Name: Date: 1. 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 2. Which is washed away MOST EASILY by erosion? A. topsoil B. subsoil C. bedrock D. magma 3. How were the Hawaiian islands formed? A. by an earthquake B. by volcanoes C. by tidal waves D. by wind erosion 4. 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. 5. What causes earthquakes? A. energy being released when crustal plates move B. energy from a hurricane or tornado C. energy that builds up inside a volcanic mountain D. energy being released when erosion occurs 6. Which does NOT cause erosion? A. water B. sunlight C. wind D. ice 7. "Rivers" of water in oceans and other bodies of water are called A. currents. B. tides. C. surf. D. sandbars. 1
8. 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. 9. A volcanic eruption eventually produces the mountain called a volcano because A. the crust expands due to the heat. B. the magma pressure lifts up the crust. C. the lava and ash collect. D. the plate motion folds the crust. 10. When an area of Earth's surface suddenly moves, a seismograph draws wavy lines. Which of the following MOST LIKELY happened? A. a volcanic eruption B. a thunderstorm C. a nuclear explosion D. an earthquake 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. In which state would an earthquake MOST LIKELY occur? A. Kentucky B. Georgia C. California D. Oklahoma 14. What instrument does a geologist use to record the motions produced by an earthquake? A. a seismograph B. an anemometer C. a spectrograph D. an optometer SCIENCE TEST1 (VWILLIAMSSCIENCETEST1) 2
15. Major earthquakes are caused by A. molten lava. B. underground rivers. C. pressures inside Earth. D. violent weather. 16. When volcanoes erupt, they overflow with A. molten lava. B. oil. C. hot water. D. clay. 17. What causes the MOST erosion on Earth? A. running water B. wind C. chemical action D. glaciers 18. 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 19. Which example shows how Earth's surface has been changed by fast-moving water? A. earthquake B. canyon C. volcano D. freshwater lake 20. What happens when layers of Earth's crust crack and move? A. erosion B. weathering C. a dust storm D. an earthquake 21. 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. SCIENCE TEST1 (VWILLIAMSSCIENCETEST1) 3
22. Which is a device that is used to gather information about formations on the ocean bottom? A. sonar B. radar C. MRI D. laser 23. Which landform results when one of Earth's plates slides past another? A. faults B. plateaus C. mountains D. deltas 24. Volcanoes are formed from A. hot gases pushing up through Earth's surface. B. molten rock pushing up through Earth's surface. C. large continental plates colliding with one another. D. the rapid erosion of large mountain ranges. 25. 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 26. In many farm areas, slightly hilly farmland is plowed in curves rather than straight lines. This kind of plowing is called "contour plowing." Why is this type of plowing done? A. to prevent loss of topsoil B. to make crops more attractive C. to increase safety during harvest D. to reduce the number of insect pests in crops 27. The Grand Canyon is a result of which of these destructive processes? A. earthquake B. erosion C. tornadoes D. volcanoes 28. Which of these constructive processes results in a build up of earth material through a slow process over a long period of time? A. faults B. earthquakes C. deposition D. volcanoes SCIENCE TEST1 (VWILLIAMSSCIENCETEST1) 4
29. Which constructive creation is being described below? Tidal currents make small deposits at the mouth of a river. A. deltas B. weathering C. submerged coasts D. glacial retreat 30. 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
31. Which process might occur in this system? A. water erosion B. wind erosion C. storm systems D. earthquakes 32. Which of Earth's surface features is described below? A. earthquake B. hurricane C. volcano D. tsunami 33. An opening in Earth's crust through which molten lava, ash, and gases are ejected. Which is an example of a seismological study? A. comparing the North Atlantic current to currents in the Pacific B. evaluation of sample images of the Northwestern Pacific mantle C. researching the geological history of Antarctic plant life D. examination of surface features in tornado alley 34. Which of these is an example of a storm drain management process? A. training marine life to detect clogged drains B. monitoring fuel production to reduce emissions C. removing debris from storm drain structures D. clearing airborne pathogens from manufacturing facilities 6
35. The geological process by which material is added to a landform is called A. sediment. B. deposition. C. erosion. D. weathering. 7
Answer Key 1. C) agricultural lands on steep slopes 2. A) topsoil 3. B) by volcanoes 4. A) weathering. 5. A) energy being released when crustal plates move 6. B) sunlight 7. A) currents. 8. B) water expands when it freezes. 9. C) the lava and ash collect. 10. D) an earthquake 11. D) The rocks are worn smooth by rubbing against other rocks. 12. C) soil erosion upstream. 13. C) California 14. A) a seismograph 15. C) pressures inside Earth. 16. A) molten lava. 17. A) running water 18. D) water freezing in a crack in the rock 19. B) canyon 20. D) an earthquake 21. A) weathering. 22. A) sonar 23. A) faults 24. B) molten rock pushing up through Earth's surface. 25. A) acid rain 26. A) to prevent loss of topsoil 8
27. B) erosion 28. C) deposition 29. A) deltas 30. B) volcano 31. D) earthquakes 32. C) volcano 33. B) evaluation of sample images of the Northwestern Pacific mantle 34. C) removing debris from storm drain structures 35. B) deposition. 9