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APES - Earth Systems
APES - Earth Systems
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AP Environmental Science review covering Earth Systems.
Flashcards
100 cards
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Practice quiz
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Questions
100
Answers
1
What type of irrigation usually comes from an aqueduct system or a nearby river? (<80% effic.)
Center Pivot
Drip Irrigation
Rotary System
Gravity Flow
2
What is the atmosphere?
Blanket of gases that increases in pressure with altitude.
A blanket of gases with a homogeneous density of molecules.
A thin blanket of gases surround earth, divided into layers.
A thick blanket of gases consisting of spherical layers.
3
Which of the following is NOT true regarding perennial crops?
They can live for many years without having to be replanted.
They are better adapted to regional soil than annuals.
Perennials result in more soil erosion than annuals.
There is no need to till the soil.
4
Where do active volcanoes occur?
Where lava reaches the earth's surface through a vent/crack.
Never along plate boundaries.
Only in hotspots, such as Hawaii.
Where magma reaches the earth's surface through a vent/crack
5
Which of the following statements regarding freshwater is NOT true?
It is one of the most important forms of natural capital.
1/6 people do not have sufficient access to clean water
Water is a well-managed & appreciated resource.
Only about 0.024% of all water is readily available to us.
6
Please list the different concentric zones of the earth, starting from the inner-most layer.
Crust, asthenosphere, mantle, core
Asthenosphere, crust, mantle, core
Core, asthenosphere, mantle, crust
Core, mantle, asthenosphere, crust
7
List examples of the following, in order: sedimentary rock, metamorphic rock, igneous rock.
Lava rock; marble; lignite
Bituminous coal; marble; granite
Granite; slate; dolomite
Dolomite; granite; marble
8
What is climate? (Click all that apply).
An area's general pattern of atmospheric conditions
General patterns that occur over at least 3 decades
Short-term atmospheric conditions that change often
Weather patterns of the last week averaged together.
9
All of the following describe air circulation cells except:
They are also known as ENSO.
Global air circulation patterns caused by uneven heating.
They include, from equator to poles: Hadley, Ferrel, Polar.
They are caused by the Coriolis effect.
10
Why does climate vary in different parts of the earth?
All of the options are correct reasons.
Ocean currents distribute heat and precipitation unevenly.
Global air circulation patterns distribution
Uneven heating of the earth's surface by the sun.
11
All of the following describe internal geologic processes except:
Processes generated by heat from the earth's interior
Processes driven directly or indirectly by solar energy.
Processes that may form mountains and volcanoes.
Processes that build up the earth's surface
12
What is an earthquake?
When energy suddenly forms and causes underground vibrations
Shaking caused by fracturing of divergent plate boundary
Shaking caused by formation of convergent plates
Shaking of ground caused by fracturing/displacement of rock
13
Volcanoes spew ash into the air, causing a volcanic winter. This is an example of what?
Negative feedback (more ash, greater albedo effect)
Negative feedback (more ash, less cold penetrating surface)
Positive feedback (more ash, greater heating of surface).
A positive feedback loop (more ash, weaker albedo effect)
14
What are/were CFCs used for?
All of the following are/were uses for CFCs.
Cleaners for electric parts such as computer chips
Coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators
Propellants in aerosol spray cans
15
Which of the following are characteristics of the rock cycle?
It plays a major role in forming concentrated deposits
It involves, in order: erosion, weathering, transportation.
Rocks are broken down, melted, fused together and heated.
It is the slowest of the earth's cyclic processes.
16
Which of the following are characteristics of atmospheric pressure? (Check all that apply)
Decreases with altitude.
Would be weakest at sea level.
It is the force, or mass, per unit area of a column of air.
It is the force caused by the bombardment of molecules
17
Which of the following regarding tectonic plates is true?
Tectonic plates' boundaries are not active at the surface.
They do not cause/form mountains, volcanoes, or earthquakes.
Much geologic activity at the surface occurs at boundaries
Continental plates usually ride below oceanic plates.
18
What type of irrigation uses underground water sprayed from mobile booms with sprinklers?
Gravity Flow
Rotary System
Center Pivot
Drip Irrigation
19
What are aquatic life zones? (Choose all that apply).
They are portions that are able to support life.
Saltwater and freshwater portions of the biosphere
They only contain oceans, bays and estuaries.
They include only lakes, rivers, streams.
20
Please list the layers of the atmosphere in order (starting from layer nearest to surface).
