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