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 science of the atmosphere and weather






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






3. Sometimes called minor planets or planetoids - Bodies






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






5. 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






6. A natural flow of water - usually freshwater - traveling toward an ocean - a lake - or another stream






7. Earth movements - The result of forces within the earth - where temperature and pressure differences lead to instability






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






9. Continental tropical (dry - warm air)






10. Human civilization has lasted only _____ years






11. 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






12. Weather occurs primarily due to density (temperature and moisture) differences between one location and another - These differences can occur due to the angle of the sun at any particular spot - which varies by latitude from the tropics






13. 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






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






15. 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






16. 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






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






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






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






20. 4 terrestrials: Mercury - Venus - Mars - Earth 4 gas giants: Jupiter - Saturn - Uranus - Neptune At least 5 dwarf planets: Ceres - Pluto - Makemake - Haumea - Eris






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






22. 186000 miles/second






23. A major determiner of coastal climate






24. 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)






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






26. 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






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






28. An area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions associated with the plate boundaries surrounding the Pacific Ocean - In a 40000 km horseshoe shape - associated with a nearly continuous series of oceanic trenches - volcanic arcs - and volcanic






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






30. The North Pole is in the Arctic Ocean - and thus its temperature extremes are buffered by the water - The result is that the South Pole is consistently _______ during the southern winter than the North Pole during the northern winter






31. 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






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






33. Continental polar (dry - cold air)






34. The tendency of a moving object to stay in a straight line or a stationary object to remain in place - Without _______ - a planet would be pulled into the sun






35. Affected by factors such as weathering and impurities






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






37. The degrees north or south of the equator






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






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






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






42. Some isolated mountains were produced by volcanoes - including many apparently ________ that reach a great height above the ocean floor






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






44. Theory that the earth's continents were originally united as a supercontinent - Pangaea - Established by Alfred Wegener in the early 1900s






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






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






47. Characterized by similar temperatures and moisture levels






48. 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






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






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