WorksheetsCh. 2 Geography
Total questions: 76
Worksheet time: 38mins
What is the theory of plate tectonics?
Earth was created 6,000 years ago.
Earth is made up of a large number of geological plates that move slowly across its surface.
Human activities are changing Earth's surface.
The number of tectonic plates equals the number of continents on Earth.
What geologic structure is created when one tectonic plate dives below another?
continental crust
ocean trenches
convergent plate boundary
subduction
Beneath Earth's surface, where does the heat exchange occur that moves tectonic plates?
continental crust
ocean trenches
convection cells
subducting plate
Which of the following features is created at a divergent plate boundary?
subduction zone
oceanic trench
continental crust
rift valleys
The deepest trenches in the world exceed what depth?
15,000 feet
25,000 feet
35,000 feet
50,000 feet
The Himalayas are a prime example of which feature?
divergent boundary
convergent boundary
transform fault
rift valley
Which of the following locales will feature subduction zones?
East Africa
the Pacific Coast of South America
Iceland
the Himalayan Mountains
Which of the following is NOT created along convergent plate boundaries?
deep trenches
the world's most powerful earthquakes
mountain ranges and active volcanoes
rift valleys
An example on Earth of a rift valley is
the San Andreas fault of California
Iceland
the Andes Mountains of South America
the Red Sea between northern Africa and Saudi Arabia
The San Andreas Fault, traversing coastal California, forms what type of plate boundary?
subduction zone
colliding plate boundary
divergent plate boundary
transform fault
Pangaea was
a deep ocean trench created by colliding plates.
an area of active earthquakes and volcanoes.
an area of active earthquakes and volcanoes.
an area of colliding plates that formed the Himalaya Mountains.
Which chain of volcanic islands are far removed from a plate boundary?
Philippines
Iceland
Indonesia
Hawaii
Which of the following statements is FALSE about volcanoes?
volcanoes are found in site-specific places on Earth, most notably along plate boundaries
volcanoes are an excellent source of geothermal energy
volcanoes tend to generate very poor soils for agriculture
volcanoes usually provide an array of warnings before they erupt, thus minimizing the loss of life should humans heed the warnings
Haiti's 2008 earthquake resulted in over 230,000 deaths whereas Japan's 2011 earthquake resulted in 20,000 deaths. What explains the differences in loss of life?
effectiveness of search & rescue operations
strength of the earthquake
in Haiti there was also a tsunami that followed the earthquake
effectiveness of search and rescue operations and local building standards
The trapping of solar radiation in Earth's lower atmosphere
is entirely anthropogenic.
is called the greenhouse effect.
has no benefits.
began with humans' use of fossil fuels.
If the greenhouse effect did not exist, what would happen to earth?
Earth would be too cold to support life as we know it.
Earth would be much too hot to support life as we know it.
Earth would be too wet to support life as we know it.
Our environment would be greatly improved.
Which of the following is NOT one of Earth's climate controls?
incoming solar energy
longitude
latitude
land-water heating differences
A maritime climate is characterized by
hot summers.
mild summers.
cold winters.
mild summers and mild winters
The Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone is most found straddling the
Arctic Circle
Tropic of Cancer
Equator
Tropic of Capricorn
The world's pressure systems are responsible for
a greater intensity of solar energy at the equator.
mild summer and winter temperatures along coast lines.
severe winters in interior regions.
warm, rainless summer of Mediterranean climates.
Which of the following places will have the greatest annual difference between summer and winter temperatures?
San Francisco, California (38°N, 120°W), located on the Pacific coast
Miami, Florida (25°N, 80°W), located on the Atlantic coast
Orlando, Florida (28°N, 81°W), located sixty miles from the Atlantic coast
Fargo, North Dakota (46°N, 96°W), located near the geographic center of North America
If all climatic controls except latitude were held constant, which of these cities would be warmest?
Singapore at about 2° north latitude
Wasilla, Alaska at about 61° north latitude
Paris, France at about 49° north latitude
Cape Town, South Africa at about 34° south latitude
Tropical winds generally blow in which direction in both hemispheres?
from west to east
from east to west
from south to north
from north to south
Equatorial regions are characterized by a ________ pressure system and ________ air flow
low, descending
low, ascending
high, descending
high, ascending
Using the environmental lapse rate of 3.5°F/1000 feet, if you have a surface temperature of 77.5°F at sea level and go hiking in the nearby mountains to an elevation of 3000 feet, what will the temperature be at that elevation?
0°F
60°F
67°F
73.5°F
The movement of air over a mountain range, causing it cool (and possibly rain) as it gains elevation is known as
convection
convergence
orographic
climatic
The long-term average from daily weather measurements is
weather
climate
climograph
insolation
The equatorial regions of the African continent are dominated by which two climate categories?
Af/Aw — tropical rainy and tropical savanna
Aw/Cs — tropical savanna and Mediterranean
BS/BW — steppe and desert
Af/Ca — tropical rainy and humid subtropical
Cape Town, South Africa at about 34° south latitude, has what type of climate?
Af — Tropical rainy
Aw — Tropical savanna
BW — Desert
Cs — Mediterranean
Anthropogenic pollution is caused by
people
animals
climate
rocks
Computer models predict that average global temperatures will increase ________ by 2020.
1°F.
4°F.
10°F.
3.6°F.
Which atmospheric gas is closely linked to the greenhouse effect?
chlorofluorocarbons
carbon dioxide
methane
nitrous oxide
At Kyoto in 1997, what did the 30 Western industrialized countries legally agree to do?
