Quiz 1
Answer the following questions:
1. In the illustration below, which of the three models depicts an “isolated system?”
A) Model A
B) Model B
C) Model C
2. In the two photographs below, A is of structures within a modern sand dune that are
identical to the structures in the sandstone shown in B. Geologists interpret the structures
in the ancient sandstone to be formed by the same processes as those that produced the
structures in the modern sand dune. Geologists' ability to interpret these structures by
comparing them to modern processes is an example of
A)
B)
C)
D)
paleontology.
the nebular hypothesis.
uniformitarianism.
a systems approach.
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Short Essay
3. The illustration below is shows three different systems labeled A, B, and C. For each
of the modeled systems, provide its name and explain how it differs from the others.
System A is an isolated system. In this system the boundaries prevent the exchange
of matter and/or energy with its surroundings.
System B is a closed system. This system permits the exchange of energy, but not
matter.
System C is an open system. It allows the exchange of matter and/or energy.
4. Describe the difference between physical geology and historical geology?
Physical geology focuses on the developments working at or under the surface of the
earth and the materials on which these developments are working on. Physical
geology includes such developments as volcanic eruptions, over flooding of rivers,
and earthquakes. The materials that are involved in these processes are rocks,
minerals, soil, and water.
Historical geology focuses on the past geologic events. Such events can be concluded
from rock records like fossils.
5. What is a closed system?
A closed system permits the exchange of energy, but not matter
6. What are the subsystems of the Earth system?
The earth system can be divided into four very large subsystems which are the:
lithosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere.
7. What are the reservoirs of the hydrologic cycle?
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The hydrologic cycle is a water cycle. The water is stored in reservoirs as follows:
atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers, soils, glaciers, snowfields, and groundwater.
8. What is the tectonic cycle?
The tectonic cycle is movement and interaction occurring in the lithosphere and the
internal Earth processes that drive them.
9. What is the rock cycle?
The rock cycle is the set of crustal processes that modify, transport, and break down
the new rock.
10. In what ways do the biosphere and the lithosphere interact?
The lithosphere is the earth’s rocky outermost layer. The biosphere is the system
made up of all the living and recently dead organisms on the earth.
The lithosphere gives all the nutrients for the plants in the biosphere and when all
living organisms died they in turn go back to the lithosphere in a constant cycle.
11. Given scientists' current understanding of the formation of the Moon, how might the
composition of the Moon compare to that of the Earth?
The composition of the Moon is similar to that of the Earth in that when the earth
was forming it was struck by another planet named Theia. The debris of the earth
escapes into space clumping together into forming the moon. So the earth shared
some of its composition makeup with the earth. They are both made mainly of the
rock called BASALT.
12. Why are meteorites of such interest to scientists?
Meteorites are of great interest to scientists because they in addition of giving us the
composition of the planets at the formation of the solar system, they could also tell
us the time that the Earth formed (4.6 billion years ago).
13. Impact craters cover the surface of large parts of other terrestrial bodies in the solar
system such as Mars and the Moon. Why don't we see many covering Earth's surface?
Craters that did make it to earth have been erased by erosion or tectonic activity.
14. Why is the study of geology important to human society?
Any sensible answer it is the right answer.
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Fill in the blank
15. Scientists distinguish three kinds of systems: isolated, closed, and ______.
open.
16. The four open subsystems of the Earth system are the lithosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere, and ______.
biosphere.
17. The ______ cycle circulates water through various reservoirs: the ocean, the
atmosphere, the lithosphere and the biosphere.
hydrologic cycle
18. The ______ cycle describes crustal processes through which rocks are uplifted into
mountains, then eroded weathered, and the debris modified, transformed or reformed into
rock underground.
rock cycle
19. The ______ cycle describes the movements and interactions in the lithosphere and
internal Earth processes that drive them.
tectonic cycle
20. The growth process in which bits of solid matter gradually gathered together to form
the planets is called ______.
Accretion
21. Through the process of condensation and accretion, the formation of Earth and other
planetary bodies was essentially complete ____ years ago.
4.6 billion years ago
22. The innermost planets of the solar system are also referred to as the ______ planets,
because of their similarities to Earth.
terrestrial planets
23. Crustal processes that form new rock, modify it, transport it and break it down is
referred to as the _____ cycle.
rock cycle
24. The ______ forms the outer most compositional layer of the solid Earth.
crust
25. The middle compositional layer of Earth, the______, lies between the core and the
crust.
Mantle
26. The ______ is the innermost compositional layer of the solid Earth.
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core
27. The concept of ______ holds that the processes governing the Earth system today
have operated in a similar manner throughout geologic time.
uniformitarianism
28. The model of ______ describes the movement and interactions of large garments of
Earth's lithosphere.
plate tectonics
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