Final Exam ReviewFinal Exam Review

The area of Earth science that examines the physical and biological changes that have occurred in Earth’s past is called ____.

A. meteorologyC.physical geologyB.oceanographyD.historical geology

D.historical geology

Earth’s four major spheres are the ____.

A. hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere

B. hydrosphere, atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

C. hydrosphere, asthenosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere

D. hydrosphere, geosphere, lithosphere, and asthenosphere

A. hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere

The theory of plate tectonics helps scientists explain ____.

A. how ocean currents move over Earth’s surface

B. why hurricanes occurC. how earthquakes and volcanic

eruptions occurD. why Earth’s core is less dense

than the mantle

C. how earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur

What is the driving force for the movement of the lithospheric plates?

A. heat from the sunB. unequal distribution of heat

within EarthC. heat in the atmosphereD. unequal distribution of heat in

the oceans

B. unequal distribution of heat within Earth

According to the plate tectonics model, what layers form Earth’s rigid, mobile plates?

A. inner and outer coreC. crust onlyB. upper and lower mantleD. crust and uppermost mantle

D. crust and uppermost mantle

The distance, measured in degrees, north and south of the equator is referred to as ____.

A. longitudeC. the prime meridianB. latitudeD. the poles

B. latitude

On the global grid, the prime meridian is at ____.

A. 0 degrees latitudeC. 0 degrees longitudeB. 90 degrees latitudeD. 90 degrees longitude

C. 0 degrees longitude

Earth is considered a system because all of its parts ____.

A. represent separate closed systems

B. interactC. were formed at the same timeD. are powered by the same

energy source

B. interact

Which of the following would be one of the interacting parts in a weather system?

A. weather satelliteC. cloudsB. tectonic plateD. Earth’s inner core

C. clouds

Which of the following is NOT caused by human interactions with the Earth system?

A. air pollutionC. mountain buildingB. water pollutionD. deforestation

C. mountain building

Which of the following is NOT an example of a renewable resource?

A. cottonC. chickenB. lumberd. iron  

d. iron

A scientific idea that is well tested and widely accepted by the scientific community is called a scientific ____.

A. hypothesisC. theoryB. inquiryD. method

C. theory

In scientific inquiry, when competing hypotheses have been eliminated, a hypothesis may be elevated to the status of a scientific ____.

A. estimateC. theoryB. ideaD. truth

C. theory

Which of the following is true about rocks?

A. Rocks are composed of only one mineral.

B. Rocks do not contain any nonmineral matter.

C. Coal is not considered a true rock.D. Most rocks are a mixture of

minerals.

D. Most rocks are a mixture of minerals.

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a rock?

A. coalC. pumiceB. sandstoneD. lava

D. lava

Where is the energy source found that drives the processes that form igneous and metamorphic rocks?

A. the sunC. Earth’s interiorB. the windD. moving water

C. Earth’s interior

A rock that forms when magma hardens beneath Earth’s surface is called an ____.

A. intrusive metamorphic rockB. intrusive igneous rockC. extrusive sedimentary rockD. extrusive igneous rock

B. intrusive igneous rock

Which of the following is an example of an extrusive igneous rock?

A. rhyoliteC. andesiteB. graniteD. coal

A. rhyolite

The igneous rock texture that is characterized by two distinctly different crystal sizes is called ____.

A. coarse-grained textureC. glassy textureB. fine-grained textureD. porphyritic texture

D. porphyritic texture

Lava that cools so quickly that ions do not have time to arrange themselves into crystals will form igneous rocks with a ____.

A. porphyritic textureC. coarse-grained textureB. glassy textureD. fine-grained texture

B. glassy texture

A conglomerate is a rock that forms as a result of ____.

A. intense heat and pressureC. rapid coolingB. compaction and cementationD. slow cooling

B. compaction and cementation

Which of the following is a use for fossils found in sedimentary rocks?

A. interpreting past environmentsB. indicating when the rock

formedC. matching rocks of the same

age found in different placesD. all of the above

D. all of the above

Sedimentary rocks with ripple marks suggest that the rocks formed ____.

