Test your basic knowledge |

CSET Earth

Subjects : cset, science
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The science that describes and interprets the earth Fields: - Geomorphology (land forms) - Petrology (rocks) - Stratigraphy (layered rocks) - Paleontology (fossils)






2. Generally forms deep in the mantle as one type of rock changes into another - Due to intense pressure - can show signs of bending and distortion - Examples: schist - marble - gneiss - and slate






3. A warm - water current that carries warm water from the Tropics to the Arctic regions of the North Atlantic Ocean - This accounts for higher temperatures and higher humidity on the Eastern Seaboard during the summer






4. Igneous rock that forms on the earth's surface - Examples obsidian - basalt - and pumice






5. Some water infiltrates deep into the ground and replenishes ________ - which store huge amounts of freshwater for long periods of time






6. Rising air currents take the vapor up into the atmopshere where cooler temperatures cause it to condense into ____






7. Common: wind - clouds - rain - snow - fog - dust storms - Less common: natural disasters such as tornadoes - hurricanes - and ice storms






8. Can thaw and melt - and the ensuing water flows overland as snowmelt






9. The lateral movement of the plates is typically at speeds of ___ mm annually






10. Refers to the long - term weather patterns of a large geographical area and takes into account temperature - humidity - and precipitation






11. Cirrus - Stratus - Cumulonimbus - Altostratus






12. Giant masses of solid rock that float upon the earth's mantle - These plates move in relation to one another at one of three types of plate boundaries...






13. A semi - closed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it - and with a free connection to the open sea - Often associated with high levels of biological diversity - They are made up of brackish water - Often given names






14. Two high waters and two low waters each day - in most locations - tides are semidiurnal






15. Comprises one global - interconnected body of salt water often (though generally recognized as several separate oceans) - A continuous body of water with relatively free interchange among its parts






16. Characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the same area - Atlanta tropical cyclone activity is generally enhanced during La Nina - Often follows the El Nino - especially when the latter is strong






17. An opening - or rupture - in a planet's surface or crust - which allows hot molten rock - ash - and gases to escape from below the surface - Volcanic activity involving the extrusion of rock tends to form mountains or features like mountains over a p






18. An area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions associated with the plate boundaries surrounding the Pacific Ocean - In a 40000 km horseshoe shape - associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches - volcanic arcs - and volcanic






19. Distance to closest stars can be calculated by measuring the _________ - a slight shift in apparent position against the background of more distant stars as the earth travels around the sun






20. The major mountains tend to occur in __________ - indicating tectonic plate boundaries and activity






21. The outermost part of the earth's interior is made up of two layers...






22. Occurs at the instant when the sun's position in the sky is at its greatest angular distance on the other side of the equatorial plane from the observer's hemisphere - Depending on the shift of the calendar - the winter solstice occurs some time betw






23. Volcanoes are also found in __________ - where the denser oceanic plates are forced under continental plates; this adds massive volumes of water to the mantle - allowing magma to melt more readily and rise to the surface to form volcanoes






24. Sun heats water in the oceans - Water evaporates as vapor into the air - Ice and snow can sublimate directly into water vapor...- Over time - the water reenters the ocean - where the water cycle started






25. The stress is particularly severe in _________ - which are characterized by volcanism - metamorphism - deformation - and uplift






26. Air currents move clouds around the globe and cloud particles collide - grow - and fall out of the sky as ________ - Most of it falls back into the oceans or onto land - where the precipitation flows over the ground as surface runoff - portion of run






27. The atmosphere is a __________ - and so small changes to one part of the system can grow to have large effects on the system as a whole - This makes it difficult to accurately predict weather more than a few days in advance






28. After the moon has waxed through crescent - quarter - and gibbous phases - a ________ appears - At that time - the moon rises at sunset - and we see all of its illuminated side - Then the phase wanes gradually to another new moon






29. A continuous drill would find gas - oil - and water in that order - The three substances occur in their order of density - with the lightest substance on top and the heaviest on the bottom






30. Some infiltration stays close to the land surface and can seep back into surface - water bodies (and the ocean) as...






31. Temperature - pressure - and composition






32. Forms over the Tropics and is warm






33. Volcanoes are generally found where ________ are diverging or converging






34. A major determiner of coastal climate






35. The breakdown of rocks - soils and minerals through direct contact with atmospheric conditions such as heat - water - ice - and pressure






36. Forms over land and is associated with dry air






37. Traces of ancient life preserved in the strata as shells - footprints - and the like - Soft plant and animal tissues decompose quickly in the presence of decay bacteria - which exist wherever oxygen exists






38. One tidal cycle per day






39. Cause pressure differences - A hot surface heats the air above it and the air expands - lowering the air pressure and its density






40. Weather occurs primarily due to density (temperature and moisture) differences between one location and another - These differences can occur due to the angle of the sun at any particular spot - which varies by latitude from the tropics






41. Characterized by similar temperatures and moisture levels






42. Spiral - elliptical - and irregular form are speckled throughout the visible universe - Largest telescope has detected galaxies to its limit of several billion light - years






43. Continental tropical (dry - warm air)






44. Earth movements - The result of forces within the earth - where temperature and pressure differences lead to instability






45. Occur along plate boundaries






46. Some isolated mountains were produced by volcanoes - including many apparently ________ that reach a great height above the ocean floor






47. Loose collections of ice - dust - and small rocky particles - measuring a few kilometers or tens of kilometers across






48. Most sediments were deposited in beds that were originally horizontal - and any tilting is due to later earth movements






49. Deviates by an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees - Thus - at any given time during summer or winter - one part of the planet is more directly exposed to the rays of the sun - This exposure alternates as the earth revolves in its orbit






50. The Pacific Ring of Fire has examples of volcanoes caused by ___________ coming together