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GEOL1550
EXAM 1
1. Earth's age is estimated at ____ years.
A. 4.6  106
B. 3.7  106
C. 4.6  109
D. 3.7  109
E. 4.6  1012
2. The mean surface temperature of Earth is about
A. 5C.
B. 10C.
C. 16C.
D. 22C.
E. 26C.
3. The Big Bang occurred roughly ____ years ago.
A. 4.6 billion
B. 250 million
C. 13 billion
D. 10 billion
E. 750 million
4. Which circle of latitude or longitude has the smallest circumference?
A. the equator
B. 30N
C. the prime meridian
D. 45W
E. 80S
5. One degree of latitude is about equal to
A. 1 nautical mile.
B. 1 land mile.
C. 60 nautical miles.
D. 60 land miles.
E. 600 nautical miles.
6. Water covers ____% of Earth's surface.
A. 17
B. 29
C. 50
D. 71
E. 78
7. The average depth of the ocean is about
A. 3800m.
B. 3900km.
C. 3800mi.
D. 11,000m.
E. 11,000mi.
8. Which ocean basin is located primarily in the Southern Hemisphere?
A. Pacific
B. Atlantic
C. Indian
D. Arctic
E. None of the above
9. Which ocean basin is the largest?
A. Pacific
B. Atlantic
C. Indian
D. Arctic
E. None of the above
10. Approximately what percentage of water on Earth is contained within the oceans?
A. 12%
B. 31%
C. 52%
D. 85%
E. 97%
11. Why are meteorites used to establish an age for the Earth?
A. They are believed to be the same material from which Earth formed
B. They are not radiogenic so they do not decay over time
C. Rocks on Earth have been recycled since the Earth was formed and are not believed
to be as old as the Earth itself
D. A and C
E. All of the above
12. The Moho is located between the
A. lithosphere and the asthenosphere.
B. crust and the mantle.
C. mantle and the outer core.
D. inner and outer cores.
E. continental margin and the abyssal plain.
13. Which of Earth's layers contains the greatest volume of material?
A. inner core
B. outer core
C. mantle
D. lithosphere
E. outer crust
14. Higher seafloor heat flow values are found
A. along coastlines.
B. in the middle of ocean basins.
C. near ocean ridge systems.
D. associated with abyssal hills.
E. along the edges of trenches.
15. Which of the following are found along subduction zones?
A. oceanic trenches
B. active earthquake zones
C. island arc systems
D. All of these are correct.
E. None of these are correct.
16. Magnetic stripes on the seafloor are created at
A. subduction zones.
B. spreading centers.
C. abyssal plains.
D. subduction zones and spreading centers.
E. subduction zones, spreading centers, and abyssal plains.
17. Plates move horizontally past each other along
A. transform faults.
B. convergent plate boundaries.
C. divergent plate boundaries.
D. the rift valley.
E. hot spots.
18. Seafloor spreading is continuing at a rate of approximately
A. 1 to 10cm/year.
B. 1 to 10m/year.
C. 1 to 10km/year.
D. 1 to 100cm/year.
19. The present oceans have been created during the last
A. 2250 million years.
B. 225 million years.
C. 20 million years.
D. 2 million years.
E. 2 billion years.
20. Which method is being used to investigate the structure of the mantle?
A. isostasy
B. measurement of seafloor heat flow
C. seismic tomography
D. subduction
E. radiometric dating
21. The crust and the mantle are divided into the following layers in order of increasing
depth:
A. mesosphere, lithosphere, asthenosphere
B. asthenosphere, lithosphere, mesosphere
C. lithosphere, mesosphere, asthenosphere
D. lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere
E. asthenosphere, mesosphere, lithosphere
22. The east coast of the United States is an example of a(n) __________ continental
margin.
A. passive
B. active
C. trailing
D. leading
E. passive and trailing
23. Which layer of the Earth contains the greatest mass?
A. Core
B. Mantle
C. Crust
D. Lithosphere
E. Asthenosphere
24. Which layer is believed to behave most like a liquid?
A. Outer Core
B. Mantle
C. Crust
D. Lithosphere
E. Inner Core
25. Which statement is true about continental crust?
A. It is composed of granitic-type rock and has a higher density than oceanic crust.
B. It is composed of basaltic-type rock and has a higher density than oceanic crust.
C. It is composed of granitic-type rock and has a lower density than oceanic crust.
D. It is composed of basaltic-type rock and has a lower density than oceanic crust.
E. It is composed of granitic-type rock and has the same density as oceanic crust.
26. When talking about plate tectonics, which of the Earth's layers comprises the plates?
A. Crust
B. Mantle
C. Core
D. Lithosphere
E. Asthenosphere
27. Turbidity currents produce some
A. trenches.
B. abyssal hills.
C. submarine canyons.
D. All of these are correct.
E. None of these are correct.
28. The floor of a major ocean basin is called a(n)
A. ocean valley floor.
B. abyssal plain.
C. midocean flat.
D. seamount province.
E. ridge depression.
29. Lithogenous sediment is
A. derived from rock.
B. derived from plants and animals.
C. always found at depths over 4500m.
D. always associated with deep-sea trenches.
E. derived from the chemistry of the water.
30. The particle size of terrigenous sediments generally ________ with distance from
shore.
A. increases
B. decreases
C. stays the same
D. become less uniform
E. is less graded
31. Red clay obtains its characteristic color from
A. the remains of bottom organisms.
B. the oxidation of iron.
C. the silica liberated from diatoms.
D. calcium carbonate.
E. bacteria of the deep sea.
32. Which of the following is NOT true about passive continental margins?
A. They have little seismic or volcanic activity.
B. They form after continents are rifted apart.
C. They tend to be wider than active margins.
D. They occur away from plate boundaries.
E. They are commonly at subduction zones.
33. Fresh water has its maximum density at
A. 0C.
B. 4C.
C. 32C.
D. 100C.
E. below freezing.
34. The long red wavelengths of visible light are
A. reflected back from the surface.
B. transmitted to great depth.
C. responsible for the ocean's color.
D. absorbed in the first meter.
E. blocked by the atmosphere.
35. The ______ wavelengths of light penetrate deepest into the ocean.
A. ultraviolet
B. infrared
C. red
D. blue
E. black
36. The addition of salt to fresh water to form salt water
A. increases the density of the water.
B. depresses the boiling point and elevates the freezing point.
C. makes the temperature of maximum density increase.
D. All of these are correct.
E. None of these are correct.
37. Which of the following materials has the highest specific heat?
A. water
B. air
C. continental crust
D. oceanic crust
E. none of the above
38. Which substance has the greatest density?
A. warm fresh water
B. cold fresh water
C. ice
D. warm salt water
E. cold salt water