A. along a beach or stream bed B. when ancient animals walked

over themC. from the shell fragments of

ancient sea-dwelling animalsD. when wet mud dried and shrank

A. along a beach or stream bed

In which of the following settings would a metamorphic rock most likely form?

A. an ocean floorC. 8 kilometers below Earth’s

surfaceB. a desertD. on the slopes of an active

volcano

C. 8 kilometers below Earth’s surface

What rock-forming process occurs when hot magma forces its way into rock?

A. regional metamorphismC. contact metamorphismB. biochemical sedimentationD. deposition

C. contact metamorphism

Which of the following is NOT an agent of metamorphism?

A. heatC. pressureB. running waterD. a hydrothermal solution

B. running water

A foliated metamorphic rock forms when crystals ____.

A. combine and form visible bandsB. combine but do not form visible

bandsC. become less compactD. align themselves parallel to the

direction of the forces acting on them

A. combine and form visible bands

Which of the following is NOT associated with mechanical weathering?

A. frost wedgingC. biological activityB. unloadingD. reactions with oxygen

D. reactions with oxygen

When water freezes, its volume ____.

A. decreases slightlyC. stays the sameB. increasesD. decreases greatly

B. increases

Which of the following is the result of chemical weathering?

A. a rock that has been changed into one or more new compounds

B. a rock that has been broken into tiny pieces

C. a rock that has been split in twoD. a rock that has lost its outer

layers

A. a rock that has been changed into one or more new compounds

The atmospheric gas that forms a mild acid when dissolved in water is ____.

A. carbon dioxideC. aluminumB. oxygenD. sulfur

A. carbon dioxide

What would cause the inscription on a marble gravestone to become harder and harder to read over time?

A. frost wedgingC. exfoliationB. mechanical weatheringD. chemical weathering

D. chemical weathering

Chemical weathering would be ____.

A. most effective in a warm, dry climate

B. most effective in a cold, dry climate

C. most effective in a warm, humid climate

D. equally effective in any climate

C. most effective in a warm, humid climate

Which of the following is NOT a major component of soil?

A. mineral matterC. humusB. airD. earthworms

D. earthworms

How are soil horizons ordered from the top of the profile to the bottom?

A. A, C, BC. C, B, AB. A, B, CD. B, A, C

B. A, B, C

The B horizon is also called the ____.

A. topsoilC. partially altered parent

materialB. unaltered parent materialD. subsoil

D. subsoil

Which of the following human activities has caused an increase in soil erosion?

A. clear-cut loggingC. plowing land for farmingB. clearing land for constructionD. all of the above

D. all of the above

The process responsible for moving material downslope under the influence of gravity is called ____.

A. erosionC. mass movementB. weatheringD. soil formation

C. mass movement

A mass movement that involves the sudden movement of a block of material along a flat, inclined surface is called a ____.

A. slideC. slumpB. rockfallD. flow

A. slide

Alternate freezing and thawing often leads to ____.

A. creepC. mudflowsB. slumpsD. earthflows

A. creep

Plants release water into the atmosphere through a process called ____.

A. evaporationC. infiltrationB. transpirationD. precipitation

B. transpiration

Balance in the water cycle means that ____.

A. the average annual precipitation over Earth equals the amount of water that evaporates

B. water that falls to Earth only enters oceans

C. the amount of water that falls to Earth weighs the same as the amount that condenses in clouds

D. water that evaporates from Earth’s surface remains forever in the atmosphere

A. the average annual precipitation over Earth equals the amount of water that evaporates

The average annual precipitation worldwide must equal the quantity of water ____.

A. evaporatedC. infiltratedB. transpiredD. locked in glaciers

A. evaporated

If you were to examine the profile of a typical stream, you would probably find that the gradient is ____.

A. steepest near the mouthB. steepest near the headC. about the same at both the

head and the mouthD. gentler near the head

B. steepest near the head

A natural levee is ____.A. an erosional feature perpendicular

to the stream channelB. a depositional feature

perpendicular to the stream channelC. an erosional feature parallel to the

stream channelD. a depositional feature parallel to

the stream channel

D. a depositional feature parallel to the stream channel

One traditional flood control method has been to attempt to keep the stream’s flow within its channel by creating ____.

