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






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






3. Characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the eastern equatorial Pacific - warm current of nutrient - poor tropical water - heated by its eastward passage in the Equatorial Current - replaces the cold - nutrient - rich surface water of th






4. Large - scale movements of the earth's lithosphere - - The theory encompasses the older concepts of continental drift (first half of 20th century) and seafloor spreading (1960s)






5. 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






6. The resulting dust layer would act as a shield - blocking out much of the sun's rays - This would result in lower global temperatures and a general _____ of the earth






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






8. 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






9. Seas - gulfs - bays - and other names






10. The science of the atmosphere and weather






11. Scientists theorize that massive volcanic eruptions on a global scale contributed to the earth's cooling - resulting in the onset of the...






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






13. 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






14. The state change where a solid (ice or snow) changes directly to a gas (water vapor)






15. The transformation of water from liquid to gas phases as it moves from the ground or bodies of water into the overlying atmosphere






16. Darkens the moon as the earth passes between it and the sun - casting a shadow on the moon - may be seen from anywhere the moon is visible - about half of the earth






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






18. A ______________ - such as the Mid - Atlantic Ridge - has examples of volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates pulling apart






19. Both gravity and inertia work together to keep planets in orbit around the sun - Inertia makes a planet travel in a straight line






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






21. The strong temperature contrast between polar and tropical air gives rise to the ________






22. Under solar conditions - gases are undergoing _____ to heavier elements with the increase of prodigious quantities of energy






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






24. 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






25. 4 terrestrials: Mercury - Venus - Mars - Earth 4 gas giants: Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune At least 5 dwarf planets: Ceres - Pluto - Makemake - Haumea - Eris






26. Bbreaking along flat surfaces






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






28. The strength of gravity in our solar system depends on both the masses of the celestial objects and the _______ between them






29. Mountains blocking the path of precipitation to the desert






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






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






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






33. Takes approx. seven and a half earth months to revolve around the sun - Takes approx. eight earth months to rotate on its axis - a day on ________ is longer than a year






34. Less than 1% of the earth; this relatively thin zone (5 to 25 miles) contains the only rocks we can study - even in the deepest mines or drill holes






35. Faulting and folding






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






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






38. Travels around the earth each month - - Distance from the earth averages 237000 miles - Has rugged topography formed billions of years ago by volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts - Mass is 1/6th that of Earth






39. 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






40. Believed to originate at a much greater distance from the Sun - in a cloud (the Oort cloud) consisting of debris left over from the condensation of solar nebula - Comets are thrown from the outer planets or nearby stars - or as a result of collisions






41. 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






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






43. Temperature - pressure - and composition






44. Oceans cover __ of the earth's surface






45. (or summer time zones) include an offset (typically +1 hour) for daylight saving time






46. 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






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






48. 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






49. 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






50. 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)