Geoscience Day Starters

1. Geoscience Day Starters Good review

2. What does geology mean? • a. Study of the Earth and its neighbors c. Study of maps and charts • b. Study of the solid earth d. Study of solid Earth and oceans • Who would study a meteor? • a. Geologist c. Meteorologist • b. Astronomer d. Mineralogist • What are the four subdivisions of Earth Science • a. Anthropology, Geology, Meteorology and Biology • b. Oceanography, Biology, Meteorology and Geology • c. Geology, Oceanography, Astronomy and Meteorology • d. Mineralology, Oceanography, Astrology and Geology • The Lithosphere is • a. The solid Earth’s crust c. The boundry between the mantle and the crust • b. All melted rocks on Earth d. Melted rocks on the surface

3. Where is most of the carbon found in the environment? • a. The Oceans c. The Atmosphere • b. The trees and such d. The rocks and the crust • Which holds the most carbon dioxide, and absorbs it the fastest? • a. Warm water, low pressure c. Warm water, high pressure • b. Cold water, low pressure d. Cold water, high pressure • 3. Which letter refers to the lower mantle? _________ • What holds the most fresh water? A. Lakes B. Groundwater C. Glaciers D. Atmosphere • About how much CO2 is put into the atmosphere each year, mostly from the burning of fossil fuels? • a. 8,000 tonnes b. 800,000 tonnes c. 8,000,000 tonnes d. 8,000,000,000 tonnes • The crust and very top of the mantle make up a rigid layer called the • a. Asthenosphere b. Lithosphere c. Geosphere d. Crustosphere

4. When rocks, in different regions, are matched up by similar age; what is it called? • a. Superposition c. Uniformitarianism • b. Geology d. Correlation • This principle states that layers of sediment are generally deposited in horizontal position? • a. Tarbuk’s law c. Superposition • b. Hutton’s law d. Original Horizontality • Who developed the idea of Uniformitarianism? • a. John Wesley Powell • b. Edward Kirianov • c. James Hutton • d. Dennis Tarbuk • Relative dating will tell • a. Sequence of rock formation c. Age of rocks • b. Rock composition d. Fossil types • The rock record shows • a. evidence of geological events c. Types of animals that existed • b. relative ages of meteor strikes d. Age of rivers

5. Petrifaction occurs when? • a. When wood is dried out c. Cells are replaced with minerals • b. Wood is buried in wet soil d. Wood is caught in tree sap • This principle states that layers of sediment are generally deposited in horizontal position? • a. Law of original horizontality c. Superposition • b. Hutton’s law d. Law of inclusion • Fossils do what, with respect to evolution? • a. Provides a scientific basis c. Calls evolution into question • b. Nothing d. Fills in all the blanks and questions • Which kind of fossil would a mummy (wrapped, dried body) be? • a. Petrified c. Mold and Cast • b. Unaltered remains d. Trace fossil • 5. Relative dating will tell • a. Sequence of rock formation c. Age of rocks • b. Rock composition d. Fossil types

6. What three things do index fossils need to be effective? • a. Widespread, hard parts, abundant • b. Widespread, abundant, large • c. Short geographic time, abundant and widespread • d. Water, abundant and short geographic time • Which animal, now a fossil, gave the Earth its early oxygen atmosphere? • a. Algae c. Trilobite • b. Stromatolite d. Phytoplankton • What is fossilized dinosaur feces? • a. Trilobite c. Gastrolith • b. Coprolite d. I try not to think about it • A cast and mold would result from what type of organism? • a. An animals hard parts being replaced by minerals • b. A tree root decomposing, and leaving behind a void that fills with minerals • c. A bee being stuck in tree sap • d. A mammoth drying out in the cold and unforgiving tundra of Siberia • 5. Fossil preservation is favored by two conditions • a. Abundance and geographic location c. Water and heat • b. Unique characteristics, and hard parts d. Hard parts and rapid burial

