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Second Quarter
Questions
Concept Test
•
The cores of the terrestrial worlds are made
mostly of metal because ______.
a. the terrestrial worlds as a whole are made mostly
of metal.
b. the core contained lots of radioactive elements
that decayed into metals.
c. metals sunk to the centers a long time ago when
the interiors were molten throughout.
d. None of the above.
Concept Test
•
Given this description of planetary interiors,
we expect:
a. Smaller planets should cool off faster than bigger
ones.
b. Larger planets should have thinner lithospheres
than smaller planets.
c. There should be fewer signs of geological activity
on the surfaces of smaller planets compared to
larger ones.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
•
Which of the following is NOT generally true of all
the terrestrial world lithospheres?
a. The thickness of the lithosphere depends on interior
temperature, with cooler interiors leading to thicker
lithospheres.
b. The lithosphere is broken into a set of large plates that float
upon the softer rock below.
c. The lithosphere extends from somewhere in the mantle all
the way to the surface.
d. Rock in the lithosphere is stronger than rock beneath it.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
•
Recent evidence suggests that Mars, like Earth,
once had a stronger magnetic field. Assuming this is
true, which of the following could explain why Mars
lacks a global magnetic field like that of Earth?
a. Because Mars's interior is cooler than Earth's, its liquid
core layer may not be undergoing convection.
b. Mars is too far from the Sun to have a global magnetic
field.
c. The Martian core is made of rock, while Earth's core is
made of metal.
d. Mars rotates much slower than the Earth.
e. All of the above.
Concept Test
•
The choices below describe four hypothetical
planets. Which one would you expect to have the
hottest interior? (Assume the planets orbit a star just
like the Sun and that they are all the same age as
the planets in our solar system.)
a. Size: same as Mars. Distance from Sun: same as Earth.
Rotation rate: once every 18 hours.
b. Size: twice as big as Earth. Distance from Sun: same as
Mercury. Rotation rate: once every 6 months.
c. Size: same as Venus. Distance from Sun: same as Mars.
Rotation rate: once every 25 hours.
d. Size: same as the Moon. Distance from Sun: same as
Mars. Rotation rate: once every 10 days.
Concept Test
•
Based on all we know about the terrestrial
worlds, what single factor appears to play
the most important role in a terrestrial
planet's geological destiny?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Its composition.
Its size.
Its distance from the Sun.
Whether or not it has liquid water.
None of the above.
Concept Test
• Scientists hypothesize that evidence for past liquid
water will be found at Gusev Crater because:
a. Chemical analysis from space shows signs of minerals that
(on Earth) tend to primarily form in the presence of water.
b. From orbit gullies are seen along the rim of Gusev Crater
indicating that water has flowed down into the crater bottom.
c. Morphologically, from orbit it looks as if water erosion
produced a channel that would have caused standing water
within Gusev Crater.
d. Rocks found on the floor of the crater show signs of chemical
alteration by water.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
• The Spirit rover inside Gusev Crater found:
a. The rocks on the crater floor were all basalt. Any
sedimentary rocks, if present, must be buried
underneath them.
b. Evidence of sedimenatry rock.
c. Lots of olivine and other water bearing chemicals.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
• Bedrock is the “holy grail” for a geologist
because:
a. Bedrock is sedimentary rock which is only formed
in the presence of water.
b. It provides you with a history of the chemical and
geological processes that occurred in that exact
spot.
c. Bedrock is not volcanic (basaltic) rock and thus
tells you about the history of your location before
the period of volcanic activity covered it up.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
• Rock layers are important for geologists
because:
a. They record a history of formation. The lower down the
layers the earlier in the planet’s history they were formed.
b. Different layers mean different geological processes were at
work on the surface and thus provided clues to past
environments.
c. Many geological processes, like erosion, create layers in
rock and can be a strong sign of past water.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.
Concept Test
• The hypothesis that Meridiani Planum once
had liquid water at or near its surface was
supported by the observation of:
a. Blueberries made of hematite and layered rock made of
salts.
b. Blueberries made of hematite and rocks with spindle –like
depressions where water soluble crystals once resided.
c. Blueberries made of hematite and rocks with wavy, crossbedded layers that appear to have been formed by flowing
water.
d. Blueberries.
e. All of the above.
Concept Test
• Endurance Crater was an important location
to explore because:
a. As a big hole in the ground, it offered easy access
to its many layers.
b. Its many layers showed a long history of chemical
alteration by water.
c. Its many layers offered a rich time-line of the
geological processes that had been at work on
Meridiani Planum.
d. All of the above.
e. None of the above.