Troposp., Stratosp., Mesosphere, Thermosp., Exosphere
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
Stratosphere, Troposphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere
Thermosphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Troposphere
21
Which of the following are true regarding the process of desalination? (Select all that apply).
It does not involve using chemicals to sterilize water.
Methods include distillation and reverse osmosis.
It involves removing dissolved salts from ocean/salty water.
Saudi Arabia gets ~70% of its drinking water from it.
22
About 75-80% of the earth's air mass is found in the
Stratosphere
Thermosphere
Exosphere
Troposphere
23
Which of the following events are capable of causing mudslides? (Choose all that apply).
Earthquakes
Volcanic eruptions
Heavy rains
Droughts
24
All of the following are characteristics of a Love wave except:
It is a surface wave that moves like S waves.
It rolls like ocean waves, up-down and sideways
It moves the ground from side to side at right angles.
It is very damaging to the foundations of structures.
25
Which indirect effect directly impacts seasons?
The angle of the moon.
Differences in solar intensity and day length.
The rotation of the earth around the sun.
The earth's rotation and its tilt of 23.5 degrees.
26
What is foliation?
Ability of a mineral to break, when struck, along directions
Scratchability, or hardness, of
The ratio of mass of substance to mass of volume of water
The texture of metamorphic rocks due to alignment & pressure
27
Which of the following describe the Ring of Fire?
Located at edges of Pacific Ocean, at plate boundaries.
All of preceding options are correct.
It is where about 90% of all earthquakes occur.
String of volcanoes and seismic activity sites
28
How is the thermohaline conveyor belt driven by changes in both temperature and salinity?
It is driven by the resulting changes in density of water
It is driven by the amount of species capable surviving.
It is driven by temperature only.
It is driven by changes in air pressure.
29
All of the following can cause tsunamis except:
When certain types of faults in ocean floor move up or down
When the ocean floor suddenly rises or drops
A landslide caused by an earthquake
All of these can cause tsunamis.
30
Two examples of igneous rock include:
Limestone and lignite
Marble and slate
Sandstone and shale
Lava rock and granite
31
Describe the process in which stratospheric ozone forms.
Oxygen in the troposphere interacts with UV radiation.
Oxygen reacts with UV to form photochemical smog.
Oxygen molecules interact with particulate matter
Oxygen molecules in the stratosphere interact with UV
32
The roots of most plants and the majority of a soil's organic matter are concentrated in:
The A horizon and E horizon
The O horizon and A horizon
The O horizon only.
The A horizon and B horizon
33
Which of the following is NOT a reason why some consider a projected extinction rate of 1% low?
Extinction rates were completely miscalculated.
Current rates in certain areas are already much higher.
We continue to eliminate biologically diverse environments.
Rates are likely to increase sharply in the next century.
34
What is a watershed?
The saturation of soil with water, flooding the water table.
Upper surface of the zone of saturation.
Land area that delivers water & sediment to a major stream.
Rough measure of volume of water we use to support ourselves
35
What type of boundary forms when oceanic plates slide & grind past one another along fractures?
A trench boundary
A subduction zone
Oceanic ridges
A transform fault
36
What is sedimentary rock?
Forms below or on earth's surface when lava cools.
Forms when rock undergoes high temperatures or pressures.
Made of dead plant and animal remains and weathered rocks.
Examples include sandstone, shale, slate, and marble.
37
All of the following are characteristics of the stratosphere except:
Its concentration of ozone is extremely low.
Extends about 17 to 48 km above earth's surface.
It contains less matter than the troposphere
It volume of water vapor is 1/1000 that of the troposphere.
38
Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Ogallala Aquifer in the United States?
It supplies about 1/3 of all groundwater in the USA.
It lies under 8 midwestern states
It has forced the Great Plains to become a barren farmland.
It is the world's largest known aquifer.
39
What are the most widely used nonmetallic minerals?
Sand and phosphate salts.
Phosphate salts and gravel.
Sand and gravel.
Sand and limestone.
40
Which of the following describe the characteristics of a shield volcano?
Very gentle slopes; convex upward; quiet; fluid lava flows
Very small; less than 300m high
Gentle lower slopes, but steep upper slopes; explosive
Steep conical hill with straight sides; explosive
41
What is weather? (Click all that may apply).
Includes several factors in a given area over a short period
A set of physical conditions of the lower atmosphere
The general pattern of atmospheric conditions over time.
