1. Surface ocean currents resulting from the prevailing winds over the oceans illustrate a transfer of energy from A) lithosphere to atmosphere B) hydrosphere to lithosphere C) atmosphere to hydrosphere D) stratosphere to troposphere 2. Chemical weathering will occur most rapidly when rocks are exposed to the A) hydrosphere and lithosphere B) mesosphere and thermosphere C) hydrosphere and atmosphere D) lithosphere and atmosphere 3. The water sphere of the Earth is known as the A) atmosphere B) troposphere C) lithosphere D) hydrosphere 4. Why do many streams continue to flow during long periods when there is no precipitation? A) Soil moisture storage is recharged by vegetation along the streams. B) Ground water continues to move into the stream channels. C) An increase in potential evapotranspiration (evaporation from leaves and other surfaces) increases the stream runoff. D) The porosity (spaces between soil particles) beneath the stream channels becomes higher than normal. 5. The graph below represents percentage of elements by volume. 6. When rain falls on a soil surface, flooding at that location would most likely occur if the A) soil surface is permeable B) soil surface is covered with vegetation C) soil pore spaces are filled to capacity D) infiltration rate (ability to soak in) exceeds the precipitation rate This graph best represents the elements of the Earth's A) lithosphere B) hydrosphere C) troposphere D) stratosphere
7. Base your answer to the following question on the paragraph below, which describes some factors that affect Earth's climate. Earth's climate is in a delicate state of balance. Many factors affect climate. Any small change in the factors may lead to long-term cooling or warming of Earth's atmosphere. For example, during the last 100 years, measurements have shown a gradual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide. This change has been linked to an increase in Earth's average atmospheric temperature. Variations in the tilt of Earth's axis have been similarly linked to the occurrence of ice ages. Both the increases in temperature and the occurrence of ice ages have been linked to changes in global sea level. How will the recent increase in average global temperature cause changes in ocean water level? A) Global warming melts glaciers, causing a rise in sea level. B) Increased precipitation causes a rise in sea level. C) Increased evaporation could lower sea level. D) Both A and C 8. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and map below. The map shows the volcanic island, Krakatau, before and after the 1883 eruption. Krakatau On August 27, 1883, one of the largest volcanic eruptions ever recorded in history occurred. Krakatau, a volcanic island nearly 800 meters in height, located at 6 S 105.5 E, exploded. Two-thirds of the island was destroyed by the blast. Blocks of pumice produced by the eruption were found floating in the ocean for months afterward. Tsunamis produced by the eruption reached heights of 40 meters as they came ashore on nearby islands. These destructive waves traveled 6360 kilometers in just 12 hours. Over 36,000 people died and 165 coastal villages were destroyed. Volcanic ash was blasted into the atmosphere to heights between 36 and 48 kilometers. Global temperatures cooled as the ash traveled on air currents around the world. The Krakatau eruption illustrates interactions between which of the following Earth's spheres? A) Lithosphere and atmosphere B) Atmosphere and hydrosphere C) Lithosphere and hydrosphere D) All of the above
9. Base your answer to the following question on the diagrams below. The diagrams represent the events that occur when a large meteor, such as the one believed to have caused the extinction of many organisms, impacts Earth's surface. Diagram A shows the meteor just before impact. Diagram B represents the crater forming, along with the vapor and ejecta (the fragmented rock and dust) thrown into the atmosphere. Which statement best explains how global climate would most likely be affected after this large meteor impact? A) Large quantities of ejecta in the atmosphere would block insolation and lower global temperatures. B) An increase in vapor and ejecta would allow radiation to escape Earth's atmosphere and lower global temperatures. C) Ejecta settling in thick layers would increase the absorption of insolation by Earth's surface and raise global temperatures. D) Forest fires produced from the vapor and ejecta would raise global temperatures.