A. meandersC. artificial leveesB. artificial cutoffsD. flood control dams

C. artificial levees

Groundwater is found underground in the zone of ____.

A. aerationC. saturationB. soilD. sediment

C. saturation

Permeable rock layers or sediments that transmit groundwater freely are called ____.

A. aquifersC. cavernsB. aquitardsD. springs

A. aquifers

Groundwater contaminated by sewage from a ruptured septic tank can sometimes be naturally purified by flowing for a relatively short distance through a ____.

A. sandstone aquiferB. fractured limestone aquiferC. cavernous limestone aquiferD. spring where the water table

intersects the ground surface

A. sandstone aquifer

A cavern is an underground chamber formed by ____.

A. erosionC. evaporationB. depositionD. runoff

A. erosion

Icebergs are produced when large pieces of ice break off from the front of a glacier during a process called ____.

A. wastageC. accumulationB. pluckingD. calving

D. calving

A bowl-shaped depression at the head of a glacial valley is a(n) ____.

A. glacial troughC. hornB. arêted. cirque

d. cirque

What force causes most of the erosion in desert areas?

A. windC. running waterB. gravityD. ice

C. running water

What is the main type of weathering in deserts?

A. chemical weathering C. weathering by organic acidsB. physical weatheringD. weathering by water

B. physical weathering

In desert areas, what process results in the formation of a desert pavement?

A. abrasionC. deflationb. ephemeral stream flowD. plucking

C. deflation

Which of the following is NOT deposited by wind?

A. tillC. loessB. barchan sand dunesD. longitudinal dunes

A. till

Dunes whose tips point into the wind are called ____.

A. barchan dunesC. transverse dunesB. longitudinal dunesD. parabolic dunes

D. parabolic dunes

A fault is ____.A. a place on Earth where

earthquakes cannot occurB. a fracture in the Earth where

movement has occurredC. the place on Earth’s surface

where structures move during an earthquake

D. another name for an earthquake

B. a fracture in the Earth where movement has occurred

Major earthquakes are sometimes preceded by smaller earthquakes called ____.

A. aftershocksC. surface wavesB. focus shocksD. foreshocks

D. foreshocks

A seismogram shows that P waves travel ____.

A. at the same speed as surface waves

B. more slowly than S wavesC. at the same speed as S wavesD. faster than S waves

D. faster than S waves

The amount of shaking produced by an earthquake at a given location is called the ____.

A. intensityC. epicenterB. magnitudeD. Richter magnitude

A. intensity

The trace that records an earthquake from seismic instruments is called a ____.

A. seismographC. richtergramB. seismogramD. magnitude

B. seismogram

The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the ____.

A. duration of an earthquakeB. intensity of an earthquakeC. arrival times of P waves and S

wavesD. measurement of the amplitude

of the largest seismic waves

D. measurement of the amplitude of the largest seismic waves

Why do earthquakes often cause damaging fires?

A. Lightning strikes are common during earthquakes.

B. Earthquake vibrations can break gas lines, water lines, and electrical lines.

C. Tsunamis from earthquakes generate enough heat to start fires.

D. Magma from deep underground escapes through faults.

B. Earthquake vibrations can break gas lines, water lines, and electrical lines.

Long-range earthquake forecasts are based on the idea that earthquakes are ____.

A. randomC. fully understoodB. destructiveD. repetitive

D. repetitive

The Moho is ____.A. the boundary between the

outer and inner coreB. boundary between the crust

and the mantleC. the material of which the

mantle is composedD. an area of the mantle that will

not transmit seismic waves

B. boundary between the crust and the mantle

The continental crust has the average composition of ____.

A. gneissC. basaltB. graniteD. limestone

B. granite

Evidence that Earth’s core has a high iron content comes from ____.

A. deep wellsC. the study of earthquake wavesB. deep-sea drillingD. meteorites

D. meteorites

What hypothesis states that the continents were once joined to form a single supercontinent?