7. What is the approximate half-life of Carbon-14? • a. 750 years • b. 5,700 years • c. 5,730 years • d. 57,500 years • Carbon-14 takes advantage of what kind of dating? • a. Radioactive c. Radiometric • b. Relative age d. Relativistic • How much Carbon-14 would be left in an animal after 3 - ½ lifes? • a. ½ c. ¼ • b. 1/16th d. 1/8th • A cast and mold would result from what type of organism? • a. An animals hard parts being replaced by minerals • b. A tree root decomposing, and leaving behind a void that fills with minerals • c. A bee being stuck in tree sap • d. A mammoth drying out in the cold and unforgiving tundra of Siberia • 5. Fossil preservation is favored by two conditions • a. Abundance and geographic location c. Water and heat • b. Unique characteristics, and hard parts d. Hard parts and rapid burial

8. 1. What does a person call the spontaneous breaking apart of atomic nuclei? • Relativity c. Radioactivity • Actual dating d. Pronectivity • What two things does an organism need to become a fossil? • Rapid burial and hard parts c. Heat and pressure • Wet ground and hard parts d. Sandy soil and heat • How many half-lives have gone by, if 1/16th of the parent element still exists? • Two c. Three • Four d. Five • For how long is Carbon-14 an accurate measurement of actual age? • 5,730 years c. 1,000 years • 75,000 years d. 1,000,000 years • In what type of rock are fossils generally found? • Igneous (volcano) c. Metamorphic (mountains) • Sedimentary (Nebraska) d. Nice (not unfriendly)

9. 1. What is the longest era…..by far? • Cenozoic c. Paleozoic • Precambrian d. Mesozoic • What was the first atmosphere of Earth composed of? • Nitrogen, Carbon dioxide c. Argon and Oxygen • Oxygen and Water vapor d. Hydrogen and Carbon dioxide • 3. What are large areas of Precambrian rocks that make up the surface of some continents? • Oceans c. Granite mountains • Ore zones d. Shields • What is the fossil that marks the end of the Precambrian era, and the start of the Paleozoic era? • Stromatolite c. Dinobite • Trilobite d. Cynobite • Which statement is true? • Continents are made of light basalt, oceans of heavy basalt • Continents are made of basalt, oceans of granite • Continents are made of granite, oceans of basalt • Oceans are made of heavy granite, continents of light granite

10. 1. What is the name for the process when one plate is going “under” another? • a. Convergence c. Subduction • b. Transformation d. Transverse • 2. Where is the Ocean getting “bigger”? • a. mid-ocean ridge c. oceanic trench • b. north and south poles d. equator • 3. What is the term that means that the ocean crust is being pushed under the continental crust? • a. diversion c. subduction • b. conversion d. transform • 4. What is the fossil that marks the end of the Precambrian era, and the start of the Paleozoic era? • Stromatolite c. Dinobite • Trilobite d. Cynobite • 5. Where would ocean rocks be the oldest? • a. near the middle of the ocean c. near the coast of continents • b. near the north and south poles d. near the equator • 6. What word means the study of ancient magnetism on Earth? • a. magnetology c. paleomagnetism • b. historical magnetism d. neomagnetism

11. 1. What concept did Alfred Wegener develop? • Superposition c. Continental drift • Plate tectonics d. Uniformitarianism • Where did the eastern coast of South America bump up against? • Africa c. Europe • North America d. Australia • 3. What caused scientists to believe that the positions of the continents were very different in the past than they are now? • Glacial till in India c. Ferns in Antarctica • Fossil positions d. All of the above • The name of the animal, whose fossil remains are found on two continents of question two, was named what? • Stromatolite c. Mesosaurus • Trilobite d. Cynosaurus • Which statement is true? • No evidence for plate tectonics has been found • Plate tectonics was developed by Alfred Wegener • Plate tectonics has only become accepted since the 1960’s • Both “b” and “c”.

