Exam 1: Earth Systems

Explain how a volcanic eruption with a lot of ash and pyroclastic material could cause a temperature reduction in the atmosphere and discuss at least two other environmental problems that could arise from the catastrophic event.

Which of the following is not a true statement about the Earth's four spheres?

In which of the Earth's layers would you expect a volcanic eruption to occur such as the eruptions that occur on Hawaii?

If San Francisco and Los Angeles are moving toward each other at 3-5 centimeters per year, the two cities will become sister cities in about 10 million years because of ________ plate movements?

Bacteria that live under glacial ice and in rock and organisms that live on the ocean floor at deep sea vents represent what complex community of individual organisms interacting with one another? ______________________________

Which of the Earth's spheres contains three major layers including the core, the mantle, and the crust? ______________________________

Which specific Earth sphere would glaciers be included?

Explain how planets were made in our Solar System approximately 4.6 billion years ago.

Explain two catastrophic events described in the chapter and discuss how they impacted Earth's various spheres.

In which of the Earth's layers would you expect volcanoes on the ocean floor known as Mid Oceanic Ridges to form?

Explain how the middle of the mantle where plastic rocks contribute to the formation of volcanoes in the Earth's crust?

The rock unit that the Golden Gate Bridge was formed on was created how many millions of years ago in a deep water environment off the West Coast of North America?   ______________________________

The deepest drilling well on Earth has penetrated approximately 12 kilometers because the crust is predominantly made up of soft rocks.

Geologists have learned that clocks exist in rock that can record the passage of time. Each of these clocks has a special length of time it represents and the clocks are referred to as what? ____________________________

Which of the following is not a true statement about how our solar system formed?

Explain how the Earth's systems (atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere) are powered by the Sun.

Which of the following is not a true statement?

Studies of Earth history have revealed that catastrophic events such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and meteorite collisions rarely occur.

Explain the three broad trends facing humanity today with regards to population and utilization of resources identified toward the end of the chapter.

A feedback mechanism occurs when a small perturbation in one component affects a different component of Earth's systems which in turn amplifies the original effect more dramatically such as a large rain event saturating soil followed by another heavy rain event that causes landslides to form.