Earth Science - 2007 Released Test

Why does a comet’s tail point away from the Sun?
1. The solar wind blows the tail away from the Sun.
2. It is being pulled by a nearby black hole.
3. The Moon’s light only shines on part of the comet.
4. The comet’s tail is following the path of Jupiter.
Cloudy nights can be warmer than clear nights because clouds trap heat —
1. generated from tropical winds
2. produced by the friction of air particles
3. released from Earth’s interior
4. absorbed by Earth during daylight hours
In the gold rush of 1849, prospectors found a yellow mineral that appeared to be gold, but was harder and more brittle than gold. What is this mineral that came to be called “fool’s gold”?
1. Calcite
2. Copper
3. Sulfur
4. Pyrite
Which provides the best evidence for the theory that faults and volcanoes are results of tectonic plate interactions?
1. Faults on tectonic plates are in constant motion, but volcanoes may not erupt for many years.
2. Faults and volcanoes existed long before there were tectonic plates.
3. Tectonic plates that have many faults do not usually have volcanoes.
4. Faults and volcanoes are often found at tectonic plate boundaries.
Which of these is likely to occur after moist air is cooled below its dew point?
1. Water condenses.
2. Evaporation increases.
3. Ice crystals melt.
4. Winds are generated.
The breakdown of rocks and minerals into smaller particles without a change in composition is called —
1. igneous intrusion
2. chemical precipitation
3. mechanical weathering
4. metamorphic foliation
Metamorphic rocks with a layered or banded look are called —
1. foliated
2. unfoliated
3. striated
4. evaporated
In the jar shown, a sample of soil was mixed with water and then allowed to settle for 24 hours. The jar serves as a model for what process?
1. Evaporation of water from a muddy pond
2. Formation of soil from parent material
3. Deposition of sediment in a lake bed
4. Erosion of rock particles by water
Which recent geologic processes commonly occur in the Coastal Plain region of Virginia?
1. Crustal uplift and rock deformation
2. Rifting and intrusion
3. Erosion and deposition
4. Subduction and metamorphism
Dramatic variations in the polar ice caps most likely suggest changes in —
1. the Moon’s orbit
2. Earth’s climate
3. ebb and flow of tides
4. global water consumption
Rocky objects, measuring millimeters to kilometers in diameter, generally orbit the Sun in a region located between —
1. Mercury and Venus
2. Earth and Mars
3. Mars and Jupiter
4. Neptune and Pluto
Which of these best describes forest soil?
1. More rock fragments in the humus layer than in deeper layers
2. More organic matter in the humus layer than in deeper layers
3. More clay in the humus layer than in deeper layers
4. More sand-sized particles in the humus layer than in deeper layers
All of the following may be found deep in a natural cave EXCEPT —
1. groundwater
2. mineral deposits
3. photosynthetic organisms
4. stalagmites
Identical rock types, identical fossils, and very similar mountain ranges are found on different continents that are separated by a wide ocean. Which of these best explains these observations?
1. Organisms traveled between these continents on land bridges.
2. The same forces erode mountains in different locations.
3. These continents were joined together at one time in the past.
4. Some rock types are very common and are found everywhere.
Which of these provides the best estimate of how long it took a thick layer of sedimentary rock to form?
1. Using a microscope to closely examine the size of particles that make up the rock layer
2. Making a model that creates a sedimentary rock layer at a constant rate
3. Calculating the age of the top and bottom of the layer
4. Measuring the rate at which similar layers of sediments collect
Which of these planets has the smallest diameter and the greatest average density?
1. Neptune
2. Jupiter
3. Saturn
4. Mercury
Based on the changes between the weather conditions, which of these most likely passed by the weather station between time 1 and time 2?
1. Thunderstorm
2. Low pressure area
3. Cold front
4. Warm front
The river shown on the topographic map flows fastest at point —
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Which of these describes the area immediately below a water table?
1. Zone of aeration
2. Capillary zone
3. Recharge zone
4. Zone of saturation
Which layer of the soil profile would be affected the most by weathering and erosion?
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
The folding and faulting found in the rocks of the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia were created by —
1. collisions of continental plates
2. wave action of prehistoric ocean
3. the Coriolis effect
4. heating and cooling of the prehistoric atmosphere
The streak test that is used to identify minerals involves studying the —
1. mineral’s crystals with a microscope
2. heated mineral’s color as it cools
3. appearance of the mineral under fluorescent light
4. color of the powdered form of the mineral
Seawater is typically denser than freshwater due to seawater’s —
1. higher salinity
2. lower freezing point
3. smaller mass
4. greater depth
Which of these best describes the composition of a nebula such as the Crab Nebula?
