Ch 7: On Venus, liquid water...

exists, but high up in the atmosphere

Ch 11: To determine a planet’s average density, we can use

the transit and radial velocity methods together

The “Tiger Stripes” of Enceladus are a result of what geologic process?

Fractures due to tidal distortion of the moon’s surface.

Ch 11: Jupiter has had an important effect on life on Earth because

its gravity helped clear inner solar system of potential impactors

Ch 12: Two-way conversation with other societies is probably unlikely, even if we make contact. This is mainly because:

time it takes for signals to reach other societies could be centuries plus

Which of the following techniques have been used to estimate the age of Mars’s surface?

Crater counting based on satellite imagery

Ch 10: Venus’s atmosphere has much more carbon dioxide than Earth’s because:

Venus lacks oceans in which carbon dioxide can be dissolved

A protoplanetary disk is

a disk of matter surrounding a young star that may eventually form planets

An asteroid gets a new orbit TWICE its original radius, the force of gravity from the Sun is now…

One-quarter the force from when it was closer

Ch 11: Compared to a K-Type star, an A-Type star is generally:

hotter, more luminous, and more massive

Ch 9: Which of the following is NOT a case for life on Europa?

We have detected CH4 in its atmosphere, a potential biosignature

The Gaia Hypothesis argues that…

Life on a planet helps keep the planet habitable by self-regulating

Ch 9: Photosynthesis is an unlikely source of energy for life in Europa’s subsurface ocean primarily because

Europa's ice cover is too thick

Ch 13: The idea that the Milky Way Galaxy might be home to a civilization millions of years more advanced than ours is

one reasonable solution to Fermi’s paradox

The Fermi Paradox is paradoxical because…

We haven’t found any other civilizations, but expect there should be some

Earth has far less atmospheric carbon dioxide than Venus because…

much of Earth’s carbon dioxide is locked up in carbonate rocks

We can distinguish rocky, icy, and gaseous exoplanets using data from…

Radial Velocity combined with Transits

Ch 10: Why are hydrothermal vents (which may also be on Europa) a good Origin of Life candidate?

chemical dis-EQ conditions promote chemical rxns at rock/water interface

Ch 7: Oxygen and carbon are...

the third and fourth most abundant elements in the universe

Ch 9: It’s assumed that, even if Europa has life, the total amount of that life will be small. That’s because:

there are likely to be only limited sources of energy for life

Ch 8: Which must be true if Mars was warmer and wetter in the past?

Mars once had a much thicker atmosphere.

Planetary atmospheres that are unprotected by a global magnetic field are more prone to...

solar wind stripping away their atmosphere

Why are volcanoes on Mars like Olympus Mons able to become so large?

Mars is a smaller planet and has weaker surface gravity

Ch 8: The Viking experiments found

results that were inconclusive about the possibility of life on Mars

Ch 9: Which statement about synchronous rotation (like that of our Moon) is true?

It's common & results from tidal forces exerted on moons by parent planets

Ch 7: Frozen lakes often have liquid water beneath their icy surfaces primarily because...

ice floats and provides insulation to the water below

What is one reason why the liquid hydrocarbons found on Titan would be less hospitable for life than liquid water?

They are less able to dissolve large compounds than water

Ch 9: Where might we find liquid water on Titan?

beneath the surface, near sources of "icy volcanism"

Ch 9: The moons of Saturn may have large amounts of ammonia and methane ice, while those of Jupiter do not because

lower temps at Saturn’s distance from the Sun -> NH3 and CH4 able to freeze

Which of the following is most disrupted during Snowball Earth events?

Chemical reactions in the carbonate-silicate cycle

Which of the following puts the stages of solar system formation in the correct order?

Solar nebula->Protoplanetary disk->Gas giants form->rocky planets form

Ch 12: The end result of a calculation with the Drake equation is intended to be an estimate of

# of worlds in the galaxy on which civs are currently transmitting signals

Which of the following is a reason Earth’s interior was hotter in the Hadean?

There were more radioactive elements in the interior.

