Earth Science SOL

In which of these general areas would you expect volcanoes to occur? 

• Areas with limestone formations and water flowing underground 
• Near areas of tectonic plate subduction such as the Pacific’s Ring of Fire 
• Near continental-continental boundaries where mountain-building occurs
•  At all kinds of tectonic plate boundaries

All of the following are examples of mass movement EXCEPT 

• Rockfalls 
• Creep 
• Seafloor spreading 
• Mudslides

In which of these general areas would you expect sinkholes to occur? 

• Divergent tectonic plate boundaries such as mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts 
• Anywhere there are slopes 
• Areas with limestone formations and water flowing underground 
• Near tectonic plate boundaries involving subduction, such as the Pacific’s Ring of Fire

In which of these general areas would you expect tsunamis to be a danger? 

• On the shores of oceans, especially oceans connected with the Pacific 
• Anywhere there are slopes 
• Divergent tectonic plate boundaries such as mid-ocean ridges and continental rifts 
• Areas with limestone formations and water flowing underground

Which kind of slope is most likely to fail (that is, to have a landslide or mudslide)? 

• A granite cliff 
• An area where sediment layers are parallel to the slope (a “dip slope”) 
• An area where sediment layers are at an angle to the slope 
• A flat plain

How does building dams on rivers affect beaches and barrier islands in the ocean near the mouth of the river? 

• The dams decrease the amount of sediment carried by the river, so less is available to replenish sand eroded away by wind, waves, and currents. 
• Dams reduce the current from the river so there is less erosion of beaches and barrier islands 
• Dams are in the river, and barrier islands are in the ocean.  There is no effect.

1.1.1  How long does it take the Earth to rotate once on its axis? 

• 24 hours  
• 28 days  
• 365 ¼ days  
• 26,000 years

1.1.2  Which of the following is true about the Earth’s axis, the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, and the seasons? 

• Changes in the direction of the Earth’s axis cause the seasons 
• The Earth’s axis keeps pointing in the same direction, and as Earth travels around the Sun, the angle between the axis and the Sun changes, causing the seasons. 
• Seasons are caused by the Earth’s elliptical orbit and its being closer to the Sun in January than it is in July 
• Seasons are caused by the position of the moon relative to the Sun

Foliations, or parallel bands of minerals, are typical of what kind of rocks? 

• Intrusive igneous rocks 
• Chemical sedimentary rocks 
• Clastic sedimentary rocks 
• Metamorphic rocks

The four agents of erosion are water, _____, ice, and gravity.  What goes in the blank? 

• Bacteria 
• Volcanoes 
• Sunlight 
• Wind