1. Large asteroids
2. Clouds of dust and gas
3. Ice crystals
4. Planets and moons
Which of the following may preserve ancient remains of plants and animals?
1. Granitic intrusion
2. Volcanic ash
3. Foliated schist
4. Folded gneiss
The major disadvantage of using solar panels to generate electricity is that solar panels —
1. release toxic fumes into the air
2. cannot convert energy efficiently
3. are affected by cloud coverage and day length
4. produce energy that cannot be stored
Which of these describes the most common way that material is added to a continental shelf?
1. Evaporation from continental watersheds
2. Deposition of continental sediments
3. Eruption of continental volcanoes
4. Subduction of continental plates
Limestone chips dissolve after they are placed in a beaker of dilute acid. Which geologic process is this most similar to?
1. Faulting
2. Folding
3. Weathering
4. Subduction
Which of the following processes will change a sedimentary rock into an igneous rock?
1. Melting and crystallization
2. Erosion and deposition
3. Deformation and deposition
4. Faulting and fracturing
Obsidian, pumice, and scoria lack crystals because —
1. not enough minerals were present where they formed
2. they cooled too quickly
3. they cooled deep inside Earth
4. they cooled too slowly
Rocks found on land are up to 3.8 billion years old, but those in the ocean are no more than 180 million years old. Using the information shown, during which era could parts of the ocean floor have formed?
1. Triassic
2. Paleozoic
3. Precambrian
4. Mesozoic
Which of these are caused primarily by the gravitational force between Earth and the Moon?
1. Tides
2. Seasons
3. Prevailing winds
4. Magnetic poles
Which would be the best tools to measure the density of a small piece of silver ore?
1. A barometer and a balance
2. A density probe and a 500 mL beaker
3. A metric ruler and a metal detector
4. A graduated cylinder and a balance
In this section of undisturbed sedimentary layers, which best describes layer 2?
1. It was intruded into layer 1.
2. It was intruded into layer 3.
3. It was deposited after layer 1.
4. It was deposited after layer 3.
The rock shown is composed primarily of large crystals that were formed by —
1. cooling magma
2. compacting shells
3. weathering
4. faulting
Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted 23.5° relative to the plane of its orbit, which helps to cause —
1. the seasons
2. day and night
3. the lunar phases
4. high and low tides
Some fuels are classified as nonrenewable because they —
1. produce toxic waste
2. can be easily recycled
3. come from deep within Earth
4. require a long period of time to form
These geologic cross sections show the location of three fossilized species (W, X, and Y) found in rock layers at two nearby sites. Species X is probably the oldest species because it is found —
1. below species W
2. in the lowest layer
3. above the ash layer
4. in sandstone
Most water leaves the ocean through evaporation and returns to the ocean through —
1. surface runoff
2. ground water
3. transpiration
4. precipitation
Rivers, springs, and aquifers are all -
1. frozen in winter
2. human-made structures
3. located above ground
4. sources of fresh water
Students plan to use several rain gauges to compare average monthly rainfall on Virginia’s Coastal Plain and Piedmont regions. Which of these variables should be manipulated?
1. Height of the gauge
2. Brand of the gauge
3. Size of the gauge
4. Location of the gauge
Which natural resource found in Virginia is a common source of energy?
1. Bauxite
2. Limestone
3. Coal
4. Zinc
The label L indicates an area of low —
1. temperatures
2. pressure
3. altitude
4. rainfall
Which of these planets travels around the Sun in less time than it takes Earth to complete one revolution?
1. Mars
2. Saturn
3. Mercury
4. Uranus
Which of these measurements allows scientists to compare the brightness of stars?
1. Absolute magnitude
2. Critical density
3. Orbital velocity
4. Red shift
In addition to Earth’s orbit, which planets’ orbits are shown?
1. Mars and Jupiter
2. Jupiter and Saturn
3. Venus and Mars
4. Mercury and Venus
When granite is subjected to high enough amounts of heat and pressure to change it but not melt it, granite changes into —
1. a metamorphic rock
2. a sedimentary rock
3. sediments
4. an igneous rock
The three wells shown provide water for a growing city. What is the most likely effect on the system if six new wells are brought into production as the population increases?
1. The limestone layer will collapse.
2. The shale layer will shrink.
3. The aquifer will increase in volume.
4. The water table will drop.
The diagram shows a test for which mineral property?
1. Hardness
2. Cleavage
3. Luster
4. Streak
A student claims that the full Moon occurs about once a month. What process will verify the student’s claim?
1. Hypothesizing
2. Theorizing
3. Predicting
4. Observing