Earth Science Regents Review

Which of the following is true about the Earth’s axis, the Earth’s revolution around the Sun, and the seasons?

• Changes in the direction of the Earth’s axis cause the seasons 

• The Earth’s axis keeps pointing in the same direction, and as Earth travels around the Sun, the angle between the axis and the Sun changes, causing the seasons. 

• Seasons are caused by the Earth’s elliptical orbit and its being closer to the Sun in January than it is in July 

• Seasons are caused by the position of the moon relative to the Sun

What kind of tide is being experience here?

• Neap high tide

• Neap low tide

• Spring high tide

• Spring low tide

Which location is most likely experiencing the greatest wind speeds? 

• Location A

• Location B

• Location C

• Location D

The diagram represents a model of Earth’s surface and internal structure. Letters A, B, C, and D represent four different layers. Some depths below Earth’s surface are shown. Which Earth layer is inferred to be composed of solid nickel and iron?

• A

• B

• C

• D

According to the plate tectonics theory, the Peru-Chile Trench and the Andes Mountains formed along the west coast of South American because the South American Plate

• collided with the Nazca Plate

• collided with the North American Plate

• slid away from the Nazca Plate

• slid away from the North American Plate

The cross-section shows the direction of movement of an oceanic plate over a mantle hot spot, resulting in the formation of a chain of volcanoes labeled A, B, C, and D. The geologic age of volcano C is shown. What are the most likely geologic ages of volcanoes B and D?

• B is 5 million years old and D is 12 million years old

• B is 12 million years old and D is 6 million years old

• B is 9 million years old and D is 9 million years old

• B is 10 million years old and D is 4 million years old

Which features are commonly formed at the plate boundaries where continental crust converges with oceanic crust?

• large volcanic mountain ranges parallel to the coast at the center of the continents

• A deep ocean trench and a continental volcanic mountain range near the coast

• An underwater volcanic mountain range and rift valley on the ocean ridge near the coast

• Long chains of mid-ocean volcanic islands perpendicular to the coast

The map to the right shows the continents of Africa and South America, the ocean between them, and the ocean ridge and transform faults. Locations A and D are on the continents. Locations B and C are on the ocean floor. The oldest basaltic crust is most likely located at point

• A

• B

• C

• D

The seismogram shows P-wave and S-wave arrival times at a seismic station following an earthquake. The distance from this seismic station to the epicenter of the earthquake is approximately

• 1,600 km

• 3,200 km

• 4,400 km

• 5,600 km

Earth’s internal heat is the primary source of energy that

• warms the lower troposphere

• melts glacial ice at lower altitudes

• moves the lithospheric plates

• pollutes deep groundwater with radioactivty