Final Exam Flashcards
Jupiter is different from the terrestrial planets in what important way?
A. It shows atmospheric perturbations. B. It radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. C. It is denser. D. It has a rocky surface. E. None of the above.
B. It radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun.
The banding of Jupiter’s atmosphere is probably related to which of the following?
A. Jupiter’s atmosphere shows no banding.
B. Reflection of the surface features.
C. Turbulent winds in the atmosphere of this rapidly spinning planet.
D. The composition of the atmosphere.
C. Turbulent winds in the atmosphere of this rapidly spinning planet.
Jupiter is composed mainly of ____________.
A. hydrogen, lithium, and sodium
B. rocky silicate materials
C. water ice
D. hydrogen and helium
D. hydrogen and helium
Why is Jupiter so much larger than all of the terrestrial planets combined?
A. It radiates a significant amount of energy like the Sun.
B. It formed in the outer solar system where water ice was stable.
C. It has low density.
D. It has a large gravitational attraction.
B. It formed in the outer solar system where water ice was stable.
Where does Jupiter’s large magnetic field come from?
A. It develops like Earth’s field when convection happens in a layer of molten iron deep inside.
B. All planets that spin have magnetic fields.
C. Convection in a layer of ionized hydrogen may create the magnetic field.
D. It is induced by the orbital motions of its moons and the ring system.
C. Convection in a layer of ionized hydrogen may create the magnetic field.
What are some important characteristics of the atmosphere of Jupiter? (Select all that apply.)
A. Jupiter’s atmosphere formed by outgassing of solids in its interior.
B. The clouds are made of ices of ammonia (NH3) and water.
C. The main gases in the atmosphere are ammonia and methane
D. Jupiter’s atmosphere formed by trapping nebula gas on to a large icy core.
E. It is poor in carbon dioxide, unlike Mars.
B, D & E
PHOTO - This diagram shows the layered structure of Jupiter. Which letter labels the zone that consists of metallic hydrogen?
B
How are the rings of Jupiter related to the small moons Adrastea and Metis?
A. The magnetic fields of tiny Adrastea and Metis shepherd small chunks of ice into a narrow ring.
B. Collisions at the surface of these bodies may send showers of small particles spiraling inward to Jupiter.
C. Geysers of liquid water spew from the surface, freeze into droplets of ice, and go in orbit around Jupiter.
B. Collisions at the surface of these bodies may send showers of small particles spiraling inward to Jupiter.
In what way is Io similar to Earth’s Moon? (Select all that apply.)
A. They are about the same size. B. Both are tidally locked with one face pointed toward their host planet. C. Both have active volcanoes. D. Both have heavily cratered surfaces. E. They have about the same density.
A, B & E
The surface of Io is thought to be less than a million years old because ________________.
A. it is internally differentiated
B. volcanoes have been discovered on its surface
C. it has no impact craters
D. it is too close to Jupiter
C. it has no impact craters
Which of the following are major differences between Io and Europa?
A. Europa is much larger than Io.
B. The age of their surfaces.
C. Europa is much denser than Io.
D. The composition of the surface materials.
D. The composition of the surface materials.
The age of the surface of Europa is like which of the satellites of Jupiter?
A. Ganymede
B. Io
C. Amalthea
D. Callisto
B. Io
Which of the following statements is true about Europa?
A. Europa has abundant craters and large impact basins.
B. Europa has no water ice at its surface and is dominated by silicates.
C. It is composed of ice throughout.
D. It has crisscrossing stripes and fractures.
D. It has crisscrossing stripes and fractures.
The most volcanically active body in the solar system is ______________.
A. Jupiter B. Enceladus C. Europa D. Earth E. Io
E. Io
PHOTO - Which of these close up views is an image of part of Europa?
A
Europa has large fractures and polygons of ice, while Io has bright yellow and orange colors with volcanic features
PHOTO - This set of photographs shows various landscapes on Io and Europa. Which image likely provides evidence that Io is still volcanically active?
A
The lobate lava flows spreading out from a common location as seen in A show Io is still volcanically active.
PHOTO - This set of photographs shows various landscapes on Io and Europa. Which image shows that the surface of Europa has been tectonically deformed?
D
In image D we see large, criss-crossing fractures that are evidence of extensional tectonics.
Which of the following is true about the subdued crater palimpsests on Ganymede?
A. They formed as the planet froze and expanded.
B. They are more abundant in the grooved terrain than in the cratered terrain.
C. Palimpsests were produced by ionic deformation within the ice.
D. They were produced as the icy lithosphere flowed to fill in an impact crater.
D. They were produced as the icy lithosphere flowed to fill in an impact crater.
The grooved terrain of Ganymede _______________.
A. is younger than its cratered terrain
B. is older than the cratered terrain
C. forms only a small part of Ganymede’s surface.
D. developed as Earth-style plate tectonics developed
A. is younger than its cratered terrain
On Ganymede, grooved terrain formed by which process?
A. Tectonic disruption of heavily cratered terrain.
B. Impact cratering.
C. Hot spot volcanism.
D. Planetary contraction.
A. Tectonic disruption of heavily cratered terrain.
How did the multiple rings of Valhalla on Callisto form?
A. Collapse of a volcanic caldera.
B. Domal upwarping of the lithosphere.
C. Crustal breakage as impact shock waves traveled through the surface.
D. Eruption of flowing ice outward from a surface fracture.
C. Crustal breakage as impact shock waves traveled through the surface.
Differences in the appearance of multiring basins on the Moon with those developed on Callisto are thought to be a result of which of the following?
