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Earth Science Exam 1 & 2
Earth Science Exam 1 & 2
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1
Where does the North Atlantic Deep Water develop?
Bellingshausen Sea
Norwegian Sea
Hudson Bay
offshore of Portugal
2
Integrating over the depth of the Ekman Spiral results in a flow of water that is...
orthogonal (90°) to the wind direction
opposite the wind direction
downwards into the ocean
20°-40° off the wind direction
3
What process is critical to deep water and bottom water formation?
freshwater inflow
cloud cover
sea ice formation
evaporation
4
Oxygen became a major part of the Earth's atmosphere around 2.5 Ga because...
photosynthetic organisms proliferated
plate tectonics initiated
volcanoes erupted less
cosmic storms diminished
5
The ____ results in the pile up of water in the middle of the ocean basins.
Sverdup Quantile
Ekman Transport
Ekman Spiral
Geostrophic current
6
Which gas is not a GHG?
O2
CO2
CFCs
O3
7
The common root of all organisms on Earth today are:
archaea
bacteria
viruses
fungus
8
The Earth System consists of the following components:
atmosphere, biota, solid Earth, incoming solar radiation, continents
incoming solar radiation, hydrosphere, humans, clouds, solid Earth
hydrosphere, atmosphere, biota, solid Earth, incoming solar radiation
continents, hydrosphere, atmosphere, plants, incoming solar radiation
9
What are the principal constituents of the atmosphere in correct order and percent
nitrogen > oxygen > argon > carbon dioxide > water vapor
water > nitrogen > oxygen > hydrogen > carbon monoxide
nitrogen > oxygen > argon > water vapor > carbon dioxide
methane > nitrogen > oxygen > water > carbon dioxide
10
The Earth is often called the "blue planet" because ____ of its surface is covered by water.
50%
70%
30%
90%
11
The acronym ENSO stands for...
El Niño Southern Oscillation
El Niño Subsystem for Oceans
Extra-Normal Southern Oscillation
Elemental Nomenclature System for Oceans
12
The world deserts are concentrated at...
45°N and 45°S
30°N and 30°S
the equator
60°N and 60°S
13
Which GHG absorbs radiation at 10 micrometers wavelength
water vapor (H2O)
ozone (O3)
nitrous oxide (NO2)
methane (CH4)
14
An example of a successful climate policy where the agreed upon regulations were enacted and proven effective is...
UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992
The Kyoto Protocol of 1997
The Montreal Protocol of 1989
The Paris Climate Agreement
15
Reconstruction of the continents' past position relies on accurate determinations of paleolatitudes using...
measurement of the inclination of Earth's magnetic field
fossil remains to link continents together
the pattern of reversals in the magnetic field
measurement of the paleo-declination
16
The amount of outgoing radiation at the poles is...
greater than the incoming radiation
balanced with the incoming radiation
dependent on landmass area
less than the incoming radiation
17
What is the definition of a monsoon?
15 days of rain
7 months of clouds
a seasonal reversal of winds
a la Niña event
18
What is the function of ice cores in climate science?
they are used solely for predicting future weather patterns
they record old ice that had a different crystal structure 100000 years ago
they can measure current atmospheric pressure
Air bubbles trapped within ice provide historical records of climate change
19
The world ocean mixes on a timescale of...
50 years
10,000 years
250 years
1,500 years
20
Of the following parts of the cryosphere, which one will have the greatest impact on sea level?
ice sheets
frozen ground
sea ice
river and lake ice
21
What is special about Earth's atmospheric pressure and temperature conditions with respect to water?
they help keep water clean
they create more frequent rainstorms
it is stable in all three phases
it moves energy around the Earth
22
Which component of the cryosphere is currently contributing the most to sea level rise
the Antarctic ice sheet
global mountain glaciers
permafrost
the Greenland ice sheet
23
Which GHG is most abundant in Earth's atmosphere
nitrous oxide (NO2)
methane (CH4)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
water vapor (H2O)
24
Which body wave does velocity profile F correspond to in the diagram?
deep waves
S waves
surface waves
P waves
25
An increase in temperature that is equivalent to 10°C in a daisy-less world is ___ degrees cooler in Daisyworld
0°C
2°C
6°C
12°C
26
Water is most dense in the...
