was the humongous eruption of Yellowstone about 630,000 years ago?
a) 0
b) 1
c) 5
d) 8
e) 20
31) Which of these best describes a pyroclastic flow?
a) volcanic mud flow
b) fast-moving mix of hot gases and volcanic ash
c) a type of ash flow
d) volcanic lava flow
e) submarine volcanic eruption
32) What process is more likely to melt rock?
a) increase in pressure
b) decrease in pressure
c) both are equally likely
33) What is the primary role of volcanic gases in a volcanic eruption?
a) control how regularly a volcano erupts
b) contribute material to a lahar
c) drive an eruption
d) determine the color of volcanic ash
e) create a new opening
34) On which side of the melting curve does mantle rock have to be in order to melt?
a) right
b) left
35) Submarine volcanic eruptions can cause tsunami?
a) true
b) false
36) In which of these places does most of Earth’s volcanism occur?
a) Africa
b) Hawaii
c) mid-ocean ridges
d) East Africa rift zone
e) Meteor hotspot
37) Why did relatively few people die in the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens?
a) it was an effusive eruption
b) it was a small eruption
c) no people lived there
d) evacuation orders were in place
e) all of the above
38) Where would we find the Cascades?
a) Alaska
b) California through Washington
c) southern California
d) Nevada
e) Colorado
39) Piles made of larger pebbles typically have a smaller angle of repose?
a) true
b) false
40) How does the addition of water into the glide horizon affect slope stability?
a) water reduces friction
b) water increases friction
c) water increases slope steepness
d) water has no impact on slope stability
41) Which of these is NOT a feature of a slump?
a) toe
b) head-scarp
c) central hole
d) transverse cracks
42) Which of these actions reduces slope stability and makes mass movements more likely?
a) reduce slope angle
b) increase slope angle
c) add mass to bottom
d) remove mass from bottom
e) b) and d)
43) In which climate is deforestation particularly damaging?
a) polar
b) arid
c) tropical
d) temperate
e) high mountains
44) Which of these is NOT a typical risk factor for mass movements in Southern California?
a) active plate tectonics
b) occasional heavy rains
c) extreme heat
d) sparse vegetation
45) Which of these will likely cause a flash flood?
a) cloud burst
b) sudden and strong rain
c) local thunderstorm
d) dam burst
e) all of the above
46) What is the base level of a stream?
a) the highest point where the spring is
b) the lowest point to which erosion can occur
c) the average discharge
d) the lowest possible discharge
47) What does the stream profile describe?
a) the longitudinal elevation vs distance along a river
b) the chemical makeup of river water
c) the lateral flux of the ground water table
d) the cross-section through a river
e) the annual cycle of the discharge of a river
48) In a meander, which river bank experiences erosion?
a) outer bank
b) inner bank
c) both banks
49) In a river, where do we find the highest erosion rate?
a) where the gradient is highest
b) near the base level
c) where the gradient is lowest
d) erosion is the same everywhere
50) A hydrograph reveals that the flood stage of a river lags rainfall?
a) true
b) false
51) What are flood frequency curves used for?
a) to estimate the highest flood likely in a 100-year interval
b) to estimate the minimum flood stage of a river
c) to estimate the average rainfall over a river
52) In which of these areas is the infiltration greatest?
a) downtown San Diego
b) downtown La Jolla
c) Disneyland
d) Cleveland National Forest near Mt. Laguna
e) Balboa Park
53) Which season does Santiago, Chile have when it is winter in Buenos Aires, Argentina?
a) spring
b) summer
c) fall
d) winter
54) Which of these has the lowest albedo?
a) oceans
b) lakes
c) grass
d) glacier ice
55) How does the temperature in Earth’s atmosphere vary with altitude?
a) decreases linearly with altitude
b) decreases exponentially with altitude
c) is a complicated function of altitude
d) stays the same everywhere
56) Why does Earth have seasons?
