Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
1. How does the theory of plate tectonics explain
the motion of continents?
A. It states that continents are on several plates
floating on the ocean
B. It states that continents are being moved apart
by the powerful force of the ocean water
C. It states that Earth’s crust is breaking apart due
to gravitational forces
D. It states that Earth’s crust is broken into plates
that move because of convection currents in the
mantle
2. According to the theory of plate tectonics why is
the Earth not expanding in size if new crust is
being created due to seafloor spreading?
A. Volcanoes near the ocean ridge melt the older
rock
B. The older oceanic crust is being weathered by
ocean water
C. Ocean crust is being pushed under the
continental crust where it melts back into the
mantle
D. Underwater earthquakes break rock apart into
smaller pieces and currents carry it away
3. According to the U.S.G.S earthquakes happen
frequently in North Carolina. Why are North
Carolina residents unaware of these events?
A. The Blue Ridge Mountains act as a buffer,
absorbing seismic waves
B. The energy released is so minor it can only be
picked up by seismographs
C. North Carolina bedrock includes granite through
which seismic waves cannot pass
D. Seismographs are so sensitive that storm
activity is sometimes erroneously recorded
4. Where were most of the volcanoes that make up
the Ring of Fire formed?
A. Near hot spots
B. Near normal faults
C. Near convergent plate boundaries
D. Near divergent plate boundaries
5. What happened to the mountains that once
existed across the Piedmont plateau region of
North Carolina?
A. Massive earthquakes caused the mountains to
collapse
B. The mountains have been eroded away by wind
and water
C. Volcanic eruptions blew the tops of the mountains
off, leaving behind smaller hills
D. The mountains were stretched apart as
continents separated, leaving behind smaller hills
6. The map shows earthquakes that occurred in
North Carolina from 1990 to 2006:
Which statement regarding the seismic activity in
North Carolina is correct?
A. Earthquakes occur mostly near major cities
B. Earthquakes occur mostly along the Eastern
coastline
C. Earthquakes occur mostly along the Western
border of North Carolina
D. More deep earthquakes occur than shallow
earthquakes
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
7. The cross-section below shows the anatomy of
an earthquake:
11. What caused mountain ranges to form in the
Western part of North Carolina?
A. The opening of the Atlantic Ocean
B. The collision of the African and North American
plates
C. The separation of the African and North American
plates
D. The rifting of Pangaea in the early Triassic
12. Cracks in rocks widen as water in them freezes
and thaws. How does this affect the surface of
the Earth?
Which point shows the location of the epicenter?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Point A
Point B
Point C
Point D
A. It reduces the rate of soil formation
B. It changes the chemical composition of the rocks
C. It exposes rocks to increased rates of erosion and
weathering
D. It limits the exposure of rocks to acid rain
8. Which process transforms sediment into
sedimentary rock?
13. Which event is an example of chemical
weathering?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A. Rocks falling off a steep cliff
B. Feldspar in granite being crushed into clay-sized
particles
C. Water freezing in the cracks in a roadside outcrop
D. Acid rain reacting with limestone
Heat and pressure
Cooling and solidification
Cementation and compaction
Weathering and erosion
9. What provides the necessary energy for creating
igneous and metamorphic rocks?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Sun
Gravity
Erosion
Earth’s interior
10. In which way does a P-wave differ from an SWave?
A. P-Waves travel faster than S-Waves
B. S-Waves travel faster than P-Waves
C. S-Waves travel through liquids while P-Waves
travel through solids
D. P-Waves travel through Earth’s interior while SWaves travel along Earth’s surface
14. How do metamorphic and igneous rocks,
exposed in mountains become sedimentary rocks
over time?
A. Buried rocks melt and erupt from volcanoes as
lava
B. Magma erupts from volcanoes and cools while
flowing downward
C. Water erodes landforms and deposits small
pieces of rock in oceans
D. Once tectonic plate converges with another plate,
forcing it downward and forming new rock
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
15. The map below shows the volcanic hazard
zones around Mt. St. Helens:
18. A map of the Atlantic Basin is shown. The black
dots indicate the locations of volcanic activity:
Which volcanic hazard appears the farthest from the
center of Mt. St. Helens?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Lahar
Lava flow
Pyroclastic flow
Pyroclastic surge
16. Which of these states has the greatest seismic
risk?
A.
B.
C.
D.
California
Florida
Michigan
Nebraska
What seafloor feature in the Atlantic Ocean basin
produces the most frequent volcanic activity?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The abyssal plain
The mid-ocean ridge
The continental shelf
The continental slope
17. Which of the following would best mitigate the
potential destruction from a sinkhole?