A. The volcanic origin of Callisto’s basins.
B. The difference in the behavior of ice and silicates when impacted.
C. The lack of the differentiation of Callisto.
D. Global contraction on Callisto, but not on the other bodies.
B. The difference in the behavior of ice and silicates when impacted.
What is the evidence that Ganymede and Callisto have more ice in their interiors than Io and Europa do?
A. Ganymede and Callisto have lower densities.
B. Ganymede and Callisto have large magnetic fields.
C. Ganymede and Callisto have fewer impact craters because ice is so weak.
D. Ganymede and Callisto have river channels formed when ice melted during impact.
A. Ganymede and Callisto have lower densities.
PHOTO - Which letter in this image of Ganymede labels an area of grooved terrain?
Ganymeade is made up of two primary terrains: the dark cratered terrain and the bright, grooved terrain. C is the grooved terrain, we can determine this by seeing grooves within bright bands that cuts across darker terrain (A).
The composition of the surface of Ganymede is most like which of the other satellites of Jupiter?
A. Amalthea
B. Io
C. Europa
D. Triton
C. Europa
The icy layers of Jupiter’s satellites increase in thickness as one moves from Europa to Callisto because ____________________. (Select all that apply.)
A. the outer satellites orbit farther from the Sun
B. they accreted in a thermal gradient centered around Jupiter
C. the larger satellites retained more of there accretionary heat
D. the inner satellites didn’t out gas as much as the outer satellites
B. they accreted in a thermal gradient centered around Jupiter
Which of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter has the most heavily cratered surface.
A. Io
B. Callisto
C. Europa
D. Ganymede
B. Callisto
If you were a solar system explorer in search of liquid water at or near the surface, which of the satellites of Jupiter would be most likely to have it today?
A. Io
B. Ganymede
C. Callisto
D. Europa
D. Europa
Why isn’t Earth’s Moon heated by tidal flexing? (Select all that apply.)
A. The Moon is too far away from the Earth.
B. The outer part of the Moon is too rigid to flex as a result of tidal forces.
C. The tidal energy is dissipated by the rise and fall of tides in Earth’s oceans.
D. The orbit of the Moon is nearly circular.
E. Earth only has one large moon, unlike Jupiter.
D. The orbit of the Moon is nearly circular.
E. Earth only has one large moon, unlike Jupiter.
Would you expect to find young basaltic lavas at the surface of Callisto? Why? (Select all that apply.)
A. No, because it is too cold.
B. No, because it does not have silicates near the surface that could melt.
C. Yes, Callisto is strongly tidally heated to create magma.
D. Yes, large areas of dark, smooth plains are evidence that there are young lavas on Callisto.
A. No, because it is too cold.
B. No, because it does not have silicates near the surface that could melt.
PHOTO - arrange these images of Jupiter’s satellites by their distance from Jupiter as they orbit. Place the closest satellite on the top and the farthest one on the bottom.
Closest - BCDA
Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto
Saturn is the most similar in composition and internal structure to which of the planets below.
A. Mercury
B. Mars
C. Jupiter
D. Neptune
C. Jupiter
When comparing Jupiter and Saturn, which of the following is correct? (Select all that apply.)
A. Jupiter has no rings.
B. Jupiter is denser.
C. Jupiter is smaller.
D. Jupiter has more large satellites (those larger than the moon).
B & D
Compared to Jupiter, Saturn has a yellowish tint. What gives it this color?
A. Sulfur in the clouds B. Methane in the atmosphere C. Metallic hydrogen in the interior D. Molecular hydrogen in the atmosphere E. Crystals of ammonia ice in the clouds
E. Crystals of ammonia ice in the clouds
What is the most likely explanation for Saturn’s magnetic field?
A. The magnetic field forms like Earth’s—in a convecting core of molten iron.
B. The magnetic field forms by convection in a shell of metallic hydrogen.
C. The magnetic field forms by convcetion in the core of rock and ice driven by the great pressure of Saturn’s interior.
D. Saturn has no magnetic field. It isn’t spinning fast enough.
E. Saturn has no magnetic field. It has the wrong composition.
B. The magnetic field forms by convection in a shell of metallic hydrogen.
What is the most abundant of the gases comprising Saturn?An image of Saturn.
A. nitrogen
B. helium
C. hydrogen
D. ammonia
C. hydrogen
What is the most important source of energy that drives the circulation of Saturn’s atmosphere?
A. solar heating B. rotation C. heat released from the interior D. large storms in the outer atmosphere E. the large magnetic field
C. heat released from the interior
Which of the following is true about Saturn’s rings?
A. They are a series of solid disks spinning around Saturn like a hula hoop.
B. The rings are composed of many small particles of water ice in orbit around Saturn.
C. The rings have the same composition and brightness as the rings of Jupiter.
D. Saturn is the only planet with rings in our solar system.
B. The rings are composed of many small particles of water ice in orbit around Saturn.
The Roche limit _________________________. (Select all that apply.)
A. is produced by tidal interaction between two planetary bodies
B. changes with the distance between two planetary bodies
C. governs the distance within which orbiting materials will not accrete together
D. is the attention span of students during a slide show
A & C
Where is Saturn’s Roche limit for small icy bodies in orbit around it?
A. Near the orbit of Tethys. B. In the Cassini Division. C. Near the outer edge of the rings. D. Near the inner edge of the rings. E. Just beyond the orbit of the outermost satellite.
C. Near the outer edge of the rings.
What causes the Cassini Division, the 400 km wide break in the rings of Saturn?An image of Saturn’s rings, showing the Cassini Division.
A. The tidal disruption of small bodies at this distance.
B. The low temperature at this distance.
C. Orbital resonance of the ring particles with the larger satellites.
D. The presence of a ring shepherd in the gap.
C. Orbital resonance of the ring particles with the larger satellites.