A. plate tectonicsC. continental driftB. seafloor spreadingD. paleomagnetism

C. continental drift

The geographic distribution of the swimming reptile Mesosaurus provides evidence that ____.

A. Europe was covered by a shallow sea when Mesosaurus lived

B. a land bridge existed between Australia and India

C. South America and Africa were once joined

D. the Atlantic Ocean was wider when Mesosaurus lived than it is now

C. South America and Africa were once joined

Which of the following statements correctly describes the asthenosphere?

A. It is a thin, cold, and rigid layer.

B. It is the source of Earth’s heat.C. It permits plate motion.D. It occurs only near subduction

zones.

C. It permits plate motion.

A divergent boundary at two oceanic plates can result in a ____.

A. rift valleyC. continental volcanic arcB. volcanic island arcD. subduction zone

A. rift valley

New ocean crust is formed at ____.

A. divergent boundariesC. continental volcanic arcsB. convergent boundariesD. transform fault boundaries

A. divergent boundaries

Deep ocean trenches are associated with ____.

A. ocean ridge systemsC. transform fault boundariesB. subduction zonesD. rift zones

B. subduction zones

The Hawaiian Islands were formed when the Pacific Plate moved over ____.

A. a subduction zoneC. the Aleutian PlateB. an ocean ridgeD. a hot spot

D. a hot spot

Which one of the following has NOT been proposed as a mechanism of plate motion?

A. slab-pullC. mantle convectionB. ridge-pushD. crust-core convection

D. crust-core convection

The thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by ____.

A. seafloor spreadingC. gravityB. an unequal distribution of heatD. subduction

B. an unequal distribution of heat

Approximately how much of Earth’s surface is covered by land?

A. 30 percentC. 60 percentB. 50 percentD. 70 percent

A. 30 percent

Which submersible has been used for deep-sea research?

A. SS TrinityC. AlvinB. ChallengerD. SS Woods Hole

C. Alvin

What technology do scientists use to measure ocean depth?

A. sonarC. ropeB. laserD. submersible

A. sonar

Which of the following currents is associated with downslope movements of dense sediment-rich water?

A. avalanche currentC. turbidity currentB. density currentD. longshore current

C. turbidity current

The gently sloping submerged surface extending from the shoreline toward the deep ocean is called ____.

A. continental shelfC. continental riseB. continental slopeD. submarine canyon

A. continental shelf

Important mineral deposits, including large reservoirs of oil and natural gas, are associated with ____.

A. rift zonesC. mid-ocean ridgesB. ocean trenchesD. continental shelves

D. continental shelves

Which of the following is NOT a zone included in the continental margin?

A. continental slopeC. continental coastB. continental riseD. continental shelf

C. continental coast

Which regions are thought to be the most level places on Earth?

A. mid-ocean ridgesC. deep-ocean trenchesB. abyssal plainsD. continental slopes

B. abyssal plains

Which type of sediment is made up mainly of the shells of diatoms and radiolarians?

A. terrigenous sedimentC. hydrogenous sedimentB. siliceous oozeD. manganese nodules

B. siliceous ooze

When seawater evaporates, the concentration of salts increases until which of the following occurs?

A. the salts floatC. the salts condenseB. the salts precipitate out of

solutionD. none of the above

B. the salts precipitate out of solution

What is the salinity of seawater?A. 1.5 percentC. 5.5 percentB. 3.5 percentD. 10 percent

B. 3.5 percent

What is the most abundant salt in the sea?

A. calcium chlorideC. potassium chlorideB. magnesium chlorideD. sodium chloride

D. sodium chloride

Salinity variations in the open ocean normally range from 33 percent to ____.

A. 38 percentC. 60 percentB. 45 percentD. 83 percent

A. 38 percent

What is the second major source of elements in seawater?

A. Earth’s interiorC. lakesB. solar radiationD. meteorites

A. Earth’s interior

What term describes organisms that live on or in the ocean floor?

A. benthosC. nektonB. pelagicD. plankton

A. benthos

Marine organisms are classified according to how they ____.

A. liveC. eatB. moveD. live and move

D. live and move

Which of the following is a type of plankton?

