Geopgraphy Quiz Q&A

1. Question : The part of geography that embodies map making is known as

Student Answer:theodesy

geodesy

cartography

calligraphy

Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

2. Question : Which of the following terms characterizes the discipline of geography?Student Answer: interdisciplinary

holistic

synthesis

all of the aboveInstructor Explanation:

see figure 1.2


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3. Question : Geography BEST is described asStudent Answer:

an Earth science

a human science

a physical science

a spatial scienceInstructor Explanation:

see description of geography on p. 3


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4. Question : Earth is best described as a geoid, because it is not a perfectly shaped sphere.

Student Answer: True (see "Earth as a geoid" section on p. 15)

False


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5. Question : If you were standing at 20&#-80; north latitude you would MOST appropriately be described as being within which latitudinal geographic zone?

Student Answer: subarctic

midlatitude

equatorial

subtropicalPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

6. Question : Earth's diameter is

Student Answer: about 10,000 km (6,000 mi.).

about 20,000 km (12,000 mi.).

about 40,000 km (24,000 mi.).

about 50,000 km (30,000 mi.).Points Received: 0 of 1

Comments:

7. Question : Which of the following is a major theme in geography?Student Answer: places & regions

human-environment interaction

location

movement

all of the aboveInstructor Explanation:

see figure 1.1


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8. Question : Earth represents a vast integrated system.Student Answer: True

FalsePoints Received: 1 of 1

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9. Question : Global Positioning System (GPS) unitsStudent Answer: not available to the public; they are only available to the

military.

currently only accurate to within about 10 meters.

an important device for collecting geographic data that can have a wide use of applications.

a metric version of longitude and latitude.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

10. Question : Which of the following is FALSE of scientific theories?Student Answer:

They are based on several hypotheses

They are broad in scope because they unify several known facts about the world

They are usually based on blind guesses and mere faith by the scientist that they are true

They are based on natural laws (such as those pertaining to gravity, relativity, atomic theory, etc.)


Comments:

11. Question : Our planet and our lives are overwhelmingly powered by

Student Answer: energy derived from inside Earth.

radiant energy from the Sun.

utilities and oil companies.

shorter wavelengths of gamma rays, X rays, and ultraviolet.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

12. Question : The most extreme northern and southern parallels to experience perpendicular rays of the Sun at local noon are located at

Student Answer: 90-80; north and south.

23.5-80; north and south.

45-80; north and south.

66.5-80; north and south.Points Received: 1 of 1

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13. Question : Which of the following is true of the length (as measured in kilometers) of a degree of latitude?

Student Answer: It is constant at all latitudes.

It is longer near the equator than near the poles.

It is shorter near the equator than near the poles.

It is shorter near the prime meridian than near the international dateline.


Comments:

14. Question : A parallel of latitudeStudent Answer: is used to measure distances east and west of the equator.

is a line which passes through both poles.

is also called a meridian.

is used to measure distances north or south of the equator.Points Received: 0 of 1

Comments:

15. Question : When looking at the Earth's energy budget by latitude, which region is considered to be one of energy surplus (i.e., it is the area that receives the most insolation on average)?

Student Answer: arctic

midlatitude

subtropical

equatorialInstructor Explanation:

See figures 2.9 and 1.12


Comments:

16. Question : If you wanted a map with a lot of detail of a small area you would want a "small scale" map.

Student Answer: True


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17. Question : Earth represents an open system in terms of energy.Student Answer: True (see "open systems" section on p. 5)


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18. Question : New resources and matter are being added to Earth's systems all the time.Student Answer: True


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19. Question : Which of the following is NOT one of the four major "spheres"?Student Answer: lithosphere

cryosphere

biosphere

atmosphereInstructor Explanation:

see figure 1.7


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20. Question : Map projections, such as Mercator and Robinson, preserve all of Earth's properties of area, shape, direction, proximity, and distance, correctly.


False (No map projection can preserve all of Earth's properties correctly--i.e., they all distort at least one of these properties)


Comments:

CHAPTER 3, 4, 5

1. The fact that nature produces more pollution than humans do means that anthropogenic pollution is insignificant, and we need not worry about it (Points : 1)

True

False

2.