plasma phase
liquid phase
solid phase
vapor phase
27
The Equilibrium Line Altitude of a glacier is the place where...
where erosion is concentrated
the glacier gains mass
it is neither gaining nor losing mass
the amount of ice and water is equal
28
Stratus clouds are like a blanket because they _____ incoming solar radiation, but trap and reradiate _____ radiation.
are transparent to, trap
trap, visible
reflect, infrared
reflect, ultraviolet
29
Besides the Sun, which two things in the solar system are important to the Earth System?
the moon and Jupiter
Venus and Saturn
Jupiter and the asteroid belt
Saturn and Jupiter
30
In the oceans, upwelling occurs at zones...
near polar latitudes
near the ITCZ
of divergence
of convergence
31
Which global water reservoir has the most rapid turnover rate?
groundwater
oceans
lakes
atmosphere
32
The Earth's magnetic field...
experiences reversal events that are random in duration
is not measurable in rocks
experiences reversals at 16 Ma intervals
experiences random events on the seafloor, but regular ones on land
33
The Earth's atmosphere circulates because...
of the Earth's rotation on its axis
of the uneven distribution of incoming solar energy on Earth surface
the Earth's internal heat warms the surface
of the ITCZ
34
Which waves travel the fastest?
P-waves
S-waves
Love waves
Rayleigh waves
35
The source of dissolved cations and anions in the ocean is from...
hydrothermal vents at mid-ocean ridges
weathering of the continents
trees washed into the ocean
plankton shells
36
In the labeled diagram E corresponds to the:
lithosphere
core-mantle boundary
the ocean
Moho
37
The solar flux from a planet twice the distance from the sun than the Earth receives...
1/8 the energy
1/4 the energy
1/2 the energy
1/6 the energy
38
The lithosphere comprises...
only the crust
the uppermost mantle only
the uppermost mantle and crust
the asthenosphere and crust
39
Because of the Coriolis effect, the jet stream travels...
towards areas of high pressure
perpendicular to the pressure gradient
parallel to the pressure gradient
towards the poles
40
Life on Earth most likely began...
in pools of water at the Earth's surface
at hyrdothermal vents in the deep ocean
after the rise of oxygen on the planet
in the early Earth's surface oceans
41
At a divergent boundary earthquakes can have...
large magnitudes and occur at a wide range of depths
small magnitudes and occur at great depths
small magnitudes and occur at shallow depths
large magnitudes and occur at shallow depths
42
Mafic rocks are typical of...
basalt
continental crust
oceanic crust and basalt
oceanic crust
43
Over the last 250 years the max concentration of CO
2
in the atmosphere has risen from 280 ppmv to over...
400 ppmv
200%
300%
300 ppmv
44
What is the potential for global sea level rise if the Antarctic ice sheet melts completely ?
17.9 m
157 m
57.9 m
7.9 m
45
Glacial flow can be described as the balance of which two processes?
melting and freezing
expansion and contraction
deformation and sliding
erosion and deposition
46
What is the coupling between 1.) sea ice melt and albedo and 2.) albedo and surface temperature
Both are negative
1.) negative, 2.) positive
Both are positive
1.) positive, 2.) negative
47
An unconformity in a sequence of strata represents...
a period of high deposition rates
a change between terrestrial and marine environments
a profound change in fossils
a gap in time where no strata are deposited/preserved
48
The Earth absorbs ____ radiation from the sun and emits ____ radiation back to space
infrared, infrared
infrared, visible
ultraviolet, visible light
visible, infrared
49
Where is the evolution of the Earth, including its biota, archived in nature?
in organisms
in atmospheric chemistry
in rocks
in ocean water
50
Based on the table, which years were NOT ENSO years?
only during year 6
years 3 and 6
years 1, 2, 4, and 5
only year 1
51
This president created the U.S. EPA in 1970:
Richard Nixon
Lyndon B. Johnson
Gerald R. Ford
Jimmy Carter
52
Permafrost occupies how much area relative to modern ice sheets?
