Question 1

What was the main technique used to study the solid surface of Venus?

Accepted Answer

A)  visible-light telescopes 
B)  small rovers that drive around on the planet 
C)  photographs taken at different times of the day 
D)  radar images 
E)  none of these 
A)  visible-light telescopes 
B)  small rovers that drive around on the planet 
C)  photographs taken at different times of the day 
D)  radar images 
E)  none of these

Question 2

What is the main control on whether a planet or moon has active tectonics and volcanism?

Accepted Answer

A)  whether it is composed of rocks or ice 
B)  whether it contains water on its surface 
C)  the size of an object 
D)  the distance that the object is from the Sun 
A)  whether it is composed of rocks or ice 
B)  whether it contains water on its surface 
C)  the size of an object 
D)  the distance that the object is from the Sun

Question 3

The rings of Saturn are largely composed of:

Accepted Answer

A)  purple and green metallic substances 
B)  icy chunks the size of sand, pebbles, and boulders 
C)  drops and blobs of liquid water 
D)  all of these 
A)  purple and green metallic substances 
B)  icy chunks the size of sand, pebbles, and boulders 
C)  drops and blobs of liquid water 
D)  all of these

Question 4

The Moon has been volcanically and tectonically inactive for more than:

Accepted Answer

A)  2 billion years 
B)  2 million years 
C)  1 billion years 
D)  1 million years 
A)  2 billion years 
B)  2 million years 
C)  1 billion years 
D)  1 million years

Question 5

Which feature on Earth's moon is the oldest?

Accepted Answer

A)  1, the mare 
B)  2, lunar highlands 
C)  3, rayed crater 
D)  the polar ice caps 
A)  1, the mare 
B)  2, lunar highlands 
C)  3, rayed crater 
D)  the polar ice caps

Question 6

The dominant geologic process in our solar system is:

Accepted Answer

A)  impact cratering 
B)  space weathering 
C)  plate tectonics 
D)  volcanism 
A)  impact cratering 
B)  space weathering 
C)  plate tectonics 
D)  volcanism

Question 7

The erosional features shown in this image from Mars are thought to have been formed by:

Accepted Answer

A)  running water 
B)  tectonics 
C)  wind 
D)  glaciers 
A)  running water 
B)  tectonics 
C)  wind 
D)  glaciers

Question 8

Which of the following characteristics of Earth are not shared by many other planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  abundant water exists on the surface in liquid, vapor, and solid phases 
B)  moving water and ice currently erode the land and deposit sediment 
C)  it generates enough heat to allow plate tectonics to operate 
D)  it contains abundant life 
E)  all of these 
A)  abundant water exists on the surface in liquid, vapor, and solid phases 
B)  moving water and ice currently erode the land and deposit sediment 
C)  it generates enough heat to allow plate tectonics to operate 
D)  it contains abundant life 
E)  all of these

Question 9

Which part of the Moon is the oldest and why?

Accepted Answer

A)  the dark circular maria because they have had more time to darken 
B)  the dark circular maria because they have had more time to be eroded and smoothed off 
C)  the light-colored lunar highlands because they are lighter in color from longer weathering 
D)  the light-colored lunar highlands because they contain a higher density of craters per area 
E)  none of these 
A)  the dark circular maria because they have had more time to darken 
B)  the dark circular maria because they have had more time to be eroded and smoothed off 
C)  the light-colored lunar highlands because they are lighter in color from longer weathering 
D)  the light-colored lunar highlands because they contain a higher density of craters per area 
E)  none of these

Question 10

The topographic relief map of Venus was generated with:

Accepted Answer

A)  geologic data 
B)  radar data 
C)  compositional data 
D)  mineralogic data 
A)  geologic data 
B)  radar data 
C)  compositional data 
D)  mineralogic data

Question 11

Which of the following are unusual about Uranus?

Accepted Answer

A)  ice on its surface has an unusual bluish-green color 
B)  its axis of rotation, orientation of rings, and orbits of its moons are perpendicular to those of every other planet in the Solar System 
C)  it has been reclassified as a dwarf planet 
D)  its orbit sometimes takes it closer to the Sun than Mars 
E)  none of these 
A)  ice on its surface has an unusual bluish-green color 
B)  its axis of rotation, orientation of rings, and orbits of its moons are perpendicular to those of every other planet in the Solar System 
C)  it has been reclassified as a dwarf planet 
D)  its orbit sometimes takes it closer to the Sun than Mars 
E)  none of these

Question 12

The asteroid belt is located between:

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars and Jupiter 
B)  Jupiter and Saturn 
C)  the Moon and Mars 
D)  Saturn and Uranus 
A)  Mars and Jupiter 
B)  Jupiter and Saturn 
C)  the Moon and Mars 
D)  Saturn and Uranus

Question 13

What do these channels indicate about past events on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  there were explosive volcanic eruptions 
B)  strong winds eroded into a series of volcanic layers 
C)  the surface once had running water that eroded and deposited sediment 
D)  glaciers once covered the entire planet 
A)  there were explosive volcanic eruptions 
B)  strong winds eroded into a series of volcanic layers 
C)  the surface once had running water that eroded and deposited sediment 
D)  glaciers once covered the entire planet

Question 14

Which of the following features attracted geologists' attention on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  small spherical objects, nicknamed blueberries, that contain the mineral hematite 
B)  a meteorite resting on the Martian surface 
C)  layered rocks in the walls of several craters 
D)  a large area with abundant hematite discovered before the rovers landed 
E)  all of these 
A)  small spherical objects, nicknamed blueberries, that contain the mineral hematite 
B)  a meteorite resting on the Martian surface 
C)  layered rocks in the walls of several craters 
D)  a large area with abundant hematite discovered before the rovers landed 
E)  all of these

Question 15

Which of the following is NOT one of the inner terrestrial planets?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Saturn 
A)  Mercury 
B)  Venus 
C)  Mars 
D)  Saturn

Question 16

Which of the following is true about Pluto?

