WorksheetsEarthscience midterm 2019
Total questions: 38
Worksheet time: 19mins
Density, color, and boiling point are examples of
a. chemical descriptors.
b. chemical properties.
c. physical properties
d. physical science
Where are electrons found in atoms?
a. in the electron sphere
b. in the electron zone
c. in the atomic ring cycle
d. in the electron cloud
In the chemical formula CO2, what does the subscript “2” mean?
a. 2 carbon atoms
b. 2 carbon dioxide atoms
c. 2 carbon dioxide molecules
d. 2 oxygen atoms
The way fossils are formed in very dry places is called
a. Mummification.
b. Petrification.
c. carbon filming.
d. sedimentation.
What is amber?
a. frozen organic matter
b. dead bacteria that creates fossils
c. tar that fossilizes insects
d. tree sap that fossilizes insects
If an igneous intrusion is observed through a layer of sedimentary rock, what geological law or principle applies?
a. law of superposition
b. principle of uniformitarianism
c. law of crosscutting relationships
d. law of thermodynamics
Why is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?
a. Radioactive decay happens very slowly.
b. Radioactive decay happens very quickly.
c. Radioactive decay does not happen at a constant rate.
d. Radioactive decay happens at a relatively constant rate.
How is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?
a. Parent isotopes are compared to daughter isotopes.
b. Isotopes of different compounds are compared.
c. Radioactive substances are compared to non-radioactive substances.
d. Daughter isotopes are compared to sister isotopes.
The Precambrian rock record is difficult to interpret because
a. very few rocks exist from Precambrian time.
b. Precambrian rock contains many fossils.
c. Precambrian rock contains many minerals.
d. tectonic activity has altered the original order of rock layer
The most common Precambrian fossils are
a. marine worms.
b. Trilobites.
c. cyanobacteria.
d. brachiopods.
The first period of the Mesozoic Era was called the
a. Cretaceous Period.
b. Quaternary Period.
c. Tertiary Period
d. Triassic Period.
The first amphibians, which appeared during the Devonian Period, were from the genus
a. Apatosaurus
b. Brachiopods.
c. trilobites.
d. Ichthyosteg
On a geologic column, the oldest rocks
a. are on the bottom.
b. are on the top.
c. are in the middle.
d. contain fossils of modern-day animals.
According to Wegener, what happened more than 200 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era?
a. The South America and Nazca plates collided.
b. The supercontinent began breaking into smaller continents.
c. Magma rose to Earth’s surface and solidified.
d. The continents drifted to their present locations.
Which of the following was NOT a piece of evidence Wegener found to support his hypothesis?
a. debris from glaciers in southern Africa
b. mountains of similar age in North America and Scotland
c. tracks of continents plowing through ocean floor rock
d. identical Mesosaurus fossils in South America and Africa
The study of paleomagnetism was key in proving Wegener’s hypothesis because
a. it provided evidence of sea-floor spreading.
b. it proved that fossils in Africa and South America were identical.
c. it indicated that tropical swamps covered areas that are now cold.
d. it showed that mountains were formed by continental drift
The theory that explains why and how continents move is called
a. continental drift.
b. paleomagnetism.
c. plate tectonics.
d. sea-floor spreading.
Frequent earthquakes in an area may indicate
a. tectonic plate boundaries.
b. sea-floor spreading.
c. mantle convection.
d. reversed polarity.
What is one way in which tectonic plate movement affects climate?
a. It creates mountains that affect wind patterns.
b. It changes the location of the equator and the poles.
c. It keeps ice sheets from melting.
d. It keeps air temperatures constant.
Which of the following is NOT a cause of tsunamis?
a. volcanic eruption
b. Tornado
c. undersea landslide
d. undersea earthquake
At what location does the first motion of an earthquake occur?
a. the focus
b. the seismic gap
c. the mantle
d. the epicenter
A foreshock is
a. a major earthquake.
b. a small earthquake.
c. another name for seismic gap.
d. a precursor to a tsunami.
During an earthquake, a building
a. will never move.
b. may sway or collapse
c. will never be damaged.
d. will never collapse.
How do scientists find the epicenter of an earthquake?
a. by comparing arrival times of P waves and S waves at several seismograph stations
b. by digging at several locations and comparing data
c. by comparing departure times of P waves and S waves at several seismograph stations
d. by reviewing satellite photos of tsunamis
Which of the following are studied to forecast earthquakes?
a. bird migration, air temperature, movements of the planets
b. barometric pressure, ocean currents, glacial patterns
c. animal behavior, environmental changes, weather patterns
d. seismic gaps, foreshocks, rock changes
Why do earthquakes usually occur at plate boundaries?
a. The rock on the edges of tectonic plates is soft and deforms easily.
b. Rock in environments near tectonic plate boundaries experiences great stress.
c. The boundaries between tectonic plates have been seismically active for millions of years.
d. Rock in environments near tectonic plate boundaries experiences little stress.
What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
a. the location along a fault where the first motion of an earthquake occurs
b. a seismic wave that travels along the surface of Earth
c. the point on Earth’s surface directly above the earthquake’s focus
d. the last place that motion in an earthquake is detected
Which of the following is NOT a tectonic area where volcanoes are likely to form?
a. boundaries of tectonic plates
b. glacier-formed lakes
c. mid-ocean ridges
d. subduction zones
Volcanic eruptions may be signaled by
a. a change in earthquake activity.
b. a sudden change in weather.
c. a change in wildlife behavior.
d. volcanic dust in the air.
Parent rock that contains large amounts of quartz, such as granite, will weather to form
a. organic material.
b. iron-rich soil.
c. sandy soil
d. clay-filled soil.
Which of the following is NOT a process of chemical weathering?
a. carbonation
b. oxidation
c. acid precipitation
d. exfoliation
In what climates is the weathering rate slowest?
a. cold, wet climates
b. alternating hot and cold climates
c. hot, dry climates
d. warm, humid climates
Which of the following is NOT a farming method that conserves topsoil?
a. Strip-cropping
b. Terracing
c. gullying
d. crop rotation
To which two processes are all landforms subject?
a. uplift and erosion
b. gravity and exfoliation
c. slump and erosion
d. exfoliation and friction
Which of the following is NOT a common agent of erosion?
a. Water
b. wind
c. burrowing
d. gravity
All of the following are layers of mature residual soils EXCEPT
a. humus.
b. topsoil.
c. subsoil.
d. bedrock.
Areas with low, rolling hills formed from mountains are
a. Plateaus.
b. Mountains.
c. plains.
d. Peneplains.
If you are indoors during an earthquake, you should
a. stand near a window.
b. stand on top of a desk.
c. crouch under a desk.
d. get outdoors fast.