1.5x the area of modern ice sheets
50% the area of modern ice sheets
2x the area of modern ice sheets
The same area as modern ice sheets
53
The Coriolis effect occurs because of...
the tilt of Earth's axis
Earth's equator
Earth's rotation
Earth's internal heat
54
What is the focal mechanism for an earthquake that occurs on a reverse fault?
left focal mechanism
right focal mechanism
middle focal mechanism
55
What is the main mechanism that drives plate tectonics?
mantle convection
the moon's gravity
magmatism
outer core convection
56
What are the two major mechanisms by which glacier and ice sheets lose mass?
snowfall accumulation and meltwater runoff
meltwater runoff and sublimation
snow compaction and metamorphism
meltwater runoff and calving icebergs
57
What would happen if temperature shifted +15°C from the white dot
the system would change states to a positive feedback loop
the daisy feedback loop would reign in most of the change
nothing would happen
58
Of the 3000 kJ/kg of energy needed for solid water to become vapor, which part of the process uses the most energy
each change of state requires the same amount of energy
warming water from 0°C to 100°C
the transition from liquid to vapor
the solid to liquid transition
59
The tropopause is highest
is equal in height everywhere
in the mid-latitudes
at the poles
in the tropics
60
The halocline describes...
the abrupt change in salinity with depth
the abrupt change in temperature with depth
the abrupt change in density with depth
the gradual change in density from 1 to 5 km depth in the ocean
61
In the labeled diagram, A corresponds to...
inner core
crust
mantle
outer core
62
R&D spending by share of world total has increased by 15% from 2002 - 2012 in which country?
Russia
China
USA
European Union
63
What are the two most common ions dissolved in the oceans?
calcium and magnesium
sulfate and chloride
magnesium and carbonate
sodium and chloride
64
At 3,000 km depth, why does the velocity of G suddenly drop?
because S-waves slow down in liquid
because layer B is liquid
because C is liquid and B is solid
because temperature at the boundary between B and C drops drastically
65
If we consider Earth as a system, the meteorite impact at the K/T boundary would be considered a...
feedback
perturbation
positive coupling
forcing
66
Considering the whole Earth, which elements are the most abundant?
iron and nickel
aluminum, silica, potassium, oxygen
oxygen, silica, iron, magnesium
iron, sodium, oxygen, silica
67
Name the basic building blocks of silicates.
iron pyramid
the phosphate dodecahedron
silica tetrahedron
silica rhombus
68
Which material has the lowest albedo?
sand
snow
water
grass
69
Considering the Coriolis effect, what is the direction of the winds between the equator and 30°N and S
southerly
westerly
easterly
northerly
70
_______ rocks record information about past conditions at the Earth's surface.
sedimentary
igneous
metamorphic
71
GHGs absorb _____ radiation and emit _____ radiation.
ultraviolet, ultraviolet
infrared, ultraviolet
infrared, infrared
visible, infrared
72
The moon formed as a consequence of...
collision of a Mars sized planet with Earth
the asteroid collision that killed the dinosaurs
capture of a Pluto sized object
condensation of debris in the solar nebula
73
As a system, ENSO constitutes...
a positive feedback loop
a positive coupling between ocean and atmospheric temperature
a negative feedback loop
a forcing
74
What is the biggest concern regarding the thawing of permafrost?
massive GHG absorption
earthworm die-off
less land for arctic adapted animals
massive GHG release
75
Which of the following years are the hottest on record with respect to global temperature?
1975, 1993, 2023
1945, 1975, 2020
2016, 2023, 2024
1993, 2007, 2017
76
The gulf stream moves warm water
south
west
poleward
towards Africa
77
A spike in the concentration of iridium 65 million years ago and the synchronous mass extinction likely forms...
a global glaciation
an asteroid impact
volcanic eruptions
shifting continents
78
What is responsible for the circulation of the ocean's surface currents?
atmospheric circulation
ocean temperature gradients
wobble of the axis of rotation
variation in solar energy
79
Which line on the graph represents the relationship between number of events and earthquake magnitude
B
A
C
80
The boundaries between the different layers in the atmosphere are defined by local minima and maxima in...
pressure
water content
argon concentration
temperature
