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. Paleontology: Fossil evidence indicates the similarity of fossils on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean - Continental 'jigsaw puzzle': The outlines of the continents seem to fit together






2. Improved land - use practices can limit erosion by using techniques such as...






3. Smooth layers of low clouds that indicate a chance of drizzle or snow






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






5. Texture is important in classifying ______ sedimentary rocks






6. Almost all familiar weather phenomena occur in the __________ (the lower part of the atmosphere)






7. Tends to move slowly and is replenished slowly - and so it can remain in aquifers for thousands of years






8. A major determiner of coastal climate






9. Characterized by similar temperatures and moisture levels






10. Different visual appearance; when discovered - comets show a perceptible coma while asteroids do not






11. Hotspot volcanoes are also found elsewhere in the Solar System - especially on...






12. Tides may be...






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






14. The evaporation of these oceans is how we get most of our __________ - and their temperature determines our climate and wind patterns






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






16. Occurs when the moon sets at sunset - Then the moon is between the earth and the sun - so we see only the dark half of the moon






17. Due to a combination of differential heating and geometry - hen the sun rises - it is the tops of the mountain peaks which receive first light - and as the day progresses - the mountain slopes take on a greater heat load than the valleys - This resul






18. 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






19. The variety of ways by which water moves across the land - This includes both surface runoff and channel runoff - As it flows - the water may percolate into the ground - evaporate into the air - become stored in lakes or reservoirs - or be extracted






20. Seasons are marked by changes in the amount of sunlight - which in turn often cause cycles of dormancy in plants and hibernation in animals - These effects vary with latitude and with proximity to bodies of water






21. Piled in waves and indicate rain or snow






22. Cirrus - Stratus - Cumulonimbus - Altostratus






23. The farther from the tropics you are positioned - the ________ the angle of the sun - This causes those locations to be cooler due to the indirect sunlight






24. Thought to originate in the Kuiper Belt - or associated scattered discs - which lie beyond the orbit of Neptune






25. Zero degrees latitude - generally has a tropical climate (warm and wet); at the extreme northern and southern latitudes (polar regions) - the climate is very cold and dry






26. Stars with the highest ___________ appear blue - while stars with the lowest surface temperature appear red






27. Result from the earth's axis being tilted to its orbital plane - NOT the result of the variation in the earth's distance to the sun (Because of its elliptical orbit - the earth as a whole is slightly warmer when away from the sun; this is because the






28. Two feldspars (orthoclase and plagioclase) - quartz - olivine - and augite - These five minerals are silicates - built from interlocking silicon and oxygen atoms






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






30. The fossiliferous strata record is only the last __% of the earth's history






31. How much matter is in the object






32. Natural chemical compounds that are the crystals that make up rocks - Each has a specific composition or narrow range of composition






33. Sedimentary rocks containing large fragments of other rock material - e.g. Sandstone






34. Method of using the present to interpret the past - Processes occurring today are observed carefully and their effects are measured - Then - geologists assume that similar effects in ancient rocks were caused by processes similar to those of the pres






35. The degrees north or south of the equator






36. Oceans cover __ of the earth's surface






37. 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






38. Condensed water vapor that falls to the earth's surface - Most precipitation occurs as rain - but also includes snow - hail - fog drip - graupel - and sleet






39. Water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil






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






41. Takes place when the moon passes between the earth and the sun - with the moon blocking the sunlight for about two minutes - A total ___________ may be seen only from a small zone on the earth






42. Take up about 1/3 of the earth's land surface - many are formed by rain shadows - Usually have a large diurnal (day) and seasonal temperature range - with high daytime temperatures






43. The difference between levels of ocean water at high and low tides






44. Affected by factors such as weathering and impurities






45. The degrees east or west of the prime meridian through Greenwich - England






46. The tidal force produced by the sun is ____ as large as that produced by the moon






47. Test the item against materials of known hardness; for example - use your fingernail or the graphite in a pencil to attempt to scratch the items. This process should result in assigning a relative hardness to the unknown items.






48. A region of the earth that has uniform standard time - usually referred to as the local time - divided into standard and daylight saving (or summer)






49. Younger beds were originally deposited above older beds






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