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. 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






2. 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






3. Seas - gulfs - bays - and other names






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






5. 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






6. On maps - the characteristics of an air mass are represented by two letters: The lowercase letter represents ________ - and the uppercase letter represents temperature






7. Forms over the Tropics and is warm






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






9. 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






10. Formed by sodium chloride






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






12. Some groundwater finds openings in the land surface and emerges as...






13. Maritime polar (wet - cold air)






14. 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






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






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






17. 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






18. 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






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






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






21. A major determiner of coastal climate






22. Sometimes called minor planets or planetoids - Bodies






23. The breakdown of rocks - soils and minerals through atmospheric chemicals or biologically produced chemicals (also known as biological weathering)






24. The cold - water current that flows north to south off the _____________ keeps the West Coast fairly cool during the summer - Cold - water currents create cooler temperatures in areas that would otherwise be much warmer






25. Oceans cover __ of the earth's surface






26. There are approx. _____ days between each lunar cycle






27. 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)






28. Water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil






29. The rising of the earth's ocean surface caused by the tidal forces of the moon and the sun acting on the oceans






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






31. 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)






32. Ancient astronomers found that eclipses occurred periodically and learned to predict them accurately - Lunar and solar






33. Rocks are placed into groups according to how they form...






34. Somewhat cooler disturbances in the photosphere






35. How much matter is in the object






36. The science that describes and interprets the earth Fields: - Geomorphology (land forms) - Petrology (rocks) - Stratigraphy (layered rocks) - Paleontology (fossils)






37. Human civilization has lasted only _____ years






38. 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...






39. Cirrus - Stratus - Cumulonimbus - Altostratus






40. This scale assigns a fixed number to 10 reference materials. Talc (1) is the softest and diamond (10) is the hardest


41. One tidal cycle per day






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






43. 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






44. Continental polar (dry - cold air)






45. Affected by factors such as weathering and impurities






46. 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...






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






48. 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






49. 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






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