Earth Science Branches Overview
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Questions and Answers

What drives the interactions and functions of the 4 spheres on planet Earth?

  • Tectonic plates movement
  • Weathering and erosion processes
  • Material recycling and phase changes (correct)
  • Convection currents in the mantle

    • What is the thickest layer of the Earth?

  • Inner core
  • Crust
  • Mantle (correct)
  • Outer core

    • Which process can turn a mountain into a hill or change the coastline?

  • Erosion (correct)
  • Tectonic plate movement
  • Deposition
  • Volcanic eruption

    • Which sphere of Earth is considered abiotic?

    <p>Geosphere</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can cause earthquakes, volcanoes, and other seismic activity in the Earth's crust?

    <p>Tectonic plate movement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which layer of the Earth is composed primarily of rocks, metals, and minerals?

    <p>Crust</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the definition of Earth science?

    <p>Study of Earth and neighboring planets</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which branch of Earth science studies the structure and components of the Earth?

    <p>Geology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the word root for 'study of' in geology?

    <p>-ology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which specialty under geology is focused on understanding earthquakes?

    <p>Seismology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do meteorologists primarily study?

    <p>Weather and climate</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is oceanography important in understanding climate change?

    <p>To understand ocean tides and waves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the name given to the supercontinent before the continents split apart?

    <p>Pangaea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a piece of evidence that supported Wegener's continental drift theory?

    <p>Presence of Tyrannosaurus fossils on multiple continents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the initial reaction of the scientific community to Wegener's continental drift hypothesis?

    <p>It was rejected, as the accepted theory was that continents were static.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following statements about plate tectonics is correct?

    <p>Plate tectonics is driven by convection currents caused by heat from the Earth's core.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What were the two supercontinents formed when Pangaea began breaking apart approximately 200 million years ago?

    <p>Laurasia and Gondwana</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which layer of the Earth is responsible for causing the densest material to be pulled towards the center?

    <p>Gravity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the main evidence that Alfred Wegener did not use to support his theory of continental drift?

    <p>The thickness of ice layers across Antarctica</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the main discovery that led to a new understanding of how the Earth's crust is put together?

    <p>The mapping of the ocean floor after World War II</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates?

    <p>Gravity and heat from inside the Earth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of boundary occurs when two tectonic plates move apart from each other?

    <p>Divergent boundary</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the purpose of the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP)?

    <p>To analyze the ocean floor and collect samples</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What evidence did the samples collected by the Deep Sea Drilling Project provide regarding the theory of seafloor spreading?

    <p>The sediment layers were thinner near the ridge crest and thicker farther away</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the three main types of faults that cause earthquakes?

    <p>Reverse, normal, and strike-slip</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fifth step in a typical tectonic earthquake sequence?

    <p>Aftershocks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a type of seismic wave mentioned in the text?

    <p>Shear wave</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to the elastic rebound theory, what causes the ground to shake during an earthquake?

    <p>The release of energy due to fault slippage</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the difference between the focus and the epicenter of an earthquake?

    <p>The focus is the underground origin, and the epicenter is the location on Earth's surface.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT one of the three regions mentioned in the text where most earthquakes occur?

    <p>The Mid-Atlantic Ridge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of seismic wave produces most of the shaking felt during an earthquake?

    <p>Surface waves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the location where two tectonic plates meet called?

    <p>Fault line</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What machine do geologists use to measure the strength of earthquakes?

    <p>Seismograph</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scale measures the magnitude of small to medium-sized earthquakes and uses the amplitude of the highest seismic wave?

    <p>Richter scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What did Charles Richter develop in 1935 for measuring earthquakes?

    <p>Richter scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mainshock of an earthquake?

    <p>The largest quake in a series, occurring between a foreshock and aftershock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scale is most accurate for measuring energy released in small to medium-sized earthquakes?

    <p>Richter scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes aftershocks following a mainshock?

    <p>Transfer of energy from rocks under Earth's surface during a main quake</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What does the Richter scale use as a reference for measuring earthquake intensity?

    <p>The amplitude of the highest seismic wave</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scale is most accurate for measuring higher-intensity earthquakes?

