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 movement (carrying away or displacement) of solids (sediment - soil - rock - and other particles) - usually by the agents of currents such as wind - water - or ice by downward or down - slope movement in response to gravity






2. Featherlike clouds that indicate fair weather






3. 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...






4. An individual weighing 200 lbs on Earth would weigh more on a _______________ - Weight is a function of gravity






5. 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






6. A land form that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area - with a peak - Usually produced by the movement of lithospheric plates






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






8. The movement of rainwater as it filters through soil and rocks into the ground - becoming groundwater






9. The flow of water underground - in the vadose zone and aquifers - Subsurface water may return to the surface (as a spring or by being pumped) or eventually seep into the oceans






10. 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






11. Occur twice a year - when the tilt of the earth's axis is oriented neither from nor to the sun - causing the sun to be located vertically above a point on the equator - The name derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night) - because at the e






12. The process of chemical or physical breakdown of earth rocks - soils - and their minerals






13. Maritime tropical (wet - warm air)






14. 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






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






16. Evaporation often implicitly includes ___________ from plants - although together they are specifically referred to as evapotranspiration






17. Composed of the fragments of other types of rocks - Cover 75 to 80% of the earth's land area - Often deposited in distinct parallel layers - Weather and erosion break down other rock types into sediments - Over time - the sediments become cemented an






18. Occur when two plates push together - Such faults are strong and relatively deep - Where the strongest earthquakes occur Example: mountain building in the Himalayas and the Andes






19. When the moon is at first quarter or third quarter - the sun - earth and moon form a 90- degree (right) angle with the earth at the vertex - The combined effect of this alignment of the sun - earth - and moon results in tidal ranges on the earth - Wh






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






21. 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






22. Somewhat cooler disturbances in the photosphere






23. Some precipitation falls as ____ and can accumulate as ice caps and glaciers - which can store water for thousands of years






24. Travels in an orbit that is slightly elliptical (oval) - and so the distance from the sun ranges from 91.5 to 94.5 million miles - Its daily rotation deforms the earth to a flattened spheroid - with a polar radius slightly less than the equatorial ra






25. The runoff produced by melting snow






26. Solar Atmosphere is divided into the inner chromosphere with explosive prominences and the outer corona - a glowing halo visible only during a total eclipse - Constantly emitting particles as a...






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






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






29. Occur when two plates slip past each other - Such faults are generally moderate and are relatively shallow Example: The San Andreas Fault






30. Water returns to the land surface at __________ than where it entered - under the force of gravity or gravity - induced pressures






31. Bbreaking along flat surfaces






32. The sun is not at the center of the disk - but out toward the perimeter - and is revolving around the ________






33. Around a new or full moon - when the sun - moon - and the earth form a line - the tidal forces due to the sun reinforce those of the moon - The tide's range is at a maximum and is called a spring tide (spring as in 'to jump/leap -' not the season)






34. The center of the sun may have a temperature of millions of degrees; the visible surface - the ______ - is about 6000






35. Not all runoff flows into rivers; much of it infiltrates into the ground through...






36. 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






37. - The materials left over after the rock breaks down combine with organic material - The mineral content is determined by the parent material; thus - a soil derived from a single rock type can often be deficient in one or more minerals for good ferti






38. The process in which one type of rock changes into another






39. The science of the atmosphere and weather






40. Used to arrange strata in a standard order - Used to measure the amount of radioactive decay in minerals and calculate the time at which the rock formed






41. The precipitation that is intercepted by plant foliage and eventually evaporates back to the atmosphere rather than falling to the ground






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






43. 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






44. Can influence climate by sending tremendous volumes of dust - ash - and smoke into the atmosphere






45. Forms south of the Arctic and is cold






46. Precipitation - Canopy interception - Snowmelt - Runoff - Percolation - Subsurface flow- Evaporation - Sublimation - Condensation






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






48. Divided into two main types: large - low- density gas giants and smaller - rocky terrestrials - There are at least 341 identified _______ - 8 of which are in the Solar System






49. Water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil






50. 186000 miles/second