The averaged conditions of a given area over much time.
42
Which of the following correctly lists, by (%), the present-day composition of the atmosphere?
CO2, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, water vapor, trace gases.
Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, CO2, Water vapor, trace gases
Oxygen, nitrogen, argon, CO2, water vapor, trace gases
Nitrogen, oxygen, CO2, argon, water vapor, trace gases
43
All of the following describe a
transition zone
except:
The water is faster flowing, and has more DO.
The water can be more turbid from suspended sediment.
Main streams merge to form wider, deeper, warmer streams
More fish species with lower O2 demand are supported.
44
What type of irrigation is b/w 90-95% efficient and delivers water to individual plant roots?
LEPA Center pivot
Rotary systems
Gravity Flow
Drip Irrigation
45
Which of the following describe the characteristics of a cinder cone volcano?
Gentle lower slopes, but steep upper slopes; concave upward
Very large, approx. 1-10km in diameter.
Steep conical hill with straight sides.
Very gentle slopes; convex upward.
46
What is high-grade ore?
It contains a small concentration of the desired mineral.
It is not as profitable as low-grade ore.
Identified resources from which we can extract minerals
It contains a large concentration of the desired mineral.
47
All of the following are characteristics of a mineral except:
Occurs naturally in the earth's crust as crystalline solid
Contains large enough concentration of particular mineral
It is an element or inorganic ompound
May have a regularly repeating internal atomic arrangement
48
Which of the following would conserve soil?
High-yield polyculture
Monocultures
Soil salinization
Aquifer depletion
49
What is salinity?
The measure of dissolved salt in oceanic water.
The measure of salinity and its impact on turbidity.
The measure of dissolved salt in water in general.
The measure of turbidity and salt averaged together.
50
What are tectonic plates?
A zone of hot, melted rock that flows like plastic.
Areas of the lithosphere that move slowly around the mantle.
The flows of energy and heated material in convection cells.
The outermost and thinnest zone of the earth.
51
What is a tributary?
Areas nearest the river's course that are often flooded.
A smaller river flowing into a smaller one.
A smaller stream flowing into a
A smaller river/stream flowing into a larger river or lake.
52
Describe the process that forms oceanic ridges.
When plates slide and grind past one another.
When two oceanic plates collide.
When continental plates move apart, causing magma to rise.
When oceanic plates move apart, magma flows through cracks.
53
Several volcanoes have erupted in Fremont since 2010. What is a plausible prediction?
A volcanic winter.
A decrease in the amount of air pollution.
A volcanic summer.
A decrease in the amount of sulfur in the air.
54
Characterize the following by plate boundary: Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Himalayas, San Andreas fault
Convergent; divergent; transform
Transform; convergent; divergent
Divergent; convergent; transform
Divergent; transform; convergent
55
What are inland wetlands?
Lands located away from coastal areas covered in freshwater.
They are always seasonal wetlands.
Lands near coastal areas covered in salty water.
Lands away from the coast covered in water for a short time
56
Which of the following is NOT a benefit of floods?
Support biodiversity & aquatic ecological services.
Recharge groundwater & help refill wetlands.
Create and deposit nutrient-rich silt in floodplains.
Kill thousands of people and cause much property damage.
57
Chemists Sherwood Rowland and Mario Molina were known for their work regarding
CFCs and how they destroy "good" ozone in troposphere.
Persistent CFCs and how they destroy protective ozone.
Climate change caused by lingering CFC propellants.
Climate change caused excess atmospheric CO2.
58
What is the major benefit of having a healthy ozone layer?
It blocks all harmful waves of radiation.
It prevents both UV-B and UV-C from reaching earth.
It prevents most UV-B from reaching earth's surface.
It prevents UV-C from reaching earth's surface.
59
All of the following are characteristics of the formation of oceanic gyres except:
They move clockwise in the N. Hemisphere
They move cold water from the poles to the equator.
They bring cool air to coastline, warm air to continents
They form when water moves direction of prevailing winds
60
What natural services do inland wetlands provide? (Choose all that may apply).
Maintaining biodiversity by providing habitats.
Reducing flooding, erosion, and overflows.
Natural recharge of groundwater aquifers.
Filtering and degrading toxic wastes and pollutants.
61
What are trade winds? (Choose all that apply).
Surface winds that blow East to West
They form the Ferrel cells
In N. Hemisphere: N to E; in S. Hemisphere: S. to E
Pattern of easterly surface winds in the tropics
62
What is the lithosphere?
