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Glaciers & Earth's Past Unit 3 Test

Total questions: 61

Worksheet time: 31mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which continent is the coldest and driest in the world, and has 98% of it's land covered in ice?

a)

North America

b)

Africa

c)

Antarctica

d)

Asia

2.

How often does the sun shine during the summer in Antarctica?

a)

18 hrs/day

b)

6 hrs/day

c)

24 hrs/day

d)

12 hrs/day

3.

How much sunlight does Antarctica receive during the Winter?

a)

18 hrs/day

b)

0 hrs/day

c)

24 hrs/day

d)

12 hrs/day

4.

What is defined as "a flowing mass of ice and snow that forms on mountains at the North and South Poles"?

a)

Glaciers

b)

Icebergs

c)

Hail

d)

Frosty the Snowman

5.

How old can the ice be that's found in glaciers?

a)

~ 20 yrs

b)

~ 1,000 yrs

c)

~ 23,450 yrs

d)

~100,000 + yrs

6.

When glaciers form, what happens to the snow that accumulates in one place over many years?

a)

It melts and forms huge Antarctic lakes

b)

New layers of snow bury and compress the prior layers (like sediment rock)

c)

The snow evaporates and rejoins the water cycle

d)

It is used to hydrate scientists that study at Palmer Station, Anarctica.

7.

When forming glaciers, what happens to the layers of snow that are buried and compressed?

a)

Over many years, the compacted snow layers form dense ice

b)

They gradually begin to transmutate into a rare metal, iceferous

c)

The layers become icebergs prior to forming glaciers

d)

The sun eventually melts and evaporates the snow, returning it to the atmosphere

8.

What is defined as "gravitational force exerted on an object by a planet or moon (pull of gravity)"?

a)

Weight

b)

Mass

c)

Height

d)

Density

9.

What is defined as "the attractive force between all matter, the result of an object's mass"?

a)

Gravity

b)

Strong Nuclear Force

c)

Magnetism

d)

Beauty

10.

What two things does an object's weight depend on?

a)

Mass

b)

Pull of Gravity

c)

Height

d)

Cheeseburgers consumed

11.

When do glaciers expand?

a)

When the snow FALL outweighs the snow MELT

b)

When the snow MELT outweighs the snow FALL

12.

When do glaciers retreat?

a)

When the snow FALL outweighs the snow MELT

b)

When the snow MELT outweighs the snow FALL

13.

How do glaciers change land?

a)

Through movement, carving out lakes, valleys, and fjords.

b)

Through melting, filling lakes, valleys, and fjords.

c)

Through cracking the mountains they stay on top of.

14.

What part of a glacier acts as sandpaper, wearing down and smoothing the land?

a)

Sediment

b)

Ice

c)

Snow

d)

Weight

15.

What is defined as "eroded sediment that is dispersed when a glacier retreats or expands"?

a)

Glacial Till

b)

Moraines

16.

What type of glacier is like an "ice sheet", masses of ice and snow permanently covering a large area?

a)

Continental

b)

Alpine

17.

What type of glacier forms on mountains and flows down valleys?

a)

Continental

b)

Alpine

18.

What is the main source of thermal energy that drives the water cycle?

a)

Climate Change

b)

The Sun

c)

Carbon Emissions

d)

Thermal Vents

19.

How much of the planet do glaciers cover?

a)

10%

b)

70%

c)

50%

d)

0%

20.

What is defined as "a place that stores water"?

a)

Reservoir

b)

Glacier

c)

Grocery Store

d)

Moraine

21.

Which state of matter has the least amount of thermal energy?

a)

Solid

b)

Liquid

c)

Gas

22.

What is defined as "when thermal energy causes molecules to speed up and expand, becoming vapor"? (Liquid to Gas)

a)

Evaporation

b)

Condensation

c)

Precipitation

d)

Absorption

23.

What is the major factor that causes climate change?

a)

Human Activity

b)

Forest Fires

c)

Global Warming

d)

Bovine Methane Production

24.

How much has Earth's average temperature risen in the last 100 years?

a)

0.6 Celsius

b)

1 Fahrenheit

c)

15 Fahrenheit

d)

0.9 Celsius

25.

How can scientists compare CO2 levels between today and that of 650,000 years ago?

a)

By observing air bubbles in ice cores from Antarctica and Greenland

b)

By using a Delorean to observe the CO2 levels in person

c)

By observing samples of ancient air trapped deep underground in caves.

d)

By observing samples of dinosaur fossils formed 650,000 years ago

26.

What causes scientists to believe that climate change is caused by human activity?

a)

Because of how rapidly it is happening

b)

Because of CO2 levels in the atmosphere

c)

Because of the greenhouse effect

d)

Because of the increased amount of forest fires

27.

If the Antarctic ice sheet fully melts, what will occur as a result?

a)

Sea-level rise, due to the massive release of freshwater

b)

Mass polar bear extinction

c)

Mass fish population explosions

d)

Sea-level recession globally

28.

Which group of people would be most effected by sea-level rise?

a)

People living in low-lying coastal areas

b)

People living in mountainous regions

c)

People without boats

d)

People of low socio-economic status

29.

CO2 levels are currently the highest they've been in the last...

a)

650,000 years

b)

20,000 years

c)

1 million years

d)

500,000 years

30.

What is defined as "Conditions of the atmosphere @ 1 place and time" ("Snapshot")?

a)

Weather

b)

Climate

31.

What is defined as "average weather in 1 location over 30 years" ("Video")?

a)

Weather

b)

Climate

32.

What things trapped in ice give clues to scientists regarding past climates?

a)

Dust

b)

Volcanic Ash

c)

Air Bubbles

d)

Sediment

e)

Bacteria

33.

