Geology STAAR Review

The San Andreas fault is a transform fault. The map below shows a student’s approximation of where the fault line crosses through the United States. Students were asked to make maps predicting which way land would most likely move over thousands of years. Which map best predicts the likely movement of land along the fault line over thousands of years?

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This satellite photograph shows an area in Alaska after a fire occurred. Which statement best describes the most likely effect the fire had on the river in the 12 months after it occurred?

• Less sediment flowed into the river because the fire heated up the soil and made it drier.

• The amount of vegetation increased and less sediment flowed into the river because the fire produced ash that mixed with the soil.

• More sediment flowed into the river because the fire destroyed most of the vegetation holding the sediment in place.

• More sediment flowed into the river because the fire disrupted animal habitats and caused animals to leave the area.

A mid-ocean ridge separates the Pacific plate and the Nazca plate off the western coast of South America. Which statement best describes the relative motions of the Pacific and Nazca plates?

• The Pacific and Nazca plates are both moving to the east.

• The Pacific and Nazca plates are both moving to the west.

• The Pacific plate is moving to the west, and the Nazca plate is moving to the east.

• The Pacific plate is moving to the east, and the Nazca plate is moving to the west.

The topographic map shows the location of a park ranger at Point X when a message is received that an injured hiker needs help at Point Z. Which of these is closest to the difference in elevation between the locations of the ranger and the injured hiker?

• 2,050 m

• 450 m

• 910 m

• 3,650 m

Thunderstorms are more common in some areas than in others. The map shows the average number of thunderstorms per year in different parts of the United States. Why are there significantly more thunderstorms in Florida than in California?

• The state of Florida is smaller than the state of California

• The air in Florida is more stable than the air in California.

• The air above Florida holds less moisture than the air above California.

• The ocean currents near Florida are warmer than the ocean currents near California.

The image shows a plate boundary. Arrows have been added to indicate the movement of the plates. What plate boundary feature is also shown?

• A ridge formed by an inactive convergent boundary

• A valley forming at an active divergent boundary

• A fault forming at an active transform boundary

• A volcano formed by an active transform boundary

The satellite photo below shows San Francisco, California, which has many miles of coastline and an inland bay. Which area of the coastline has most likely experienced the greatest effect of erosion from waves over hundreds of years?

• Area N

• Area P

• Area S

• Area T

The map below shows the locations of four active volcanoes in the Caribbean Sea. What do these volcanoes indicate about plate tectonics in the region?

• The volcanoes form an island arc, indicating a converging plate boundary.

• The volcanoes form a line, indicating a diverging plate boundary.

• Two plates are moving past each other, causing faulting and magma formation.

• Two plates are moving apart, creating new seafloor.

A student stands at the point marked X on the topographic map below. What height in meters must the student climb in order to reach the top of the hill?

• 253

• 200

• 150

• 323

The weather map shows the weather conditions for one day across the United States. Based on the weather map, which city will most likely experience decreasing temperatures during the next 24 hours?

• Denver, because it is raining there

• Minneapolis, because a cold front is approaching

• Atlanta, because a warm front is approaching

• Houston, because it is in a high-pressure area