Question 1

How can some sedimentary rock formations provide an insight into the age and history of the Earth?

Accepted Answer

Sedimentary rocks are made up of pieces

Question 2

What effect does air pressure have on the local weather?

Accepted Answer

As high or low pressure areas

Question 3

Compare the discoveries of Milutin Milankovitch and James Hutton. How did each of their ideas change a scientific discipline?

Accepted Answer

Hutton and Milankovitch both theorized t

Question 4

How is Doppler radar an improvement over ordinary radar?

Accepted Answer

Doppler radar can detect motions of air

Question 5

Because ice ages were a part of our past, could they be part of our future? Explain.

Accepted Answer

There is no reason to think the Milankov

Question 6

Why is Hawaii made of basalt?

Accepted Answer

Basalt is a type of igneous ro

Question 7

Periodic glaciations are caused by

Accepted Answer

A)  changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis. 
B)  changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit. 
C)  increased precipitation. 
D)  decreased solar energy absorption. 
E)  all of these can cause periodic glaciations. 
A)  changes in the tilt of the Earth's axis. 
B)  changes in the shape of the Earth's orbit. 
C)  increased precipitation. 
D)  decreased solar energy absorption. 
E)  all of these can cause periodic glaciations.

Question 8

On the Earth, which of the following contains the greatest volume of water?

Accepted Answer

A)  oceans and groundwater 
B)  oceans, glaciers, and ice caps 
C)  oceans, lakes, and rivers 
D)  atmosphere and oceans 
E)  oceans, lakes, rivers, and atmosphere 
A)  oceans and groundwater 
B)  oceans, glaciers, and ice caps 
C)  oceans, lakes, and rivers 
D)  atmosphere and oceans 
E)  oceans, lakes, rivers, and atmosphere

Question 9

Tropical storms that begin in the Atlantic and usually affect North America are called

Accepted Answer

A)  trade winds 
B)  typhoons 
C)  hurricanes 
D)  prevailing westerlies 
E)  El Niño 
A)  trade winds 
B)  typhoons 
C)  hurricanes 
D)  prevailing westerlies 
E)  El Niño

Question 10

With so much water covering the planet (about 75%), how is it that scientists and planners are concerned about a water shortage?

Accepted Answer

Less than 1% of the Earth's water is ava

Question 11

Give one example of how computers are used to analyze natural cycles.

Accepted Answer

For example, computers are use

Question 12

Which of the following are both sedimentary rocks?

Accepted Answer

A)  shale and limestone 
B)  quartz and marble 
C)  sandstone and basalt 
D)  quartzite and salt 
E)  slate and marble 
A)  shale and limestone 
B)  quartz and marble 
C)  sandstone and basalt 
D)  quartzite and salt 
E)  slate and marble

Question 13

Describe the formation of coral reefs in terms of the rock cycle.

Accepted Answer

Rocks on land are broken down chemically

Question 14

How do GCMs model the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

Global Circulation Models (GCMs) are com

Question 15

El Niño

Accepted Answer

A)  couples the atmospheric and the ocean cycles. 
B)  brings the South American coast a winter snowstorm. 
C)  enhances the fishing economy of Peru. 
D)  causes flooding in Australia. 
E)  results in all of these. 
A)  couples the atmospheric and the ocean cycles. 
B)  brings the South American coast a winter snowstorm. 
C)  enhances the fishing economy of Peru. 
D)  causes flooding in Australia. 
E)  results in all of these.

Question 16

Describe one of the ways that sedimentary rocks like sandstones are formed.

Accepted Answer

The first sedimentary rocks were formed

Question 17

What characteristics would you look for in a rock to classify it as igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?

Accepted Answer

Igneous rocks will show evidence of havi

Question 18

Explain how on Earth there is no way to "throw away" something and it is gone forever.

Accepted Answer

Because everything o

Question 19

The first solids that formed on the Earth were

Accepted Answer

A)  sedimentary rocks. 
B)  igneous rocks. 
C)  metamorphic rocks. 
D)  limestones. 
E)  granites. 
A)  sedimentary rocks. 
B)  igneous rocks. 
C)  metamorphic rocks. 
D)  limestones. 
E)  granites.

Question 20

What is most likely to be associated with the northern hemisphere jet stream?

Accepted Answer

A)  hurricanes 
B)  tornadoes 
C)  westerlies 
D)  trade winds 
E)  all of these 
A)  hurricanes 
B)  tornadoes 
C)  westerlies 
D)  trade winds 
E)  all of these

Exam 18: Earths Many Cycles: Will We Ever Run Out of Fresh Water

How can some sedimentary rock formations provide an insight into the age and history of the Earth?

What effect does air pressure have on the local weather?

Compare the discoveries of Milutin Milankovitch and James Hutton. How did each of their ideas change a scientific discipline?

How is Doppler radar an improvement over ordinary radar?

Because ice ages were a part of our past, could they be part of our future? Explain.

Why is Hawaii made of basalt?

Periodic glaciations are caused by

On the Earth, which of the following contains the greatest volume of water?

Tropical storms that begin in the Atlantic and usually affect North America are called

With so much water covering the planet (about 75%), how is it that scientists and planners are concerned about a water shortage?

Give one example of how computers are used to analyze natural cycles.

Which of the following are both sedimentary rocks?

Describe the formation of coral reefs in terms of the rock cycle.

How do GCMs model the atmosphere?

El Niño

Describe one of the ways that sedimentary rocks like sandstones are formed.

What characteristics would you look for in a rock to classify it as igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary?

Explain how on Earth there is no way to "throw away" something and it is gone forever.

The first solids that formed on the Earth were

What is most likely to be associated with the northern hemisphere jet stream?

Science: a Way of Knowing: How Do You Know What You Know

The Ordered Universe: Why Do Planets Appear to Wander Slowly Across the Sky

Energy: Why Must Animals Eat to Stay Alive

Heat and the Second Law of Thermodynamics: Why Is It Easier to Make an Omelet From an Egg Than to Make an Egg From an Omelet

Electricity and Magnetism: What Is Lightning

Waves and Electromagnetic Radiation: What Is Color

Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity: Can a Human Ever Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light, at Warp Speed

The Atom: Why Are There so Many Different Materials in the World

Quantum Mechanics: How Can the Electron Behave Like Both a Particle and a Wave

Atoms in Combination: the Chemical Bond: How Does Blood Clot

Materials and Their Properties: How Have Computers Gotten so Much Faster

The Nucleus of the Atom: How Do Scientists Determine the Age of the Oldest Human Fossils

The Ultimate Structure of Matter: How Can Antimatter Be Used to Probe the Human Brain

The Stars: How Much Longer Can the Sun Sustain Life on Earth

Cosmology: Will the Universe End

Earth and Other Planets: Is Earth the Only Planet With Life

Plate Tectonics: Can We Predict Destructive Earthquakes

Ecology, Ecosystems, and the Environment: Are Human Activities Affecting the Global Environment

Strategies of Life: What Is Life

The Living Cell: What Is the Smallest Living Thing

Molecules of Life: What Constitutes a Healthy Diet

Classical and Modern Genetics: Why Do Offspring Resemble Their Parents

The New Science of Life: Can We Cure Cancer

Evolution: How Did Life Emerge on the Ancient Earth

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