Question 1

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

Accepted Answer

A) material between the crust and the mantle. 
B) the lava that comes out of volcanoes. 
C) the softer rocky material of the mantle. 
D) material above the crust. 
E) the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle. 
A) material between the crust and the mantle. 
B) the lava that comes out of volcanoes. 
C) the softer rocky material of the mantle. 
D) material above the crust. 
E) the rigid rocky material of the crust and uppermost portion of the mantle.

Question 2

Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Earth.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

Which of the following is not an expected consequence of global warming?

Accepted Answer

A) The entire Earth will warm up by the same amount. 
B) an increase in the severity of winter blizzards 
C) melting of polar ice and glaciers 
D) an increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes 
A) The entire Earth will warm up by the same amount. 
B) an increase in the severity of winter blizzards 
C) melting of polar ice and glaciers 
D) an increase in the number and intensity of hurricanes

Question 4

What process has shaped Earth's surface more than any other?

Accepted Answer

A) plate tectonics 
B) impact cratering 
C) acid rain 
D) volcanism 
E) wind erosion 
A) plate tectonics 
B) impact cratering 
C) acid rain 
D) volcanism 
E) wind erosion

Question 5

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?

Accepted Answer

A) core, mantle, crust 
B) core, crust, lithosphere 
C) mantle, crust, core 
D) mantle, core, crust 
A) core, mantle, crust 
B) core, crust, lithosphere 
C) mantle, crust, core 
D) mantle, core, crust

Question 6

What is a magnetosphere and how are magnetospheres related to planetary atmospheres?

Accepted Answer

A magnetosphere is a protective bubble s

Question 7

Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars)would range in size approximately from that of .

Accepted Answer

A) a dust speck to a basketball 
B) a golf ball to a beach ball 
C) a golf ball to a baseball 
D) a dust speck to a golf ball 
A) a dust speck to a basketball 
B) a golf ball to a beach ball 
C) a golf ball to a baseball 
D) a dust speck to a golf ball

Question 8

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters within the lunar maria. What can we conclude?

Accepted Answer

A) The regions of the maria were hit by fewer impacts than the densely cratered regions. 
B) Erosion affects the maria more than it affects other regions of the Moon. 
C) The maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended. 
D) The maria formed within the past 1 billion years. 
A) The regions of the maria were hit by fewer impacts than the densely cratered regions. 
B) Erosion affects the maria more than it affects other regions of the Moon. 
C) The maria formed after the heavy bombardment ended. 
D) The maria formed within the past 1 billion years.

Question 9

Which of these upcoming observations will help test the idea that Mars' atmosphere thinned due to interactions with the solar wind?

Accepted Answer

A) Geologists will measure the carbon content of Martian rocks that were transported to Earth by asteroid impacts. 
B) The Curiosity rover will measure the carbon content of rocks on Mars' surface. 
C) The upcoming MAVEN orbiter will measure present- day gas loss from Mars' atmosphere. 
D) Astronomers will use spectrographs on the Keck telescope to measure the density of Mars' atmosphere. 
A) Geologists will measure the carbon content of Martian rocks that were transported to Earth by asteroid impacts. 
B) The Curiosity rover will measure the carbon content of rocks on Mars' surface. 
C) The upcoming MAVEN orbiter will measure present- day gas loss from Mars' atmosphere. 
D) Astronomers will use spectrographs on the Keck telescope to measure the density of Mars' atmosphere.

Question 10

The sky is blue because molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue light more effectively than red light.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Volcanism is more likely on a planet that

Accepted Answer

A) is closer to the Sun. 
B) has high internal temperatures. 
C) is struck often by meteors and solar system debris. 
D) doesn't have an atmosphere or oceans. 
A) is closer to the Sun. 
B) has high internal temperatures. 
C) is struck often by meteors and solar system debris. 
D) doesn't have an atmosphere or oceans.

Question 12

Why is continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

Accepted Answer

A) Continental crust is made of rock, while seafloor crust has more metals. 
B) Continental crust is actually denser than seafloor crust. 
C) Continental crust is made from volcanic rock called basalt, which is lower in density than what the seafloor crust is made from. 
D) Seafloor crust is more compact due to the weight of the oceans, but it is made of the same material as the continental crust. 
E) Continental crust is made from remelted seafloor crust and therefore only the lower- density material rises to form it. 
A) Continental crust is made of rock, while seafloor crust has more metals. 
B) Continental crust is actually denser than seafloor crust. 
C) Continental crust is made from volcanic rock called basalt, which is lower in density than what the seafloor crust is made from. 
D) Seafloor crust is more compact due to the weight of the oceans, but it is made of the same material as the continental crust. 
E) Continental crust is made from remelted seafloor crust and therefore only the lower- density material rises to form it.

Question 13

We are confident that rising CO₂ levels are caused by the burning of fossil fuels because atmospheric CO₂ now has the same carbon isotope ratio as fossil fuels.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Earth and Venus both presumably had similar gases outgassed from their volcanoes. Briefly explain how their atmospheres ended up so different.

