AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
EARTH’S SYSTEMS & RESOURCES
AP EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS
Answer the following questions on a sheet of paper.
Check your answers by the final slide.
1. Tectonic plate boundaries are an important
component of geologic activity because
a. plate movement affects wave motion &
tides.
b. minerals form at the boundaries.
c. earthquakes, volcanoes, & formation of
mountain ranges occur here.
d. gases are released here.
e. weather is affected by the activity at the
plate boundaries.
Questions 2 – 4 refer to the following answer
choices.
A. sulfur dioxide
B. carbon dioxide
C. hydrogen fluoride
D. carbon monoxide
E. hydrogen chloride
2. an atmospheric gas that can cause acid rain and
increase the rate of ozone depletion
3. an atmospheric gas that may cause bone
deterioration, poisoning of animals, and acid rain
4. an atmospheric gas that replaces breathable air
and can lead to asphyxiation
5. On Earth, summer occurs when
a. the earth is closest to the sun.
b. the sun’s rays are at the steepest angle
on the Earth.
c. the sun’s rays are at their most direct
angle to Earth.
d. the Earth is farthest from the sun.
e. the vernal equinox occurs
6. Which is NOT a component of the water cycle?
a. Water is stored in sinks, including ice caps,
oceans, rivers, and lakes.
b. The sun is a key component and acts as a power
source for the water cycle.
c. The movement of nutrients is largely dependent
upon the water cycle.
d. Water vapor is considered an atmospheric gas.
e. Most water is held in freshwater sources, such as
rivers and lakes.
7. Which of the following has an effect on
surface currents?
I. water temperature
II. Coriolis effect
III. winds
IV. dissolved oxygen
V. location of continents
a. I and II only
b. I, II, and III only
c. I, II, III, and IV only
d. IV and V only
e. none of the above
Questions 8-10 refer to the figure &
answer choices.
A. O horizon layer
B. A horizon layer
C. E horizon layer
D. B horizon layer
E. R horizon layer
8. Which soil profile horizon contains
most nutrients for plant growth?
9. Which soil profile horizon is
considered the subsoil?
10. Which soil profile horizon is the
parent material?
11. Which of the following is NOT an effect of El
Nino?
a. A loss of nutrients in the affected ocean
waters.
b. A warming of the waters of the western coast
of South America.
c. Dryer conditions in the eastern United States,
Peru, & Ecuador.
d. A cooling cycle known as La Nina.
e. Dryer conditions in the Philippines, Indonesia,
& Australia.
12. Which layer of the atmosphere has most
of the mass & is the layer where
weather occurs?
a. troposphere
b. stratosphere
c. mesosphere
d. thermosphere
e. exosphere
13. How does sea floor spreading create
new land?
a. Volcanoes erupt.
b. Magma pushes through the Earth’s
crust at the mid-ocean ridge &
hardens.
c. Plates continually move, disrupting the
magma.
d. Oceanic plates are subducted at plate
boundaries.
e. Heated ocean water rises & sinks at
the mid-ocean ridge.
14. In which way do volcanic gases NOT
temporarily affect the atmosphere?
a. Ozone is broken down when reactions
occur with HCl or SO2.
b. Gases ultimately lower the mean
global temperature.
c. Acid rain is reduced.
d. The temperature of the planet
increases over time.
e. Smog is created regionally.
15. Three convection currents impact atmospheric
circulation: the Ferrel, Hadley, & polar air
circulation cells. Which of the following is
NOT true of these convection cells?
a. The polar air circulation cells are
characterized by two major biomes, tundra, &
taiga.
b. Both the Hadley & polar circulation cells
influence the Ferrel air circulation cells.
c. Two distinct regions – the equatorial region of
high humidity & heavy rain & the subtropical
region of low humidity, few clouds, & high
water evaporation – characterize the Hadley
air circulation.
d. The three types of convection cells occur only
in the northern hemisphere.
e. Ferrel circulation cells are defined by the four
traditional seasons – spring, summer, fall, &
winter.
ANSWERS
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. C
6. E
7. B
8. B
9. D
10. E
11. C
12. A
13. B
14. C
15. D