Accepted Answer

A)  it is a small icy object, even smaller than Earth's Moon 
B)  its orbit is very elliptical 
C)  it is similar to a number of objects farther out from the Solar System 
D)  astronomers recently classified it to dwarf-planet status 
E)  all of these 
A)  it is a small icy object, even smaller than Earth's Moon 
B)  its orbit is very elliptical 
C)  it is similar to a number of objects farther out from the Solar System 
D)  astronomers recently classified it to dwarf-planet status 
E)  all of these

Question 17

Which of the following are NOT present on the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)  light-colored areas called the lunar highlands 
B)  areas with abundant impact craters 
C)  dark, fairly smooth areas 
D)  large impact craters with light-colored rays radiating out from the center 
E)  all of these are present 
A)  light-colored areas called the lunar highlands 
B)  areas with abundant impact craters 
C)  dark, fairly smooth areas 
D)  large impact craters with light-colored rays radiating out from the center 
E)  all of these are present

Question 18

Which of the following correctly describe comets?

Accepted Answer

A)  they have a tail of gas and ice 
B)  icy and rocky 
C)  small in size 
D)  all of these correctly describe comets 
A)  they have a tail of gas and ice 
B)  icy and rocky 
C)  small in size 
D)  all of these correctly describe comets

Question 19

What are the dark areas of the Moon interpreted to be?

Accepted Answer

A)  dark-colored sediment that filled in low areas 
B)  rocks that are dark and fine-grained because they were smashed by many impacts 
C)  large areas of the iron-oxide mineral hematite 
D)  large areas covered by basalt 
A)  dark-colored sediment that filled in low areas 
B)  rocks that are dark and fine-grained because they were smashed by many impacts 
C)  large areas of the iron-oxide mineral hematite 
D)  large areas covered by basalt

Question 20

What does this curved feature, which contains a point bar, indicate about past events on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  there were explosive volcanic eruptions 
B)  strong winds eroded into a series of volcanic layers 
C)  the surface once had running water that eroded and deposited sediment 
D)  glaciers once covered the entire planet 
A)  there were explosive volcanic eruptions 
B)  strong winds eroded into a series of volcanic layers 
C)  the surface once had running water that eroded and deposited sediment 
D)  glaciers once covered the entire planet

What was the main technique used to study the solid surface of Venus?

What is the main control on whether a planet or moon has active tectonics and volcanism?

The rings of Saturn are largely composed of:

The Moon has been volcanically and tectonically inactive for more than:

Which feature on Earth's moon is the oldest?

The dominant geologic process in our solar system is:

The erosional features shown in this image from Mars are thought to have been formed by:

Which of the following characteristics of Earth are not shared by many other planets?

Which part of the Moon is the oldest and why?

The topographic relief map of Venus was generated with:

Which of the following are unusual about Uranus?

The asteroid belt is located between:

What do these channels indicate about past events on Mars?

Which of the following features attracted geologists' attention on Mars?

Which of the following is NOT one of the inner terrestrial planets?

Which of the following is true about Pluto?

Which of the following are NOT present on the Moon?

Which of the following correctly describe comets?

What are the dark areas of the Moon interpreted to be?

What does this curved feature, which contains a point bar, indicate about past events on Mars?

The Nature of Geology

Investigating Geologic Questions

Plate Tectonics

Earth Materials

Igneous Environments

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Environments

Deformation and Metamorphism

Geologic Time

Seafloor and Continental Margins

Mountains, Basins, and Continents

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Climate and Weathering

Glaciers, Shorelines, and Changing Sea Levels

Weathering, Soil, and Unstable Slopes

Streams and Flooding

Water Resources

Energy and Mineral Resources

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Exam 19: Geology of the Solar System

What was the main technique used to study the solid surface of Venus?

What is the main control on whether a planet or moon has active tectonics and volcanism?

The rings of Saturn are largely composed of:

The Moon has been volcanically and tectonically inactive for more than:

Which feature on Earth's moon is the oldest?

The dominant geologic process in our solar system is:

The erosional features shown in this image from Mars are thought to have been formed by:

Which of the following characteristics of Earth are not shared by many other planets?

Which part of the Moon is the oldest and why?

The topographic relief map of Venus was generated with:

Which of the following are unusual about Uranus?

The asteroid belt is located between:

What do these channels indicate about past events on Mars?

Which of the following features attracted geologists' attention on Mars?

Which of the following is NOT one of the inner terrestrial planets?

Which of the following is true about Pluto?

Which of the following are NOT present on the Moon?

Which of the following correctly describe comets?

What are the dark areas of the Moon interpreted to be?

What does this curved feature, which contains a point bar, indicate about past events on Mars?

The Nature of Geology

Investigating Geologic Questions

Plate Tectonics

Earth Materials

Igneous Environments

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Environments

Deformation and Metamorphism

Geologic Time

Seafloor and Continental Margins

Mountains, Basins, and Continents

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Climate and Weathering

Glaciers, Shorelines, and Changing Sea Levels

Weathering, Soil, and Unstable Slopes

Streams and Flooding

Water Resources

Energy and Mineral Resources

Filters