Earth Science

The atmosphere is

• all the solid rocks on Earth
• all the life on Earth
• the layer of water in the oceans
• the layer of gases that surrounds Earth

Earth's lithosphere consists of more than a dozen major pieces called

• units
• plates
• continents
• tectonics

Geologists' main evidence about the structure of Earth's interior comes from

• temperature measurements in deep mines
• observations of other plants
• exploration of caves
• rock samples and seismic waves

What is the correct order (starting from the surface) of Earth's layers?

• crust, outer core, inner core, mantle
• mantle, outer core, inner core, crust
• crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
• outer core, inner core, crust, mantle

Convection causes huge slabs of rock to rise and sink slowly through Earth's mantle. The main heat source for this movement is

• Earth's mantle and core
• radiation from the sun
• friction produced by plate motions
• magma in Earth's crust

Which of these properties of a mineral can be determined by a scratch test?

• color
• density
• hardness
• streak

Rock that forms when magma cools below the Earth's surface is called

• coal
• petroleum
• igneous rock
• metamorphic rock

Which igneous rock is often used as building material?

• sandstone
• basalt
• slate
• granite

Which is the correct order of the processes that form rock from sediment?

• deposition, cementation, compaction, erosion
• erosion, cementation, deposition, compaction
• cementation, compaction, deposition, erosion
• erosion, deposition, compaction, cementation

Latitude measures the distance in degrees north or south of the 

• equator
• Tropic of Capricorn
• prime meridian
• Arctic Circle