Which of the following would be true for the net radiation balance in a midlatitude location?

(Points : 1)

Net R is constant throughout the year.

There is a surplus of Net R during the summer and a deficit during the winter.

There is a deficit of Net R during the summer and a surplus during the winter.

The season at which surpluses and deficits occur varies from one year to the next.

3. Based on the criteria of composition, the atmosphere is divided into two broad regions: the ionosphere and the ozonosphere (Points : 1)

True

False

4.

In general, as distance from the subsolar point increases, the average annual insolation decreases and the average annual temperature increases

(Points : 1)

True

False

5.

The greater the albedo of a surface, the less it is heated by insolation.

(Points : 1)

True

False

6. The ozone layer protects Earth's surface from most of the incoming ultraviolet radiation (Points : 1)

True

False

7. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher than it has ever been for the last 800,000 years (Points : 1)

True

False

8. A vertical air current that is generated by temperature-induced density differences is an example of heat transfer by: (Points : 1)

advection

convection

conduction

diffusion

9.

The reflective quality of a surface is called its albedo and is expressed as a percentage, with 100% referring to a surface that reflects the maximum amount of insolation.

(Points : 1)

True

False

10. Approximately fifty percent of the atmosphere is compressed by gravity below an elevation of 5500 m (18,000 ft) (Points : 1)

True

False

11.

The principal controls and influences of temperature patterns include

(Points : 1)

Earth's tilt, rotation, revolution, and sphericity

latitude, altitude, land-water land-water heating differences, cloud cover, ocean currents, and surface conditions

land-water heating differences only

specific heat only

12.

The analogy of comparing Earth's atmosphere to a greenhouse is exactly how the Earth-atmosphere system operates.

(Points : 1)

True

False

13. Atmospheric circulation ultimately connects all places on Earth to one another (Points : 1)

True

False

14.

As the kinetic energy of the air increases, its temperature is unaffected.

(Points : 1)

True

False

15. The principal gases of the homosphere (by volume) are nitrogen, helium, and argon. (Points : 1)

True

False

16. Clouds moderate temperatures producing lower daily maximums and higher nightly minimums. (Points : 4)

True

False

17.

Insolation is the only source of energy that is ultimately responsible for heating the atmosphere and driving weather phenomena.

(Points : 1)

True

False

18. The normal lapse rate for temperature decreases is an average of 3&#-80;C per 1000 m (Points : 1)

True

False

19. The single most important control on temperature (Points : 1)

latitude

altitude

land-water differences

evaporation

20.

Given that the temperature of the thermosphere is more than 1200º C (2000º F), it would

melt a spacecraft that stayed within it.

(Points : 1)

True

False

Chapters 5, 6, 71. Question : Which of the following is a middle-level cloud type?

Student Answer:

cirrostratus

stratocumulus

cumulonimbus

altostratus


Comments:

2. Question : The effect of the Coriolis force is enhanced in the upper atmosphere because there is less friction.



Comments:

3. Question : Sublimation (depostion) produces snowflakes.Student Answer: True


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4. Question : Population growth and wasteful water usage threaten to produce water shortages in many nations of the world.



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5. Question : Which cloud type is specifically a good indicator of an arriving storm, say within the next 24 hours?

Student Answer: fog

cumulus

stratocumulus

cirrusPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

6. Question : The general term that refers to the tendency of a parcel of air to either remain in place or change its initial position is

Student Answer:

adiabatic

stability

conditional instability

stasis


Comments:

7. Question : Of the following regions, which is MOST vulnerable to water scarcity?

Student Answer:

South America

United StatesIndiaChina


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8. Question : Fog often lingers in river valleys becauseStudent Answer:

the water in the river cools off faster at night than the land does.

cold air sinks into low areas such as river valleys.

some evaporation may occur from the river, thereby supplying moisture to the cooler atmosphere.

both B and C


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9. Question :

A mass of air always becomes saturated when it reaches the

Student Answer:

highest temperature of the day.

lowest temperature of the day.

specific humidity point.

dew-point temperature.


