Winter Packet 2013

Name _______________________ Period ________

Circle the best answer for each question. There are a total of 50 questions.

1. What occurs when ions from the Sun hit air molecules and cause them to emit vivid colors of light?

A. auroras

B. ozone lightning

C. ion storms

D. neutron clouds

2. What is the uppermost layer of the atmosphere?

A exosphere

B mesosphere

C ozone layer

D stratosphere 3. What causes meteors to burn when entering Earth's atmosphere?

A ozone ignited by the high speed of the meteors

B oxygen escaping into space when the meteor rips through the atmosphere

C high temperatures in the exosphere igniting the meteor's gases

D atmospheric friction heating the meteor

4. From the picture above, what gases are the main components in Earth's atmosphere?

A. CO2 and H2O

B. N2 and CO2

C. O2 and CO2

D. N2 and O2

5. In which layer of the atmosphere can temperatures around 100°C be found?

A mesosphere

B ozone layer

C troposphere

D thermosphere

6. What conclusion about Earth's energy can be drawn from the chart?

A High amounts of light are absorbed during the day.

B Earth releases all its energy at night.

C There is no difference in the amount of visible light and infrared light that comes to Earth.

D Earth absorbs and radiates the same amount of energy

7. What is the transfer of energy by electromagnetic waves?

a. UV

b. conduction

c. radiation

d. convection

8. Which of the following can you infer from the diagram?

A Some of the outgoing radiation is directed back toward Earth's surface.

B Most of the atmosphere is made of carbon dioxide.

C All of the Sun's radiation escapes back into space.

D Earth is warmed from energy generated below the ground. 9. In which layer of the atmosphere can a temperature inversion occur?

A mesosphere

B troposphere

C stratosphere

D exosphere 10. Burning your hand on a hot cup of tea is an example of what type of energy transfer?

A convection

B thermal radiation

C radiation

D conduction 11. What process is being modeled in this figure?

A erosion

B river formation

C watering plants

D weathering

12. Which of these landforms is created by glacial erosion?

a. alluvial fans

b. hoodoos

c. U-shaped valleys

d. swamps

13. What term is given to the transportation of weathered material from one area to another?

A breaking factors

B erosion

C rock formations

D weathering agents 14. Which factor(s) would cause erosion in the environment shown in the figure?

A sun and wind

B ice and wind

C water

D wind and water 15. What type of current flows parallel to the shoreline in a lake or ocean?

A gulf current

B longshore current

C sediment current

D wind current 16. Abrasion refers to which method of erosion of rock?

A grinding away of rock by particles carried by the wind, water, or ice

B shaping of a stream as erosion and deposition create C-shaped curves

C piling of rock grains by the wind

D cutting rivers into valleys between mountains

17. What is the relative age of the stream shown in the figure?

A beginning

B young

C mature

D old 18. What is one of the things farmers can do to help manage erosion of farm land?

A overgraze pastures

B remove topsoil

C plow and cultivate fields every week

D leave fields unplowed after harvesting crops

19. The type of formation shown is at the southern end of the Mississippi river. What is it called?

A coastal erosion

B a delta

C a loess

D sand dunes 20. What glacial features are indicated by the labels C and D on the figure?

A moraines

B outwash plains

C kettle lakes

D ice sheets

21. Which shows an example of sediment that is rounded and well-sorted? Need a Hint?

A A

B B

C C

D D

22. When mass wasting occurs at a slow pace, which term is applied?

a. rock fall

b. creep

c. landslide

d. glaciation

23. Which element of nature is the dominant cause of mass wasting?

A water

B ice

C tidal waves

D gravity

24. Landslides may cause homes to slide into valleys. What type of event is a landslide?

a. weathering

b. sorting

c. mass wasting

d. deposition

25. A soil's composition is dependent on weathering because __________.

A it makes the soil more fertile

B it contributes sediment to the soil

C it keeps the soil moist

D it moves the topsoil to other areas where it is needed more

26. All of the following EXCEPT __________ can weather rock.

A sunlight

B freezing and thawing

C animals

D plants

27. What type of soil is found in the southwestern part of the United States?

A desert

B temperate

C river

D tropical

28. Each layer of a soil profile is called a __________. Need a Hint?

A horizon

B horizontal

C humus

D litter

29. How does climate affect chemical and mechanical weathering?

a. Mechanical weathering occurs more rapidly in warm, wet climates, and chemical weathering occurs more rapidly in cold climates.

b. Chemical weathering occurs more rapidly in warm, wet climates, and mechanical weathering occurs more rapidly in cold climates.

c. Chemical weathering occurs more rapidly in dry climates and mechanical weathering occurs more in windy climates.

d. Chemical and mechanical weathering occur more rapidly in warm, wet climates.

30. In which horizon of a soil profile is the parent material usually found? Need a Hint?

A. A-horizon A

B. B-horizon

C. C-horizon C

D. O-horizon

31. When materials containing iron are exposed to water and oxygen, __________ can occur.

a. mechanical weathering

b. wedging

c. ironization

d. oxidation

32. What type of weathering is shown in the figure? Need a Hint?

A. mechanical weathering

B. erosion

C. oxidation

D. chemical weathering

33. Which of the following is NOT a trace gas in Earth's atmosphere?

Need a Hint?

A. argon

B. carbon dioxide

C. ozone

D. nitrogen

34. Most of the hydrosphere is in what form?

A. ocean water

B. ice

C. freshwater

D. groundwater

35. The layer of the geosphere immediately below the crust is called what?

A. the hydrosphere

B. the mantle

C. the outer core

D. the inner core

36. Scientists classify rocks mainly according to which feature?

a. their color

b. their hardness

c. how they form

d. where they are found

37. What happens right before evaporation occurs?

A. water absorbs thermal energy

B. water releases thermal energy

C. water molecules begin moving more slowly

D. water changes from gas to liquid

38. Weather refers to the state of which system at a particular time?

A. the biosphere

B. the hydrosphere

C. the geosphere

D. the atmosphere

39. Which system is affected by the process of weathering?

A. the hydrosphere

B. the geosphere

C. the atmosphere

D. the biosphere

40. What happens to moist air as it rises on the windward side of a mountain range?

A. it cools down

B. it warms up

C. it loses oxygen

D. it slows down

41. Which is true of both the rock cycle and the water cycle?

A. both occur mostly in the atmosphere

B. both occur mostly in the geosphere

C. both have no beginning and no end

D. matter is created by both of them

42. How many layers does Earth's atmosphere have?

A four

B five

C six

D seven 43. What is the most abundant gas in Earth's atmosphere?

A oxygen

B hydrogen

C nitrogen

D carbon

44. Which layer of the atmosphere contains the ozone layer?

a. troposphere

b. stratosphere

c. thermosphere

d. exosphere

45. Approximately __________ percent of Earth's water is freshwater available for human use.

A 1

B 10

C 90

D 99 46. Seventy-nine percent of Earth's freshwater is __________.

A in rivers

B underground

C in lakes

D ice 47. All minerals are __________.

A naturally occurring

B organic solids

C unordered

D made in a lab 48. How are igneous rocks formed?

A They are formed from sediments that collected in ocean beds.

B They are formed from cooled magma.

C They are formed over many years of pressure and heat within Earth.

D They are hot magma the moment it is expelled from a volcano. 49. Water droplets form when water vapor __________.

A polarizes

B heats up

C evaporates

D condenses 50. Surface processes that work to break down rock are called__________.

A erosion

B weathering

C compaction

D cementation