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






2. Gas giants Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus and Neptune have diameters far larger than Earth's and have far greater masses






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






4. 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...






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






6. Igneous rock that cools beneath the earth's surface - Examples: plutons - dikes - and batholiths






7. Further caused by the elliptical orbit of the earth - Earth reaches perihelion (the point in its orbit closest to the sun) in January - and it reaches aphelion (farthest point from the sun) in July - Also depend on factors such as proximity to oceans






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






9. 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






10. 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






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






12. The best determiner of climate - as it is consistently and directly correlated with temperature - other factors: Rain shadows - as well as water currents - elevation and so forth






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






14. Forms over land and is associated with dry air






15. Maritime polar (wet - cold air)






16. Formed by sodium chloride






17. The degrees north or south of the equator






18. 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






19. 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






20. Sometimes called minor planets or planetoids - Bodies






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






22. 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






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






24. Runoff and groundwater are stored as ________ in lakes






25. 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






26. 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






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






28. 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






29. The layers of sediment deposited in a quiet environment - Common sites of deposition are lakes - deltas at the mouths of rivers - beaches and sandbars along the coast - and (most important) the marine environment






30. A small Solar System body that orbits the Sun - When close enough to the sun - exhibits a visible coma (atmosphere) or a tail - both primarily from the effects of solar radiation upon the comet's nucleus - Have a variety of different orbital periods






31. Largest zone of the planet (68%); crystalline silicates - rich in magnesium - calcium - and iron; very hot and mainly solid - but local melting to magma is the source of volcanic eruptions






32. 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






33. At any given time - regardless of season - the Northern and Southern Hemispheres experience...






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






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






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






37. 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






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






39. (in descending order of size) the Pacific Ocean - the Atlantic Ocean - the Indian Ocean - the Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean






40. Characterized by similar temperatures and moisture levels






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






42. Seas - gulfs - bays - and other names






43. The result of the buildup of once - living things






44. Nearest galaxy - about 20 million light - years away






45. Maritime tropical (wet - warm air)






46. 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






47. Huge systems of stars - Milky Way is estimated to have 100 billion stars arranged in a great disk






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






49. 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






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