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10. Question : Clouds are only composed of raindrops.



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11. Question : Which of the following is normally true of a hot desert?Student Answer:

Potential evapotranspiration exceeds actual evapotranspiration.

Actual evapotranspiration exceeds potential evapotranspiration.

Potential evapotranspiration equals actual evapotranspiration.

It is impossible to say what the normal relationship between potential and actual evapotranspiration would be in a desert.


Comments:

12. Question :

In winter, freezing water can break pipes and even crack engine blocks. Why does this happen?

Student Answer:

Water expands in volume as it freezes in response to hydrogen bonding.

Ice is denser than water.

Water contracts as it cools and freezes.

It occurs because of the latent heat of fusion.


Comments:

13. Question : An area of high pressure circulates counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and is called an anticyclone.



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14. Question : Which is true of groundwater pollution?Student Answer:

It is not difficult to remove groundwater pollution.

65% of groundwater pollution is from non-point sources.

Underground gasoline storage tanks are no longer sources of pollution.

Urban run off is considered point source pollution.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

15. Question : The lower limit of water in the zone of aeriation is the water table.



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16. Question : Which of the following is true of the distribution of land and water on Earth?

Student Answer:

The Southern Hemisphere is dominated by water.

The Northern Hemisphere is dominated by water.

They are evenly distributed in both hemispheres.

There is more land than water over the surface of the Earth

17. Question : A geologic unit composed of clay would make a better aquifer than one composed of sand and gravel.



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18. Question : The ten largest rivers in the world combined, in terms of discharge, exceed the total groundwater resource.



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19. Question : The moist adiabatic rate (MAR) is less than the dry adiabatic rate (DAR) as a result of the release of the latent heat of condensation within the rising parcel of air



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20. Question : Which of the following is true of the hydrologic cycle?Student Answer:

The bulk of the precipitation occurs over land.

Most evaporation on Earth occurs over the continents.

Most of the water that falls on the continents is derived from the oceans.

The bulk of the precipitation occurs over the oceans.

C and D

Chapters 8, 9, 10

1. Question : The boundary between the crust and the rest of the lithospheric upper mantle is a discontinuity known as the

Student Answer: Gutenberg.

mantle.

Moho.

lithospheric layer.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

2. Question : After a threshold is crossed, the landscapeStudent Answer: remains unstable thereafter.

adjusts to a new equilibrium condition.

looks identical to the landscape that existed prior to the crossing of the threshold.

Any of the above are equally likely to occur.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

3. Question : Which of the following is matched correctly?Student Answer: granite - metamorphic

basalt - sedimentary

marble - metamorphic

sandstone - igneousPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

4. Question : The convex upper portion of a typical slope is called aStudent Answer: pediment.

debris slope.

waxing slope.

free face.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

5. Question : An element or combination of elements that forms an inorganic, natural compound is called a

Student Answer: tectonic rock.

granitic compound.

mineral.

carbonite.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

6. Question : A topographic region that is characterized by local relief of more than 100 m (325 ft.), but less than 600 m (2000 ft.), is considered a

Student Answer: plain.

high tableland.

hill or low tableland.

mountain.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

7. Question : The steepness of a slope made of loose material is called theStudent Answer: height of the slope.

angle of repose.

mass movement gradient.

the speed of the particles.Points Received: 1 of 1

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8. Question : The history of life on Earth is chronicled in which type of rock?Student Answer: igneous

metamorphic

sedimentary

mineralPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

9. Question : Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in Earth, from the surface to the center?

Student Answer: crust, core, lower mantle, aesthenosphere

aesthenosphere, lower mantle, crust, core

crust, lower mantle, aesthenosphere, core

crust, aesthenosphere, lower mantle, corePoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

10. Question : The major rocks of Earth's crust are classified into principal types based on

Student Answer: element composition.

mineral composition.

three specific rock-forming processes; i.e., the manner in which they formed.

relative and absolute locations.Points Received: 0 of 1

Comments:

11. Question : Which of the following is true of joints?Student Answer: Joints are small, localized fault planes along which movement

occurs.

