Question 1

A guyot is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  any portion of the ocean floor that is topographically higher than surrounding sea floor 
B)  an extinct oceanic hot-spot volcano that has not yet subsided below sea level 
C)  an extinct oceanic hot-spot volcano that has subsided below sea level 
D)  synonymous with the term hot spot 
A)  any portion of the ocean floor that is topographically higher than surrounding sea floor 
B)  an extinct oceanic hot-spot volcano that has not yet subsided below sea level 
C)  an extinct oceanic hot-spot volcano that has subsided below sea level 
D)  synonymous with the term hot spot

Question 2

A volcanic island arc forms when _______________.

Accepted Answer

A)  an oceanic plate subducts beneath continental lithosphere 
B)  an oceanic plate subducts beneath another oceanic plate 
C)  continental lithosphere subducts beneath an oceanic plate 
D)  two oceanic plates collide 
A)  an oceanic plate subducts beneath continental lithosphere 
B)  an oceanic plate subducts beneath another oceanic plate 
C)  continental lithosphere subducts beneath an oceanic plate 
D)  two oceanic plates collide

Question 3

Mid-ocean ridges are ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  convergent-plate boundaries 
B)  divergent-plate boundaries 
C)  transform-plate boundaries 
A)  convergent-plate boundaries 
B)  divergent-plate boundaries 
C)  transform-plate boundaries

Question 4

A triple junction,like the one shown below,is a place on Earth's surface where ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  three volcanoes form a tight, triangular cluster 
B)  glacial ice, continental rocks, and the ocean can be found together 
C)  the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet at a single point 
D)  the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet to form an elongate surface 
A)  three volcanoes form a tight, triangular cluster 
B)  glacial ice, continental rocks, and the ocean can be found together 
C)  the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet at a single point 
D)  the boundaries of three lithospheric plates meet to form an elongate surface

Question 5

Within the terminology of plate tectonics,an active margin is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  synonymous with "subduction zone" 
B)  a 5-mile radius surrounding an active volcano 
C)  a continental coastline that coincides with a plate boundary 
D)  anywhere on Earth where earthquakes are especially frequent 
A)  synonymous with "subduction zone" 
B)  a 5-mile radius surrounding an active volcano 
C)  a continental coastline that coincides with a plate boundary 
D)  anywhere on Earth where earthquakes are especially frequent

Question 6

According to the figure below,Earth's magnetic poles move constantly,but don't seem to stray farther than about ____________ from the geographic poles.

Accepted Answer

A)  500 km 
B)  1,000 km 
C)  1,500 km 
D)  2,000 km 
A)  500 km 
B)  1,000 km 
C)  1,500 km 
D)  2,000 km

Question 7

The lithosphere of the Earth is generally thickest at and near ____________-plate boundaries.

Accepted Answer

A)  convergent 
B)  divergent 
C)  transform 
A)  convergent 
B)  divergent 
C)  transform

Question 8

Late Paleozoic glacial deposits are NOT found in which of the following places?

Accepted Answer

A)  India 
B)  southern Africa 
C)  North America 
D)  South America 
A)  India 
B)  southern Africa 
C)  North America 
D)  South America

Question 9

The primary difference between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to numerous divergent patterns of physical behavior is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  physical state (the lithosphere is solid; the asthenosphere is liquid) 
B)  chemical composition (the lithosphere is mafic; the asthenosphere is felsic) 
C)  temperature (the lithosphere is cooler than the asthenosphere) 
D)  chemical composition (the lithosphere is felsic; the asthenosphere is mafic) 
A)  physical state (the lithosphere is solid; the asthenosphere is liquid) 
B)  chemical composition (the lithosphere is mafic; the asthenosphere is felsic) 
C)  temperature (the lithosphere is cooler than the asthenosphere) 
D)  chemical composition (the lithosphere is felsic; the asthenosphere is mafic)

Question 10

The age of oceanic crust ____________ with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge.