a) the Sun’s output changes
b) Earth’s distance to the Sun changes
c) the Moon generates seasons on Earth
d) Earth’s tilted rotation axis moves around the Sun
e) Milankovitch cycles
57) Which atmospheric layer is the weather layer?
a) thermosphere
b) mesosphere
c) stratosphere
d) troposphere
e) ionoshere
58) Which of these is NOT associated with the belt of major deserts on Earth?
a) located between Hadley and Ferrel cells
b) located near 30º latitude
c) along belt of high surface pressure
d) along belt of low surface pressure
59) How does the Coriolis Effect deflect an object moving toward the equator?
a) to the right
b) to the left
c) to the east
d) to the west
60) Where would we find the intertropical convergence zone?
a) at the bottom of the troposphere
b) at the top of the troposphere
c) at about 30º latitude
d) near the equator
61) What happens when an air pocket sinks adiabatically?
a) it expands
b) it warms
c) it cools
d) no change
e) a) and c)
62) Fires use O2 and produce CO2?
a) true
b) false
63) Which of these is NOT a reason why nature needs fires?
a) germination
b) pest control
c) improving root growth
d) recycling of organic material
64) Which of these increase the wildfire risk in San Diego County?
a) urban sprawl into the wildland
b) careless use of sparking machinery during a Santa Ana
c) careless toss of cigarette butts from a car during a Santa Ana
d) all of the above
e) a) and c)
65) Low relative humidity cuts short which of these stages of fire?
a) preheating phase
b) pyrolysis
c) flaming combustion
d) glowing combustion
66) Why would winds increase the risk of devastating wildfires?
a) winds raise the surface temperature
b) winds push fires out of control
c) winds dry out potential fuels
d) all of the above
e) b) and c)
67) At which of these temperatures is the wind chill factor most significant?
a) 50ºF
b) 40ºF
c) 30ºF
d) 20ºF
68) Where do Nor’Easters typically occur?
a) U.S. eastern seaboard
b) northeastern California
c) northeast Asia
d) Pacific Northwest
e) northeastern Pacific Ocean
69) In the U.S., which of these is NOT a criterion for a blizzard?
a) duration more than 3 h
b) temperatures less than 25ºF
c) visibility of 0.25 miles or less
d) sustained winds of 35 mph or more
e) blowing snow
70) Which of these conditions is typically NOT associated with thunderstorms?
a) hurricanes
b) strong convective lifting during the winter
c) cold front moving in
d) prolonged period of rain
71) In a thunderstorm, when does lightning occur before the corresponding thunder?
a) sometimes
b) often
c) always
d) never
72) Which of these U.S. states has the highest occurrence of thunderstorms?
a) Florida
b) Texas
c) Oklahoma
d) California
e) Kansas
73) Where would we find Tornado Alley?
a) in Canada
b) Florida
c) in the Atlantic
d) in Australia
e) Texas and northward
74) Which of these scales classifies tornadoes?
a) Saffir-Simpson scale
b) Fujita scale
c) Beaufort scale
d) Torino scale
e) Mercalli scale
75) Which ocean has the highest occurrence of hurricanes?
a) North Atlantic
b) South Atlantic
c) Indian Ocean
d) East Pacific
e) West Pacific
76) Hurricanes cannot cross the equator?
a) true
b) false
77) Why do east Pacific hurricanes currently not make landfall in southern California?
a) all eastern Pacific hurricanes travel southward
b) no hurricanes ever form in the eastern Pacific
c) the cold California Current prevents hurricanes from sustaining themselves
d) Mexican hurricanes form in the southern hemisphere
78) Which of these is the primary gas that makes up Earth’s atmosphere?
a) O2
b) CO2
c) N2
d) CFCs
e) O3
79) CFCs trap heat less efficiently than CO2 does?
a) true
b) false
80) Greenhouse gases trap which kind of sunlight?
a) visible
b) ultraviolet
c) infrared
d) the whole spectrum
e) Earth’s greenhouse does not trap any sunlight
81) What happens to the global sea level after the end of an ice age?
a) it rises
b) it sinks
c) it stays the same
82) About when did the last major ice age end?
