Earth and Space Science 2 Flashcards
751) What is the term that refers to waves at high tide during a spring tide?
Tidal surges
752) What is the term for the surface where the water pressure head is equal to the atmospheric pressure?
Water table
753) What is the term used to describe the period when Jupiter is directly opposite the Sun as viewed from Earth?
Opposition
754) When limestone is exposed to increasing pressure and temperature; it metamorphoses into what metamorphic rock?
Marble
755) Typically, how many spring tides occur during a month?
2
756) What kind of nebula is the Cat’s Eye Nebula?
Planetary nebula
757) Which of the following wavelengths of light best passes through Earth’s atmosphere and thus is frequently observed using telescopes on Earth’s surface?
W) Radio
X) UV
Y) IR
Z) Gamma
W
758) Rounding your answer to the nearest tenth, a difference of one in the apparent magnitudes of two stars means that the brighter star appears how many times as bright as the dimmer one?
W) 2.0
X) 2.5
Y) 3.2
Z) 10.0
Y
759) What part of a sundial is responsible for casting a shadow on the dial?
Gnomon
760) What type of solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes completely in front of the Sun, but subtends a smaller angle than the Sun?
Annular
761) A star with a declination of 23.5 degrees and a right ascension of 6 hours will be eclipsed by the Sun on what day of the year?
W) Vernal equinox
X) Summer solstice
Y) Autumnal equinox
Z) Winter solstice
X
762) The wavelength of an ocean wave is defined by which of the following?
W) The distance from crest to trough
X) The height of the wave from crest to trough
Y) The height change from trough to trough
Z) The distance between crests
Z
763) Which class of star cluster is most spherical in shape?
Globular clusters
764) Which of the following does NOT increase ocean wave height?
W) Increasing wind speed
X) Longer periods of sustained winds
Y) Increased distance over which the wind blows the water
Z) Irregular water depth
Z
765) Temperature increases with height in the stratosphere due to the absorption of UV energy by what molecule?
Ozone
766) Where do the charged particles that strike the Earth’s atmosphere near the poles and cause the northern lights, or aurora, originate?
The Sun
767) A Keplerian orbit is a description of an orbiting body considering the gravitational interaction of two-point masses. Which of the following is NOT a Keplerian orbit?
W) Ellipse
X) Parabola
Y) Circle
Z) Reuleaux curve
Z
768) What is the main mechanism of marine transport of most terrigenous sediments?
Gravity
769) The part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore is called which of the following?
W) Littoral zone
X) Riparian zone
Y) Wetland
Z) Marsh
W
770) What sedimentary rock consists of angular rock fragments that are cemented together in a fine-grained cement?
W) Sandstone
X) Conglomerate
Y) Till
Z) Breccia
Z
771) Put the following three minerals in order of increasing hardness: 1) plagioclase, 2) corundum, 3) gypsum.
312
772) Which of Jupiter’s moons shows the most volcanic activity?
Io
773) Which of the following is NOT part of a delta?
W) Pro delta
X) Delta lake
Y) Delta plain
Z) Delta front
X
774) What process is responsible for the first appearance of oxygen in our atmosphere?
Photosynthesis
775) What two very valuable gemstones are variations of the mineral corundum?
Ruby and Sapphire
776) What is the cataclysmic event in which a star with a mass 15 times that of the Sun will end its life?
Supernova
777) Which of the following is not true of seawater?
W) Seawater is denser than fresh water
X) The freezing point of seawater decreases as salt concentration increases
Y) Seawater is uniformly saline throughout the world
Z) The thermal conductivity of seawater decreases with increasing salinity
Y
778) Which of the following types of organisms does NOT utilize oxygen for respiration?
W) Aerobic
X) Anaerobic
Y) Autotrophic
Z) Abiogenetic
X
779) On what part of the Earth does every day have exactly the same number of hours of day and night?
Equator
780) Cyclones forming in the northern hemisphere spin in what direction?