Ch 13: The amount of energy needed to accelerate a large spaceship to a speed close to the speed of light is

100x the amount of energy used by the entire world in a year

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AB115 "final review" fall 2024

95 termsStudBud Administration102 plays

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Questions 95

Answers

1
Ch 7: On Venus, liquid water...
does not exist anywhere at all
exists as ice in canyons hidden from the hot surface
exists, but high up in the atmosphere
exists, but only deep underground
2
If life began tomorrow (!) in Mars's subsurface, we would expect the first Martian to be a…
Photoautotroph
Chemoautotroph
Chemoheterotroph
Photoheterotroph
3
Ch 11: To determine a planet’s average density, we can use
the astrometric and radial velocity methods together
the transit and radial velocity methods together
the transit method alone
4
The “Tiger Stripes” of Enceladus are a result of what geologic process?
Collisions of ice plates on top of a liquid water layer.
Cometary impacts after the late heavy bombardment.
Erosion by ancient rivers caused by impacts that melted the icy surface.
Fractures due to tidal distortion of the moon’s surface.
5
Ch 11: According to current statistics, about what percentage of all stars have planets?
about 15%
at least 70%
about 50%
less than 1%
6
Ch 11: Jupiter has had an important effect on life on Earth because
its gravity helped clear inner solar system of potential impactors
Jupiter’s heat has helped supply energy to life
without Jupiter, Earth could not have a stable orbit around the Sun
7
The oldest parts of Earth’s crust are…
Continental crust
Oceanic crust near subduction zones
We don’t know because we haven’t dated enough of the planet
Oceanic crust near mid-ocean ridges
8
Ch 12: Two-way conversation with other societies is probably unlikely, even if we make contact. This is mainly because:
time it takes for signals to reach other societies could be centuries plus
aliens won’t understand our language
it might be dangerous to get in touch
9
Which of the following techniques have been used to estimate the age of Mars’s surface?
measurements of Hydrogen isotopes in the martian atmosphere by Rovers
Crater counting based on satellite imagery
Radiometric dating of Mars's surface by Mars Rovers
all of these
10
Ch 10: Venus’s atmosphere has much more carbon dioxide than Earth’s because:
Venus has volcanoes that outgas much more CO2 than volcanoes on Earth
Venus began in region of the solar system where more CO2 gas was present
Venus lacks oceans in which carbon dioxide can be dissolved
11
Ch 11: Compared to the habitable zone of our Sun, the habitable zone of a lower-mass star is
smaller and closer in
hotter and much brighter
larger and farther out
12
Sun-like stars in our galaxy are
very rare (less than 1%)
typical, making up 50% of the total
somewhat rare (less than 10%)
most common type of star (90%)
13
A protoplanetary disk is
a disk of matter that surrounds a young, newly-formed planet
a disk of matter surrounding a young star that may eventually form planets
a disk of matter that forms as a planet is broken apart during collisions
14
An asteroid gets a new orbit TWICE its original radius, the force of gravity from the Sun is now…
One-half the force from when it was closer
One-quarter the force from when it was closer
Twice as much as it was when it was closer.
The same as when it was closer
15
Ch 11: Compared to a K-Type star, an A-Type star is generally:
hotter, more luminous, and less massive
cooler, dimmer, and less massive
hotter, more luminous, and more massive
16
Ch 9: Which of the following is NOT a case for life on Europa?
We expect elements needed for life to be present in its ocean & seafloor
There is strong but indirect evidence that Europa has a liquid water ocean
We have detected CH4 in its atmosphere, a potential biosignature
There are possible energy sources to support life
17
The Gaia Hypothesis argues that…
Life on a planet helps keep the planet habitable by self-regulating
Planets are generally habitable
Earth is the only habitable planet
Planets naturally become habitable over time
18
Ch 9: Photosynthesis is an unlikely source of energy for life in Europa’s subsurface ocean primarily because
there is no soil on which plants could grow
Europa's ice cover is too thick
sunlight at the distance of Jupiter is too weak to provide energy at all
19