12. 1. What system uses sound waves to calculate the distance to an object? • a. Radar b. Sonar • c. Freemantle d. Fathomization • 2. What is the letter of the description of a subduction zone • a. where an oceanic plate is forced beneath a second plate • b. where an oceanic plate grinds past a second plate • c. where a continental plate grinds past a second plate • d. where an oceanic plate moves away from a second plate • 3. What is the letter of the oldest oceanic crust • a. near the edges of the continents • b. between the edge of ocean, and edge of continent • c. at a ridge crest • d. deep in the asthenosphere • 4. A “hot spot” is responsible for what geological structure? • a. Himalaya mountains b. Mid-ocean ridge • b. Iceland d. Yellowstone • 5. Where is new Earth created • a. Mid ocean ridge b. Subduction zone • c. “hot spots” d. Transform zones

13. 1. In what kind of plate boundary do the plates slide past each other? a. Divergent c. Convergent b. Transform fault d. Revergent 2. What will form when ocean crust subducts under ocean crust? a. Mountain chain c. Island Arc b. Divergent plate boundary d. Transform plate boundary 3. Where does a trench form? a. Divergent boundaries c. Convergent boundaries b. Transform fault boundaries d. Revergent areas 4. Which of the following is a transform plate boundary? a. Los Angeles c. Himalayas Mountains b. Yellowstone d. Mid Ocean Ridges 5. Where is new Earth formed a. Mountain chain c. Island Arc b. Divergent plate boundary d. Transform plate boundary 6. What is the best evidence of sea-floor spreading? a. The mid-ocean ridge c. The continental trench b. Magnetic reversal of sea-floor sediment d. Fossils

14. 1. An igneous rock with large crystals will have formed a. Deep in the Earth b. Near or above the surface c. In water d. Near other crystalline rocks 2. Felsic rocks are a. Light colored, with high amounts of iron b. Light colored, with high amounts of silicon c. Dark colored, with high amounts of iron d. Dark colored, with high amounts of silicon 3. New Earth is formed at a. Divergent boundaries b. Convergent boundaries c. Transform boundaries d. All of the above 4. Where will trenches form? a. Convergent ocean to continent b. Convergent ocean to ocean c. Convergent continent to continent d. Divergent continental crust 5. The best evidence for seafloor spreading is a. Fossils c. Continental puzzle b. Magnetic reversal d. Mountain chains

15. 1. The only planet with liquid water is a. Mercury b. Venus c. Mars d. None of the above 2. The largest difference between the terrestrial planets and Jovian planets are a. Size b. Density c. Chemical composition d. All of the above 3. The terrestrial planets are mostly made of a. Ice b. Gas c. Rock d. Boiling hot magma, with lava sharks and “puppies” 4. The theory that the Solar System started in a spinning cloud is the a. Cloud theory b. Solar theory c. Nebular theory d. Spinning theory 5. The hottest planet in the solar system is a. Mercury b. Venus c. Earth c. Mars 6. The ages are a. Universe 4.6 billion, Earth 3.6 million c. Universe 4.6 trillion, Earth 4.6 billion b. Universe 15 billion, Earth 1.8 billion

16. 1. If a planet is moving towards you, it is a. looking red c. looking blue b. hotter d. cooler 2. When pitch changes as a result of a moving source, it is called a. Doppler effect c. Coriolis effect b. Centripetal effect d. Moving effect 3. What wavelength is shorter than visible light? a. Ultraviolet c. Infrared b. Radio d. Microwave 4. Light is carried by a a. Graviton c. Proton b. Photon d. Electron 5. What are the bright lines called against a continuous spectrum? a. Absorption lines c. Emission lines b. Continuous lines d. Bright lines 6. What is the instrument called that examines the light from a star? a. Lightometer c. Spectrometer b. Photonometer d. Wave Excitrometer 7. The hottest planet in the solar system is a. Mercury b. Venus c. Earth c. Mars 8. The ages are a. Universe 4.6 billion, Earth 3.6 million c. Universe 4.6 trillion, Earth 4.6 billion b. Universe 15 billion, Earth 1.8 billion d. Universe 15 billion, Earth 4.6 billion

