How did Hutton use Hadrian's Wall to arrive at the conclusion that the age of the Earth must be very great compared to the span of human history?
A. He dated the rocks of the wall using radioisotope age dating.
B. He observed that Hadrian's wall had changed greatly since it had been built.
C. He observed that the wall had changed little compared with the mountains he had studied
D. He observed that the rocks of the wall were composed of sedimentary rocks.
ANSWER: 

Uniformitarianism requires that
A. rocks are deposited at uniform rates of sedimentation.
B. ancient geological processes were similar to those in operation today.
C. the Earth must be very young.
D. periodic catastrophes have caused numerous extinctions of species.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

What is the age that many scientists accept as the best current value for the Earth?
A. 6,000 years
B. 600.000 years
C. 600 million years
D. 4,600 million or 4.6 billion years
E. 46,000 million or 46 billion years
ANSWER: 

Which one of the following was not used by Wegener to support his continental drift theory?
A. magnetic data
B. similar geologic structures and rock types
C. similar fossil plants and animals
D. the geometric fit of the continents
ANSWER: 

The critical difference between modern plate tectonics and Wegener's continental drift is that in the modern theory
A. both continents and ocean floor are moving.
B. the continents move over the ocean floor.
C. continents descend to form new ocean floor.
D. earthquakes occur in areas of plate movements.
ANSWER: 

The region of the earth where the seismic wave velocity decreases (about 150 km below the surface) is a part of the
A. lithosphere.
B. asthenosphere.
C. oceanic crust.
D. continental crust.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The crust and part of the upper-most mantle together comprise which portion of the Earth?
A. asthenosphere
B. lithosphere
C. oceanic crust
D. continental crust
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The Moho represents the
A. boundary between the mantle and the crust.
B. boundary between the lithosphere and asthenosphere.
C. transition from oceanic to continental crust.
D. portion of the Earth that generates earthquakes.
ANSWER: 

The crust is thnnest beneath
A. the oceans.
B. mountain ranges.
C. high plateaus.
D. continental lowlands.
ANSWER: 

The San Andreas Fault is
A. formed by plates sliding past each other in a horizontal direction.
B. created by uplifting.
C. associated with subduction.
D. a normal fault.
ANSWER: 

If a plate is moving to the north over a hot spot, which end of the line of volcanic islands will be the youngest?
A. north
B. east
C. south
D. west
ANSWER: 

Hot spots appear to be nearly fixed with respect to the moving
A. lithosphere.
B. asthenosphere.
C. lower mantle.
D. ocean currents.
ANSWER: 

In the northern hemisphere, the Earth's magnetic field points
A. north and down into the ground.
B. south and down into the ground at an angle.
C. north and up out of the ground at an angle.
D. south and up out of the ground. 
ANSWER: 

If the magnetic field recorded in a rock points horizontally, that rock must have formed near the
A. north pole.
B. south pole.
C. equator. 
D. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

The Zebra-striped magnetic pattern found on the ocean floor is due to
A. sea floor spreading.
B. magnetic polarity reversals.
C. the magnetization of basaltic lava extruded on a mid-oceanic ridge.
D. All the above.
ANSWER: 

Earth's magnetic field reversed its polarity most recently about
A. 10,000 years ago.
B. 100,000 years ago.
C. 900,000 years ago.
D. 10 million years ago.
ANSWER: 

The assemblage of all the land masses on Earth about 250 million years ago was called
A. Gondwana.
B. Laurentia.
C. Laurussia.
D. Pangaea.
ANSWER: 

The hotspot under Hawaii seems to be heading
A. west relative to Hawaii.
B. east relative to Hawaii.
C. south relative to Hawaii.
D. north relative to Hawaii.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following is not true concerning the present magnetic field of the Earth?
A. The orientation of the magnetic field moves slightly.
B. The magnetic field is created in the Earth's molten, outer core.
C. The north magnetic pole is lined up with the north geographical pole.
D. Motion in the Earth's liquid core probably creates the magnetism.
ANSWER: 

The best place to look for evidence of the movement of plates is
A. in the upper, stressed area of the mantle.
B. on continents near mountains.
C. on the ocean floor near mid-oceanic ridges.
D. near large volcanic mountain chains.
ANSWER: 

Recognition of an Accreted (exotic) Terrane implies that
A. there was (or is) active subduction taking place nearby.
B. continental rifting took place there.
C. an oceanic spreading center will soon form.
D. None of the above.
ANSWER: 

