Quiz on Earth Science

Most springs contain fresh drinking water, but Salt Spring in Ocala, Florida contains minerals. These minerals give the water a slightly salty taste. Which spheres interact to cause this phenomenon?

• a. biosphere and cryosphere

• b. geosphere and hydrosphere

• c. hydrosphere and geosphere

• d. cryosphere and hydrosphere

Developers want to remove water from the ground on a piece of land and then build houses on it. There is a layer of limestone under the surface of this piece of land. Which landform could form under these circumstances?

• a. A sand dune

• b. A sinkhole

• c. A valley

• d. A volcano

Turtle Beach is made up of coarse-grained, dark sand. Nearby rocks in the area form mountains near the coastline. Which of the following statements describe what forces helped shape the coastline?

• a. Destructive forces formed the mountains, then constructive forces eroded the sediments to form the beach.

• b. Destructive forces formed the mountains and eroded them to form beach sediments

• c. Constructive forces and depositional processes formed sediments at Turtle Beach

• d. Constructive forces created mountains that then eroded under destructive forces, resulting in the deposition of eroded sediments to form Turtle Beach.

A private company is using a cave in a remote area in the mountains to illegally dump toxic chemicals from a factory. What could result from the actions of the company?

Jessica and Julie bought matching cars before Jessica moved to Boston. When Jessica drove back to Miami for a visit several months later, she parked her car next to Julie’s. Jessica noticed that Julie's car was starting to rust, while hers wasn't. Which of the following is the best explanation for why the car left in Florida is more susceptible to rust?

• a. The warmer annual temperatures

• b. The higher amount of sunlight received by the area

• c. The larger number of streets, highways, and interstates

• d. The higher percentage of humidity and salt water

Hurricanes are very powerful storms that form over the ocean. They bring heavy rain and wind and potential storm surges, which cause flooding. Why do hurricanes form in oceans within southern latitudes?

• a. Northern oceans are not rough enough to create the energy needed to form a hurricane.

• b. Colder northern oceans cannot provide the warm, moist air needed to fuel hurricanes.

• c. Warmer southern ocean air provides the high pressure and low winds needed to form a hurricane.

• d. Southern oceans are wider and provide more space for hurricanes to form.

Meteorologists take many types of data into consideration when making weather forecasts. Which type of data is typically used when predicting rain?

• speed of wind gusts

• changes in air pressure

• average monthly temperature

• amount of annual precipitation

Buzz measures the amount of humidity in the air every fifteen minutes and records the results in a data table. Which conclusion might he most reasonably draw from the pattern in this chart?

• A tornado formed.

• A fog formed.

• Temperature increased.

• Wind speed increased

Amounts of air pollution are increasing all over the world. Continuing studies show that the increased carbon dioxide from a variety of factors can affect regional weather. What is one possible effect of air pollution?

• Increased temperature

• Decreased rain

• Increased winds

• A hurricane

Over and over, the cycle of rock sinking and rising takes place due to convection currents in Earth. One full cycle takes millions of years. What forces drive the convection currents that cause this cycle to take place?

• Heating from the crust and mantle

• Heating from the core and mantle

• Cooling from the crust and core

• Cooling from the core and mantle