Description : Cirrus clouds are: w) rain clouds x) thick and fleecy y) made of ice crystals z) low cloud layers
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- MADE OF ICE CRYSTALS
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 : 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 internal structure of crystals was first studied with which of the following? w) x-rays x) isotopes y) electron microscopes z) lasers
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- X-RAYS
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 : 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 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 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 : 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 : Which of the following processes doesn't account for an increase in atmospheric CO2 (carbon dioxide) levels? w) deforestation x) photosynthetic processes y) plant respiration z) fossil fuel combustion
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- PHOTOSYNTHETIC PROCESSES
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 : 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 : The saltation of sand grains refers to the sand grains: w) being coated with salt x) moving in jumps and bounces y) moving in a steady stream z) being cemented together
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- MOVING IN JUMPS AND BOUNCES
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 : Carbonic acid is extremely active in the chemical weathering of: w) feldspar x) quartz y) carbon z) quartzite
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- FELDSPAR
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 : Diamond and graphite are polymorphs of which of th following elements? w) magnesium x) carbon y) sulfur z) nitrogen
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CARBON
Description : Which of the following gases is given off in the acid test of a carbonate mineral? w) chlorine x) nitrogen y) carbon dioxide z) sulfur dioxide
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- CARBON DIOXIDE
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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : In which of these states can large numbers of drumlins be found? w) Oregon x) California y) Texas z) Wisconsin
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- WISCONSIN
Description : Cubic crystals containing lattice points only at the corners are called: w) body centered x) face centered y) simple z) hexagonal
Last Answer : ANSWER: C-SIMPLE
Description : Which of the following is believed to be responsible for the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctic? w) carbon dioxide x) compounds containing sulfur y) radioactivity z) compounds containing chlorine
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- COMPOUNDS CONTAINING CHLORINE
Description : This noncombustible liquid in its dry form is noncorrosive to common metals except aluminum. About 90% of all of this material which is manufactured goes into the production of chlorofluorocarbons. ... substance: w) carbon tetrachloride x) methylene chloride y) hydrogen chloride z) methyl fluoride
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
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 : Which of the following would you expect to have the highest boiling point? w) methane x) carbon tetrachloride y) chloroform z) chloromethane
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CARBON TETRACHLORIDE
Description : Which of the following would be least soluble in water? w) Carbon Tetrachloride x) Sodium Oxide y) Magnesium Bromide z) Potassium Phosphate
Description : Which one of the following molecules exhibits resonance? w) Carbon Tetrachloride x) Carbonate ion y) Sulfur Dichloride z) Phosphorus Tribromide
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CARBONATE ION
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 : Waste gases from industrial plants form acids that hasten chemical weathering. Most of the gases are compounds of: w) argon x) hydrogen y) iron z) sulfur
Last Answer : ANSWER: Z -- SULFUR
Description : Most cave deposits form from which of the followin minerals? w) hematite x) calcite y) quartz z) none of these
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- CALCITE
Description : A specialized form of concordant igneous intrusion that is characterized by a dome in the country rock and a nearly planar floor is called a: w) lopolith x) laccolith y) batholith z) stock
Last Answer : ANSWER: X -- LACCOLITH
Description : Which of the following does NOT form as a result o a low level temperature inversion? w) smog x) sleet y) tornado z) fog
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- TORNADO
Description : Deposits that form when the ice in a glacier melts are called: w) drifts x) dunes y) veins z) cirques (pron: serks)
Last Answer : ANSWER: W -- DRIFTS
Description : An agate is a form of what mineral? w) magnetite x) feldspar y) quartz z) copper
Last Answer : ANSWER: Y -- QUARTZ
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 : 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 : 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 : 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 : 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