1. New York State's highest peak, Mt. Marcy, is located at approximately A) 44 10' N 74 05' W B) 44 05' N 73 55' W C) 73 55' N 44 10' W D) 74 05' N 44 05' W 2. Four locations, A, B, C, and D, are represented on the topographic map below. Which lettered location has the highest elevation? A) A B) B C) C D) D 3. The Earth's actual shape is most correctly described as A) a circle B) a perfect sphere C) an oblate sphere D) an eccentric ellipse 4. At which location will the highest altitude of the star Polaris be observed? A) Equator B) Tropic of Cancer C) Arctic Circle D) central New York State 5. Which evidence best supports the theory that the universe began with a massive explosion? A) cosmic background radiation in space B) parallelism of planetary axes C) radioactive dating of Earth s bedrock D) life cycle of stars 6. The theory of continental drift suggests that the A) continents moved due to changes in the Earth's orbital velocity B) continents moved due to the Coriolis effect caused by the Earth's rotation C) present-day continents of South America and Africa are moving toward each other D) present-day continents of South America and Africa once fit together like puzzle parts 7. Which geologic feature is composed of the youngest crustal bedrock? A) Peru-Chile Trench B) Mid-Atlantic Ridge C) Adirondack Mountains D) San Andreas Fault
8. Base your answer to the following question on the passage below. Crustal Activity at Mid-Ocean Ridges Mid-ocean ridges are found at one type of tectonic plate boundary. These ridges consist of extensive underwater mountain ranges split by rift valleys. The rift valleys mark places where two crustal plates are pulling apart, widening the ocean basins, and allowing magma from the asthenosphere to move upward. In some cases, mid-ocean ridges have migrated toward nearby mantle hot spots. This explains why mid-ocean ridges and mantle hot spots are found together at several locations. Which type of tectonic plate boundary is located at mid-ocean ridges? A) convergent B) transform C) divergent D) complex 9. The convection currents responsible for moving tectonic plates occur in which Earth layer? A) crust B) rigid mantle C) stiffer mantle D) asthenosphere
10. Base your answer to the following question on the passage and diagram below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The passage describes geologic studies of the Moon. The diagram represents the Moon's surface and interior, showing the inferred depth of each layer below the Moon's surface. Moon Studies Scientific instruments left on the Moon's surface recorded 12,558 moonquakes in eight years. Most of these moonquakes originated between 700 km and 1200 km below the Moon's surface. Scientists infer that most moonquakes are caused by the gravitational forces between the Moon, Earth, and the Sun. The same type of evidence was used to find the inferred depths of both the Moon's interior layers and Earth's interior layers. What evidence was used to determine the inferred depth of the boundary between the Moon's mantle and core? A) seismic data recorded on the Moon's surface B) magnetic data measured on the Moon's surface C) convection currents mapped in the Moon's mantle and core D) temperatures measured in the Moon's mantle and core 11. The rock between 2,900 kilometers and 5,200 kilometers below the Earth's surface is inferred to be A) an iron-rich solid B) an iron-rich liquid C) a silicate-rich solid D) a silicate-rich liquid 12. Which statement most accurately compares Earth s crust and Earth s mantle? A) The crust is thinner and less dense than the mantle. B) The crust is thinner and more dense than the mantle. C) The crust is thicker and less dense than the mantle. D) The crust is thicker and more dense than the mantle.