Ch 13: The idea that the Milky Way Galaxy might be home to a civilization millions of years more advanced than ours is
one reasonable solution to Fermi’s paradox
a virtual certainty
extremely unlikely
20
The Fermi Paradox is paradoxical because…
Most biosignatures can be false positives
It doesn’t account for dark matter
We haven’t found any other civilizations, but expect there should be some
We don’t expect to find any other civilizations, but we exist
21
Which of the following least determines a planet’s surface temperature?
Greenhouse gases
Atmospheric Pressure
Planetary albedo
Solar irradiation
22
Ch 13: Rocket engines used on our current spacecraft are powered by...
nuclear energy
chemical energy
matter-antimatter annihilation
dark energy
23
Earth can be pushed into a Snowball episode by…
Carbon-Silicate Cycle
Global warming
Ice-albedo feedback
The greenhouse effect
24
Ch 7: Compared to liquid water, liquid methane is...
colder
denser
hotter
spicier
25
Earth has far less atmospheric carbon dioxide than Venus because…
Earth’s carbon dioxide was lost in the giant impact that formed the Moon
Earth was had less CO2 than Venus to begin with
much of Earth’s carbon dioxide is locked up in carbonate rocks
26
We can distinguish rocky, icy, and gaseous exoplanets using data from…
Radial Velocity combined with Transits
Radial Velocity combined with Microlensing
Transits combined with Direct imaging
Radial Velocity
27
Ch 10: Why are hydrothermal vents (which may also be on Europa) a good Origin of Life candidate?
chemical dis-EQ conditions promote chemical rxns at rock/water interface
vents are a habitat for tube worms, an organism very low on tree of life
modern vents on earth do not create life due to changing ocean chemistry
the origin of life could only have happened in an ocean
28
Ch 7: Oxygen and carbon are...
found only on rocky planets
found only on worlds close to a star
rarer than almost all other elements
the third and fourth most abundant elements in the universe
29
Ch 9: It’s assumed that, even if Europa has life, the total amount of that life will be small. That’s because:
there are likely to be only limited sources of energy for life
Europa is very small, and thus there’s not much room for life to develope
the subsurface ocean will be cold, slowing down metabolism
30
Ch 8: Minerals in some of the surface rocks studied by Mars Rovers seem to tell us that the rocks...
formed in liquid water
were formed by aliens
hold fossil evidence of life
were formed by impacts
31
Ch 8: Which must be true if Mars was warmer and wetter in the past?
Mars must somehow have avoided the effects of the heavy bombardment.
Mars once had a much thicker atmosphere.
Mars once had global ocean
Mars was once closer to the Sun.
32
Ch 9: Why were scientists so surprised to find active geology on Enceladus?
because it lacks any possibility of tidal heating
because it is so small
because it is so far from the Sun
33
Ch 11: Which method could detect a planet in an orbit that is face-on to Earth?
astrometric method
radial velocity method
transit method
34
Planetary atmospheres that are unprotected by a global magnetic field are more prone to...
runaway greenhouse effect warming their atmosphere
solar wind stripping away their atmosphere
rapid cooling events creating global glacial episodes
35
Why are volcanoes on Mars like Olympus Mons able to become so large?
Mars is a smaller planet and has weaker surface gravity
Plate tectonics is more intense on Mars
Volcanic activity is more intense on Mars
The rock on Mars is stronger
36
Ch 8: The Viking experiments found
(supposed) clear evidence of past life on Mars
no evidence of life on Mars
(supposed) clear evidence of current life on Mars
results that were inconclusive about the possibility of life on Mars
37
Ch 9: Which statement about synchronous rotation (like that of our Moon) is true?
It's common & results from tidal forces exerted on moons by parent planets
It can develop only for moons with subsurface liquid oceans
It's very rare, with our Moon being only example of it our solar system
It's a complete myth
38
Ch 7: Frozen lakes often have liquid water beneath their icy surfaces primarily because...
sunlight penetrates the ice and warms the water below
friction in the water keeps it liquid
Earth’s internal heat keeps the water liquid
ice floats and provides insulation to the water below
39
What is one reason why the liquid hydrocarbons found on Titan would be less hospitable for life than liquid water?
