Description : Which of the following number of years best approximates the length of time since the last ice age in the United States? w) 1,000,000 x) 1,000 y) 11,000 z) 250,000
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 11,000
Description : Which one of these glacial features is believed to have formed in the bed of a subglacial stream? w) an esker x) a kame y) a drumlin z) a moraine
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- AN ESKER
Description : If all the Earth's ice melted, the increase in sea level would be approximately: w) 100 meters x) 2 meters y) 70 meters z) 20 meters
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 70 METERS
Description : Which of the following is the oldest period of tim lasting from the beginnings of the earth to approximately 570 million year ago? w) Precambrian x) Pleistocene (pron: ply-sto-sin) y) Miocene (pron: my-o-sin) z) Jurassic
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- PRECAMBRIAN
Description : How much of the sun's total radiation actually reaches the earth? Is it one part in w) 2,000 x) 200,000 y) 2 million z) 2 billion
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- ONE PART IN 2 BILLION
Description : During which period, in the earth's history, did MOST dinosaurs become extinct? w) Carboniferous x) Cretaceous y) Quaternary z) Triassic
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CRETACEOUS
Description : The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in the range of: w) 1-10 parts per million x) 10-100 parts per million y) 100-1000 parts per million z) 1000-10,000 parts per million
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 100-1000 PARTS PER MILLION (the exact number is 350 ppm as of the time of this article)
Description : On the Phanerozoic time scale, which of the following geologic periods occurred approximately 65 to 136 million years ago? Is it: w) Cambrian x) Ordovician y) Carboniferous z) Cretaceous
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- CRETACEOUS
Description : On the Phanerozoic (pron: fan-eh-reh-zO-ik) time scale, which of the following geologic periods occurred approximately 500 to 570 million years ago? Is it: w) Cambrian x) Ordovician (pron: ord-eh-vish-en) y) Carboniferous z) Silurian
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- CAMBRIAN
Description : On the Phanerozoic (pron: fan-eh-row-zo-ick) Time Scale, which of the following geologic periods occurred approximately 395 to 430 million years ago? Is it: w) Jurassic (pron: ju-ras-ick) x) Permian y) Carboniferous z) Silurian
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- SILURIAN
Description : On the Phanerozoic (pron: fan-eh-reh-zO-ik) Time Scale, which of the following geologic periods occurred approximately 225 to 280 million years ago? Is it: w) Jurassic x) Permian y) Carboniferous z) Silurian
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- PERMIAN
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 : Which of the following is the approximate ratio of the area of the continents to the area of the earth's oceans? w) 2:1 x) 1:1 y) 2:5 z) 1:10
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 2:5
Description : The earth's average density is: w) 2.82 grams per cubic centimeter x) 4.75 grams per cubic centimeter y) 5.52 grams per cubic centimeter z) 10.5 grams per cubic centimeter
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 5.52 GRAMS PER CUBIC CENTIMETER
Description : Global climate change is being attributed to the atmospheric increase in what two gases produced by human activities? w) ozone and methane x) nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide y) methane and carbon dioxide z) ozone and carbon monoxide
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- METHANE AND CARBON DIOXIDE
Description : Global climate change is being attributed to the atmospheric increase in what two gases produced by human activities? w) oxygen and hydrogen x) ozone and methane y) nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide z) methane and carbon dioxide e) ozone and carbon monoxide
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- METHANE AND CARBON DIOXIDE
Description : Which of the following is TRUE of an earthquake's epicenter and focus? w) they are the same x) the focus is above the epicenter y) the epicenter is at the earth's surface z) the focus is at the earth's inner core
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- THE EPICENTER IS AT THE EARTH'S SURFACE
Description : Which of these events gives us evidence that the earth is spherical? w) a volcanic eruption x) an earthquake y) an eclipse of the moon z) the earth's rotation
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- AN ECLIPSE OF THE MOON
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 : Which element in chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) is responsible for destroying the Earth's ozone layer? w) oxygen x) fluorine y) chlorine z) bromine
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- CHLORINE
Description : The oxygen in the earth's atmosphere was probably produced by which of the following? w) volcanos x) photosynthetic organisms y) radioactive minerals z) meteors
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- PHOTOSYNTHETIC ORGANISMS
Description : Which of the following elements is found in the earth's crust as both a native element and as a compound? w) argon x) copper y) chlorine z) silicon
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- COPPER
Description : In geological studies, a fault in the earth's surface in which the hanging wall has moved down relative to the footwall is termed: w) normal fault x) reverse fault y) upthrust fault z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- NORMAL FAULT
