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