Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Forces that shape Earth’s surface by building up mountains and landmasses are
called a. | constructive
forces. | b. | temperature and pressure. | c. | destructive
forces. | d. | seismic waves. | | |
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2.
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What
is the correct order (starting from the surface) of Earth’s layers? a. | crust, outer
core, inner core, mantle | b. | mantle, outer core, inner core, crust | c. | crust, mantle,
outer core, inner core | d. | outer core, inner core, crust, mantle | | |
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3.
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According to Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift, a. | Earth’s
surface is made up of seven major landmasses. | b. | the continents
do not move. | c. | Earth is slowly cooling and
shrinking. | d. | the continents were once joined together in a single
landmass. | | |
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4.
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What
is Pangaea? a. | the name of a
German scientist | b. | the name of the supercontinent that existed millions of years
ago | c. | another name for
continental drift | d. | the name of an ancient fossil | | |
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5.
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In
the process of sea-floor spreading, where does molten material rise from the mantle and
erupt? a. | along the edges
of all the continents | b. | along the mid-ocean ridge | c. | in deep-ocean
trenches | d. | at the north and south poles | | |
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6.
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How
did scientists discover that rocks farther away from the mid-ocean ridge were older than those near
it? a. | by observing
eruptions of molten material on the sea floor | b. | by mapping rocks
on the sea floor using sonar | c. | by determining the age of rock samples obtained by drilling on
the sea floor | d. | by measuring how fast sea-floor spreading
occurs | | |
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7.
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The
process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle is known
as a. | convection. | b. | continental drift. | c. | subduction. | d. | conduction. | | |
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8.
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Old
oceanic crust is more dense than new oceanic crust because it is a. | hot. | b. | moving toward a deep-ocean trench. | c. | cool. | d. | farther from the mid-ocean ridge. | | |
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9.
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Most
geologists think that the movement of Earth’s plates is caused by a. | gravity. | b. | subduction. | c. | convection
currents in the asthenosphere. | d. | Earth’s magnetic field. | | |
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10.
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The
geological theory that states that pieces of Earth’s lithosphere are in constant, slow motion is
the theory of a. | subduction. | b. | plate tectonics. | c. | deep-ocean
trenches. | d. | sea-floor spreading. | | |
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11.
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A
place where two plates slip past each other, moving in opposite directions, is known as
a a. | transform
boundary. | b. | divergent boundary. | c. | convergent
boundary. | d. | rift valley. | | |
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12.
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A
rift valley forms where two plates a. | sink back toward the mantle. | b. | diverge. | c. | slide past each other. | d. | converge. | | |
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13.
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Scientists think that convection currents flow in Earth’s a. | continents. | b. | asthenosphere. | c. | lithosphere. | d. | inner core. | | |
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14.
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A
collision between two pieces of continental lithosphere at a converging boundary produces
a a. | mid-ocean
ridge. | b. | deep-ocean trench. | c. | rift
valley. | d. | mountain range. | | |
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15.
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The
mid-ocean ridge is a. | the longest chain of mountains in the
world. | b. | found only in the Pacific Ocean. | c. | located mostly
along coastlines. | d. | a long deep-ocean trench. | | |
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16.
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The
place where two plates come together is known as a a. | transform
boundary. | b. | divergent boundary. | c. | convergent
boundary. | d. | rift valley. | | |
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17.
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Stress that pushes a mass of rock in two opposite directions is
called a. | shearing. | b. | tension. | c. | compression. | d. | deformation. | | |
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18.
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Because stress is a force, it a. | takes energy out of rock. | b. | adds energy to
rock. | c. | adds volume to rock. | d. | makes rock
harder. | | |
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19.
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In a
normal fault, the part of the fault that lies below the other part is called the a. | hanging
wall. | b. | reverse fault. | c. | footwall. | d. | anticline. | | |
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20.
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Which
type of stress force produces reverse faults? a. | shearing | b. | tension | c. | compression | d. | deformation | | |
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21.
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A
fold in rock that bends upward into an arch is called a(n) a. | anticline. | b. | syncline. | c. | plateau. | d. | canyon. | | |
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22.
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The
point beneath Earth’s surface where rock breaks under stress and triggers an earthquake is
called the a. | syncline. | b. | footwall. | c. | epicenter. | d. | focus. | | |
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23.
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The
type of seismic waves that arrive at the surface first and move by compressing and expanding the
ground like an accordion are called a. | S waves. | b. | P
waves. | c. | Surface waves. | d. | Mercalli
waves. | | |
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24.
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S
waves are also known as a. | primary waves. | b. | secondary
waves. | c. | surface waves. | d. | focus
waves. | | |
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25.
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Compared to P waves and S waves, surface waves move a. | faster. | b. | slower. | c. | at the same
rate. | d. | farther from the epicenter. | | |
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26.