Counterclockwise
781) Which of the following is NOT considered part of the nitrogen cycle?
W) Ammonification
X) Nitrification
Y) Methanogenesis
Z) Nitrogen fixation
Y
782) When a stone weathers, its tendency to become more rounded is known as what kind of weathering?
Spheroidal
783) New oceanic crust is formed at which of the following?
W) Subduction zones
X) Island arcs
Y) Transform faults
Z) Mid-ocean ridges
Z
784) If a telescope is left unguided, what will be observed in long-exposure photographs taken through it?
Star trails
785) Most continents contain large central areas in which very ancient rocks are exposed. What are these areas called?
W) Shields
X) Cratons
Y) Platforms
Z) Orogenic belts
X
786) The energy of a photon is given by Planck’s constant multiplied by frequency. As wavelength decreases, what happens to the energy of a photon?
It increases
787) The principle asserting that processes operating in the present world can be used to interpret events of the past, i.e., “the present is the key to the past,” is called which of the following?
Choose your answer:
W) Catastrophism
X) Conformity
Y) Uniformitarianism
Z) Plutonism
Uniformitarianism
788) The city of Los Angeles is famous for its hazy “smoggy” days. Which of the following pollutants is a major contributor to smog?
W) Carbon dioxide
X) CFCs
Y) Ozone
Z) Chloromethane
Y
789) By weight, what is the dominant chemical compound constituent of granites?
Silicon dioxide
790) Which of the following is NOT associated with fumaroles?
W) Hot-water fountain spouting intermittently
X) Emissions of gas fumes and steam
Y) Vents becoming encrusted with deposits
Z) Formation of valuable minerals
W
791) Give the velocity, in meters per second, for a typical wave with a wavelength of 32 meters and a period of 8 seconds?
4
792) Which of the following properties characterizes a water mass?
W) Geographic location and salinity
X) Salinity and temperature
Y) Salinity and depth
Z) Geographic location and depth
X
793) The United States Geologic Survey has replaced the Richter scale with what scale to help better describe the energy released during large magnitude earthquakes?
Moment magnitude scale
794) The Cascade Mountains and the Andes Mountains are part of what is called the Ring of Fire. All of the volcanoes in the Ring of Fire are formed by magmatic processes at what kind of plate boundary?
Subduction zone
795) The ocean crust is composed mostly of which of the following rock types?
W) Basalt
X) Granite
Y) Tonalite
Z) Gneiss
W
796) Which of the following is a characteristic mound-like structure that represents trace fossils of photosynthesizing microbes? Living relatives of these organisms can be found in Shark Bay, Australia.
W) Stromatolite
X) Oncolite
Y) Oncoid
Z) Dendrite
W
797) Water ice is a significant constituent of the outer planets and moons of the solar system and can manifest itself in at least 15 different crystalline forms. Other than crystal structure, what is the physical difference between these various types of water ice?
Density
798) What are the three most common cementing agents of sedimentary rocks?
Calcite, Silica, Iron oxide
799) Radiometric dating is a method of obtaining the age for a rock. This method utilizes which of the following?
W) The presence of fossils
X) Cross-cutting relationships
Y) Spontaneous decay of radioactive elements
Z) Superposition of strata
Y
800) Many cities on the U.S. east coast are at greater risk from rising sea levels than cities on the west coast of the U.S. What is the most plausible explanation for this occurrence?
W) Cities on the west coast are typically built higher
X) The sea level will rise more on the east coast than on the west coast
Y) West coast cities are newer and, therefore, stronger
Z) East coast cities are on unstable ground and are sinking slightly
X
801) What is the spectral class of the Sun?
G
802) Which of the following accurately describes the structure of the Sun?
W) Convective core, convective envelope
X) Radiative core, radiative envelope
Y) Convective core, radiative envelope
Z) Radiative core, convective envelope
Z
803) The dark low-lying areas of the Moon are composed of which type of rock?
W) Basalt
X) Gabbro
Y) Rhyolite
Z) Granite
W
