Earth Science Standardized Test Review

What is the primary energy source driving circulation of ocean currents on Earth?

• Geothermal heating

• Planetary rotation

• Solar heating

• Lunar tidal forces

Cracks in rocks widen as water in them freezes and thaws. How does this affect the surface of the earth?

• It reduces the rates of soil information

• It exposes rocks to increased rates of erosion and weathering

• It changes the chemical composition of the rocks

• It limits the exposure of rocks to acid precipitation

A rural, forested area receives a lot of rain in a short amount of time. What would most likely cause potential flooding in the area?

• If the ground of the water is mostly sandy soil

• If the area has a large uncharged aquifer beneath it

• If the water level in the area is below the zone of saturation

• If the ground of the area is already saturated with water

Visible light reaches earth’s surface while infrared light is trapped as heat.Which characteristic of earth’s atmosphere cause this to happen?

• The greenhouse effect

• The ozone hole

• The atmospheric continuum

• The inversion layer

Earth’s ice sheets grow and retreat on a cycle of about 41,000 years. Which natural process is responsible for this cycle?

• The eccentricity of Earth’s orbit

• The wobble in Earth’s tilt on its axis

• The El Niño Southern Oscillation

• The changing sides of the ozone hole

What long term-impact could the destruction of large areas of forests have on Earth?

• Increased atmospheric oxygen levels

• Decreased amounts of acid rains

• Decreased rates of erosion

• Increased atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

Weather stations built in urban areas can be influenced by the human-made structures that surround these stations. Some of these weather stations used to determine mean temperatures in the United States have had the validity of the data questioned. Which human-produced effect could these urban weather stations be measuring?

• Heat island

• Rain shadow

• Cold front

• Land breeze

The average temperature of earth has increased approximately 0.8 degrees C in the last one hundred years. Which of the following do researchers most attribute to this temperature?

• Increased population in third world countries

• Increased use of fossil fuels

• The solar flares reaching earth

• The lower amounts of carbon dioxide

Scientists noticed that icebergs on the ice caps covering the North and South Pole were breaking up and melting. Which statement best explains the observation?

• Summer months are the warmest

• Media reports are misleading

• Unqualified scientists published the observation

• Global warming has an effect on the ice caps

It’s hypothesized that in 200 years, the lowest land areas on Earth could be submerged beneath rising oceans. Which climate change would cause this?

• Global warming

• Decreased winds

• The start of an ice age

• Increased desertification