Description : In geological studies, a fracture in the earth's surface along which movement has taken place is termed: w) tension fracture x) gash fracture y) fault z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- FAULT
Description : The continental shelves comprise what percentage o the Earth's total land area? w) 38 percent x) 28 percent y) 18 percent z) 8 percent
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 18 PERCENT
Description : The jet-stream lies between which two layers of th earth's atmosphere? w) thermosphere and ionosphere x) mesosphere and thermosphere y) troposphere and stratosphere z) stratosphere and mesosphere
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- TROPOSPHERE AND STRATOSPHERE
Description : Molten rock beneath the Earth's crust is called: w) magma x) liquicite y) lava z) igneous
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- MAGMA
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 : In geological studies, a fault in the earth's surface in which the hanging wall has moved UP relative to the footwall is termed: w) overthrust fault x) reverse fault y) tear fault z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- REVERSE FAULT
Description : The Greenhouse Effect is caused primarily by which of the following processes? w) blocking incoming short wave solar energy x) absorbing incoming short wave solar energy y) heating of the Earth's stratosphere z) absorbing outgoing long wave radiation from the Earth
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- ABSORBING OUTGOING LONG WAVE RADIATION FROM THE EARTH
Description : What percentage of the earth's atmosphere does O2 comprise? w) 75% x) 50% y) 21% z) 32%
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 21%
Description : You are flying between Chicago and San Francisco on a commercial jet. The pilot comes on the public address system and announces that the plane's cruising altitude is 40,000 feet. At this altitude are you in the: w) troposphere x) stratosphere y) ozonosphere z) chemosphere
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- STRATOSPHERE
Description : Continental shelves range in width from: w) 1,500 to 5,000 kilometers x) 1,500 to 3,000 kilometers y) 0 to 5,000 kilometers z) 0 to 1,500 kilometers
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- 0 TO 1,500 KILOMETERS
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
Description : What is the name of the white clay which has been used for thousands of years in the fabrication of ceramic bodies? Is it: w) Talc x) Kaolin y) Feldspar z) Quartz
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- KAOLIN
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 : The wind-chill index outside is -10 F when the wind blows at 20 mph and the air temperature is 20 F. To what temperature will a dry object cool when placed outside? w) 20 F x) 10 F y) -10 F z) -20 F
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- 20 F
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 : Which geologic period does not belong in the Mesozoic era? w) Permian x) Cretaceous y) Triassic z) Jurassic
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- PERMIAN
Description : All of the following are TRUE of the Paricutin volcano except w) its slopes are steep x) it is a lava cone y) it is located in Mexico z) it was built over a short period of time
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- IT IS A LAVA CONE
Description : Angiosperms developed during the: w) Precambrian period x) Cenozoic era y) Paleozoic era z) Mesozoic era
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- MESOZOIC ERA
Description : The emergence of land plants is generally accepted as occurring during what period on the geologic time scale: w) Cretaceous x) Triassic y) Permian z) Silurian
Description : Which of the following names is given to the supercontinent thought to have existed in the Cambrian period? Is it: w) Pangaea x) Afrasia y) Gondwanaland z) Europia
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- PANGAEA
Description : The lag time between precipitation period and peak discharge period of a river: w) is increased by urbanization x) is decreased by urbanization y) is shorter for a large drainage basin than for a small one z) depends upon the hydraulic heads
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- IS DECREASED BY URBANIZATION
Description : The Miocene, Eocene and Paleocene epoches belong t what geologic period on the Phanerozoic Time Scale? Is it the: w) Devonian x) Permian y) Triassic (pron: try-as-ick) z) Tertiary
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- TERTIARY
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 : On the Richter scale, a magnitude 6 earthquake is how much larger than a magnitude 4 earthquake? w) 1.5 times x) 4 times y) 15 times z) 100 times
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- 100 TIMES
Description : Most earthquakes originate at depths of between w) the surface and 100 kilometers x) 100 kilometers and 500 kilometers y) 500 kilometers and 700 kilometers z) 700 kilometers and the outer core
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- THE SURFACE AND 100 KILOMETERS
Description : Coal is believed to have been principally formed in which of the following types of environment? w) river beds x) swamps y) volcanic regions z) deserts
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- SWAMPS
Description : An example of a rock whose minerals have been crushed into thin sheets or bands is: w) shale x) schist y) conglomerate z) granite
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- SCHIST