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels
voluntarily limit greenhouse gas emissions
finance further studies to determine the cause of climate change
censure China for exceeding its carbon limits
The rich diversity of plants and animals on Earth is known as
bioregion
bionicle
biosdiversity
biogeography
An assemblage of local plants, animals, and insects covering a large area such as a tropical rainforest or a grassland is called a
bioregion
bionicle
biosphere
biogeography
Tropical savanna bioregions are found in which climate type?
BW
Cs
Af
Aw
Arctic latitudes will have what type of vegetation?
tropical rain forest
tropical grasslands
evergreen forests
tundra
The majority of the African continent is dominated by which three bioregions?
tropical rain forest, desert and tundra
evergreen forest, tropical rain forest and desert
temperate deciduous forest, tropical rain forest and evergreen forest
tropical rain forest, tropical savanna and desert
The desert/grassland biome is found primarily where?
along the Equator
in lower to mid-latitudes in both hemispheres
exclusively in Africa and Asia
in polar latitudes
Where are most tropical rainforests located?
near the north pole
near the south pole
near the equator
in the middle latitudes
Where are grasslands most likely to occur?
tropical forests
coniferous forests
tundra
steppes
With climate zone will have evergreen and deciduous forests?
tropical monsoon
Mediterranean
humid subtropical
humid continental
The immense pressure humans have placed on various global bioregions has given rise to what phenomenon?
novel ecosystems
biodiversity
increased precipitation
old-growth forests
The root systems of trees in tropical rain forests expand outward from the tree because
there is a shortage of rainfall in the region tends to prohibit effective plant growth.
the mineral content of the soil is shallow and hence roots expand laterally rather than vertically to exploit the shallow nutrient layer.
the ground layer of vegetation in tropical forests is so thick so the roots extract nutrients from the vegetation.
the ground temperatures in tropical forests are too high to allow for deep roots.
In which bioregion at low latitudes has a climate in which rain falls for only a part of the year?
Mediterranean
Tropical Rainforest
Tropical Savanna
Steppe
Which of the following forests are made up of cone-bearing trees?
tropical rain forest
tropical savanna
deciduous
evergreen
What percent of the world's total species could be extinct by 2050?
5%
25%
35%
50%
What percentage of Earth's water is freshwater?
3%
20%
40%
75%
Groundwater accounts for what percentage of Earth's freshwater?
3%
20%
30%
75%
What percentage of Earth's freshwater is locked up in polar ice caps?
3%
20%
30%
70%
What percentage of Earth's freshwater is accessible in surface rivers and lakes?
1%
10%
30%
70%
Which global region has the highest overall water stress?
North America
Europe
Australia
North Africa
What percentage of the African population will likely experience water stress by 2025?
10%
25%
50%
75%
The UN reports that how many children die each day from unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation?
400
4000
100
40000
The primary gatherers of water in the developing world are
young boys
women and children
elderly people of both sexes
able-bodied young men
What water policy, advocated by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, has made it more difficult for some people to gain access to water?
government regulation
the Kyoto Protocol
irrigation
privatization
Which of the following has NOT been a result of the introduction of the Wello WaterWheel in rural India?
a decrease in the school dropout rate among young girls
a reduction in the number of hours a week spent carrying water
a reduction in neck and back problems among women
an increase in the amount of water available for agriculture
Which of the following is a fossil fuel?
petroleum
wood
hydrogen/fuel cell
ethanol
Which of the following pairs are a renewable energy source?
coal and wind
wind and natural gas
solar and natural gas
wind and solar
What percent of the world's power is generated from renewable sources?
10%
5%
7%
3%
Most of the world's power is generated by
coal
oil
natural gas
nuclear
Fossil fuels
are evenly distributed around the world
comprise roughly 50% of current global energy needs
are a renewable energy source
are linked to environmental damage, most notably the emission of greenhouse gases
Proven reserves of oil are determined by
deposits that are possible to mine and be distributed under current economic and technological conditions
identified areas of possible fossil fuels.
an estimate of oil deposits not yet discovered.
the total of all oil deposits that have been mined.
Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is
a new technique of producing power using water.
the use of cold fusion to produce nuclear power.
a technique which forces oil and gas out of shale rock.
an experimental technique for extracting oil from the ocean floor.
The nation with the greatest percentage of global proven oil reserves is
Venezuela
Saudi Arabia
Canada
Iran
The United States currently consumes roughly what percent of the world's oil?
5%
10%
20%
25%
The largest current producer of natural gas is
Russia
Canada
Qatar
United States
The global leader in nuclear energy consumption is
France
Russia
United States
Canada
The United States produces ________% of the global supply of coal but currently consumes ________% of the global demand.
10.3%, 26.6%
11.9%, 10.3%
26.6%, 11.9%
26.6%, 10.3%
Which two nations are both among the top five consumers of oil, coal and natural gas?
Russia and China
Russia and the United States
China and the United States
India and the United States
What country generates almost all (95%) of its power from renewable sources?
Great Britain
Germany
Denmark
Iceland
What major industrial power currently generates 20% of its total energy budget from renewable resources?
Great Britain
Germany
Denmark
China
The majority of China's renewable energy comes from
coal
solar
hydropower
wind
What is the primary reason that global energy demand is forecast to increase 40% by 2030?
the United States consumption of energy is predicted to increase dramatically
due to immigration, Europe's consumption of energy will rise
the further industrialization of developing economies
Japan's increased energy usage
The tropical location of Africa sitting astride the Equator makes it a prime location for the expansion of which renewable energy industry?
coal
solar
hydropower
wind
What is a problem with power generated by wind or sun?
It can create power surges that endanger the power grid.
It requires constant sun or wind.
Energy cannot be transferred from sunny or windy areas to other areas.
It results in extensive disruption of local power sources.
