Question 1

Between 410 and 670 km depths,S-waves show several jumps attributed to phase changes in the upper mantle.What do geophysicists call this region?

Accepted Answer

A) the seismic jump region 
B) the sudden change zone 
C) the low-velocity zone 
D) the transition zone 
A) the seismic jump region 
B) the sudden change zone 
C) the low-velocity zone 
D) the transition zone

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) Liquids do not transmit P waves. 
B) P-wave velocities are greater in the core than in the mantle. 
C) Seismic waves follow straight paths through the interior of Earth. 
D) The S-wave shadow zone is larger than the P-wave shadow zone. 
A) Liquids do not transmit P waves. 
B) P-wave velocities are greater in the core than in the mantle. 
C) Seismic waves follow straight paths through the interior of Earth. 
D) The S-wave shadow zone is larger than the P-wave shadow zone.

Question 3

What is the approximate distance from the surface to the center of Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) 700 km 
B) 2900 km 
C) 6400 km 
D) 24,000 km 
A) 700 km 
B) 2900 km 
C) 6400 km 
D) 24,000 km

Question 4

What principle is based on the continents being less dense than the underlying mantle?

Accepted Answer

A) epeirogeny 
B) isostasy 
C) superposition 
D) tomography 
A) epeirogeny 
B) isostasy 
C) superposition 
D) tomography

Question 5

Which of the following statements about the asthenosphere is false?

Accepted Answer

A) The asthenosphere lies beneath the lithosphere. 
B) The asthenosphere is stronger than the lithosphere. 
C) The asthenosphere rises close to the surface beneath mid-ocean ridges. 
D) The asthenosphere is partially molten. 
A) The asthenosphere lies beneath the lithosphere. 
B) The asthenosphere is stronger than the lithosphere. 
C) The asthenosphere rises close to the surface beneath mid-ocean ridges. 
D) The asthenosphere is partially molten.

Question 6

What do sound,light,and seismic waves have in common?

Accepted Answer

A) They can travel trough all types of materials. 
B) They travel at the same speeds. 
C) Their speed depends on the materials they travel through. 
D) Their speeds are independent of the material they travel through. 
A) They can travel trough all types of materials. 
B) They travel at the same speeds. 
C) Their speed depends on the materials they travel through. 
D) Their speeds are independent of the material they travel through.

Question 7

The boundary between the mantle and the core lies at a depth of approximately

Accepted Answer

A) 300 kilometers. 
B) 1000 kilometers. 
C) 3000 kilometers. 
D) 10,000 kilometers. 
A) 300 kilometers. 
B) 1000 kilometers. 
C) 3000 kilometers. 
D) 10,000 kilometers.

Question 8

Seismic waves that bounce off a boundary between two different materials are said to be ________,whereas seismic waves that cross the boundary and are bent are said to be ________.

Accepted Answer

A) refracted; reflected 
B) reflected; transmitted 
C) reflected; refracted 
D) refracted; transmitted 
A) refracted; reflected 
B) reflected; transmitted 
C) reflected; refracted 
D) refracted; transmitted

Question 9

How many mineralogical phase changes do scientists interpret to occur in the mantle based on the jumps in S-wave speeds?

Accepted Answer

A) one 
B) two 
C) three 
D) four 
A) one 
B) two 
C) three 
D) four

Question 10

Which of the following marks the boundary between the crust and the mantle?

Accepted Answer

A) a decrease in P-wave velocity and a change in rock type 
B) an increase in P-wave velocity and a change in rock type 
C) a decrease in P-wave velocity,but no change in rock type 
D) an increase in P-wave velocity,but no change in rock type 
A) a decrease in P-wave velocity and a change in rock type 
B) an increase in P-wave velocity and a change in rock type 
C) a decrease in P-wave velocity,but no change in rock type 
D) an increase in P-wave velocity,but no change in rock type

Question 11

How thick is the oceanic crust?

Accepted Answer

A) approximately 7 km 
B) approximately 70 km 
C) approximately 35 km 
D) approximately 240 km 
A) approximately 7 km 
B) approximately 70 km 
C) approximately 35 km 
D) approximately 240 km

Question 12

Seismic wave speeds increase with

Accepted Answer

A) decreasing density and temperature. 
B) decreasing density and increasing temperature. 
C) increasing density and decreasing temperature. 
D) increasing density and temperature. 
A) decreasing density and temperature. 
B) decreasing density and increasing temperature. 
C) increasing density and decreasing temperature. 
D) increasing density and temperature.

Question 13

Which of the following processes is responsible for the recording of the magnetic reversals on the seafloor?