A. sharkC. squidB. algaeD. crab

B. algae

How do plankton differ from nekton?

A. Plankton are strong swimmers.C. Plankton are carnivores.B. Plankton are floaters.D. Plankton live on the ocean

bottom.

B. Plankton are floaters.

Which of the following best describes the ocean bottom?

A. coldC. darkB. quietD. all of the above

D. all of the above

How do animals survive in the deeper parts of the seafloor?

A. They feed on each other.C. They photosynthesize.B. They feed at the surface.D. none of the above

A. They feed on each other.

Which ocean zone does sunlight penetrate?

A. neritic zoneC. photic zoneB. aphotic zoneD. abyssal zone

C. photic zone

How is chemical energy transferred from algae to marine animals?

A. swimmingC. reproducingB. feedingD. none of the above

B. feeding

All the complex feeding relationships among a number of different organisms is known as a(n) ____.

A. food seriesC. food chainB. ecosystemD. food web

D. food web

A food chain is the passage of energy ____.

A. among many interactive organisms

C. between herbivores onlyB. along a single pathD. between primary producers

B. along a single path

Which force is involved in the development of surface currents?

A. gravityC. frictionB. inertiaD. none of the above

C. friction

Ocean currents that move toward the poles are ____.

A. warmB. coldC. warm in the Northern Hemisphere

and cold in the Southern HemisphereD. cold in the Northern Hemisphere

and warm in the Southern Hemisphere

A. warm

What causes surface ocean currents to be deflected?

A. deep currentsC. Earth’s revolutionB. the Coriolis effectD. global winds

B. the Coriolis effect

Density currents move ____.A. horizontallyC. from north to southB. verticallyD. from south to north

B. vertically

The vertical distance between trough and crest is called the ____.

A. wave heightC. fetchB. wavelengthD.wave period

A. wave height

What is NOT true about ocean waves?

A. They get their energy from wind.B. They transfer energy without

matter as a medium.C. The greater the wind speed is,

the higher the wave is.D. They can travel long distances.

B. They transfer energy without matter as a medium.

Which of the following is visible evidence of energy passing through water?

A. waveC. Coriolis effectB. sea archD. density tide

A. wave

Which of the following is NOT true about a wave in the open ocean?

A. Water particles move in a circular path.

B. The wave form moves forward, but the water particles do not advance appreciably.

C. Water particles travel with the wave.D. As the wave travels, water particles

pass the energy along by moving in a circle.

C. Water particles travel with the wave.

The smallest daily tidal range occurs during which type of tide?

A. spring tideC. neap tideB. flood tideD. ebb tide

C. neap tide

Waves in shallow water become bent and begin to run parallel to shore, a process known as ____.

A. oscillationC. reflectionB. refractionD. erosion

B. refraction

What happens to waves when there is refraction in bays?

A. They spread out.C. They erode headlands.B. They expend less energy.D. both a and b

D. both a and b

Which of the following decreases beach erosion without the construction of protective structures?

A. seawallC. groinB. beach nourishmentD. breakwater

B. beach nourishment

Which of the following structures is built to protect boats from large breaking waves?

A. jettyC. breakwaterB. groinD. seawall

C. breakwater

What is the most abundant gas in the atmosphere?

A. oxygenC. carbon dioxideB. nitrogenD. hydrogen

B. nitrogen

Which of the following terms best describes air?

A. elementC. mixtureB. compoundD. none of the above

C. mixture

What is the lowest layer of the atmosphere?

A. thermosphereC. stratosphereB. troposphereD. mesosphere

B. troposphere

When does the summer solstice occur in the Northern Hemisphere?

A. June 21C. September 21B. March 21D. December 21

A. June 21

When air transfers energy to a cooler object, what happens to the air temperature?

A. It increases.C. It stays the same.B. It decreases.D. It fluctuates.

B. It decreases.

Which electromagnetic waves have the longest wavelengths?

A. radioC. gammaB. infraredD. ultraviolet

A. radio

What process describes the transfer of heat through matter by molecular activity?

A. conductionC. radiationB. convectionD. evaporation

A. conduction

A metal spoon becomes hot after being left in a pan of boiling water. This is an example of ____.