It includes only the continental and oceanic crusts.
It consists only of the layer above the asthenosphere.
The combination of both the crust and the outer mantle.
It is the outermost and thinnest zone of the earth.
63
The largest circulation of water on earth is a direct result of changes in:
Temperature and salinity.
Wind patterns and salinity.
Temperature and wind patterns.
Temperature and precipitation
64
All of the following are benefits of volcanic eruptions except:
They reduce the loss of human life.
The weathering of lava contributes to fertile soil.
They form lakes (e.g. Crater Lake)
They form majestic mountains
65
What is the Tectonic Cycle?
Climate change, geographic barriers, extinction, & volcanoes
Theory that lithosphere made up of plates that always move.
Sum of methods that build up & break down the asthenosphere
Sum of processes that build up & break down the lithosphere
66
Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Colorado River?
Little from the river reaches the sea due to overuse.
Its water is used to produce about 1% of all US crops
Water from the river supports cities in desert-like climate.
It has experienced prolonged drought since 1999.
67
What is weathering?
When acid deposition quickly breaks down monuments.
The different processes that break down rocks into soil.
Internal processes that build up the earth's surface.
The climactic changes in weather.
68
All of the following are characteristics of a stratovolcano except:
Explosive; numerous layers of lava
large, approx. 1-10 km in diameter
Very quiet; volcanic materials consist of cinders.
Gentle lower slopes, but steep upper slopes; concave upward
69
All of the following describe a
source zone
except:
Water tumbles downward over obstacles, dissolving O2
Where headwaters are usually shallow, cold, clear, and swift
Most of the plants are algae and mosses attached to rocks.
Populated by warm-water fish needing dissolved oxygen.
70
Which of the following is NOT a true statement regarding earth's water composition?
Ground ice & permafrost hold only 30% of surface freshwater
The atmosphere contains 3% of the surface freshwater.
Groundwater makes up 30.1% of earth's freshwater.
Glaciers and ice caps make up 68.7% of the freshwater.
71
What is seafloor spreading?
Movement & spreading of ocean crust above continental crust.
When lava pushes & spreads seafloor u from subsurface.
Spreading of ocean crust solely due to earthquakes.
Formation of new ocean crust as result of magma pushing up.
72
All of the following are characteristics of an S wave except:
They are a slower type of secondary wave
it shears rock sideways at right angles
Not very damaging to structures.
It cannot propagate in the liquid parts of the earth
73
Which of the following does NOT involve the iron catastrophe?
When the melting point of iron was reached.
When iron flowed toward the interior because of gravity.
When heavy elements such as Al and Na moved to the core.
Silicon and oxygen were moved to form the mantle and crust.
74
When does desertification occur? (Choose all that apply).
When forest fires prevent erosion from occurring.
When deforestation allows for more annual plants to grow.
When productive potential of topsoil falls by >10%
When overgrazing and deforestation reduce/degrade topsoil.
75
Which of the following describe an El Niño effect (see image below)?
I, II, IV only
I, II, III only.
I and II only.
I, II, III, and IV.
76
All of the following are characteristic of floodplain zones except:
Water has higher temperatures and less dissolved oxygen
Streams join into wider, deeper rivers
Fairly large populations are usually supported.
Water is never muddy, and contains low amounts of silt.
77
Which of the following describe La Niña?
Occurs along the tropical west coast of South America.
Usually causes cooler than normal temperatures.
Usually causes with warm ocean temperatures in Pacific Ocean
Climate pattern that describes cooling of surface waters
78
Which of the following does NOT describe the process of upwelling?
Movement of nutrient-rich bottom water to ocean's surface.
Usually takes place along certain steep coastal areas.
During El Nino, it is reduced along the Peruvian coast.
Occurs when cold water is pushed away & warm water rises.
79
What are Hadley cells? (Choose all that apply).
They involve the prevailing westerlies.
Where air rises at equator and sinks at medium latitudes.
Large scale atmospheric convection cells
Convection currents that cycle N & S of the poles.
80
A soil with 30% clay, 50% sand, and 20% silt is called:
Sandy Loam
Sandy Clay
Sandy Clay Loam
Loamy Sand
81
Which one of the following does NOT describe characteristics of the earth's core?
It is the zone of hot, partly-melted rock that flows.
It is extremely hot and has a solid inner part.
