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. Different visual appearance; when discovered - comets show a perceptible coma while asteroids do not






2. 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






3. Faulting and folding






4. The degrees north or south of the equator






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






6. Form when magma or lava cools and solidifies - Depending on the rate of cooling - can contain visible crystals - while others can appear glassy






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






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






9. Forms over water and is associated with wet air






10. 186000 miles/second






11. Water transpired from plants and evaporated from the soil






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






19. 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






20. 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






21. Typically the tidal mouths of rivers and are often characterized by _____________ or silt carried in from terrestrial runoff - frequently from offshore






22. Igneous rock that forms on the earth's surface - Examples obsidian - basalt - and pumice






23. Tides may be...






24. 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






25. Seas - gulfs - bays - and other names






26. 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






27. One tidal cycle per day






28. Somewhat cooler disturbances in the photosphere






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






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






31. 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






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






33. Characterized by unusually warm ocean temperatures in the same area - Atlanta tropical cyclone activity is generally enhanced during La Nina - Often follows the El Nino - especially when the latter is strong






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






35. Officially defined as sustained sea surface temperature anomalies of magnitude greater than 0.5






36. The source of energy for evaporation is primarily through ___________






37. The runoff produced by melting snow






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






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






40. Forms over land and is associated with dry air






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






42. Spiral - elliptical - and irregular form are speckled throughout the visible universe - Largest telescope has detected galaxies to its limit of several billion light - years






43. 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






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






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






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






47. 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






48. 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






49. Large - dark clouds that indicate thunderstorms






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