Question 1

The most recent time that water appears to have flowed on Mars, if only briefly, is during the

Accepted Answer

A)  Amazonian Era 
B)  Hadean Era 
C)  Noachian Era 
D)  Hesperian Era 
A)  Amazonian Era 
B)  Hadean Era 
C)  Noachian Era 
D)  Hesperian Era

Question 2

Gusev Crater was chosen at the landing site for the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit because

Accepted Answer

A)  of its proximity to the Tharsis region 
B)  remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that larger than average deposits of water ice are present beneath the surface 
C)  we believe this region was once filled with water 
D)  remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that deposits of the mineral hematite (which commonly forms in water) are present 
A)  of its proximity to the Tharsis region 
B)  remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that larger than average deposits of water ice are present beneath the surface 
C)  we believe this region was once filled with water 
D)  remote sensing measurements from the Mars Odyssey orbiter indicate that deposits of the mineral hematite (which commonly forms in water) are present

Question 3

The presence of channels carved out on the slopes of large Martian volcanoes is consistent with

Accepted Answer

A)  recent wind erosion 
B)  the action of plate tectonics 
C)  the existence of past underground pockets of water 
D)  recent impacts 
A)  recent wind erosion 
B)  the action of plate tectonics 
C)  the existence of past underground pockets of water 
D)  recent impacts

Question 4

The first scientist to measure the rotation period of Mars was

Accepted Answer

A)  Angelo Secchi 
B)  Percival Lowell 
C)  Giovanni Schiaparelli 
D)  William Herschel 
A)  Angelo Secchi 
B)  Percival Lowell 
C)  Giovanni Schiaparelli 
D)  William Herschel

Question 5

During summer, the northern polar cap of Mars is made of

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon dioxide ice overlaying water ice 
B)  a layer of carbon dioxide ice 
C)  a layer of water ice 
D)  water ice overlaying carbon dioxide ice 
A)  carbon dioxide ice overlaying water ice 
B)  a layer of carbon dioxide ice 
C)  a layer of water ice 
D)  water ice overlaying carbon dioxide ice

Question 6

The Mars Exploration Rovers have photographed which of the following meteorological phenomena on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  dust devils 
B)  hurricanes 
C)  ice storms 
D)  tornadoes 
A)  dust devils 
B)  hurricanes 
C)  ice storms 
D)  tornadoes

Question 7

What is the most likely origin of the Valles Marineris on Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  it is a fissure in the surface carved out by a giant impact 
B)  it is a tectonic fracture associated with the formation of the adjacent Tharsis bulge 
C)  it is a huge canyon system formed by water erosion 
D)  it was formed from the separation of two tectonic plates 
A)  it is a fissure in the surface carved out by a giant impact 
B)  it is a tectonic fracture associated with the formation of the adjacent Tharsis bulge 
C)  it is a huge canyon system formed by water erosion 
D)  it was formed from the separation of two tectonic plates

Question 8

The water that formed many of the erosion features seen on Mars appears to have originated

Accepted Answer

A)  from clouds in the atmosphere 
B)  from volcanic outgassing 
C)  comet impacts 
D)  from beneath the surface of the planet 
A)  from clouds in the atmosphere 
B)  from volcanic outgassing 
C)  comet impacts 
D)  from beneath the surface of the planet

Question 9

Where is probably the best place to find life on Mars today?

Accepted Answer

A)  inside craters that used to be filled with water 
B)  in the Mariner Valley 
C)  in the residual polar caps 
D)  in geologically active areas like Tharsis where subsurface water may exist 
A)  inside craters that used to be filled with water 
B)  in the Mariner Valley 
C)  in the residual polar caps 
D)  in geologically active areas like Tharsis where subsurface water may exist

Question 10

Due to its elliptical orbit, Mars is closer to the Sun on average during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This means Northern Winter on Mars will be

Accepted Answer

A)  short and hot 
B)  long and mild 
C)  long and cold 
D)  short and mild 
A)  short and hot 
B)  long and mild 
C)  long and cold 
D)  short and mild

Question 11

The indistinct rims of large craters and the relative lack of small craters on Mars may be due to

Accepted Answer

A)  winds 
B)  rainfall 
C)  glaciers 
D)  all of these 
A)  winds 
B)  rainfall 
C)  glaciers 
D)  all of these

Question 12

Typically, what color is the Martian sky during the daytime?

Accepted Answer

A)  green 
B)  yellow-brown 
C)  red 
D)  blue 
A)  green 
B)  yellow-brown 
C)  red 
D)  blue

Question 13

We will probably never know for sure whether life started on Mars until we

Accepted Answer

A)  develop better techniques to study Martian meteroites 
B)  can study rocks on Mars itself or return a sample to Earth for analysis 
C)  find a Martian meteorite containing amino acids 
D)  find another meteorite exactly like ALH84001 
A)  develop better techniques to study Martian meteroites 
B)  can study rocks on Mars itself or return a sample to Earth for analysis 
C)  find a Martian meteorite containing amino acids 
D)  find another meteorite exactly like ALH84001

Question 14

What is the origin of Martian meteorites?

