Description : In an ocean, the upper layer of water with sufficient light penetration to support photosynthesis by aquatic plants i known as the: w) free zone x) plant zone y) photic zone z) primary zone
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- PHOTIC ZONE
Description : The deep, least productive part of a lake is calle the: w) littoral zone x) profundal zone y) photic zone z) limnetic zone
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- PROFUNDAL ZONE
Description : The principal volcanic gas (in terms of quantity) is: w) carbon dioxide x) nitrogen dioxide y) sulfur dioxide z) steam (H2O)
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- STEAM (H2O)
Description : Which of the following causes the oblate spheroid shape of the earth? w) the earth's magnetism x) the earth's gravity y) the earth's rotation z) the moon's tidal pull
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- THE EARTH'S ROTATION
Description : On which of the following does the capacity of a kilogram of air for holding water depend? w) the air pressure x) the air temperature y) the dust content of the air z) the ions in the air
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- THE AIR TEMPERATURE
Description : The rock in which ground water is LEAST likely to form caverns is: w) sandstone x) limestone y) salt z) rock gypsum
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- SANDSTONE
Description : A circular cavity ground out of bedrock by running water is called a: w) cave x) pothole y) sinkhole z) kettle hole
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- POTHOLE
Description : What is the relative humidity when the absolute humidity is 3 grams per cubic meter and the air has a capacity of 12 grams per cubic meter? w) 4% x) 9% y) 25% z) 400%
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 25%
Description : The fossils found in the tar pits of Rancho La Bre in Los Angeles included all of the following EXCEPT one. Which one was absent? w) saber-toothed cat x) dire wolf y) wooly mammoth z) giant ground sloth
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- WOOLY MAMMOTH
Description : Subsidence results due to the constant or excess removal of ground water deplete the water table and increases the area of ____________. (A) Water table (B) Ground surface (C) Zone of saturation (D) Vadose zone
Last Answer : (D) Vadose zone
Description : Iceland has a great deal of volcanic activity. The reason for this is: w) it was formed above a mid-ocean rift. x) it is part of the "Ring of Fire". y) two tectonic plates are rubbing against each other under Iceland. z) the American plate is diving under the European plate in this region.
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- IT WAS FORMED ABOVE A MID-OCEAN RIFT.
Description : What form of runoff is water that flows down a slope within the upper layers of the soil rather than on top of them? w) interflow x) extraflow y) endoflow z) detrital runoff
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- INTERFLOW
Description : Which of the following terms is used to describe the angular difference between TRUE north and magnetic north on a topographic map? Is it: w) Magnetic field x) Magnetic intensity y) Magnetic inclination z) Magnetic declination
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- MAGNETIC DECLINATION
Description : Which physical phenomenon or principle is most often applied in the search for petroleum reservoirs? w) magnetic field distortions x) electromagnetic radiation y) natural radioactive decay of minerals z) acoustic wave transmission and reflection
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- ACOUSTIC WAVE TRANSMISSION AND REFLECTION
Description : Which physical phenomenon or principle is most often applied in the search for petroleum reservoirs? w) gravitational attraction x) magnetic field distortions y) natural radioactive decay of minerals z) acoustic wave transmission and reflection
Description : High quality crop soil requires humus as a major component. Which of the following best describes the composition of humus w) fine sand particles x) decaying organic matter y) mineral like clay matter z) chemical fertilizers
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- DECAYING ORGANIC MATTER
Description : The B-horizon of a pedalfer soil is noted for its accumulation of: w) carbonate x) nitrogen y) humus z) oxides
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- OXIDES
Description : Which of the following names is used to describe the zero degree longitudinal line that runs through Greenwich, England? w) Great Circle x) Principle Line y) Longitudinal Maximum z) Prime Meridian
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z --PRIME MERIDIAN
Description : Which of the following is the most important erosional and transportation agent? w) wind x) water y) glaciers z) none of the above
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- WATER
Description : Large streams that enter a standing body of water produce which of the following geological features at their mouths? w) deltas x) load casts y) anticlines z) sync (pron: sink)
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- DELTAS
Description : Of the following choices, the color purple on a topographic map indicates what surface feature? w) vegetation x) water y) photorevision z) rock formations
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- PHOTOREVISION
Description : Of the following, the color blue on a topographic map indicates what surface feature? w) vegetation x) water y) photorevision z) rock formations
Description : Which of the following is the most important chemically-active fluid involved in the formation of rocks? w) hydrochloric acid x) sulfuric acid y) water z) methane
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- WATER
Description : The chemical union of iron, oxygen and water forms w) magnetite x) hematite y) limonite z) pyrite
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- LIMONITE
Description : The curved body of water formed when a meandering river reshapes and cuts off one of its bends is called: w) an Essing pond x) an Oxbow lake y) a Swensen pool z) a Groovy pool
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- AN OXBOW LAKE
Description : What percentage of the earth's water is fresh water? w) 50% x) 22% y) 7% z) 3%