Accepted Answer

A)  increases 
B)  decreases 
A)  increases 
B)  decreases

Question 11

Within the sea floor,the rate of geothermal heat flow is greatest ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  along mid-ocean ridges 
B)  along fracture zones 
C)  at the edges of ocean basins 
D)  in the center of abyssal plains 
A)  along mid-ocean ridges 
B)  along fracture zones 
C)  at the edges of ocean basins 
D)  in the center of abyssal plains

Question 12

Unlike the lithosphere,the asthenosphere ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  is able to flow over long periods of time 
B)  has a density similar to the core 
C)  varies in thickness from place to place 
D)  is relatively cool 
A)  is able to flow over long periods of time 
B)  has a density similar to the core 
C)  varies in thickness from place to place 
D)  is relatively cool

Question 13

The lithosphere of Earth can be bent and broken,but will not flow because it ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  is too old 
B)  is too dense 
C)  is too cool 
D)  contains radioactive elements 
A)  is too old 
B)  is too dense 
C)  is too cool 
D)  contains radioactive elements

Question 14

Oceanic lithosphere thickens away from the mid-ocean ridge primarily due to ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  the addition of new crust due to hot-spot volcanism 
B)  the addition of new crust due to sedimentation 
C)  the addition of new lithospheric mantle as a result of cooling 
D)  reasons that geologists cannot determine at present 
A)  the addition of new crust due to hot-spot volcanism 
B)  the addition of new crust due to sedimentation 
C)  the addition of new lithospheric mantle as a result of cooling 
D)  reasons that geologists cannot determine at present

Question 15

If a geologist discovered coal in a modern-day cold,snowy location,he or she could conclude that _____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  a meteorite must have struck the area 
B)  the area was once covered with swamps and/or jungles 
C)  the area was once covered with an ocean 
D)  this discovery was anomalous 
A)  a meteorite must have struck the area 
B)  the area was once covered with swamps and/or jungles 
C)  the area was once covered with an ocean 
D)  this discovery was anomalous

Question 16

What mineral is integral to paleomagnetism?

Accepted Answer

A)  magnetite 
B)  iron 
C)  quartz 
D)  potassium feldspar 
A)  magnetite 
B)  iron 
C)  quartz 
D)  potassium feldspar

Question 17

A compass today points directly to geographic north.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

The apparent polar wander path obtained from magnetite crystals in basalts on the North American continent is now interpreted to be the result of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  wandering of the geomagnetic North Pole 
B)  drifting of the North American continent 
A)  wandering of the geomagnetic North Pole 
B)  drifting of the North American continent

Question 19

According to Wegener,puzzle pieces are to a jigsaw puzzle as ____________ is/are to Pangaea.

Accepted Answer

A)  continental drift 
B)  continents 
C)  faults 
D)  plate tectonics 
A)  continental drift 
B)  continents 
C)  faults 
D)  plate tectonics

Question 20

The magnetic field of Earth in the geologic past is ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  unknown, but it is assumed to have been identical to today's 
B)  known to have been constant through geologic time, due to remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks 
C)  known to have experienced numerous polarity reversals, due to remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks 
D)  known to have been constant through time, on the basis of theoretical calculations 
A)  unknown, but it is assumed to have been identical to today's 
B)  known to have been constant through geologic time, due to remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks 
C)  known to have experienced numerous polarity reversals, due to remnant magnetization of iron-rich minerals in rocks 
D)  known to have been constant through time, on the basis of theoretical calculations

Exam 2: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

A guyot is ____________.

A volcanic island arc forms when _______________.

Mid-ocean ridges are ____________.

A triple junction,like the one shown below,is a place on Earth's surface where ____________.

Within the terminology of plate tectonics,an active margin is ____________.

According to the figure below,Earth's magnetic poles move constantly,but don't seem to stray farther than about ____________ from the geographic poles.

The lithosphere of the Earth is generally thickest at and near ____________-plate boundaries.

Late Paleozoic glacial deposits are NOT found in which of the following places?

The primary difference between lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle that gives rise to numerous divergent patterns of physical behavior is ____________.

The age of oceanic crust ____________ with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge.

Within the sea floor,the rate of geothermal heat flow is greatest ____________.

Unlike the lithosphere,the asthenosphere ____________.

The lithosphere of Earth can be bent and broken,but will not flow because it ____________.

Oceanic lithosphere thickens away from the mid-ocean ridge primarily due to ____________.

If a geologist discovered coal in a modern-day cold,snowy location,he or she could conclude that _____________.

What mineral is integral to paleomagnetism?

A compass today points directly to geographic north.

The apparent polar wander path obtained from magnetite crystals in basalts on the North American continent is now interpreted to be the result of ____________.

According to Wegener,puzzle pieces are to a jigsaw puzzle as ____________ is/are to Pangaea.

The magnetic field of Earth in the geologic past is ____________.

The Earth in Context

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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