17. 1. A telescope that uses a lens to bend light is a a. Refracting c. Reflecting b. Radio d. Hubble 2. The first space telescope is a. Hubble c. Chandra b. Fermi d. Gamma 3. The telescope that can see through gasses in space is a a. Reflecting c. Gamma b. Radio d. Hubble 4. Light is carried by a a. Graviton c. Proton b. Photon d. Electron 5. What are the dark lines called against a continuous spectrum of color? a. Absorption lines c. Emission lines b. Continuous lines d. Bright lines 6. What are the bright lines called, against a dark background? a. Absorption lines c. Emission lines b. Continuous lines d. Bright lines 7. The Doppler effect will tell an astronomer what? a. What the star is made of c. How far away the star is b. The direction the star is moving d. How hot the star is 8. A spectrograph will tell an astronomer a. What the star is made of c. How far away the star is b. How big the star is d. How hot the star is 9. You can tell how hot a star is by its a. Color b. Redshift c. Emission lines d. Absorption lines e. Coreolis effect

18. 1. A red star is a. Cool c. Hot b. Moving away d. “a” or “b” 2. How many constellations are there, originally a. 12 c, 88 b. 144 d. 365 3. How many stars are there in a binary system a. 1 c. Three b. 2 d. Four or more 4. Parallax would be greater for a star that is a. moving away c. Close b. moving towards an observer d. Far away 5. How long would it take for light to reach Earth, from a star that is 25.3 light years away? a. 4 parsecs c. 2.53 years b. 25.3 years d. It depends upon the speed of the light 6. To find the North Star (Polaris), it is easiest to first find a. Rigel c. Big Dipper b. The Southern Cross d. Orion’s belt 7. Sun’s burn a. Hydrogen b. Helium c. Oxygen d. Carbon e. Argon f. Phone fuel 8. Which will last longer a. A large star c. A small star b. A star will large parallax d. A star with small parallax 9. Which of these light waves has the longest wavelength? a. Gamma wave c. Radio wave b. Visible light wave d. Ultraviolet wave

19. 1. The H-R diagram compares a. absolute and apparent brightness c. Apparent brightness and temperature b. Absolute brightness and temperature d. Apparent brightness and distance 2. Our Sun will die as a a. White dwarf c. Failed Star b. Black hole d. Neutron star 3. The two opposing forces in a star are a. Gravity and density c. Gravity and Pressure b. Pressure and density d. Mass and gravity 4. About what percentage of stars are on the main sequence? a. 10% c. 75% b. 50% d. 90% 5. Which lasts longer? a. Small star c. Large star b. Medium sized star d. Stinking, stinking HUGE star 6. Which is brighter from 32.6 lightyears? a. A star with an apparent magnitude of 5 c. Star with actual magnitude of -10 b. Star with an apparent magnitude of -5 d. Star with an actual magnitude of 10

20. 1. The Milky Way is about a. 100,000 deep and 1,000,000 miles wide c. 10,000 light years across b. 10,000 ly deep and 100,000 ly across d. 1,000,000 miles deep 2. A red star is a. Moving away c. Moving towards us b. Moving towards us d. “a” or “b” 3. Our Solar System started as a a. Planetary nebula c. White dwarf b. Supernova d. Red giant 4. The next stage of our Sun is a a. White dwarf c. Black dwarf b. Red Giant d. Black hole 5. The last stage of our Sun will be a a. White dwarf c. Black dwarf b. Neutron star d. Black hole 6. Pulsars come from from a. Black holes c. Neutron stars b. Red giants d. White dwarfs