Joints enable more water to move through the ground.

Joints enhance the rate of weathering.

Both B and C.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

12. Question : Which of the following is incorrectly matched?Student Answer: denudation - endogenic

tectonic uplift - endogenic

heavy rainfall - exogenic

weathering and erosion - exogenicPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

13. Question : The process of isostatic adjustment is most closely associated with which of the following?

Student Answer: lithospheric plate collisions

volcanic activity

sea-floor spreading

buoyancyPoints Received: 1 of 1

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14. Question : Because of the processes responsible for the formation of the Himalayan Mountains, the crust in this region of the world has been

Student Answer: shortened.

extended.

folded.

both A and CPoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

15. Question : The dynamic equilibrium model refers toStudent Answer: a balancing act between tectonic uplift and rates of denudation

by weathering and erosion in a given landscape.

a theory involving the cyclic or evolutionary development of a landscape.

a sequential development of landforms.

an important concept first stated by William Morris Davis.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

16. Question : A rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as

Student Answer: sedimentary.

metamorphic.

igneous.

basalt.Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

17. Question : One side of a sand dune is typically steeper than the other side. The steepest slope is controlled by the angle of repose for sand and most materials, which is about __________.

Student Answer: 15°

34°

47°

66°Points Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

18. Question : What type of rock is derived from the bits and pieces of former rocks?

Student Answer: sedimentary

metamorphic

igneous

granitePoints Received: 1 of 1

Comments:

19. Question : Which of the following is incorrect relative to hot spots across

Earth's surface?Student Answer: Hot spots can occur beneath both oceanic and continental crust.

They always remain fixed in relationship to the migrating plates.

They are responsible for the formation of the Hawaiian-Emperor Islands chain.

Hot spot activity formed Iceland, which sits atop a sea-floor spreading ridge in the North Atlantic


Comments:

20. Question : Foreshocks may be caused byStudent Answer: the breaking of some asperities before the main movement

occurs.

small movements that occur when some rocks break in limited areas of a fault plane prior to the main movement.

a limited number of lapilli breaking prior to the main movement.

all of the above.

Chapters 11, 12, 13

Chapters 14, 15

1. The E horizon is dominated by __________, whereas the B horizon is dominated by __________. (Points : 1)

eluviation; illuviation

eluviation; podzolation

illuviation; eluviation

laterization; illuviation

2. If humus were lost from the soil due to excessive farming or soil erosion, which of the following could occur? (Points : 1)

loss of soil structure

loss of fertility

loss of water-holding capacity

all of the above

3. Which of the following is true of valley glaciers? (Points : 1)

The snowfield sources for these glaciers are usually found right at the snowline.

They occur in an unconfined environment like an open plain.

They may range in length from 100 m (325 ft.) to 100 km (62 mi.).

They remain stationary and do not move.

4. A mixture of decomposed organic matter in soil that is usually dark in color is called (Points : 1)

regolith.

polypedon.

humus.

mineral matter.

5. A continuous mass of ice covering a large landmass is known as a (Points : 1)

tidal glacier.

mountain glacier.

continental glacier.

valley glacier.

6. A soil order characteristic of the Amazon Basin is a(n) (Points : 1)

Alfisol.

Aridisol.

Spodosol.

Oxisol.

7. Which of the following is not an adaptation to living in periglacial regions? (Points : 1)

buildings placed directly on frozen, hard surfaces

water and sewage lines in elevated trays above the ground

raised oil pipelines above the frozen ground

careful maintenance of rail tracks and roadbeds in the summer

8. At present, which of the soil orders of Soil Taxonomy occupy the most land area in the United States? (Points : 1)

Oxisols

Aridisols

Mollisols

Spodosols

9. Which of the following would not be found in an alpine glacial valley? (Points : 1)

paternoster lakes

hanging valleys

waterfalls

esker

10. In nature, approximately __________ of the calories in plant matter survive from the primary to the secondary trophic (feeding, nutrition) level. (Points : 1)

10 percent

30 percent

50 percent

90 percent