Question 1

What is the MOST important reason for Earth's need for the ozone layer?

Accepted Answer

A)   The ozone layer protects Earth from the solar wind.
B)   The ozone layer allows long-distance radio communication by reflecting radio waves to Earth's surface.
C)   The ozone layer shields Earth from harmful solar ultraviolet radiation.
D)   The ozone layer provides a convenient dumping site for chlorofluorocarbon chemicals, which are harmful to life.E) All of the above
F) A) and C)

Question 2

Which of these statements is NOT true of the Moon?

Accepted Answer

A)   Almost all craters on the Moon have been made by meteoroid impacts.
B)   There are extensive lava floodplains on both the near and the far sides of the Moon.
C)   There are large basins on the Moon that were carved out by asteroid impacts.
D)   There are highly cratered regions on both the near and the far sides of the Moon.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 3

The lunar maria appear smooth because they are

Accepted Answer

A)   regions where craters have been obliterated by crustal deformation caused by hot spots and volcanic lava flow from the underlying molten mantle.
B)   recent lava flows, occurring within the last billion years, that have obliterated earlier craters.
C)   ancient lava flows that occurred soon after the end of an early period of intense bombardment and that have had relatively few impacts since then.
D)   ancient sea beds, now dry, dating back to when the Moon had a denser atmosphere and rainfall was abundant.E) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 4

On Earth, the majority of earthquakes occur

Accepted Answer

A)   along regions of greatest thermal stress in arctic and antarctic regions.
B)   in the centers of tectonic plates (e.g., North American continent) .
C)   along the boundaries of major tectonic plates.
D)   along the zone of maximum tidal stress around the equator.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 5

Earth's "albedo" is the fraction of radiant energy from the Sun that Earth re-radiates into space. This number

Accepted Answer

A)   is constant; it does not vary on a daily or seasonal basis.
B)   varies as Earth rotates, but the daily variation does not change with the seasons.
C)   varies with the seasons but is constant during any 24-hour rotation.
D)   varies both daily and seasonally.E) B) and C)
F) A) and D)

Question 6

Many craters on the Moon are characterized by a central peak. What is its significance?

Accepted Answer

A)   The central peaks are strong evidence that lunar craters are volcanic in origin.
B)   A central peak is characteristic of an impact crater formed by a large object.
C)   The crater has dug into the lunar surface far enough to uncover an ancient mountain range.
D)   The crater was formed by impact, but it has penetrated into the lunar surface far enough to evoke lava flow, which has produced a volcanic cone.E) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 7

What happened to the first major atmosphere to develop on the early Earth, which consisted of hydrogen and helium?

Accepted Answer

A)   The molecules reacted chemically with Earth's hot surface and were absorbed into the newly formed rocks.
B)   The molecules were quickly absorbed into the ocean since they have high solubility in water.
C)   The molecules combined chemically with one another to become molecules that were heavy enough for Earth's gravity to pull into the surface rocks, where they are now found.
D)   The atmosphere drifted off into space as Earth's gravity was too weak to hold the light molecules of hydrogen and helium.E) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 8

A regolith is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)   extremely large, isolated rock on the surface of a planet or other object.
B)   lithospheric plate, moved slowly by geologic processes.
C)   heavily cratered region on a planet or other object.
D)   layer of pulverized rock on the surface of a planet or other object.E) B) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 9

The first successful Moon landing, by Apollo 11, placed astronauts on the Moon in

Accepted Answer

A)   1938.
B)   1969.
C)   1985.
D)   2000.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 10

Coronal mass ejections can have all of these effects EXCEPT to

Accepted Answer

A)   send charged particles through the Van Allen belts into Earth's atmosphere.
B)   partially deplete the ozone layer.
C)   disturb radio transmissions.
D)   reverse the particle flow in Earth's magnetosphere.E) B) and D)
F) A) and B)

Question 11

Where is the mantle of Earth located?

Accepted Answer

A)   outside but in contact with the crust, that is, the oceans and the atmosphere
B)   between the core and the crust
C)   between the stratosphere and the thermosphere
D)   in the outermost atmosphere and beyond, where the planet's magnetic field captures solar wind particlesE) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 12

The major constituents of Earth's atmosphere are

Accepted Answer

A)   95% carbon dioxide and some water vapor.
B)   about equal amounts of methane, ammonia, water vapor, and carbon dioxide.
C)   about 80% oxygen and 20% nitrogen.
D)   about 80% nitrogen and 20% oxygen.E) All of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 13

What are the Van Allen belts?