a) 100 years ago
b) 1000 years ago
c) 10,000 years ago
d) 100,000 years ago
e) 1 million years ago
83) Which of the following does NOT contribute to global sea level rise?
a) thermal expansion of ocean water
b) melting of ice sheets
c) melting of sea ice
d) melting of mountain glaciers
84) In the Keeling Curve, how do seasonal variations compare to the overall trend?
a) opposite
b) same
c) much larger
d) much smaller
85) Which of these is responsible for the ozone hole?
a) O2
b) CO2
c) N2
d) CFCs
e) O3
86) What is known as the “Dust Bowl”?
a) U.S. 1930s drought and resulting soil erosion
b) 1990 dust storm in central Australia
c) 2010 heat wave and drought in Russia
d) desertification in the Sahel
e) deforestation in Indonesia
87) How far can dust storms transport pathogens?
a) a few inches
b) a few miles
c) a few hundred miles
d) a few thousand miles
88) Which of these is NOT a consequence of excess ground water withdrawal?
a) local ground water table sinks
b) local ground water table rises
c) subsidence
d) shallow-reaching wells go dry
89) In the U.S., how long does it take to grow 1 inch of topsoil?
a) 30 days
b) 3 months
c) 30 months
d) 3 years
e) 30 years
90) Which process is responsible for acid rain in Southern California?
a) coal burning power plants
b) traffic
c) wildfires
d) fast food restaurants
e) nuclear power plants
91) Where does the mercury in canned Tuna come from?
a) canning industry
b) agricultural run-off
c) cosmic rays
d) volcanism
e) coal burning power plants
92) Which of these is the least recycled item?
a) paper
b) plastic
c) glass
d) metals
93) Some primary (non-recycled) metal resources will last only for a few more decades, in the U.S. as well as worldwide?
a) true
b) false
94) How does plastic break down?
a) photosynthesis
b) biodegradation
c) photodegradation
d) radiodegradation
95) Petroleum is made of which of these?
a) plants
b) plankton
c) volcanic rock
d) fish bones
e) dinosaur fossils
96) What is by-catch?
a) the soot caught by filters in coal firing plants
b) the prey animals of the California Brown Pelican
c) off-spring of a target fish
d) a fishing technique using two nets
e) unwanted and then discarded animals caught by fishing vessels
97) What is the approximate lifetime of the longest-living sharks?
a) a few months
b) a few years
c) a few decades
d) a few centuries
e) a few thousand years
98) What happens to fisheries off the coast of Peru during an El Niño?
a) huge increase
b) huge decrease
c) marked increase in salmon
d) a decline as a result of particularly high catches by fishermen
99) What originally triggered the ongoing piracy incidents in the Indian Ocean?
a) nations fighting over Iranian nuclear power plants
b) the Sahel drought and famine in the 1970s
c) 9/11
d) the war in Afghanistan
e) overfishing by foreigners off the Somali coast
100) Of what type was life on Earth throughout most of its early history (until 1.5 billion years ago)?
a) bacteria
b) bacteria and single-cell organisms
c) single-cell organisms
d) organisms with hard shells
e) organisms only on land
101) Where would we find the K-T boundary?
a) between U.S.A. and Canada
b) between the stratosphere and the ionosphere
c) between the Cretaceous and the Tertiary geologic periods
d) between Kenya and Tanzania
e) between air masses in an occluded front
102) Which ecosystems have seen a vertebrate decline of up to 81% since 1970?
a) tropical rainforests
b) Arctic tundras
c) freshwater systems
d) saltwater systems
103) The extinction rate of which large animal has accelerated in recent years because of poaching?
a) bonobo
b) blue whale
c) mammoth
d) buffalo
e) elephant
104) On which continent did farmers recently conduct a massive bird kill from planes?
a) Southeast Asia
b) Africa
c) Australia
d) North America
e) South America
105) Where would we find the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
a) near Antarctica
b) near India
c) central north Pacific
d) near Australia
e) in the southeast Pacific