Name: Date: 1. The flattest part of the ocean floor is the A. trench. B. abyssal plain. C. continental shelf. D. mid-ocean rift valley. 2. Which causes some parts of the ocean to be saltier than other parts? A. cruise ships B. river sediments C. fishing industry D. ocean organisms 3. What is a common cause of mudflows? A. strong winds B. extreme cold C. extreme heat D. heavy rains 4. In which of the following areas would soil erosion MOST LIKELY occur if they received the same amount of rainfall? A. a forest B. flat agricultural lands C. agricultural lands on steep slopes D. restored prairies 5. Which is washed away MOST EASILY by erosion? A. topsoil B. subsoil C. bedrock D. magma 6. Where does most eroded soil end up? A. in new agricultural lands B. in the desert C. in the sediment of rivers D. in rock slides 7. Which conditions are necessary for dust storms to occur? A. wet, humid conditions B. cold, cloudy conditions C. dry, windy conditions D. hot, moist conditions 1
8. Do earthquakes occur underwater? A. No, earthquakes have to occur on land. B. Yes, and they can cause huge tidal waves to occur. C. No, only volcanoes occur underwater. D. Yes, but they have no effect on the ocean waters. 9. The natural process of rocks gradually breaking up and being worn away over time is known as A. weathering. B. cementing. C. sedimentation. D. melting. 10. Limestone is a sedimentary rock. How does acid rain affect limestone? A. Acid rain causes limestone to become magma. B. Acid rain turns limestone into slate. C. Acid rain builds up limestone. D. Acid rain breaks down limestone. 11. Which does NOT cause erosion? A. water B. sunlight C. wind D. ice 12. Which characteristic of oceans shows that they are in constant motion? A. their organisms B. their shape C. their depth D. their tides 13. Your teacher tells you to bring an item to class that shows evidence of erosion. Which of the following would be the BEST to bring? A. a piece of lava from a volcanic area B. a crystal from the inside of a geode C. a piece of slate from a slate quarry D. a round rock from a streambed 14. Water inside a rock crevice can split it apart when the temperature drops because A. cold water dissolves rock. B. water expands when it freezes. C. water causes the growth of plant roots. D. the cold makes the rock very brittle. 2
15. Waves on the Atlantic Ocean are caused by A. the Gulf Stream. B. the tidal current. C. the wind. D. the jet stream. 16. Why are the rocks and pebbles found in riverbeds usually smooth? A. The rocks are very old. B. Animals in the river keep rubbing against the rocks. C. Rivers only flow where rocks are smooth. D. The rocks are worn smooth by rubbing against other rocks. 17. Muddy areas are usually found at the mouths of large rivers. These areas are caused by A. decayed vegetable matter. B. underwater volcanoes. C. soil erosion upstream. D. mountain building. 18. In which state would an earthquake MOST LIKELY occur? A. Kentucky B. Georgia C. California D. Oklahoma 19. Twice a day, the ocean level at the coast rises and falls. These ocean level changes are called A. currents. B. waves. C. undertow. D. tides. 20. Mount Arenal, a volcano in Costa Rica, is erupting. Heat is being released during the eruption. The source of the heat is A. the Sun. B. pools of underground water. C. deep within Earth. D. decaying plants and animals. 21. Major earthquakes are caused by A. molten lava. B. underground rivers. C. pressures inside Earth. D. violent weather. Earth Science S5E1b (EarthScienceS5E1b) 3
22. When volcanoes erupt, they overflow with A. molten lava. B. oil. C. hot water. D. clay. 23. What causes the MOST erosion on Earth? A. running water B. wind C. chemical action D. glaciers 24. What hard-shelled ocean creature attaches itself to rocks, piers, large fish, and other underwater objects? A. plankton B. coral C. barnacle D. algae 25. Which one of the following is MOST LIKELY to make a rock break open? A. dew evaporating on the rock B. tree leaves decaying on the rock C. snow melting in a crack in the rock D. water freezing in a crack in the rock 26. Which statement describes a volcano erupting? A. Glacier materials are moved by gravity. B. Magma is forced out of an opening in Earth's crust. C. Pressure in Earth's crust causes layers of rock to slide. D. Pressure in Earth's crust becomes so great that the layers of rock buckle and fold. 27. Which example shows how Earth's surface has been changed by fast-moving water? A. earthquake B. canyon C. volcano D. freshwater lake 28. During winter's cold weather, water within cracks in rocks freezes, expands, and causes the rocks to break. This process is called A. weathering. B. erosion. C. despoiling. D. purging. Earth Science S5E1b (EarthScienceS5E1b) 4
29. Salina heard about chemical and physical weathering of rocks. Which of these is an example of chemical weathering of rocks? A. acid rain B. ice and snow C. tree roots D. strong winds 30. The Grand Canyon is a result of which of these destructive processes? A. earthquake B. erosion C. tornadoes D. volcanoes 31. Earth Science S5E1b (EarthScienceS5E1b) Which of these processes caused the change in surface features resulting in Crater Lake, Oregon? A. earthquake B. volcano C. weathering D. flood control 5
Answer Key 1. B) abyssal plain. 2. B) river sediments 3. D) heavy rains 4. C) agricultural lands on steep slopes 5. A) topsoil 6. C) in the sediment of rivers 7. C) dry, windy conditions 8. B) Yes, and they can cause huge tidal waves to occur. 9. A) weathering. 10. D) Acid rain breaks down limestone. 11. B) sunlight 12. D) their tides 13. D) a round rock from a streambed 14. B) water expands when it freezes. 15. C) the wind. 16. D) The rocks are worn smooth by rubbing against other rocks. 17. C) soil erosion upstream. 18. C) California 19. D) tides. 20. C) deep within Earth. 21. C) pressures inside Earth. 22. A) molten lava. 23. A) running water 24. C) barnacle 25. D) water freezing in a crack in the rock 26. B) Magma is forced out of an opening in Earth's crust. 6
27. B) canyon 28. A) weathering. 29. A) acid rain 30. B) erosion 31. B) volcano 7