Accepted Answer

A)  they are rocks brought to Earth by Martians 
B)  they are rocks brought back to Earth by sample return missions 
C)  they are rocks blasted from the surface of Mars by volcanoes; these rocks then floated around in interplanetary space before falling to Earth 
D)  they are rocks blasted from the surface of Mars by impacts; these rocks then floated around in interplanetary space before falling to Earth 
A)  they are rocks brought to Earth by Martians 
B)  they are rocks brought back to Earth by sample return missions 
C)  they are rocks blasted from the surface of Mars by volcanoes; these rocks then floated around in interplanetary space before falling to Earth 
D)  they are rocks blasted from the surface of Mars by impacts; these rocks then floated around in interplanetary space before falling to Earth

Question 15

If the Earth has a radius of 6378 km and Mars a radius of 3396 km, what is the surface area-to-volume ratio of Mars compared to the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.53 
B)  2.7 
C)  1.9 
D)  3.2 
A)  0.53 
B)  2.7 
C)  1.9 
D)  3.2

Question 16

The seasonal polar caps on Mars are made of

Accepted Answer

A)  methane ice 
B)  carbon dioxide ice 
C)  water ice 
D)  a uniform mixture of water and carbon dioxide ices 
A)  methane ice 
B)  carbon dioxide ice 
C)  water ice 
D)  a uniform mixture of water and carbon dioxide ices

Question 17

Compared to the Earth, Mars has experienced wild swings in its axis tilt over relatively short time periods. This is because of its

Accepted Answer

A)  proximity to Jupiter and its lack of a large moon 
B)  greater distance from the Sun 
C)  slower rotation rate 
D)  small size 
A)  proximity to Jupiter and its lack of a large moon 
B)  greater distance from the Sun 
C)  slower rotation rate 
D)  small size

Question 18

The lightly cratered terrain surrounding the Tharsis volcanoes represents which geological era?

Accepted Answer

A)  Amazonian 
B)  Hesperian 
C)  Cenozoic 
D)  Noachian 
A)  Amazonian 
B)  Hesperian 
C)  Cenozoic 
D)  Noachian

Question 19

What is the nickname of the Mars Science Laboratory rover that will land on Mars in 2012?

Accepted Answer

A)  Curiosity 
B)  Oddity 
C)  Prodigy 
D)  Anomaly 
A)  Curiosity 
B)  Oddity 
C)  Prodigy 
D)  Anomaly

Question 20

What are the relative ages of the heavily cratered Southern highlands and the smooth Northern plains of Mars?

Accepted Answer

A)  the highlands and the plains are the same age 
B)  it is impossible to tell unless we know the specific geological processes that occurred in each hemisphere 
C)  the plains are older than the highlands 
D)  the highlands are older than the plains 
A)  the highlands and the plains are the same age 
B)  it is impossible to tell unless we know the specific geological processes that occurred in each hemisphere 
C)  the plains are older than the highlands 
D)  the highlands are older than the plains

The most recent time that water appears to have flowed on Mars, if only briefly, is during the

Gusev Crater was chosen at the landing site for the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit because

The presence of channels carved out on the slopes of large Martian volcanoes is consistent with

The first scientist to measure the rotation period of Mars was

During summer, the northern polar cap of Mars is made of

The Mars Exploration Rovers have photographed which of the following meteorological phenomena on Mars?

What is the most likely origin of the Valles Marineris on Mars?

The water that formed many of the erosion features seen on Mars appears to have originated

Where is probably the best place to find life on Mars today?

Due to its elliptical orbit, Mars is closer to the Sun on average during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This means Northern Winter on Mars will be

The indistinct rims of large craters and the relative lack of small craters on Mars may be due to

Typically, what color is the Martian sky during the daytime?

We will probably never know for sure whether life started on Mars until we

What is the origin of Martian meteorites?

If the Earth has a radius of 6378 km and Mars a radius of 3396 km, what is the surface area-to-volume ratio of Mars compared to the Earth?

The seasonal polar caps on Mars are made of

Compared to the Earth, Mars has experienced wild swings in its axis tilt over relatively short time periods. This is because of its

The lightly cratered terrain surrounding the Tharsis volcanoes represents which geological era?

What is the nickname of the Mars Science Laboratory rover that will land on Mars in 2012?

What are the relative ages of the heavily cratered Southern highlands and the smooth Northern plains of Mars?

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Habitability Outside the Solar System

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

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Exam 8: Mars

The most recent time that water appears to have flowed on Mars, if only briefly, is during the

Gusev Crater was chosen at the landing site for the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit because

The presence of channels carved out on the slopes of large Martian volcanoes is consistent with

The first scientist to measure the rotation period of Mars was

During summer, the northern polar cap of Mars is made of

The Mars Exploration Rovers have photographed which of the following meteorological phenomena on Mars?

What is the most likely origin of the Valles Marineris on Mars?

The water that formed many of the erosion features seen on Mars appears to have originated

Where is probably the best place to find life on Mars today?

Due to its elliptical orbit, Mars is closer to the Sun on average during winter in the Northern Hemisphere. This means Northern Winter on Mars will be

The indistinct rims of large craters and the relative lack of small craters on Mars may be due to

Typically, what color is the Martian sky during the daytime?

We will probably never know for sure whether life started on Mars until we

What is the origin of Martian meteorites?

If the Earth has a radius of 6378 km and Mars a radius of 3396 km, what is the surface area-to-volume ratio of Mars compared to the Earth?

The seasonal polar caps on Mars are made of

Compared to the Earth, Mars has experienced wild swings in its axis tilt over relatively short time periods. This is because of its

The lightly cratered terrain surrounding the Tharsis volcanoes represents which geological era?

What is the nickname of the Mars Science Laboratory rover that will land on Mars in 2012?

What are the relative ages of the heavily cratered Southern highlands and the smooth Northern plains of Mars?

The Science of Life in the Universe

The Universal Context of Life

The Habitability of Earth

The Nature of Life on Earth

The Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth

Searching for Life in Our Solar System

Life on Jovian Moons

The Nature and Evolution of Habitability

Habitability Outside the Solar System

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Interstellar Travel and the Fermi Paradox

Filters