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 : 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 : The word ‘insolation’ means (1) matters which insulate (2) incoming solar radiation (3) insoluble matters (4) None of the above
Last Answer : incoming solar radiation
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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : According to the French scientist Buffon, the solar system formed when our sun w) was first formed x) collided with a comet y) began to cool down z) began to expand.
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- COLLIDED WITH A COMET
Description : According to the protoplanet hypothesis, the solar system begins as which of the following? w) a star x) a vacuum y) a huge cloud of dust and gas z) a group of comets.
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- A HUGE CLOUD OF DUST AND GAS
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 : 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 fossil archaeopteryx is the earliest known example of: w) mammal x) fish y) bird z) snake
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- BIRD
Description : In geological studies, a reverse fault having a di less than 10 degrees is known as which of the following types of faults. w) normal x) overthrust y) strike-slip z) none of the above.
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- OVERTHRUST
Description : A point of known or assumed elevation on a topographic map is termed: w) benchmark x) contour line y) bathymetric point z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- BENCHMARK
Description : Another method of locating points on a map besides the longitude and latitude method which is frequently employed in the western states is known as the: w) Arc Method x) Tier and Range System y) Square Similar Method z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- TIER AND RANGE SYSTEM
Description : The horse latitude which occurs at approximately 30o - 35o north is also known as the: w) doldrums x) calms of Cancer y) calms of Capricorn z) trough of the Pacific
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CALMS OF CANCER
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 : A lake or pond community is also known as a: w) pelagic community (pron: pe-laj-ick) x) benthic community (pron: ben-thick) y) lentic community (pron: len-tick) z) lotic community (pron: lot-ick)
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- LENTIC COMMUNITY
Description : Igneous rocks that form from magma are known as: w) minerals x) granite y) intrusive rocks z) gneiss (pron: nice)
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- INTRUSIVE ROCKS
Description : A volcano which is composed of lava flows and pyroclastic material and which is steep-sided and very tall is known as: w) Syncline x) Composite cone y) Anticline z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- COMPOSITE CONE
Description : What is the name of the phenomenon that causes an accumulation of heat in the lower atmosphere because of the absorption of longwave radiation from the Earth's surface?
Last Answer : ANSWER: GREENHOUSE EFFECT
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 : 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
Description : In geological studies, the Mohorovicic Discontinuity, commonly called the Moho, is the boundary between the w) the mantle and the crust x) asthenosphere and the mantle y) mantle and the outer core z) outer core and the inner core
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- THE MANTLE AND THE CRUST
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 : 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 : Safety aside, for which of the following reasons is alcohol used in preference to mercury in a minimum thermometer? w) Alcohol has a higher boiling point x) Alcohol has a lower freezing point y) Alcohol contracts more uniformly z) Alcohol can be dyed for visibility
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- ALCOHOL HAS A LOWER FREEZING POINT
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 the following is the mineral name for ordinary salt? w) biotite x) calcite y) halite z) dolomite
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- HALITE
Description : Which of the following minerals is a source of lead? w) Bauxite x) Hematite y) Malachite z) Galena
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- GALENA
Description : A geologic feature called a kimberlite indicates the possibility of thepresence of which of the following? w) rubies x) diamonds y) sapphires z) opals
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- DIAMONDS