Two different criteria that geologists use to distinguish between different terranes are
A. microfossils and paleomagnetism.
B. faults and off-set structures.
C. mineral deposits and hot spots.
D. similar rock types and earthquake distribution.
ANSWER: 

Which of the following parts of the Earth is liquid?
A. crust
B. upper mantle
C. lower mantle
D. outer core
E. inner core
ANSWER: 

As you cross the mantle/core boundary of the Earth going inward, the density
A. increases.
B. stays the same.
C. decreases.
ANSWER: 

Seismic tomography is a procedure that provides
A. a three-dimensional view of faster and slower moving regions in the mantle
B. detailed information on the occurrence of earthquakes near the Earth's surface.
C. information on which parts of the core are solid.
D. accurate predictions of earthquakes.
ANSWER: 

The strongest measured earthquake in the United States occurred in
A. California.
B. Alaska.
C. Missouri.
D. Hawaii.
ANSWER: 

The term Pangaea
A. was "coined" by Alfred Wegener.
B. means "all lands".
C. refers to a single supercontinent that broke up over 200 million years ago.
D. refers to a single supercontinent somewhat like others that may have formed before it.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is
A. 4600 miles long.
B. 600-1000 feet high.
C. formed by submarine volcanic eruptions.
D. B and C
ANSWER: 

Choose the true statement concerning dating rocks by radioactive potassium to argon techniques.
A. In a young rock, there would be more argon formed.
B. In an old rock, there would be more potassium left.
C. In a young rock, there would be more potassium left.
D. In an old rock, there would be more argon formed.
E. C and D
ANSWER: 

Plates move at a maximum rate of about
A. 10-18 cm/yr in the Pacific to 2 inch/yr or so along the San Andreas Fault.
B. 2-3 cm/yr in the Pacific to .5 in/yr or so along the San Andreas Fault.
C. 6-8 cm/yr in the Pacific to 1.5 in/yr or so along the San Andreas Fault.
D. 7-8 cm/yr in the Pacific to 5 in/yr or so along the San Andreas Fault. 
ANSWER: 

The sinking of plales usually leads to
A. subduction.
B. trenches.
C. earthquakes.
D. volcanic activity.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Seismology is basically the
A. study of the earth's interior.
B. prediction of earthquakes.
C. study of earthquakes.
D. study of the Earth's crust.
ANSWER: 

Southwestern California will
A. be carried north by plate movement.
B. move about 500 miles in 15 million years.
C. slide westward.
D. block the northern motion of Baja California.
E. A and B
ANSWER: 

The Earth was formed by collisions of progressively larger objects which led
A. melting, accretion and differentiation.
B. heating, melting and differentiation in that order.
C. mainly heating, melting with some evaporation.
D. heating, differentiation and melting in that order.
ANSWER: 

The newest, submerged volcano near the island of Hawaii is called
A. Kohala and is north of Hawaii.
B. Loihi and is south of Hawaii.
C. Loihi and is just south of Maui.
D. Koola and is northwest of Oahu.
ANSWER: 

The North American plate is presently moving
A. southwest or west.
B. southeast.
C. northwest.
D. east.
ANSWER: 

Some of the best evidence that indicates the Atlantic Ocean closed more than once is found in
A. suspect terranes.
B. exotic terranes.
C. radiolarian fossils.
D. paleomagnetic studies.
E. highly eroded areas in the Appalachian Mountains.
ANSWER: 

Plates on the surface of the Earth are perhaps moved by convection in the
A. mantle driven by heat from radioactive uranium.
B. core driven by heat from radioactive uranium.
C. outer core driven by a hot, inner core.
D. mantle driven by heat from earthquake activity.
ANSWER: 

Benjamin Franklin noted that, compared to ships traveling outside the Gulf Stream, passage times of ships traveling in the Gulf Stream from England to America were
A. slower.
B. faster.
C. about the same.
ANSWER: 

How can a satellite in space measure the topography of the ocean floor?
A. By using an echo sounder.
B. By using radar that penetrate the ocean's water.
C. By measuring the elevation of ocean surface.
D. By measuring the color of the seawater.
ANSWER: 

In the northern hemisphere, the Coriolis Force causes surface ocean currents to move to
A. the right.
B. the left.
C. up.
D. down.
ANSWER: 