They are less able to dissolve large compounds than water
They are too viscous
They often contain toxic heavy metals
They evaporate too quickly for life to persist
40
Ch 9: Where might we find liquid water on Titan?
in lakes and rivers on the surface
beneath the surface, near sources of "icy volcanism"
as droplets in high-altitude clouds
41
Which gas was NOT present soon after the big bang?
methane
helium
hydrogen
42
Volcanism can be driven by…
All of these
Hot spots from the mantle
Diverging plate boundaries
Tidal heating
43
Ch 9: The moons of Saturn may have large amounts of ammonia and methane ice, while those of Jupiter do not because
volcanoes on Jupiter's surface melt the ices
CH4 and NH3 come only from comets that exist in the Oort cloud
Jupiter’s strong magnetic field encourages water ice to form
lower temps at Saturn’s distance from the Sun -> NH3 and CH4 able to freeze
44
Ch 10: As the Sun ages, the habitable zone will
move outward and grow wider
stay about the same width as it is now
move outward but get narrower
45
Ch 11: A Jupiter-mass planet far from its star would be the best candidate for what type of detection?
Direct Imaging
Astrometry
Radial Velocity
Transit
46
Which of the following is most disrupted during Snowball Earth events?
Ice-albedo feedback
Chemical reactions in the carbonate-silicate cycle
Plate tectonics
The greenhouse effect
47
Which of the following puts the stages of solar system formation in the correct order?
Protoplanetary disk->Solar nebula->Gas giants form->rocky planets form
Solar nebula->Protoplanetary disk->rocky planets form->Gas giants form
Solar nebula->Protoplanetary disk->Gas giants form->rocky planets form
Protoplanetary disk->Solar nebula->rocky planets form->Gas giants form
48
Ch 12: The end result of a calculation with the Drake equation is intended to be an estimate of
# of worlds in the galaxy on which intelligent life has arisen
# of worlds in the galaxy on which civs are currently transmitting signals
# of worlds in the galaxy on which life has arisen
49
Which of the following is a reason Earth’s interior was hotter in the Hadean?
Moon was closer and reflected more heat from the sun
The Sun was hotter and it warmed Earth more than it does today.
Earth’s atmosphere was thicker, trapping more heat.
There were more radioactive elements in the interior.
50
Ch 13: The amount of energy needed to accelerate a large spaceship to a speed close to the speed of light is
100x the amount of energy used by the entire world in a year
100x the energy needed for the launches that put the ISS in orbit
more than the amount of energy our Sun emits into space in a year
51
Ch 9: Which of the following is a defining physical characteristic of Enceladus?
polar ice caps
ice plumes
large mountains called cryovolcanoes
a hazy atmosphere
52
Ch 13: New Horizons is currently exiting our solar system. ~How long will it take to travel to the nearest stars?
109 years
103 years
100 years
105 years
53
Which of the following is an organic molecule?
H2O
CH4
CaCO3
CO2
54
Ch 11: The astrometric detection method
looks for changes in a stars position in the sky
was used only in the times of Isaac Newton
uses spectra to measure a star's radial motion
measure the atmospheric composition of exoplanets close to their star
55
The exoplanet detection method most successful at finding systems with multiple planets is…
Astrometry
Transit
Radial Velocity
Microlensing
56
The Drake equation is useful because…
It calculates things we cannot measure with less uncertainty
It is not at all useful to anyone. Ever.
It tells us the number of other civilizations out there
It helps us think about a hard question in a scientific way
57
What is the most convincing piece of evidence to suggest that Martian meteorites actually come from Mars?
They are relatively young igneous rocks.
They contain gases with a similar composition to the Martian atmosphere.
They are red in color.
They show evidence for having been in contact with water.
58
Ch 9: Chemical disequilibrium may be important in the search for the origin and distribution of life in the universe b/c
disEQ promotes chemical & physical reactions
disEQ is only achieved in atmospheres where there's life
disEQ conditions makes life impossible
disEQ slows down important reactions that would otherwise be too fast
59
Ch 11: Which is NOT a characteristic that makes for "Good Suns"? (stars that could support a long-lived habitable zone)
the star should allow planets around it to have nearly circular orbits