13. Where is the thickest part of the Earth's crust? A) at the edge of continental shelves B) at mid-ocean ridges C) under continental mountain ranges D) under volcanic islands 14. The inferred temperature at the interface between the stiffer mantle and the asthenosphere is closest to A) 1000 C B) 2500 C C) 4500 C D) 5000 C 15. What is Earth s inferred interior pressure, in millions of atmospheres, at a depth of 3500 kilometers? A) 1.9 B) 2.8 C) 5500 D) 6500 16. If a seismic station is 3200 km from an earthquake epicenter, which is the time needed for an S-wave to travel from the epicenter to the seismic station? A) 4 min 40 sec B) 6 min 0 sec C) 10 min 40 sec D) 11 min 10 sec 17. How long after receiving the first P-wave from an earthquake centered 4000 kilometers away does a seismic station receive its first S-wave from the same earthquake? A) 1 minute B) 5 minutes 35 seconds C) 7 minutes D) 12 minutes 40 seconds 18. What is the approximate P-wave travel time from an earthquake if the P-wave arrives at the seismic station 8 minutes before the S-wave? A) 4 minutes 20 seconds B) 6 minutes 30 seconds C) 10 minutes 0 seconds D) 11 minutes 20 seconds 19. The epicenter of an earthquake is located 6,500 kilometers away from a seismic station. If the first S -wave arrived at this seismic station at 1:30 p.m., at what time did the first P-wave arrive? A) 1:20 p.m. B) 1:22 p.m. C) 1:38 p.m. D) 1:40 p.m. 20. The arrival time of the first earthquake P-wave at a seismograph station was 10:11:20 (hours:minutes:seconds). If the epicenter of the earthquake is 8000 km away, what was the approximate arrival time of the first S-wave from this earthquake? A) 10:02:00 B) 10:09:20 C) 10:20:40 D) 10:32:00 21. The first S-wave arrived at a seismograph station 11 minutes after an earthquake occurred. How long after the arrival of the first P-wave did this first S -wave arrive? A) 3 min 15 s B) 4 min 55 s C) 6 min 05 s D) 9 min 00 s 22. Which statement correctly compares seismic P -waves with seismic S-waves? A) P-waves travel faster than S-waves and pass through Earth s liquid zones. B) P-waves travel faster than S-waves and do not pass through Earth s liquid zones. C) P-waves travel slower than S-waves and pass through Earth s liquid zones. D) P-waves travel slower than S-waves and do not pass through Earth s liquid zones. 23. An earthquake s first P-wave arrives at a seismic station at 12:00:00. This P-wave has traveled 6000 kilometers from the epicenter. At what time will the first S-wave from the same earthquake arrive at the seismic station? A) 11:52:20 B) 12:07:40 C) 12:09:20 D) 12:17:00 24. How long would it take for the first S-wave to arrive at a seismic station 4,000 kilometers away from the epicenter of an earthquake? A) 5 min 40 sec B) 7 min 0 sec C) 12 min 40 sec D) 13 min 20 sec 25. The epicenter of an earthquake is located 2,800 kilometers from a seismic station. Approximately how long did the S-wave take to travel from the epicenter to the station? A) 11 min 15 sec B) 9 min 35 sec C) 5 min 20 sec D) 4 min 20 sec
26. Base your answer to the following question on the map and the modified Mercalli scale shown below. The map shows the intensities of the earthquake that occurred slightly southwest of New Madrid, Missouri, on December 16, 1811. The epicenter of this earthquake is represented by *. The Roman numerals on the mapshow zones of earthquake intensities determined by using the modified Mercalli scale. The intensity numbers shown on the map were determined by A) the arrival time of the first P-wave recorded at each city B) the recorded time difference in the arrival of the first P-wave and S-wave at each city C) observations made at different locations during and after the earthquake D) observations made only at the earthquake epicenter
27. The map below shows changes in the position of the tsunami wave front produced by the 1964 Alaskan earthquake. The numbers indicate the time, in hours, for the wave front to reach the positions indicated by the isolines. If the wave front reached the Hawaiian Islands at 10:30 p.m., at approximately what time did the earthquake occur? A) 1:30 p.m. B) 5:30 p.m. C) 3:30 p.m. D) 4:30 p.m. 28. An earthquake s magnitude can be determined by A) analyzing the seismic waves recorded by a seismograph B) calculating the depth of the earthquake faulting C) calculating the time the earthquake occurred D) comparing the speed of P-waves and S-waves 29. A huge undersea earthquake off the Alaskan coastline could produce a A) tsunami B) cyclone C) hurricane D) thunderstorm 30. What usually causes tsunamis? A) hurricanes B) high-pressure weather systems C) undersea earthquakes D) the collision of ocean currents
31. When the seafloor moves as a result of an underwater earthquake and a large tsunami develops, what will most likely occur? A) Deep-ocean sediments will be transported over great distances. B) No destruction will occur near the origin of the earthquake. C) The direction of the tsunami will be determined by the magnitude of the earthquake. D) Severe destruction will occur in coastal areas. 32. A seismic P-wave is recorded at 2:25 p.m. at a seismic station located 7600 kilometers from the epicenter of an earthquake. At what time did the earthquake occur? A) 2:05 p.m. B) 2:11 p.m. C) 2:14 p.m. D) 2:36 p.m. 33. A seismograph station recorded the arrival of the first P-wave at 7:32 p.m. from an earthquake that occurred 4000 kilometers away. What time was it at the station when the earthquake occurred? A) 7:20 p.m. B) 7:25 p.m. C) 7:32 p.m. D) 7:39 p.m.
Answer Key Epicenters 2016 1. B 2. B 3. C 4. C 5. A 6. D 7. B 8. C 9. D 10. A 11. B 12. A 13. C 14. B 15. A 16. C 17. B 18. C 19. B 20. C 21. B 22. A 23. B 24. C 25. B 26. C 27. B 28. A 29. A 30. C 31. D 32. C 33. B