21. 1. What is the unending circulation of the Earth’s water supply a. water balance c. Water Cycle b. Base level d. Transpiration cycle 2. Water leaving the atmosphere and entering the geosphere, or hydrosphere is called a. Runoff c. Transpiration b. Precipitation d. Infiltration 3. The spaces between soil particles, which can hold water, determines the a. Permeability c. Gradient b. Porosity d. Transpiration rate 4. A bend in a stream is called a a. Meander c. Tributary b. Mouth d. Valley 5. The steepness of a stream channel is a a. Valley c. Channel b. Base level d. Gradient 6. When water leaves a plant, and enters the atmosphere, it is a. Perspiration c. Transpiration b. Evaporation d. Infiltration 7. Water moving through the soil is a. Condensation c. Transpiration b. Infiltration d. Permeation

22. 1. Below about what level does the temperature of ocean water change rapidly? a. 100 meters c. 300 meters b. 500 meters d. 1,000 meters 2. What is mean by salinity? a. The amount of salt in ocean water c. The amount of dissolved solids in seawater. b. The average density of seawater d. The ratio of fresh water to sea water 3. What is the salinity of the ocean (roughly)? a. 35% c. 35 parts per hundred b. 35 parts per thousand d. 35 parts per million 4. What two things most influence the density of seawater? a. Salinity and gravity c. Temperature and latitude b. Salinity and temperature d. Temperature and current values 5. What is the most common dissolved solid in sea water? a. Common rocks c. Magnesium chloride b. Organic matter d. Table salt 6. Where is there a fast change in ocean water salinity? a. Pycnocline c. Densocline b. Thermocline d. Deep zone

23. 1. What is a large whirl of water within an ocean basin? a. Upwelling area b. Gyre c. Density currents d. Coreolis Current 2. What current keeps “Jolly of England” warm and foggy? a. Northern equatorial current b. North Atlantic current c. Gulf Stream d. Carolina current 3. Ocean currents transfer ___________ from low latitudes to high latitudes. a. Salty water b. Fresh water c. Nutrients d. Heat 4. Water moving through the soil is a. Condensation c. Transpiration b. Infiltration d. Permeation 5. What two things influence the density of ocean water? a. Salinity and gravity b. Temperature and latitude c. Salinity and temperature d. Temperature and current values 6. Below about what level does the temperature of ocean water change rapidly? a. 100 meters c. 300 meters b. 500 meters d. 1,000 meters 7. What layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer. a. Troposphere c. Stratosphere b. Mesosphere d. Thermosphere 8. The Coriolis effect makes moving air and water do what in the Northern hemisphere? a. Speed up c. Become more dense b. Turn left d. Turn right

24. 1. About how much of our atmosphere is Nitrogen? a. 1/4th c. ½ b. 3/4th d. 90% 2. Albedo is the amount of light that is a. absorbed by land c. Reflected away by all sources b. absorbed by water d. Reflected by clouds 3. The part of the Earth that would be warmed by the Sun the most would be a. Where the Sun shines at a 45º angle c. The polar regions b. Where the Sun shines at a 90º angle d. At the equator 4. Heat transfer by the direct contact of particles is a. Radiation c. Conduction b. Convection d. Transpiration 5. Warm air rises. This is an example of a. Radiation c. Conduction b. Convection d. Transpiration 6. Ozone is a. A single oxygen atom c. Two oxygen atoms b. Three oxygen atoms, making one ozone molecule d. A water and oxygen atom mixed together

25. 1. What is true about water and land a. Land cools more slowly c. Water heats more quickly b. Land cools and heats more slowly d. Water heats and cools more slowly 2. “Behind” a mountain is a. Drier c. Cooler b. Wetter d. Drier and warmer 3. What does Albedo mean? a. Amount of light reflected c. Amount of light absorbed b. Light wavelengths d. Amount of clouds 4. Temperatures at high altitudes are ususally a. Warmer c. Drier b. Cooler d. More stable 5. Which city would have the most stable temperature? a. Honolulu c. Denver b. Kansas City d. Pheonix 6. Why does the Southern Hemisphere have a more stable temperature? a. More land c. More water b. Closer to Antarctica d. Farther from equator

