Description : Which of the following areas is closest to the total surface area of the earth in square kilometers? w) 500 million x) 500 billion y) 500 thousand z) 5 billion
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- 500 MILLION
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 : The earth's climate has been warming since the las glacial period which ended about how many years ago? w) 1,000 to 2,000 years ago x) 10,000 to 20,000 years ago y) 100,000 to 200,000 years ago z) 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 years ago
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- 10,000 TO 20,000 YEARS AGO
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 : To what does the atmosphere's "greenhouse effect" refer to? w) the fact that ozone reflects ultraviolet radiation x) the fact that air prevents heat from leaving the earth y) the fact that clouds prevent sunlight from reaching the earth z) the fact that green plants use sunlight to produce food
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- THE FACT THAT AIR PREVENTS HEAT FROM LEAVING THE EARTH
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 : 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 : 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 : The available incoming solar radiation is known as: w) reflection x) insolation y) reradiation z) absorption
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- INSOLATION
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 : There are three commonly detectable points of zero polarization of diffuse sky radiation, neutral points, lying along the vertical circle through the sun. Which of the following is NOT one of these points? Is it the: w) Arago Point x) Babinet Point y) Brewster Point z) Longfellow Point
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- LONGFELLOW POINT
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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : Which of the following distances in kilometers is closest to the diameter of the earth? w) 750 kilometers x) 2,750 kilometers y) 12,750 kilometers z) 127,500 kilometers
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- 12,750 KILOMETERS
Description : The core of the earth is thought to be composed of which of the following? w) basalt and granite x) compressed gases y) uranium and lead z) iron and nickel
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- IRON AND NICKEL
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 : On which one of the following is the largest known volcanic cone in the solar system located? w) Earth x) Io y) Mars z) the moon
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- MARS
Description : In studies of the surface of the earth, a reverse fault having a dip between 10 and 45 degrees is known as a: w) thrust fault x) normal fault y) strike-slip fault z) neither of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- THRUST FAULT
Description : Heat from the sun reaches the Earth by: w) conduction x) convection y) radiation z) none of the above
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- RADIATION
Description : Winds are classed as agents of erosion rather than of weathering because: w) they have nothing to do with the weather x) they carry rock particles away y) they work only part of the time z) they build up rather than wear down the rock
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- THEY CARRY ROCK PARTICLES AWAY
Description : Which of the following time periods includes part of the geologic range of dinosaurs? w) Mississippian x) Devonian y) Jurassic z) none of the above
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- JURASSIC
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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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