10. The cartoon below presents a humorous look at wave action. The ocean waves that are providing enjoyment for Roy's companion are the result of the A) interaction of the hydrosphere with the moving atmosphere B) interaction of the lithosphere with the moving troposphere C) absorption of short-wave radiation in the stratosphere D) absorption of energy in the asthenosphere 11. Which graph best illustrates the relative density of Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere? A) B) C) D)
12. Base your answer to the following question on questions 13 and 14 on the diagrams below, which show two soil cross sections from adjacent fields in Nebraska. Both soils are the same except that human activities have removed the vegetation from the surface of field B. Each field has been receiving rain for several hours. Which change would most likely result from replanting vegetation in field B? A) Transpiration would decrease. B) Runoff would increase. C) Erosion would increase. D) Water infiltration (ability to soak in) would increase. 13. Base your answer to the following question on the previous diagram. If the skies remain clear for the week following this rain, the water in the wet zone in field B will A) mostly become surface runoff B) partially evaporate into the air C) all remain as stored water along the surface D) mostly transpire into the ground 14. After a heavy rainstorm, vegetation on a hillslope was completely removed. How will this removal of vegetation affect the relative amounts of infiltration (amount absorbed into the soil) and runoff that occur during the next heavy rainstorm? A) Infiltration and runoff will both be less. B) Infiltration and runoff will both be greater. C) Infiltration will be less and runoff will be greater. D) Infiltration will be greater and runoff will be less.
15. Base your answer to the following question on questions 16 through 17 on the two graphs below, which show the relationship between the amount of rainfall during a storm and the amount of discharge into a nearby stream. Letter A represents the time when approximately 50% of the precipitation from the storm has fallen. Letter B represents the time when peak runoff from the storm is flowing into the stream. The delay is the difference in time between letters A and B on the graph. Graph I shows data before urbanization (cities being built) in an area. Graph II shows data after urbanization in the same area. The delay time between points A and B on both graphs is due mainly to the time needed for A) groundwater to evaporate B) precipitation water to move into the streams C) green plants to absorb precipitation D) rainfall rate to decrease 16. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram for question 16. How did urbanization affect delay time between points A and B and the maximum stream discharge? A) The delay time decreased, and the maximum discharge decreased. B) The delay time decreased, and the maximum discharge increased. C) The delay time increased, and the maximum discharge decreased. D) The delay time increased, and the maximum discharge increased.
17. The graph below shows atmospheric temperature variations on Earth between 1956 and 1993. The dates of three major volcanic eruptions are indicated. What is the most probable reason that Earth's atmospheric temperature decreased shortly after each major volcanic eruption? A) Water droplets produced by the eruptions absorbed ultraviolet radiation. B) Ozone produced by the eruptions absorbed radiation from the Sun. C) Volcanic dust from the eruptions blocked radiation from the Sun. D) Carbon dioxide gas from the eruptions blocked ultraviolet radiation.
18. Base your answer to the following question on 19 and 20 the passage and the cross section below. The passage describes the geologic history of the Pine Bush region near Albany, New York. The cross section shows th bedrock and overlying sediment along a southwest to northeast diagonal line through a portion of this are Location A shows an ancient buried stream channel and location B shows a large sand dune. The Pine Bush Region The Pine Bush region, just northwest of Albany, New York, is a 40-square mile area of sand dunes and wetlands covered by pitch pine trees and scrub oak bushes. During the Ordovician Period, this area was covered by a large sea. Layers of mud and sand deposited in this sea were compressed into shale and sandstone bedrock. During most of the Cenozoic Era, running water eroded stream channels into the bedrock. One of these buried channels is shown at location A in the cross section. Over the last one million years of the Cenozoic Era, this area was affected by glaciation. During the last major advance of glacial ice, soil and bedrock were eroded and later deposited as till (a mixture of boulders, pebbles, sand, and clay). About 20,000 years ago, the last glacier in New York State began to melt. The meltwater deposited pebbles and sand, forming the stratified (layered due to particle size) drift. During the 5000 years it took to melt this glacier, the entire Pine Bush area became submerged under a large 350-foot-deep glacial lake called Lake Albany. Delta deposits of cobbles, pebbles, and sand formed along the lake shorelines, and beds of silt and clay were deposited farther into the lake. Lake Albany drained about 12,000 years ago, exposing the lake bottom. Wind erosion created the sand dunes that cover much of the Pine Bush area today. Till deposits were due to the interaction between the A) Geosphere and hydrosphere B) Cryosphere and geosphere C) Hydrosphere and geosphere D) Cryosphere and hydrosphere
