Science STAAR Questions

Which of the following landscapes is most likely located far away from a tectonic plate boundary. 

• A
• B
• C
• D

Miguel’s school often practices evacuations in the event of a tsunami, a large ocean wave created by an underwater earthquake. Miguel’s school probably is located: 

• near tornado alley
  
• in a marshy region
  
• near a place often hit with hurricanes 
• near a plate boundary 

If you looked at a map of the Earth from 100 million years ago, it would look much different than today. This is because: 

• The continual circulation of magma underneath the Earth’s crust has caused the crustal regions to move. 
• Life forms and organisms living on the Earth in the last 100 million years have caused the landscape to radically change. 
• Erosion and weathering has changed the shape and location of the continents. 
• Gravity forces from the Moon and Sun cause the continents to move. 

Some parts of the Himalayas are growing higher as much as 1 cm/year. What is causing the fast vertical growth? 

• A subduction zone is near the mountain chain. 
• Huge underground geysers create pressure to push the mountains higher. 
• Sediments from eroded materials are being deposited on top of the mountains. 
• Two continental plates are colliding. 

The Mississippi River flows from the northern US to the Gulf of Mexico and picks up tremendous amounts of sediments. What process is occurring at point A? 

• solidification 
• erosion 
• deposition 
• precipitation 

The US Army Corp of Engineers is concerned that the Mississippi River may jump its banks near point A during a big flood and form a new main channel much further to the west. If this were to occur, what would happen to the current river delta at point B over time? 

• The delta would begin to shrink.
  
• The delta would become much larger.
  
• The size of the delta would remain about the same. 
• The delta would have higher amounts of sand and silt. 

What process is occurring at point B? 

• solidification 
• erosion 
• deposition 
• precipitation 

Which of the following discoveries does not necessarily support the Theory of Plate Tectonics? 

• Fossils of the same species were discovered in both Scotland and the Appalachian Mountains. 
• Early sonar used in WWII found mid-ocean ridges. 
• The shape of western Africa is similar to the eastern coastline of South America. 
• Many different species of dinosaurs were found in the western United States. 

 Using the chart below, which source of energy best fits in X and Y? 

• Both X and Y = Solar Energy
  
• X = Solar Energy, Y = Nuclear Energy 
• Both X and Y = Nuclear Energy
  
• X = Nuclear Energy, Y = Solar Energy 

Every year in late spring, NOAA issues a forecast on the number of hurricanes it expects to form in the Atlantic Ocean. This prediction is probably based on: 

• the air pressure readings on that day 
• the rate of evaporation
  
• the gravitational pull from the Moon 
• water temperature trends in the Atlantic