    <p>Moment magnitude scale</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the study of geology?

    <p>The study of the Earth's structure, composition, and history</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a branch of Earth science mentioned in the text?

    <p>Petrology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary responsibility of meteorologists?

    <p>Analyzing and predicting weather patterns and climate changes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary focus of the study of oceanography?

    <p>The study of the oceans, their processes, and their interactions with other spheres</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the meaning of the word root 'geo' in the term 'geology'?

    <p>Earth</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is NOT a specialty mentioned under the branch of geology?

    <p>Meteorology</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What theory explains the movement of tectonic plates around the Earth's surface?

    <p>Plate tectonics theory</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the name of the large landmass proposed to have existed around 280-230 million years ago?

    <p>Pangaea</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which scientist introduced the concept of continental drift with a large landmass made up of modern-day continents?

    <p>Alfred Wegener</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What caused Pangaea to eventually split into Laurasia and Gondwana?

    <p>Shift in tectonic plates</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What led to the acceptance of Alfred Wegener's continental drift theory by the scientific community?

    <p>Existence of identical rock formations on different continents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How did Alfred Wegener support his hypothesis of continental drift through plant and animal fossils?

    <p>Using a variety of plant fossils found on separate continents</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which landforms are changed by the addition of new material?

    <p>Deposition</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which layer of the Earth is primarily responsible for volcanic activity and earthquakes?

    <p>Mantle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which of the following is considered an abiotic sphere of Earth?

    <p>Both geosphere and hydrosphere</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary driving force behind the interactions and functions of the four spheres on Earth?

    <p>Convection currents in the mantle</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest and forms the livable area?

    <p>Crust</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the process by which landforms are changed through the action of water, air, or other forces?

    <p>Weathering</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of seismic wave is the fastest and the first to register on a seismograph during an earthquake?

    <p>Primary waves (P waves)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How can scientists determine the distance of an earthquake using seismic waves?

    <p>By comparing the time difference between P waves and S waves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What causes earthquakes by the slipping of tectonic plates along a fault?

    <p>Release of stress due to plate movement</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which region accounts for most earthquakes according to the text?

    <p>Ring of Fire</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What instrument is used to measure ground shaking during an earthquake?

    <p>Seismograph</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which type of seismic wave travels through Earth's inner layers and compresses the ground as it moves?

    <p>Primary waves (P waves)</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What evidence from samples collected by the Deep Sea Drilling Project supported the theory of seafloor spreading?

    <p>Younger rocks near the crest</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates?

    <p>Heat and gravity</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which region can experience the formation of underwater mountain ranges due to divergent plate boundaries?

    <p>Mid-Atlantic Ridge</p> Signup and view all the answers

    At which type of tectonic boundary do earthquakes frequently occur due to sliding past each other?

    <p>Transform</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a key role of ridge push in plate tectonics?

    <p>Creating new oceanic crust</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What geological phenomenon is commonly associated with convergent boundaries?

    <p>Volcanoes</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the main causes of aftershocks following a mainshock earthquake?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a seismograph?

    <p>To detect and record seismic activity and ground shaking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the relationship between the Richter scale magnitude and the amount of ground shaking?

    <p>Logarithmic, with each unit increase representing a 10-fold increase in ground shaking</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary difference between the Richter scale and the moment magnitude scale?

    <p>The Richter scale measures the amplitude of seismic waves, while the moment magnitude scale measures seismic moment</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the definition of a fault line?

    <p>Both b and c</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the mainshock of an earthquake?

    <p>The largest quake in a series, occurring between a foreshock and an aftershock</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What type of seismic wave produces most of the shaking felt during an earthquake?

    <p>Surface waves</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason for the unpredictability of earthquake occurrences?

    <p>The motion of tectonic plates occurs underground, making it difficult to observe</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary factor that determines the accuracy of the Richter scale in measuring earthquake intensity?

    <p>The magnitude of the earthquake</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of the moment magnitude scale?

    <p>To measure the intensity of medium to high-intensity earthquakes</p> Signup and view all the answers

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