Earth/Space Midterm Study Guide
Chapters 1-4; 7-13 (100 MC Q’s) All these questions should look familiar!
You will be allowed ONE 3x5 note card to write whatever you would like on the front and back.
Chapter 13
 Describe the eruption of Mount St. Helens.
 Which of the following is NOT a major type of volcanic cone?
 Volcanic ash, dust, blocks, bombs, and lapilli are all?
 A large depression formed by the collapse of a volcanic cone is called a?
 Volcanic eruptions may be signaled by?
 What happens when the temperature of rock rises above its melting point?
 Which island is cut by a fissure, breaking it into two parts?
 Where does Pillow Lava form?
 What happens when oceanic lithosphere subducts beneath oceanic lithosphere?
 What tectonic areas are volcanoes are likely to form?
Chapter 12
 During an earthquake, a building
 How does the structure of Earth’s interior affect seismic waves?
 A foreshock is
 At what location does the first motion of an earthquake occur? If you are indoors during an earthquake,
you should
 What causes tsunamis?
 What is the epicenter of an earthquake?
 Why do earthquakes usually occur at plate boundaries?
 What is studied to forecast earthquakes?
 How do scientists find the epicenter of an earthquake?
Chapter 11
 The same stresses that form folded mountains can also form?
 What is the term for the amount of force per unit area that acts on rock?
 Describe subduction?
 What happens when continental plates collide?
 What are the types of mountains?
 What happens when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate?
 What force causes the lithosphere to press down on the asthenosphere?
 How does a reverse fault occur?
 What type of mountain is most likely to form when two oceanic plates collide?
Chapter 10
 Frequent earthquakes in an area may indicate?
 The theory that explains why and how continents move is called?
 The study of paleomagnetism was key in proving Wegener’s hypothesis because?
 Which of the following was NOT a piece of evidence Wegener found to support his hypothesis?
 According to Wegener, what happened more than 200 million years ago during the Mesozoic Era?
 The splitting of Pangaea into two continents was part of?
 What was Panthalassa?
 What is one way in which tectonic plate movement affects climate?
 A terrane becomes part of a continent in a process called?
 Convection, ridge push, and slab pull work together to produce?
Chapter 9
 What was the first period of the Mesozoic Era called?
 The most common Precambrian fossils are?
 The appearance of many new life-forms during the first period of the Paleozoic Era was probably aided
by the development of?
 Why is the Precambrian rock record difficult to interpret?
 The Pliocene Epoch began about 5.3 Ma, otherwise known as?
 On a geologic column where are the oldest rocks?
 What happened when temperatures decreased during the ice ages of the Cenozoic Era?
 What is the name for an armored Cretaceous dinosaur?
 The end of the Permian Period was marked by?
 The first amphibians, which appeared during the Devonian Period, were from what genus?
Chapter 8
 Why is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?
 Using rates of erosion to determine the absolute age of a geologic feature is practical only for features
formed within the past
.
 If an igneous intrusion is observed through a layer of sedimentary rock, what geological law or principle
applies?
 What are Carbon Films?
 What is a gastrolith?
 How is radioactive decay used to determine the absolute age of rocks?
Chapter 7
 Coal deposits are formed by?
 The process by which ores are formed when magma meets existing rock and changes the rock’s
composition is called?
 A process that reduces the amount of damage mining does to ecosystems is?
 A mining method in which overlying rock material is stripped away to reveal mineral deposits is?
 Splitting the nucleus of a large atom into two or more smaller nuclei is called?
 A fossil fuel formed by the remains of prehistoric organisms that accumulated in shallow oceans and
lakes is?
 The mineral calcite is commonly used in?
 What is released in large amounts when coal with a high sulfur content is burned?
 An energy source that heats fuel rods to create steam for electric generators is?
 A heating system that uses solar collectors is a(n)
.
Chapter 4
 What describes how substances react to form new substances?
 How do compounds differ from mixtures?
 Two types of chemical bonds are?
 In the chemical formula CO2, what does the subscript “2” mean?
 Where are electrons found in atoms?
 Density, color, and boiling point are examples of?
 What are used to balance chemical equations?
 Within each column, or group, on the periodic table, the different elements’ atoms usually have the same
number of?
 The attractive force between oppositely charged ions that result from the transfer of electrons from one
atom to another is known as?
 How are the elements on the periodic table arranged?
Chapter 3
 Latitude and longitude can locate a place on Earth’s surface by describing its position in degrees,
minutes, and seconds?
 What is longitude?
 What is latitude?
 Who uses soil maps?
 What is a compass rose?
 The science of making maps is called?
 What information is shown on geologic maps?
Chapter 2
 The shape of Earth most closely resembles what?
 How does the transfer of energy throughout an ecosystem begin?
 List three factors that control the balance of an ecosystem?
 What are the different parts of the compositional structure of Earth?
 What is the approximate average circumference of Earth?
 Who was the first to explain the effects of gravity in his law of gravitation?
 What are the important sources for energy in the Earth system?
 What is involved in the movement of matter and energy between reservoirs?
 Ecosystems respond to environmental change by?
 What is a probable source of Earth’s magnetic field?
Chapter 1
 A system of ideas that explains many related observations and is supported by a large body of evidence
acquired through scientific investigation is called a?
 Rocks and minerals were cataloged around 200 BCE by who?
 Earth science is the scientific study of?
 Which ancient culture kept records of earthquakes as early as 780 BCE?
 How does science impact society?
 Earth scientists assume that the causes of natural events or phenomena can be determined by?
 What contribution did the Maya make to modern science?
 Earth scientists help us better understand the world around us by studying?