El Nino is always characterized by
A. the blockage of upwelling of colder bottom water off the coast of Peru.
B. a thick warm surface layer in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
C. a change of the normal persistent wind patterns over the North Pacific Ocean.
D. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

If Earth had no water in its oceans basins, the worldwide climate be would probably be
A. more uniform from equator to pole.
B. hotter at the equator and colder at the poles than at present.
C. much the same as it is now.
D. cooler at intermediate latitudes.
ANSWER: 

The large tube worms living near ocean-floor vents appear to live on
A. small crustaceans.
B. hydrogen sulfide.
C. zooplankton.
D. phytoplankton.
E. living coral.
ANSWER: 

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge forms the islands of
A. the Azores and Puerto Rico.
B. Iceland and Ascension.
C. Iceland and the Azores.
D. the Azores and Bahamas.
E. the Bahamas and Puerto Rico.
ANSWER: 

Sea level would be
A. higher above a seamount and trench.
B. lower above a seamount and higher over a trench.
C. lower above a seamount and lower over a trench.
D. higher above a seamount and lower over a trench.
ANSWER: 

Choose the incorrect statement concerning the Gulf Stream.
A. It flows like a river with many times the volume of all the Earth's rivers combined.
B. It is warmer and bluer than the water around it.
C. It sometimes flows on the surface and sometimes on the bottom.
D. It meanders causing its course to change slightly from day to day.
E. It helps to warm England. 
ANSWER: 

The gyre in the North Atlantic is
A. higher in the center and moves faster on its eastern side.
B. higher in the center and moves counterclockwise.
C. higher on the outside where it is moving clockwise.
D. lower in the center and moves clockwise.
E. lower on the outside and moves clockwise.
ANSWER: 

The western boundary current in the North Pacific is
A. a cold current called the Kuroshio Current.
B. called the Kuroshio Current which flows counterclockwise.
C. called the Cromwell Current which flows clockwise.
D. a warm current that flows clockwise.
E. the warm California Current.
ANSWER: 

The ocean current that encircles Antarctica
A. prevents warmer water from reaching the area resulting in a very cold continent.
B. prevents upwelling from occurring.
C. prevents the Southern Oscillation from occurring.
D. causes the Southern Oscillation to occur.
E. interacts with the Trade Winds to create El Nino.
ANSWER: 

The paths of surface ocean currents are determined by
A. islands and larger land masses, winds and gyres.
B. islands and larger land masses, winds and the Coriolis Force.
C. land masses, winds and gyres.
D. islands, gyres and mid-oceanic ridges.
E. winds, gyres, and mid-oceans ridges.
ANSWER: 

The most dense water in the oceans form at the
A. poles and flows rapidly toward the equator.
B. poles and form a current that follows the eastern boundary of the ocean basins.
C. poles where the water is colder and saltier.
D. equator where the water is saltier from evaporation.
ANSWER: 

The bottom current in the western Atlantic flows
A. south.
B. north.
C. eastward.
D. northeastward.
ANSWER: 

The bottom current (gyre) in the northern Atlantic flows
A. eastward.
B. counterclockwise.
C. clockwise.
D. northward only.
ANSWER: 

Trade Winds blowing west from South America cause upwelling that
A. creates the phenomena of El Nino
B. warms the surface.
C. brings nutrients to the surface.
D. force nutrients to sink.
ANSWER: 

Which is not a consequence of El Nino?
A. droughts
B. abnormal rainfall
C. increased upwelling in the eastern Pacific
D. elimination of some fisheries 
E. warm water sloshing back toward the eastside of the ocean basin
ANSWER: 

Vents or hot springs on the ocean floor are
A. found mainly on mid-oceanic ridges and are created by molten rock in the ridge.
B. centers of exotic forms of shrimp.
C. sites of large limestone deposits.
D. surrounded by large forms of seaweed.
E. All of the above.
ANSWER: 

Under normal circumstances sea level is
A. lower on the western side of the Pacific Ocean compared to the eastern side.
B. lower on the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean compared to the western side.
C. lower in the center of the ocean basin.
D. largely affected by the ocean currents. 
ANSWER: 

The term, "tectonics", basically means to
A. shove.
B. float.
C. move.
D. build.
ANSWER: 

The Earth's magnetic field seems to reverse itself about every
A. 10 million years.
B. 100,000 years.
C. 10,000 years.
D. ice age.
E. None of the above.
ANSWER: 