the star should have increasing luminosity to match planets decreasing heat
the star should have a long lifetime
the star should allow planets to have a variety of elements
60
Ch 7: On an asteroid that is twice as far as Earth from the Sun, the strength of sunlight would be...
1/4 as great as on Earth
twice as great as on Earth
1/8 as great as on Earth
1/2 as great as on Earth
61
Ch 10: . The inner boundary of the Sun’s habitable zone today is
between Venus and Earth
outside the orbit of Earth
inside the orbit of Venus
62
Ch 7: The reason Venus is so much hotter than Earth is that...
Venus has many more volcanoes than Earth
its thick CO2 atmosphere creates a far stronger greenhouse effect
Venus rotates faster than Earth
Venus's closer distance to the Sun makes sunlight 12x times stronger
63
Ch 11: Our best hope for determining that life exists on an exoplanet lies in
sending spacecraft to study the worlds up close
obtaining spectra that allow us to determine atmospheric composition
getting telescopic images with high enough resolution to see the life-forms
64
Which of the following is not evidence that Mars was warmer and wetter in the past?
Widespread valley networks
Presence of hydrated and phyllosilicate minerals
thin CO2 atmosphere
Heavily eroded old craters
65
Ch 11: The term super-Earth refers to a planet that is
larger than Earth but on a close-in orbit making it much hotter than Earth
the size of Earth but with more water
similar in composition to Earth but larger in size
66
Ch 10: The current concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide on Earth is
gradually rising but is only returning to its average value ca. 800,000 yrs
high recently, but lower than at many points in the last 800,000 years
higher than at any time in the last 800,000 years
67
Ch 10: Which of the following demonstrates that recent CO2 rise is primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels?
We can see smoke from fossil fuel plants rising into the atmosphere
fossil fuels are the only known source of CO2
atmospheric 13C/12C ratio is changing in a way that indicates fossil fuels
68
Ch 7: Which of the following are you most likely to find if you randomly examined a small jovian moon?
an abundance of heavy metals, such as gold
organic molecules
water ice
a basaltic surface
69
Ch 13: Which of the following questions best represents the Fermi paradox?
Why haven't aliens already invaded Earth and taken our resources?
Why can’t we travel faster than the speed of light?
Why haven't we found any evidence of a galactic civilization?
70
Ch 12: What is the distinguishing characteristic that those doing radio SETI experiments look for?
a signal containing the value of pi and other mathematical constants
a signal that extends over only a narrow band of frequencies
a signal that is an echo of an earthly broadcast
71
Oxygen levels first rose in Earth's atmosphere…
When aerobic animals started to evolve
When all the chemicals that reacted with surface oxygen were used up
When cyanobacteria started doing oxygenic photosynthesis
When plants started producing oxygen
72
Ch 13: Which best describes our current understanding of the possibility of fast interstellar travel through hyperspace?
We do not know enough to say whether such travel is actually possible
the idea of hyperspace is pure fantasy and has no basis in reality
Hyperspace travel is the method of choice for all advanced civilizations
73
Ch 9: Chemical disequilibrium is likely to be present in all the following places except in:
volcanic vents on ocean floors
solid ice exposed to the extreme cold of space
underground aquifers where thin films of liquid water move over rock
74
Life on Mars might be un-likely because…
Mars’ atmosphere has less O2, and life requires O2
Mars gets less sunlight than Earth, and life requires sunlight
Mars is cold, so H2O is likely to be frozen, and life requires liquid water
Mars has big T fluxes, and life can only live in a narrow temp. range
75
Ch 10: What evidence supports the idea that Venus once had enough water to fill oceans?
the measured ratio of deuterium relative to ordinary hydrogen
orbiter images show surface features that appear to be dried up shorelines
the claimed detection of phosphine in Venus’s atmosphere
76
The vast majority of the hydrogen and helium from the solar nebula...
became part of rocky planets but was later lost through their exospheres
became part of the gas giants, such as Jupiter and Saturn
