Deck 1: Introduction to Planet Earth

Question 1

Christopher Columbus established trade routes from Europe around Africa to India.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Free oxygen was present in the Earth's primordial atmosphere.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The Ming Dynasty ships used magnetic compasses similar to those used today.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Early Polynesians only traveled within sight of land.

Question 5

The salinity of the oceans has been steadily increasing.

Question 6

Production of the first free oxygen in the atmosphere caused organisms living at that time to flourish.

Question 7

The four principle oceans of the Earth are the:
A)Antarctic,Arctic,Indian,and Pacific Oceans.

A)Atlantic,Arctic,Mediterranean,and Pacific Oceans.
B)Atlantic,Arctic,Indian,and Pacific Oceans.
C)Atlantic,Antarctic,Mediterranean,and Pacific Oceans.
D)Antarctic,Caspian,Indian,and Pacific Oceans.

Question 8

The mantle could not have produced enough water to fill the oceans.

Question 9

The Earth's crust solidified around 4.5 billion years ago.

Question 10

Significant oceanographic knowledge was acquired during the Middle Ages.

Question 11

Vikings led by Thor Heyerdahl established temporary colonies in North America.

Question 12

Earth developed the first ocean by about 4 million years ago.

Question 13

Heterotrophic organisms can make their own food from inorganic carbon sources.

Question 14

One distinction between an "ocean" and a "sea" is that a sea:
A)All of the above are correct.

A)Contains more shallow water.
B)Is composed of salt water.
C)Is smaller than an ocean.
D)May be enclosed by either land or ocean currents.

Question 15

Carbon dating is used to determine the absolute age of a rock or fossil.

Question 16

All of the following are TRUE concerning the deepest part of the ocean except:
A)The bottom of the trench was visited by Piccard and Walsh in the Trieste in 1960.

A)The depth of the trench exceeds the height of Mount Everest.
B)The deepest part of the ocean is located in a trench off the coast of Japan.
B)The depth of the trench is estimated at 12,500 meters.
C)The trench is called the Mariana Trench.

Question 17

In general,the chemical composition of ocean water has remained constant through geologic time.

Question 18

When the Earth cooled,the layers of the earth separated based on density differences.

Question 19

Oceanic crust is primarily:

A)basalt.
B)carbonate sedimentary rocks.
C)clay minerals.
D)granite.
E)siltstone.

Question 20

.The separation of the Earth into layers was the result of the:

A)decrease in temperature downward toward the core.
B)differing densities of the rock and mineral materials.
C)gravitational force created by the rotating Earth.
D)initial collection of materials and their position in Earth.
E)presence of water at Earth's surface.

Question 21

Organisms that breakdown organic molecules to release energy are called:

A)autotrophic organisms.
B)bacteria.
C)biotic organisms.
D)fungi.
E)heterotrophic organisms.

Question 22

The nebular hypothesis suggest that:
A)Earth's moon is an asteroid captured by the Earth's gravity.

A)all bodies in the solar system formed from an enormous gas cloud.
B)galaxies such as the Milky Way form independent of one another.
C)the Earth was formed a cosmic explosion,a "big bang".
D)the moon is derived from a protoplanet.

Question 23

The correct arrangement of astronomical bodies from oldest to youngest is:

A)galaxy,solar system,planet.
B)planet,galaxy,solar system.
C)planet,solar system,galaxy.
D)solar system,galaxy,planet.
E)solar system,planet,galaxy.

Question 24

Which of the following statements regarding continental and oceanic crust is TRUE?

A)Continental crust and oceanic crust have equivalent densities.
B)Continental crust is thicker and denser than oceanic crust.
C)Continental crust is thinner and denser than oceanic crust.
D)Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust.
E)Continental crust is thinner and less dense than oceanic crust.

Question 25

Earth's primordial atmosphere most likely included:

A)ammonia,carbon dioxide,and water vapor.
B)carbon dioxide,water vapor,sulfur dioxide,and methane.
C)hydrogen,helium,and oxygen.
D)nitrogen,ozone,and sulfur dioxide.
E)all of the above.

Question 26

Free oxygen in our atmosphere is important to the development and maintenance of life on Earth because oxygen:

A)combines with iron in volcanic rocks.
B)can form ozone and block some UV radiation.
C)is necessary for photosynthesis to occur.
D)reduces atmospheric temperature.
E)was very abundant in our early atmosphere.

Question 27

Radioactive isotopes can sometimes be used to determine the:

A)absolute age of the rock.
B)chemical composition of the rock.
C)formation method.
D)metamorphism.
E)relative age of the rock.