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