A. convectionC. radiationB. conductionD. reflection

B. conduction

On average, how much of the sun ’s energy that reaches Earth’s outer atmosphere is reflected back into space?

A. 10 percentC. 30 percentB. 20 percentD. 50 percent

C. 30 percent

The two most important heat-absorbing gases in the lower atmosphere are ____.

A. oxygen and nitrogenC. argon and hydrogenB. ozone and chlorofluorocarbonD. water vapor and carbon

dioxide

D. water vapor and carbon dioxide

At night, clouds act as a blanket by ____.

A. absorbing incoming radiationC. reflecting incoming radiationB. absorbing outgoing radiationD. reflecting outgoing radiation

B. absorbing outgoing radiation

The change of state from a gas to a liquid is called ____.

A. evaporationC. condensationB. sublimationD. deposition

C. condensation

The process of converting a liquid to a gas is known as ____.

A. evaporationC. condensationB. sublimationD. deposition 

A. evaporation

What is true about relative humidity?A. It indicates how near the air is to

saturation.B. It indicates the actual quantity of

water vapor in the air.C. It is the general term used to

describe the amount of water vapor in air.

D. It is the temperature to which a parcel of air would need to be cooled to reach saturation.

A. It indicates how near the air is to saturation.

Which of the following refers to the temperature to which air would have to be cooled to reach saturation?

A. dew pointC. adiabatic rateB. vaporD. relative point

A. dew point

Which of the following occurs when air is compressed?

A. Air temperature rises.C. Air molecules move faster.B. Air temperature cools.D. both a and c

D. both a and c

Orographic lifting is associated with ____.

A. mountainsC. flat plainsB. riversD. fronts

A. mountains

Which of the following will NOT cause air to become unstable?

A. intense solar heating that warms the air from below

b. forceful lifting of airC. upward movement caused by

general convergenceD. subsidence of an air column

D. subsidence of an air column

Which of the following would NOT be associated with stable atmospheric conditions?

A. widespread fogC. temperature inversionB. afternoon thunderstormsD. buildup of pollutants

B. afternoon thunderstorms

What is true about stable air?A. It tends to rise.B. It tends to resist rising.C. It is associated with severe

storms.D. It is never associated with

precipitation.

B. It tends to resist rising.

Which cloud type is best described as sheets or layers that cover much or all of the sky?

A. cumulusC. stratusB. cirrusD. alto

C. stratus

Which term is used to describe clouds of middle height?

A. cumulusC. stratusB. cirrusD. alto

D. alto

Compared to clouds, fogs are ____.

A. colderC. at lower altitudesB. of a different compositionD. drier

C. at lower altitudes

Which of the following processes can produce either rain or snow?

A. the Bergeron processB. the collision-coalescence

processC. both the Bergeron process and

the collision-coalescence processD. none of the above

A. the Bergeron process

What type of cloud is associated with hail?

A. cirrocumulusC. nimbostratusB. cumulonimbusD. altostratus

B. cumulonimbus

Which form of precipitation is likely to occur when a layer of air with temperatures above freezing overlies a subfreezing layer near the ground?

A. rain C. snowB. sleetD. hail

B. sleet

The force exerted by the weight of the air above is called ____.

A. air pressureC. the Coriolis effectB. convergenceD. divergence

A. air pressure

Which of these instruments is NOT used to measure air pressure?

A. mercury barometerC. anemometerB. aneroidD. All are used to measure air

pressure.

C. anemometer

Standard sea level pressure in millibars is ____.

A. 750.1C. 1000B. 980.5D. 1013.2

D. 1013.2

A steep pressure gradient ____.A. would be depicted by widely

spaced isobarsB. produces strong windsC. is only possible in the tropicsD. produces light winds

B. produces strong winds

Fast-moving currents of air that occur above the friction layer are called ____.

A. wind trainsC. chinooksB. mesocyclonesD. jet streams

D. jet streams

High-altitude, high-velocity “rivers” of air are called ____.

A. cyclonesC. anticyclonesB. jet streamsD. tornadoes

B. jet streams

The deflection of wind due to the Coriolis effect is strongest at ____.