19. The stratified drift formed from the interaction between what spheres? A) Hydrosphere and geosphere B) Cryosphere and hydrosphere C) Hydrosphere and atmosphere D) Atmosphere and geosphere 20. Base your answer to the following question on passage and map below. The map shows a portion of the continent of Antarctica. Antarctica's Ice Sheet The size and shape of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet depends on many factors, including melting and freezing beneath the glacier, the amount of snowfall, snow removal by wind, iceberg formation, and the rate of ice flow. Glacial moraines are found in the Executive Committee Mountains shown on the map. Moraines are located up to 100 meters in elevation above the present ice sheet surface, which indicates that a thicker ice sheet existed 20,000 years ago. The world's oceans and climate are influenced by Antarctica's ice. Even a small increase in sea level from melting glaciers would be a disaster for the nearly two billion people who live near coastal areas. State the latitude and longitude of Byrd Station. Your answer must include both the units and the compass directions. A) Latitude: 80 S Longitude: 135 W B) Latitude: 70 S Longitude 135 W C) Latitude: 80 S Longitude: 120 W D) Latitude 70 S Longitude 105 W
21. Base your answer to the following question on the diagram below, which represents latitude and longitude lines on Earth. Points A through E represent locations on Earth. Arrows represent direction of rotation. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of location A? A) 160 N, 15 E B) 160 S, 15 W C) 15 N, 160 E D) 15 N, 160 W
22. Base your answer to the following question on the map below. The isolines on the map show the increases in elevation that have occurred since the end of the ice age in this part of North America. A and B are two points on isolines. Several towns within the area are indicated. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of Fort George? A) 54º N 78º W B) 66º N 82º W C) 78º N 54º W D) 82º N 66º W
23. Base your answer to the following question on the latitude and longitude system shown below. The map represents a part of the Earth's surface and its latitude-longitude coordinates. Points A through F represent locations in this area. How are latitude and longitude lines drawn on a globe of the Earth? A) Latitude lines are parallel and longitude lines meet at the poles. B) Latitude lines are parallel and longitude lines meet at the Equator. C) Longitude lines are parallel and latitude lines meet at the poles. D) Longitude lines are parallel and latitude lines meet at the Equator.
24. Base your answer to the following question on the following map and passage. The map shows the extent of summer ice-melt zones on Greenland in 1992 and 2002. The summer melt zone is an area where summer heat turns snow and ice around the edges of the ice sheet into slush and ponds of meltwater. Three coastal locations are shown on the map. Arctic Meltdown Scientists are concerned because average arctic temperatures are rising. The Greenland Ice Sheet, the dominant area of continental ice in the arctic region, broke all previous records for melting in 2002. In 2004, the total amount of ice resting on top of the continental crust in the arctic region was estimated to be about 3,100,000 cubic kilometers. If all this ice were to melt, the ocean levels would rise approximately 8.5 meters. A reduction in ice-covered areas exposes more land surfaces. This increases absorption of insolation and accelerates arctic warming. Scientists continue to collect data to define the role of greenhouse gases in the warming of the arctic region. What is the approximate latitude and longitude of Godthab, Greenland? A) 51.5 N 64 W B) 70.5 N 22 W C) 64 N 51.5 W D) 22 N 70.5 W
25. The isoline diagram below represents an elevation field. Which profile best represents the topography along line AB? A) B) C) D) 26. The diagram below is a three-dimensional model of a landscape region. Which map view best represents the topography of this region? A) B) C) D)
27. Base your answer to the following question on the topographic map below. Points X, Y, and Z are locations on the map. Elevations are expressed in meters. Which profile best represents the topography along the dashed line from point X to point Y? A) B) C) D)
28. Base your answer to the following question on the map and profile shown below. The map shows the major areas of the North Atlantic Ocean. Letters A, B, C, and D represent locations on the ocean floor. The profile represents the ocean bottom from point X in North America along the dashed line to point Y in Africa. Note that the profile is vertically exaggerated. Classification of the ocean bottom into the areas shown is based on the A) distance from continental landmasses B) topography of the ocean floor C) age of ocean-bottom rocks D) type of ocean-bottom sediments
Earth Science Name Class Date 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28.