A. Build seawalls to block incoming waves
B. Plant more vegetation to stabilize the soil
C. Inspect underlying bedrock and pump out water
to decrease the risk of weathering
D. Monitor seismic activity and design an advanced
warning system
19. All active stratovolcanoes in the lower 48 states
21. The diagram below represents geological
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
of the United States are concentrated in the area
shown:
What kind of plate boundary created these
volcanoes in this particular geographic region?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Convergent
Convolute
Divergent
Transform
processes that act continuously on Earth to form
different rock types:
Which answer choice correctly classifies each rock
type?
A. Rock Type 1 → Sedimentary
Rock Type 2 → Metamorphic
Rock Type 3 → Igneous
20. When granite melts and solidifies it becomes:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Sedimentary rock
Igneous rock
Metamorphic rock
Sediments
B. Rock Type 1 → Sedimentary
Rock Type 2 → Igneous
Rock Type 3 → Metamorphic
C. Rock Type 1 → Metamorphic
Rock Type 2 → Igneous
Rock Type 3 → Sedimentary
D. Rock Type 1 → Igneous
Rock Type 2 → Metamorphic
Rock Type 3 → Sedimentary
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
22. Which climate conditions normally produce the
greatest amount of chemical weathering?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Cool and dry
Cool and moist
Warm and dry
Warm and moist
23. The cross section below shows a soil profile:
25. Which of the following is TRUE about how wind
and water can change the Earth’s surface over
time?
A. Wind and water can wear away mountains but
can’t make valleys deepers
B. Wind and water can make valleys deeper but
cannot wear away mountains
C. Wind and water can wear away mountains and
make valleys deeper
D. Wind and water change the Earth’s surface but
not by wearing away mountains or making valleys
deeper
26. Which of the following can be described using the
Richter Scale or the Moment Magnitude Scale?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The location of the epicenter
The magnitude of the earthquake
The amount of movement in the lithosphere
The amount of time until another earthquake
occurs
27. Which of the following locations has the greatest
risk for landslide damage?
The soil was primarily formed by:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Erosion by glaciers
Erosion by running water
Capillarity and human activity
Weathering and biological activity
24. Humus, which is formed by the decay of plant
and animal matter is important for the formation
of most:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Soil
Minerals
Sediment
Surface bedrock
A.
B.
C.
D.
The mountains
The coastal plains
The Piedmont
Charlotte, NC
28. At what type of plate boundary is crust not
created or destroyed?
A. Divergent
B. Uniform
C. Convergent
D. Transform
29. What can be determined from the location of an
earthquake’s focus?
A. The epicenter
B. The velocity of P and S waves
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
C. The amount of energy released
D. The lag time between P and S waves
30. Which of the following is true about Earth’s
lithospheric plates?
34. Which of the following is NOT a mechanism for
plate motion?
A. They are separated by oceans
B. The are piled on top of one another within the
Earth
C. They fit closely together with each plate touching
all of the plates that are next to it
D. They are surrounded by melted rock and do not
touch each other
A.
B.
C.
D.
31. Two of Earth’s lithospheric plates are pressed
together for millions of years. What happens if
they press together in places where oceanic
plate meets a continental plate?
A. The continental plate is pushed downward
B. The oceanic plate is pushed downward
C. The plates are not able to move when they are
pressed together
D. The edges of the plates are broken into smaller
pieces
32. What landform will most likely form when two
oceanic plates collide?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A volcanic island arc
A large watershed area
A smooth continental shelf
A chain of continental mountains
33. A rift valley is evidence of what type of plate
boundary?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Convergent
Transform
Divergent
Uniform
Convection
Ridge Push
Slab Pull
Subduction
35. Which of the following is a potential
environmental effect following a volcanic
eruption?
A. Volcanic ash blocks out sunlight which causes a
disruption of ecosystems
B. Breaks in the Earth’s crust creates new rift valleys
C. Additional oxygen from the volcano makes the air
easier to breathe
D. The biotic index of nearby streams and rivers is
improved
36. What is the primary difference between magma
and lava?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Location
Chemical composition
Age
Parent rock material
37. What factor has the most influence on the
development of soil?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Climate
Longitude
Amount of rounded sediment
Slope of the landscape
38. Tsunamis are deadly natural hazards that are
commonly generated by:
A. Earthquakes generated at transform boundaries
B. Underwater seismic activity
C. Tides produced by gravitational attraction
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam
between the moon and Earth
D. Hurricanes
39. Which layer of the Earth is most affected by an
earthquake?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Outer core
Lower mantle
Asthenosphere
Lithosphere
40. The line that separates the Piedmont from the
Coastal Plains on the below map is known as
what?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Ring of Fire
The Fall Zone
The Subduction Line
The Zone of Saturation
Earth Science Mid-Term Exam