A. the equatorC. midnightB. the midlatitudesD. the poles

D. the poles

In the Northern Hemisphere, winds associated with a low-pressure system blow ____.

A. counterclockwise toward the center

B. clockwise toward the centerC. clockwise outward from the centerD. counterclockwise outward from

the center

A. counterclockwise toward the center

Centers of low pressure are called ____.

A. anticyclonesC. jet streamsB. air massesD. cyclones

D. cyclones

Which of the following does NOT describe the surface air movement of a Northern Hemisphere low?

A. inwardC. net upward movementB. counterclockwiseD. divergent

D. divergent

Seasonal changes in wind direction associated with large landmasses and adjacent water bodies are called ____.

A. polar frontsC. monsoonsB. jet streamsD. trade winds

C. monsoons

Which surface winds blow between the subtropical high and the equator?

A. trade windsC. sea breezesB. polar easterliesD. westerlies

A. trade winds

Near the equator, rising air is associated with a pressure zone known as the ____.

A. equatorial highC. tropical lowB. equatorial lowD. tropical high

B. equatorial low

Valley and mountain breezes are examples of ____.

A. global windsC. local windsB. trade windsD. jet streams

C. local winds

When is a sea breeze most intense?

A. during mid- to late afternoonC. in the late morningB. in the late eveningD. at sunrise

A. during mid- to late afternoon

A wind that consistently blows more often from one direction than from any other is called a ____.

A. local windC. trade windB. prevailing windD. jet stream

B. prevailing wind

Which instrument is used to measure wind speed?

A. anemometerC. thermometerB. barometerD. all of the above

A. anemometer

Which phenomenon is associated with surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific that are colder than average?

A. La NiñaC. global warmingB. El NiñoD. local winds

A. La Niña

An immense body of air characterized by similar properties at any given altitude is known as a(n) ____.

A. cycloneC. anticycloneB. air massD. front

B. air mass

When an active cold front overtakes a warm front, ____.

A. the fronts cancel each other out

C. an occluded front formsB. cloud formation ceasesD. a stationary front forms

C. an occluded front forms

Along a front, which type of air is always forced upwards?

A. cooler, denser airC. the driest airB. warmer, less dense airD. the wettest air

B. warmer, less dense air

The weather behind a cold front is dominated by which of the following?

A. cold air massC. mixed air massB. warm air massD. none of the above

A. cold air mass

Which of the following best describes the pressure in a middle-latitude cyclone?

A. Pressure decreases toward the center.

B. Pressure remains the same everywhere.

C. Pressure increases toward the center.

D. The pressure is not predictable.

A. Pressure decreases toward the center.

Thunderstorms form when warm, humid air rises in a(n) ____.

A. unstable environmentC. clockwise spiralB. stable environmentD. counterclockwise spiral

A. unstable environment

Which of the following would likely have the greatest range of pressure?

A. tornadoC. hurricaneB. middle-latitude cycloneD. All have the same pressure.

A. tornado

Tornadoes are most frequent from ____.

A. January to MarchC. October to DecemberB. April to JuneD. July to August

B. April to June

Hurricanes form in tropical waters between the latitudes of ____.

A. 0 and 5 degreesC. 20 and 30 degreesB. 5 and 20 degreesD. 30 and 40 degrees

B. 5 and 20 degrees

What causes a hurricane to lose energy when it moves onto land?

A. frictionC. heating from below by landB. lack of warm, moist airD. both a and b

D. both a and b

Which ancient astronomer developed a geocentric model of the universe explaining the observable motions of the planets?

A. AristotleC. CopernicusB. Ptolemy D. Newton

B. Ptolemy

Aristotle concluded that Earth was round because ____.

A. it always casts a curved shadow during a lunar eclipse

B. he sailed around the worldC. he calculated Earth’s

circumferenceD. it exhibited retrograde motion

A. it always casts a curved shadow during a lunar eclipse

According to the ancients, the stars traveled around Earth on the transparent, hollow ____.

A. equatorial planeC. solar orbB. celestial sphereD. ellipse

B. celestial sphere