Accepted Answer

A)   regions in the outer solar system beyond Pluto where comets are thought to originate
B)   dark regions in Jupiter's atmosphere circling the planet parallel to the equator
C)   regions of intense earthquake activity along tectonic plate boundaries on Earth
D)   regions of high-energy, charged particles in Earth's magnetosphereE) A) and B)
F) All of the above

Question 14

Which of these techniques is the primary one used by geologists and geophysicists to probe the structure of Earth's core and mantle?

Accepted Answer

A)   X-ray analysis from satellites
B)   extrapolation of surface features (e.g., mountain chains)  into the deep interior
C)   direct sampling of interior rock by deep drilling through the ocean floor
D)   study of the deflection of seismic waves from earthquakesE) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 15

The coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere is located between the

Accepted Answer

A)   mesosphere and ionosphere.
B)   troposphere and Earth's surface.
C)   stratosphere and mesosphere.
D)   troposphere and stratosphere.E) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 16

Billions of years ago, Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide. Where might one go on Earth to find a large fraction of this carbon dioxide today?

Accepted Answer

A)   nowhere-most of the carbon dioxide has escaped into space
B)   anywhere-most of the carbon dioxide is still in the atmosphere, but nitrogen and oxygen have since been added to it
C)   to extinct volcanoes, which are composed of rock from Earth's interior that absorbed the carbon dioxide earlier in Earth's history
D)   to mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains of North America, which are composed largely of limestoneE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 17

Although it is not yet known precisely how the Moon formed, an important clue is provided by the fact that

Accepted Answer

A)   unlike Earth, the Moon has essentially no atmosphere.
B)   the hemisphere of the Moon facing Earth is different from the hemisphere facing away.
C)   the Moon is heavily cratered.
D)   Moon rocks and minerals have very similar isotopic compositions to those of Earth.E) C) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 18

Photosynthesis in plants on Earth maintains a balance between which of the two atmospheric gases?

Accepted Answer

A)   carbon dioxide and water vapor
B)   oxygen and water vapor
C)   nitrogen and oxygen
D)   oxygen and carbon dioxideE) None of the above
F) A) and D)

Question 19

The Moon is spiraling slowly away from Earth. What is the future of this motion?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Moon will continue moving away from Earth forever, although the rate of recession will slow constantly.
B)   The Moon will continue moving away from Earth forever, and the rate of recession will increase slowly.
C)   When the Moon gets far enough from Earth it will become more influenced by the Sun and will eventually become a planet in a solar orbit.
D)   As the Moon is receding from Earth, Earth's rate of rotation is slowing. It will eventually become tidally locked in synchronous motion with the Moon. At that point the tidal bulges will be along the Earth-Moon line, and there will be no more force to increase the Moon's orbit.E) A) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 20

The near and far sides of the Moon are particularly different, as seen by the fact that the

Accepted Answer

A)   average height of the overall terrain is much lower on the far side.
B)   far side has no large maria.
C)   far side is always in darkness.
D)   number of craters differs markedly, with fewer on the far side.E) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Exam 7: Earth and the Moon

What are the Van Allen belts?

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Many craters on the Moon are characterized by a central peak. What is its significance?

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A regolith is a(n)

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Earth's "albedo" is the fraction of radiant energy from the Sun that Earth re-radiates into space. This number

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What happened to the first major atmosphere to develop on the early Earth, which consisted of hydrogen and helium?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The lunar maria appear smooth because they are

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of these statements is NOT true of the Moon?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Coronal mass ejections can have all of these effects EXCEPT to

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Billions of years ago, Earth's atmosphere was composed primarily of carbon dioxide. Where might one go on Earth to find a large fraction of this carbon dioxide today?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The near and far sides of the Moon are particularly different, as seen by the fact that the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The major constituents of Earth's atmosphere are

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The coldest layer of Earth's atmosphere is located between the

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Although it is not yet known precisely how the Moon formed, an important clue is provided by the fact that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The first successful Moon landing, by Apollo 11, placed astronauts on the Moon in

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Where is the mantle of Earth located?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Photosynthesis in plants on Earth maintains a balance between which of the two atmospheric gases?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

On Earth, the majority of earthquakes occur

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the MOST important reason for Earth's need for the ozone layer?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Moon is spiraling slowly away from Earth. What is the future of this motion?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of these techniques is the primary one used by geologists and geophysicists to probe the structure of Earth's core and mantle?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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