Accepted Answer

A) depositional remanent magnetism 
B) tectonosilicate magnetism 
C) metamorphic magnetism 
D) thermoremanent magnetism 
A) depositional remanent magnetism 
B) tectonosilicate magnetism 
C) metamorphic magnetism 
D) thermoremanent magnetism

Question 14

Seismic tomography has revealed a superplume rising from the core-mantle boundary below

Accepted Answer

A) Iceland. 
B) South Africa. 
C) the Himalayas. 
D) Mount St.Helens. 
A) Iceland. 
B) South Africa. 
C) the Himalayas. 
D) Mount St.Helens.

Question 15

The P wave shadow extends from roughly __________ to 142° distance from an earthquake's focus.

Accepted Answer

A) 25° 
B) 50° 
C) 100° 
D) 125° 
A) 25° 
B) 50° 
C) 100° 
D) 125°

Question 16

Assume you are astronaut geophysicist working on Titan (Moon of Saturn)and measure a P-wave velocity of 8 km for the moon's crust.Assuming what you know from Earth,what kind of rock is this surface made of?

Accepted Answer

A) granite 
B) basalt 
C) gabbro 
D) peridotite 
A) granite 
B) basalt 
C) gabbro 
D) peridotite

Question 17

An S wave that is reflected once off the surface of Earth is labeled an ______ wave.

Accepted Answer

A) SR 
B) SP 
C) SS 
D) SK 
A) SR 
B) SP 
C) SS 
D) SK

Question 18

Who first proposed that Earth acted as a large magnet whose field forces the needle of a magnetic compass to align north-south?

Accepted Answer

A) Charles Darwin 
B) William Gilbert 
C) James Hutton 
D) Charles Lyell 
A) Charles Darwin 
B) William Gilbert 
C) James Hutton 
D) Charles Lyell

Question 19

The base of transition zone layer marks the beginning of the

Accepted Answer

A) outer core. 
B) inner core. 
C) lower mantle. 
D) upper mantle. 
A) outer core. 
B) inner core. 
C) lower mantle. 
D) upper mantle.

Question 20

Which of the following layers will not transmit S waves?

Accepted Answer

A) crust 
B) mantle 
C) outer core 
D) inner core 
A) crust 
B) mantle 
C) outer core 
D) inner core

Exam 14: Exploring Earths Interior

Between 410 and 670 km depths,S-waves show several jumps attributed to phase changes in the upper mantle.What do geophysicists call this region?

Which of the following statements is true?

What is the approximate distance from the surface to the center of Earth?

What principle is based on the continents being less dense than the underlying mantle?

Which of the following statements about the asthenosphere is false?

What do sound,light,and seismic waves have in common?

The boundary between the mantle and the core lies at a depth of approximately

Seismic waves that bounce off a boundary between two different materials are said to be ________,whereas seismic waves that cross the boundary and are bent are said to be ________.

How many mineralogical phase changes do scientists interpret to occur in the mantle based on the jumps in S-wave speeds?

Which of the following marks the boundary between the crust and the mantle?

How thick is the oceanic crust?

Seismic wave speeds increase with

Which of the following processes is responsible for the recording of the magnetic reversals on the seafloor?

Seismic tomography has revealed a superplume rising from the core-mantle boundary below

The P wave shadow extends from roughly __________ to 142° distance from an earthquake's focus.

Assume you are astronaut geophysicist working on Titan (Moon of Saturn)and measure a P-wave velocity of 8 km for the moon's crust.Assuming what you know from Earth,what kind of rock is this surface made of?

An S wave that is reflected once off the surface of Earth is labeled an ______ wave.

Who first proposed that Earth acted as a large magnet whose field forces the needle of a magnetic compass to align north-south?

The base of transition zone layer marks the beginning of the

Which of the following layers will not transmit S waves?

The Earth System

Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Theory

Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks

Igneous Rocks: Solids From Melts

Sedimentation: Rocks Formed by Surface Processes

Metamorphism: Alteration of Rocks by Temperature and Pressure

Deformation: Modification of Rocks by Folding and Fracturing

Clocks in Rocks: Timing the Geologic Period

Early History of the Terrestrial Planets

History of the Continents

Geobiology: Life Interacts With Earth

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

The Climate System

Weathering,erosion,and Mass Wasting: Interactions Between the Climate and Plate Tectonic Systems

The Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater

Stream Transport: From Mountains to Oceans

Winds and Deserts

Coastlines and Ocean Basins

Glaciers: the Work of Ice

Landscapes: Tectonic and Climate Interaction

The Human Impact of Earths Environment

Filters

Seismic waves that bounce off a boundary between two different materials are said to be ,whereas seismic waves that cross the boundary and are bent are said to be .