GEOS 1000 Exam 4, Spring, 2011
1. Which of the following is NOT a type of desert?
A) continental interior
B) subtropical
C) polar
D) grassland
E) rain shadow
2. When sedimentary particles move in series of short bounces, the process is termed _____.
A) siltation
B) saltation
C) sublimation
D) suspension
E) surface creep
3. The steepest portion of a desert sand dune is on the _____ side.
A) windward
B) top
C) bottom
D) flank
E) leeward
4. The mechanism of wind erosion in which loose particles of sand and dust are picked up and
removed, leaving behind only coarser particles, is called _____.
A) deflation
B) saltation
C) abrasion
D) inflation
E) suspension
5 An American experience with desertification in the earlier 20th Century is called The _____
A) Sahelian Desert
B) Mojave Desert
C) Great Plains
D) Dust Bowl
E) Great Depression
6. Glacial ice is generally formed by _____.
A) frozen rivers
B) recrystallized snow
C) icebergs
D) frost wedges
E) frozen ocean water
7. Which of the following is NOT a type of glacier?
A) ocean glacier
B) polar glacier
C) ice sheet
D) cirque glacier
E) valley glacier
8. In the glacial “ice budget,” a zone of snow accumulation is balanced by a zone of _____.
A) abrasion
B) exhalation
C) rockfall
D) ablation
E) crevasses
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9. The main mechanism of glacial movement is _____.
A) melting
B) basal sliding
C) frost heaving
D) ice wedging
E) avalanche
10. The rocks at the base of an advancing glacier leave parallel scratches termed glacial _____.
A) till
B) moraines
C) roches moutonees
D) drumlins
E) striations
11. Which of the following is NOT a glacial deposit?
A) till
B) erratics
C) moraines
D) cirque
E) esker
12. Continental ice sheets gouged out _____, a major feature in the central North American
lowlands.
A) cirques
B) piedmont glaciers
C) eskers
D) horns
E) the Great Lakes
13. Which of the following does NOT have a known effect on Earth's climate?
A) Earth-Moon tidal gravity
B) greenhouse effect
C) eccentricity of Earth's orbit
D) tilt of the Earth
E) precession (wobbling) of Earth's axis
14. Evidences of recent climate change are found in _____.
A) changes in animal migrations, including penguins
B) shrinking of mountain glaciers
C) reduction of sea ice
D) increased temperature in the Arctic
E) all of the above
15. The most probable cause of anthropogenic warming in the foreseeable future is the increase
in _____.
A) chlorine oxides
B) ozone
C) sunlight
D) carbon dioxide
E) chlorofluorocarbons
16. Which of the following is NOT a likely consequence of enhanced global warming?
A) flooding of islands
B) increased droughts
C) stronger storms
D) lowering of sea level
E) loss of coral reefs
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17. Which of the following gases were NOT likely contained in Earth's primary atmosphere?
A) argon
B) nitrogen
C) helium
D) oxygen
E) hydrogen
18. The Earth's secondary atmosphere most likely developed from _____.
A) animal life
B) ocean water
C) volcanic gases
D) meteorite impacts
E) photosynthesis
19. The concept of a “species” is a population of genetically related individuals that can _____.
A) evolve
B) succeed
C) undergo selection
D) go extinct
E) reproduce
20. The first terrestrial vertebrates, which never became completely free from water habitat,
were _____.
A) reptiles
B) birds
C) insects
D) mammals
E) amphibians
21. The most probable cause of the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) mass extinction resulting in the
extinction of dinosaurs, was ___________________
A) glaciation
B) sea level change
C) volcanoes
D) plate tectonics
E) meteorite impact
22. The “Cambrian Explosion” refers to _____.
A) disappearance of life in the Cambrian B) volcanic eruption of animals
C) the first eukaryotes
D) rapid diversification of animal groups
E) the end of the Cambrian Period
23. Fossil fuels are those which derive their energy from _____.
A) fossil radiation
B) fossil earth heat
C) fossil organic matter
D) fossil water
E) fossil electricity
24. Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel?
A) enriched uranium
B) coal
C) petroleum
D) natural gas
E) peat
25. Fossil fuels are trapped in ____ rock.
A) metamorphic
B) sedimentary
C) igneous
D) all of the above
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26. The original source of petroleum is _____.
A) fossil land animals
B) swamp plants
C) tree ferns
D) oceanic microorganisms
E) dinosaurs
27. Which of the following products is NOT derived from petroleum?
A) computer chips
B) asphalt
C) gasoline
D) plastics
28. _____, _____, and _____ are the geological components necessary to have a petroleum
resource.
A) Refinery; structural trap; sediment
B) Source rock; reservoir rock; cap rock
C) Structural trap; oil well; pipeline
D) Refinery; cap rock; sediment
E) Plankton; reservoir; pipeline
29. _____ is (are) an example(s) of “unconventional oil.”
A) Alaskan crude oil
B) Recovering sunken ship engines
C) Texas desert wells
D) Tar sands and oil shales
E) Natural gas sources
30. Which of the following alternatives to fossil fuels is NOT a renewable resource?
A) nuclear
B) wind
C) geothermal
D) tides
E) solar
31. The following forms of energy are in common use EXCEPT ______, which is so far
undeveloped.
A) ocean wave power
B) photovoltaic cells
C) wind turbines
D) nuclear energy
E) hydroelectric
32. _____ is NOT an important non-metal mineral resource.
A) salt
B) chromium
C) gypsum
D) clay
E) stone
33. Salt deposits are part of the _____category of mineral deposits?
A) volcanigenic kimberlite
B) hydrothermal veins
C) contact Metamorphic
D) sedimentary evaporite
E) magmatic differentiation
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True-False (red=true)
34. Water erosion rarely occurs in deserts.
35. Most deserts have extensive sand dunes.
36. All deserts are in hot, tropical areas.
37. Star dunes form from variable winds and have radiating arms.
38. Claims that past Earth climates were different from today are just speculations.
39. Global climate change really never occurred before the industrial revolution.
40. The environment of Earth was hostile to life before 3.8 billion years ago.
41. Dinosaurs were the largest land animals that ever lived.
42. During the Mesozoic era, mammals out-competed dinosaurs.
43. The first fossils on earth date from the Archean and Proterozoic eons.
44. The species Homo Sapiens first appeared soon after the meteorite impact that ended the age
of dinosaurs.
45. Wind and solar power are fossil fuels.
46. Petroleum deposits form in lake and river sediments.
47. The energy available from the sun dwarfs the potential of geothermal and tidal sources.
48. Wind energy will never be economically competitive with coal-fired electric generation.
49. The United States is currently developing large numbers of nuclear power facilities to
replace petroleum sources.
50. Nuclear waste from commercial reactors is currently stored in an underground facility in
Nevada.
Question 49 is a bonus point for everyone.
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