It is surrounded by a liquid core of molten/semisolid matter
It is the earth's innermost zone.
82
Which of the following describe volcanic hotspots? (Click all that apply).
They are places within the mantle where magma is generated.
They are located along the Pacific Plate boundaries
An example is the Hawaiian volcanoes within the Pac. Plate
They are created by anomalous volcanism
83
What is the focus of an earthquake?
Place where an earthquake begins, below surface.
Located above the surface.
Located where an earthquake ends.
Located directly above epicenter
84
Which of the following is NOT a correct statement regarding water on the earth?
Salty oceans cover 71% of the earth's surface.
Freshwater systems cover over 2.2% of the earth's surface.
Salty oceans contain 97% of the earth's water.
Interconnected oceans cover 90% of earth's ocean hemisphere
85
Which soil horizon(s) contain(s) most of a soil's inorganic matter? (Choose all that may apply)
R Horizon
A Horizon
B Horizon
C Horizon
86
All of the following are characteristics of P waves except:
It moves like sound waves (spreads out, compresses, dilutes)
It shears rock sideways at right angles
They can travel through both solid rock and liquid material.
They are fastest type of wave
87
All of the following are characteristics of Rayleigh waves except:
It travels like rolling ocean waves.
Move both vertically and horizontally in a vertical plane.
Do not produce perpendicular or transverse waves
It travels faster than Love waves.
88
A crown fire recently broke out in Fremont, destroying many trees. What is a valid projection?
Another fire will break out soon.
It will start raining more in the area for compensation
Soil erosion will increase b/c of the lack of trees.
Soil erosion will decrease due to new plants after the fire.
89
Which of the following are examples of ozone-depleting chemicals (indicate all that apply).
Methyl bromide (fumigant) and hydrogen chloride
Halons and HBFCs (used in fire extinguishers).
Hexachlorobutadiene
Carbon tetrachloride, methyl chloroform, n-propyl bromide
90
What is a rock?
It is made only of sediments.
A concentration of naturally occurring material from crust.
A solid combination of one or more minerals found in crust.
Contains large enough concentrations of a profitable mineral
91
What is biological extinction?
The complete disappearance of a species from the earth.
The disappearance of a population, or group of organisms.
The destruction of an entire ecosystem.
The depletion of a commercially-valuable species.
92
What is mass extinction?
The extinction of many species in a relatively short period
When global changes occur in climactic conditions.
When a single species can no longer be found on Earth.
When an existing species outcompetes another.
93
Which of the following is not an effect of El Nino?
Flooding in Bolivia, Ecuador, Northern Peru, and Cuba.
Droughts in southern Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and Australia
Hurricanes in Hawaii, Brazil, and Ecuador.
Hurricanes in Tahiti and Hawaii.
94
What are estuaries?
Coastal land areas covered with water all/part of the year.
When rivers meet the sea, mixing water as well as nutrients
Unproductive ecosystems with low nutrient levels.
Harsh coastal ecosystems with only occasional water changes
95
Briefly describe the process of subduction.
When oceanic and continental plates collide and rise up.
When oceanic plates move apart, creating ocean ridges.
Continental crust rides over and pushes down oceanic plate.
Oceanic plate rides over and pushes continental into mantle.
96
Which of the following is NOT a problem associated with widespread use of desalination?
All of these options are problems regarding desalination.
Huge amounts of salty wastewater produced.
High cost due to expensive energy needed for removing salt.
Need for large pipes and chemicals, which kills marine life
97
What is natural recharge?
Natural process of restoring nitrates into soil.
Natural restoration of valuable resources such as trees.
Natural replenishment of a watershed in a sensitive area.
Natural replenishment of an aquifer by precipitation.
98
All of the following are ways in which metamorphic rock forms except:
When animal and plant remains are deposited in layers.
When preexisting rock is subjected to high pressures
When chemically active fluids reform preexisting rocks.
When rock is subjected to high temperatures
99
What is the Coriolis effect? (Choose all that may apply).
It is the weakest at the poles, strongest at equator.
The effect is strongest at the poles, nonexistent at equator
The apparent curvature of global winds and ocean currents.
Occurs due to the rotation of the Earth on its axis.
100
Which of the following is NOT true regarding nutrient cycling in tropical rain forests?
Nutrient uptake by plants is improved by fungi.
Decaying matter is processed quickly b/c of many decomposers
The majority of nutrients are locked up in vegetation.
The nutrients sit within the bedrock.