What angle is the Earth's axis tilted at?

a)

23.5°

b)

12.6°

c)

20.2°

d)

460°

34.

What is defined as "the imaginary line between the North and South Pole"?

a)

Axis

b)

Equator

c)

Hemisphere

d)

Climate

35.

What is the hottest part of the Earth, and why?

a)

The Equator, because it receives direct sunlight

b)

The Equator, because it's closest to the Sun

c)

The Polar Zones, because they receive direct sunlight

d)

The Temperate Zones, because they're closest to the Sun

36.

What are defined as "periods of time characterized by specific weather patterns and length of day and night"?

a)

Seasons

b)

Climate

c)

Axis

d)

Earth Orbit

37.

During which season does Earth receive indirect sunlight? (Low angle, low intensity)

a)

Summer

b)

Winter

c)

Fall

d)

Spring

38.

What is defined as "when the South Pole tilts towards the Sun, 24 hours of sunlight"? (Sun never sets, just circles the sky)

a)

Midnight Sun

b)

Polar Night

c)

Antarctic Summer Jam

39.

What is defined as "when the South Pole tilts away from the Sun, 24 hours of darkness"? (Sun is so low, it stays behind a glacier for the few hours it's up)

a)

Polar Night

b)

Midnight Sun

c)

Antarctic Winterfest

40.

What gas is the major cause of the greenhouse effect?

a)

Carbon Dioxide

b)

Carbon Monoxide

c)

Oxygen

d)

Helium

41.

What region tends to receive around 12 hours of day and night year-round?

a)

Temperate Regions

b)

Polar Regions

c)

Tropical Regions

42.

What is defined as "the remains of ancient animals and plants, traces or impressions of living things from past geo. ages, or traces of their activities"?

a)

Fossils

b)

Fossil Fuels

c)

Artifacts

d)

Mummies

43.

What is one major piece of evidence about Pangaea's existence?

a)

"Seed-Fern" fossils found in Australia, South Africa, and South America

b)

Evidence of the ancient "saber-toothed" lion found in Siberia as well as North America

c)

The distance between Europe and Africa keeps shrinking

44.

What evidence shows us that Antarctica used to have a lush, warm climate millions of years ago?

a)

Fossils of leaves, twigs, and logs from large trees

b)

Fossils of small ferns also found on other continents

c)

Fossils of huge woolly mammoths that used to live there

d)

The remains of ancient swimming pools and vacation homes

45.

What is defined as "a supercontinent made up of all other continents"?

a)

Pangaea

b)

Antarctica

c)

Tectonic Plates

d)

Austroloasia

46.

What do fossils tell scientists about?

a)

Past environments

b)

Organisms that survived in past environments

c)

Food-web organization

d)

Iron-sulfide levels in the atmosphere

47.

What happens to organisms as an extreme, cataclysmic change occurs?

a)

They must adapt, or die out

b)

They experience huge amounts of stress

c)

A new population of animals wipes them out

48.

Which type of animal shrunk and moved to warm areas during the Great Ice Age?

a)

Endotherms

b)

Exotherms

49.

Which animals grew and adapted warmer coats during the Great Ice Age?

a)

Exotherms

b)

Endotherms

50.

How did Woolly Mammoths adapt to Ice Age-living?

a)

Grew over 3 meters in height

b)

Had thick fur coats

c)

Had a layer of fat

d)

Traveled in herds, eating shrubs

e)

Made friends with a motley crew of other species

51.

What is defined as "when a species has no living members in existence"?

a)

Extinction

b)

De-population

c)

Deforestation

d)

Genocide

52.

What caused Ice Age animals to die out?

a)

Warming environment

b)

Expansion of predators

c)

Further separation of Pangaea

53.

What is the best location for finding fossils?

a)

Sedimentary rock

b)

Shallow sea beds

c)

Mountainous slopes

d)

Sandy regions

54.

What is the second step in the sedimentary process?

a)

Layers of loose sand, soil, gravel and clay build up in one spot

b)

Pressure of layers compacts sediment into rock

c)

Remains of organism gets trapped in sediment

d)

Heat and Pressure turn remains into fossils over millions of years

55.

What is the third step in the sedimentary process?

a)

Layers of loose sand, soil, gravel and clay build up in one spot

b)

Pressure of layers compacts sediment into rock

c)

Remains of organism gets trapped in sediment

d)

Heat and Pressure turn remains into fossils over millions of years

56.

What is the first step in the sedimentary process?

a)

Layers of loose sand, soil, gravel and clay build up in one spot

b)

Pressure of layers compacts sediment into rock

c)

Remains of organism gets trapped in sediment

d)

Heat and Pressure turn remains into fossils over millions of years

57.

What is the fourth step in the sedimentary process?

a)

Layers of loose sand, soil, gravel and clay build up in one spot

b)

Pressure of layers compacts sediment into rock

c)

Remains of organism gets trapped in sediment

d)

Heat and Pressure turn remains into fossils over millions of years

58.

What is defined as "all of the fossils ever found, helps scientists understand Earth's history"?

a)

Fossil Record

b)

Fossil Compendium

c)

Artifact Record

d)

Pangaea Portfolio

59.

What is defined as "comparing which layers of fossils are found in to determine their ages"?

a)

Relative Dating

b)

Index Fossils

c)

Fossil Record

d)

Carbon Dating

60.

The Oldest fossils are found.....

a)

In the highest layers of sediment

b)

In the lowest layers of sediment

61.

What is defined as "certain fossils known to come from a particular time and place"?

a)

Index fossils

b)

Relative Dating

c)

Extinction

d)

Specificity