Accepted Answer

On Venus, water and carbon dioxide remai

Question 15

Ridges in the middle of the ocean are places where

Accepted Answer

A) one plate slides under another, returning older crust to the mantle. 
B) plates slip sideways relative to one another. 
C) hot mantle material rises upward, creating volcanic islands. 
D) plates push together, creating ocean mountain chains. 
E) hot mantle material rises upward and spreads sideways, pushing the plates apart. 
A) one plate slides under another, returning older crust to the mantle. 
B) plates slip sideways relative to one another. 
C) hot mantle material rises upward, creating volcanic islands. 
D) plates push together, creating ocean mountain chains. 
E) hot mantle material rises upward and spreads sideways, pushing the plates apart.

Question 16

Which of the following does not provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface?

Accepted Answer

A) the presence of very old craters that appear to have been eroded by rain 
B) the presence of features that look like dried up river beds 
C) the presence of what looks like sedimentary layers in some crater bottoms 
D) the presence of canali, discovered in the late 1800s by Giovanni Schiaparelli and mapped by Percival Lowell 
A) the presence of very old craters that appear to have been eroded by rain 
B) the presence of features that look like dried up river beds 
C) the presence of what looks like sedimentary layers in some crater bottoms 
D) the presence of canali, discovered in the late 1800s by Giovanni Schiaparelli and mapped by Percival Lowell

Question 17

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

Accepted Answer

A) mantle convection and a thick atmosphere 
B) plate tectonics and widespread erosion 
C) a dense core and plate tectonics 
D) significant volcanism and tectonics 
A) mantle convection and a thick atmosphere 
B) plate tectonics and widespread erosion 
C) a dense core and plate tectonics 
D) significant volcanism and tectonics

Question 18

Why is Mars red?

Accepted Answer

A) Chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface. 
B) The red color is caused by water ice chemically bound in surface rock. 
C) The red color of Mars is a result of the scattering of light in the Martian sky. 
D) Martian volcanoes released a much redder lava than volcanoes on Earth. 
A) Chemical reactions between surface rock and atmospheric oxygen literally rusted the surface. 
B) The red color is caused by water ice chemically bound in surface rock. 
C) The red color of Mars is a result of the scattering of light in the Martian sky. 
D) Martian volcanoes released a much redder lava than volcanoes on Earth.

Question 19

Why is Earth's continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

Accepted Answer

A) Continental crust comes from Earth's inner core while seafloor crust comes from the outer core. 
B) Continental crust is made as the lowest- density seafloor crust melts and erupts to the surface near subduction zones. 
C) Continental crust comes from volcanoes while seafloor crust comes from geysers. 
D) Continental crust is made from a low- density volcanic rock called basalt. 
A) Continental crust comes from Earth's inner core while seafloor crust comes from the outer core. 
B) Continental crust is made as the lowest- density seafloor crust melts and erupts to the surface near subduction zones. 
C) Continental crust comes from volcanoes while seafloor crust comes from geysers. 
D) Continental crust is made from a low- density volcanic rock called basalt.

Question 20

Why did Earth retain most of its water while Venus and Mars lost theirs?

Accepted Answer

The basic answer is that Earth was at ju

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Earth.

Which of the following is not an expected consequence of global warming?

What process has shaped Earth's surface more than any other?

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?

What is a magnetosphere and how are magnetospheres related to planetary atmospheres?

Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars)would range in size approximately from that of .

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters within the lunar maria. What can we conclude?

Which of these upcoming observations will help test the idea that Mars' atmosphere thinned due to interactions with the solar wind?

The sky is blue because molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue light more effectively than red light.

Volcanism is more likely on a planet that

Why is continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

We are confident that rising CO₂ levels are caused by the burning of fossil fuels because atmospheric CO₂ now has the same carbon isotope ratio as fossil fuels.

Earth and Venus both presumably had similar gases outgassed from their volcanoes. Briefly explain how their atmospheres ended up so different.

Ridges in the middle of the ocean are places where

Which of the following does not provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface?

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

Why is Mars red?

Why is Earth's continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

Why did Earth retain most of its water while Venus and Mars lost theirs?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

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Exam 7: Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

The lithosphere of a planet is the layer that consists of

Venus has a thicker atmosphere than Earth.

Which of the following is not an expected consequence of global warming?

What process has shaped Earth's surface more than any other?

From center to surface, which of the following correctly lists the interior layers of a terrestrial world?

What is a magnetosphere and how are magnetospheres related to planetary atmospheres?

Suppose we use a baseball to represent Earth. On this scale, the other terrestrial worlds (Mercury, Venus, the Moon, and Mars)would range in size approximately from that of .

Most of the Moon's surface is densely covered with craters, but we find relatively few craters within the lunar maria. What can we conclude?

Which of these upcoming observations will help test the idea that Mars' atmosphere thinned due to interactions with the solar wind?

The sky is blue because molecules in the atmosphere scatter blue light more effectively than red light.

Volcanism is more likely on a planet that

Why is continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

We are confident that rising CO₂ levels are caused by the burning of fossil fuels because atmospheric CO₂ now has the same carbon isotope ratio as fossil fuels.

Earth and Venus both presumably had similar gases outgassed from their volcanoes. Briefly explain how their atmospheres ended up so different.

Ridges in the middle of the ocean are places where

Which of the following does not provide evidence that Mars once had abundant liquid water on its surface?

What are the two geological features that appear to set Earth apart from all the other terrestrial worlds?

Why is Mars red?

Why is Earth's continental crust lower in density than seafloor crust?

Why did Earth retain most of its water while Venus and Mars lost theirs?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Life in the Universe

Filters