became part of the Sun
was blown away from the solar system by the solar wind
77
Ch 8: Mars’s seasonal winds are driven primarily by...
vaporization of CO2 ice
speeding up and slowing down of the planet's rotation
vaporization of water ice
dust storms
78
M stars are good candidates for exoplanet detection using radial velocity because
They often have Hot Jupiters
There are a lot of them
All of these
They have a low mass
79
Why does Earth’s axial tilt vary less than Mars’?
Mars’ two moons constantly pull its rotation axis in different directions.
Mars is closer to Jupiter.
The stronger solar gravity at Earth’s orbital distance stabilizes its axis.
Mars lacks a large moon to stabilize its axis.
80
Which exoplanet detection method can give us information about the gases in its atmosphere?
Astrometry
Microlensing
Radial Velocity
Transit
81
Ch 8: If Mars once had much more CO2 in its atmosphere, most of this carbon dioxide is now...
frozen into the polar ice caps
gone, because it was lost to space
locked up in the form of carbonate rocks and minerals, like on Earth
returned to its core
82
Ch 8: When we say that liquid water is unstable on Mars, we mean that:
it is impossible for liquid water to exist on the surface
the water molecules don't bond the same way due to Mars' smaller gravity
a cup of water would shake uncontrollably
any liquid water on the surface would quickly either freeze or evaporate
83
Ch 7: Temperatures on Mercury are...
very hot in the day but very cold at night
not as bad as Arizona
always super hot
about the same as temperatures on Venus
84
Ch 10: How could Venus's surface temperature have been cool enough to allow for it to have oceans in the past?
Venus lacked a greenhouse effect when it was young.
Venus migrated inward to its current orbit from farther away from Sun
It is thought that the Sun was dimmer than it is today
85
Ch 12: Which of the following statements is true about the terms in the Drake equation?
Some terms depend on sociology & can't be determined by astronomers alone
Astronomical research will soon give us firm values for all of the terms
We already know the terms of the equation with high accuracy
86
Thermophiles are closest to the root of the tree of life. This tells us probably …
The origin of life took place in an extremely hot environment
Life formed in a warm, little pond
Life today is better at withstanding hot temperatures than cold
At some point, it was evolutionarily necessary to be able to withstand heat
87
Anaerobic organisms do not require
methane
molecular oxygen
liquid hydrogen
reduced carbon
88
Ch 12: The bandwidth of a radio signal is a measure of
the range of frequencies that carry information
the amount of power carried by the signal
its frequency
89
Ch 10: Which of the following may cause Earth to become uninhabitable in about 1 billion years?
the death of the Sun
a moist greenhouse effect
a runaway greenhouse effect
Earth moving outside the Frost Line
90
Ch 10: If Earth were to be moved to Venus’s orbit, it would probably
become a tropical paradise
suffer a runaway greenhouse and become even hotter than Venus is today
stay the same temp thanks to the small amount of CO2 in our atmosphere
91
Very small bodies like small asteroids and comets may have difficulty harboring life because they…
are so far from the Sun that any water would be permanently frozen
have probably not had liquid water inside them for extended periods
are constantly colliding with each other, sterilizing them
do not contain any organic molecules
92
Ch 7: Life is probably not possible in Jupiter’s atmosphere because...
it's too hot there
it's too cold there
the winds there are too strong
there is no liquid water at all
93
Which statement best describes the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere?
The troposphere has grown and shrunk multiple times.
It consists mostly of CO2.
Its oxygen levels have risen in two separate events.
Surface pressure has increased as plants have produced more CO2.
94
Ch 8: We can recognize the oldest surface regions of Mars by the fact that they have:
the most volcanoes
the least impact craters
the most evidence of past water flows
the most impact craters
95
Ch 9: The chances for life on Titan’s surface are considered slim, mainly because
there’s little oxygen in Titan's atmosphere
the liquid methane and ethane rain would be lethal
the surface temperature is far below the freezing point of water

AB115 "final review" fall 2024 Flashcards | StudBud