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- 3%
Description : A wave with a wavelength of 40 meters and a height of 2 meters will NOT be refracted in water with a depth of more than: w) 1 meter x) 2 meters y) 10 meters z) 20 meters
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- 20 METERS
Description : A yazoo stream flows through which of the following? w) gorge x) divide y) backswamp z) water gap
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- BACKSWAMP
Description : On a topographic map, lines that indicate water depth are termed: w) isogonic lines (pron: eye-seh-gone-ik) x) bathymetric lines (pron: bath-i-meh-trik) y) isopachs z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- BATHYMETRIC LINES
Description : Certain substances are classified as water pollutants, others as air pollutants and still others as land pollutants. Which of the following pollutes all three parts of our environment? w) fluorocarbons x) smog y) acid rain z) ozone
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- ACID RAIN
Description : The name of a rapid rise of coastal water that accompanies the arrival of a cyclone is called: w) hurricane x) storm surge y) tidal wave z) cyclonistat
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- STORM SURGE
Description : While many different gases are found in the atmosphere, a number do NOT contribute significantly to solar heating of the atmosphere. Which TWO of the following gases do NOT absorb much heat? w) carbon dioxide x) nitrogen y) water vapor z) oxygen
Last Answer : ANSWER: X and Z -- NITROGEN and OXYGEN
Description : Pangaea is the name of a former continent that included: w) all the continents x) only Europe and Asia y) only South America and Africa z) only North and South America
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- ALL THE CONTINENTS
Description : What mineral is the most dense? w) hematite x) cinnabar y) marcasite z) rhodochrosite
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CINNABAR
Description : Which of the following mountain ranges was formed during the Mesozoic era? w) Rocky Mountains x) Cascades y) Appalachian z) Sierra Nevada
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- SIERRA NEVADA
Description : Sulfuric acid aerosols from the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo reduced the rate of global warming last year. They also contributed to the record size of: w) acid rainfalls in Europe x) the anchovy catch off Peru y) the ozone hole over Antarctica z) fish kills in the Amazon River
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- THE OZONE HOLE OVER ANTARCTICA
Description : Cloud droplets unite most easily to form raindrops in clouds containing which of the following substances? w) ozone x) plant pollen y) carbon tetrachloride z) large salt crystals
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- LARGE SALT CRYSTALS
Description : Which of the following is an average number of inches of snow equal to one inch of rain? w) 1 inch x) 5 inches y) 10 inches z) 25 inches
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 10 inches
Description : When the difference in the temperature of the wet-bulb thermometer and dry-bulb thermometer is large, what does it indicate about the air? w) it is very dry x) it is nearly saturated y) it is very warm z) it is very cold
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- IT IS VERY DRY
Description : What is considered to be the oldest lake in North America? w) Mono Lake, CA x) Lake Superior, MI y) The Great Salt Lake, UT z) Crater Lake, OR
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- MONO LAKE, CA
Description : What is considered to be the approximate difference in average temperature between the "little ice age" and today? w) 1 to 3 degrees centigrade x) 5 to 8 degrees centigrade y) 10 to 12 degrees centigrade z) 15 to 20 degrees centigrade
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- 1 TO 3 DEGREES CENTIGRADE
Description : When does the air cool most rapidly? Is it during w) a cloudy day x) a cloudy night y) a sunny day z) a clear night
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- A CLEAR NIGHT
Description : The approximate average yearly rainfall in centimeters for the United States is: w) 25 centimeters x) 50 centimeters y) 75 centimeters z) 100 centimeters
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 75 CENTIMETERS
Description : Valleys formed by glaciers always have which of the following characteristics? w) U-shaped cross sections x) straight courses y) uniform slopes z) bedrock floors
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- U-SHAPED CROSS SECTIONS
Description : When the front of a glacier is stationary for a long time, the glacier will do which of the following? w) form many crevasses x) melt away y) not erode its bed z) build a large terminal moraine
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- BUILD A LARGE TERMINAL MORAINE
Description : Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas. What is the current rate in parts per million per year of atmospheric increase of this gas? w) 0.15 ppm per year (parts per million) x) 1.5 ppm per year y) 15 ppm per year z) 150 ppm per year
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- 1.5 PPM PER YEAR
Description : The largest single component, by weight, in the average American landfill is: w) toxic waste x) diapers y) newspapers z) pizza boxes
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- NEWSPAPERS
Description : North American Indians used this mineral of volcanic origin to make tips for arrows: w) obsidian x) quartz y) flint z) pumice
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- OBSIDIAN
Description : Which animal is the center of the timber-harvest controversy in the Pacific Northwest? w) blackfooted ferret x) California condor y) northern spotted owl z) gray wolf
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL
Description : Biomass energy is w) formed through photosynthesis x) caused by heat due to the large mass of the Earth y) has been used for only a few years z) the predominant source of commercial heat energy in the northern regions of the United States
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- FORMED THROUGH PHOTOSYNTHESIS