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What
does a seismograph record? a. | the Mercalli scale rating for an
earthquake | b. | the speed of seismic waves | c. | the ground
movements caused by seismic waves | d. | the location of the epicenter | | |
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27.
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Geologists know that wherever plate movement stores energy in the rock along
faults, a. | earthquakes are
not likely. | b. | earthquakes are likely. | c. | an earthquake is
occurring. | d. | an earthquake could never occur. | | |
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28.
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The
risk of earthquakes is high along the Pacific coast of the United States because a. | there have been
no earthquakes there lately. | b. | serious earthquakes are rare east of the
Rockies. | c. | satellites have detected increasing elevation of the ground
surface. | d. | that’s where the Pacific and North American plates
meet. | | |
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29.
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Most
earthquake-related deaths and injuries result from a. | tsunamis. | b. | damage to buildings or other
structures. | c. | liquefaction. | d. | P
waves. | | |
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30.
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In
what direction do seismic waves carry the energy of an earthquake? a. | away from the
focus | b. | toward the focus | c. | from the surface
to the interior | d. | through the mantle only | | |
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31.
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What
type of earthquake wave can travel through both liquids and solids? a. | P
waves | b. | S waves | c. | focus
waves | d. | surface waves | | |
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32.
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Volcanic belts form along a. | islands in the Pacific Ocean. | b. | North American
mountain ranges. | c. | the boundaries of Earth’s
plates. | d. | the coast of Antarctica. | | |
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33.
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Which
of the following volcano hazards is made up of rocky particles about the size of a grain of
sand? a. | volcanic
bombs | b. | pahoehoe | c. | volcanic
cinders | d. | volcanic ash | | |
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34.
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Tall,
cone-shaped mountains in which layers of lava alternate with layers of ash are
called a. | shield
volcanoes. | b. | cinder cone volcanoes. | c. | composite
volcanoes. | d. | lava plateaus. | | |
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35.
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Before lava reaches the surface it is called a. | rock. | b. | magma. | c. | volcanic
ash. | d. | liquid
fire. | | |
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36.
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The
huge hole left by the collapse of a volcanic mountain is called a a. | lava
plateau. | b. | caldera. | c. | cinder
cone. | d. | shield volcano. | | |
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37.
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A
mineral must be inorganic, which means that it contains a. | compounds. | b. | materials made by humans. | c. | parts of living
things. | d. | no materials that were once part of living
things. | | |
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38.
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The
color of a mineral’s powder is called its a. | streak. | b. | luster. | c. | density. | d. | hardness. | | |
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39.
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Magma
that cools very slowly deep beneath the surface forms minerals with what type of
crystals? a. | small | b. | large | c. | very
hard | d. | cubic | | |
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40.
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Coal
is NOT classified as a mineral because a. | it is useful as a fuel. | b. | it comes from
the remains of plants and animals. | c. | it is not valuable. | d. | it is part of
Earth’s crust. | | |
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41.
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What
is the hardest known mineral? a. | talc | b. | quartz | c. | diamond | d. | gold | | |
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42.
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The
term used to describe how a mineral reflects light from its surface is a. | fluorescence. | b. | streak. | c. | density. | d. | luster. | | |
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43.
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Rock
that forms from the cooling of magma below the surface or lava at the surface is
called a. | sedimentary
rock. | b. | metamorphic rock. | c. | igneous
rock. | d. | coarse-grained rock. | | |
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44.
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Where
does most metamorphic rock form? a. | at the surface | b. | just below the
surface | c. | in sea waters | d. | deep
underground | | |
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45.
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The
sedimentary rock formed when water deposits tiny particles of clay in very thin, flat layers is
called a. | gypsum. | b. | shale. | c. | limestone. | d. | calcite. | | |
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46.
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Heat
and pressure deep beneath Earth’s surface can change any rock into a. | chemical
rock. | b. | gemstones | c. | metamorphic
rock. | d. | sedimentary rock. | | |
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47.
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The
texture of a metamorphic rock that has grains arranged in parallel layers is described
as a. | foliated. | b. | jagged grained. | c. | coarse
grained. | d. | nonfoliated. | | |
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48.
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A
series of processes on Earth’s surface and interior that slowly changes rocks from one kind to
another is called a. | erosion. | b. | crystallization. | c. | the rock
cycle. | d. | evaporation. | | |
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49.
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Generally, a rock is made up of a. | large crystals. | b. | a mixture of
minerals and other materials. | c. | small crystals. | d. | a compound of
several elements. | | |
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50.
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Igneous rock that cools very quickly when it forms may have a texture that
is a. | smooth and shiny
with no visible grain. | b. | multicolored and banded. | c. | coarse
grained. | d. | made up of jagged grains. | | |
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