26. 1. A mass of air can hold 45 g of water vapor. How much water vapor does it actually hold, if it has a relative humidity of 33% a. 33 gram c. 45 gram b. 15 gram d. 3.3 gram 2. “Behind” a mountain is a. Drier c. Cooler b. Wetter d. Drier and warmer 3. What does Albedo mean? a. Amount of light reflected c. Amount of light absorbed b. Light wavelengths d. Amount of clouds 4. Temperatures at high altitudes are ususally a. Warmer c. Drier b. Cooler d. More stable 5. Which city would have the most stable temperature? a. Honolulu c. Denver b. Kansas City d. Pheonix 6. Why does the Southern Hemisphere have a more stable temperature? a. More land c. More water b. Closer to Antarctica d. Farther from equator 7. At this temperature, water will leave the atmosphere, and form liquid water. a. Condensation level c. Evaporation condensate point b. Dew point d. LDF level

27. 1. Air pressure is measured with a a. Anemometer c. Barometer b. Pressometer d. Chronometer 2. How do isobars indicate wind speed? a. The closer they are to each other, the faster the wind b. The longer they are, the faster the wind c. The thinker they are, the faster the wind d. The farther apart they are, the faster the wind 3. What is the name of a fast moving stream of air, at high altitude? a. Northeast trade wind c. Coreolis high speed current b. Doldrum effect current d. Jet stream 4. The ultimate cause of wind is a. Air density c. Air temperature b. The Sun d. Gravity 5. Nebraska is influenced by which global wind system? a. Horse winds c. Northeast trade winds b. Westerlies d. Easterlies 6. Short periods of heavy rain will develop from a. Low pressure systems c. High pressure systems b. High density systems d. Air convergence aloft 7. The corliosis effect makes all wind, in the Northern Hemisphere, turn a. South b. Left c. East d. Right 8. Mr. Monroe most reminds me of a. Chuck Norris b. Micheal Weston c. Sean Connery d. Winston Churchill e. Crusty the Clown

28. 1. Air pressure is measured with a a. Anemometer c. Barometer b. Pressometer d. Chronometer 2. How do isobars indicate wind speed? a. The closer they are to each other, the faster the wind b. The longer they are, the faster the wind c. The thinker they are, the faster the wind d. The farther apart they are, the faster the wind 3. What is the name of a fast moving stream of air, at high altitude? a. Northeast trade wind c. Coreolis high speed current b. Doldrum effect current d. Jet stream 4. The ultimate cause of wind is a. Air density c. Air temperature b. The Sun d. Gravity 5. Nebraska is influenced by which global wind system? a. Horse winds c. Northeast trade winds b. Westerlies d. Easterlies 6. Short periods of heavy rain will develop from a. Low pressure systems c. High pressure systems b. High density systems d. Air convergence aloft 7. The corliosis effect makes all wind, in the Northern Hemisphere, turn a. South b. Left c. East d. Right 8. Mr. Monroe most reminds me of a. Chuck Norris b. Micheal Weston c. Sean Connery d. Winston Churchill e. Crusty the Clown

29. 1. What are the colored bands in a metamorphic rocks called? a. Cleavage c. Verves b. Lines of Foliation d. Lines of density 2. Which is the correct order of creation for sedimentary rocks? a. Deposition, erosion, cementation and compaction b. Erosion, compaction, deposition and cementation c. Erosion, cementation, deposition and compaction d. Erosion, deposition, compaction and cementation 3. What does “classic” mean? a. Made of other rocks c. Stuff from water b. Made of living things d. Made of crystals 4. Rocks made by the contact with hot lava are a. Metamorphic, regional c. Metamorphic, contact b. Sedimentary, classic d. Igneous, intrusive 5. Island Arcs are formed at a. Ocean to ocean convergent c. Continent to continent convergent b. Ocean to continent convergent d. Divergent 6. Rocks that change form because of high heat and pressure are a. Igneous c. Metamorphic b. Sedimentary d. Clastic