Question 1

Which of the following statements does not lend support to the idea that carbon dioxide is a cause of global warming?

Accepted Answer

A)  Isotope ratios in atmospheric carbon dioxide show that much of the carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere today comes from the burning of fossil fuels.
B)  We understand the physical mechanism of the greenhouse effect, by which carbon dioxide increases cause an increase in the planet's temperature.
C)  Models of Earth's climate that include recent increases in carbon dioxide concentration match the observed temperature increases better than those that do not include it.
D)  Models of the greenhouse effect successfully predict the actual temperatures of Mars and Venus from their atmospheric carbon dioxide amounts.E) B) and C)
F) All of the above

Question 2

Which of the following gases absorbs ultraviolet light best?

Accepted Answer

A)  carbon dioxide
B)  oxygen
C)  nitrogen
D)  ozone
E)  hydrogenF) A) and D)
G) C) and E)

Question 3

Current CO₂ levels are higher than they have been at any other time during the history of the human species.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

Why does the Moon have a layer of "powdery soil" on its surface?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is the result of countless tiny impacts by small particles striking the Moon.
B)  It exists because the Moon accreted from powdery material after a giant impact blasted the Earth.
C)  It is made by the same processes that make powdery sand on Earth.
D)  Recent, large impacts shattered lunar rock to make this soil.E) B) and C)
F) None of the above

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of convection?

Accepted Answer

A)  different kinds of material separating by density, like oil and water
B)  gas bubbling upward through a liquid
C)  rocks sinking in water
D)  warm air expanding and rising while cooler air contracts and fallsE) All of the above
F) B) and C)

Question 6

All of the following statements are true. Which one provides strong observational support for the claim that greenhouse gases make a planet warmer than it would be otherwise?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mercury is much hotter than the Moon.
B)  Earth has a higher average temperature than Mars.
C)  Earth is the only planet with an ozone layer in its atmosphere.
D)  Venus has a higher average temperature than Mercury.E) None of the above
F) B) and D)

Question 7

Which of the following does not have a major effect in shaping planetary surfaces?

Accepted Answer

A)  magnetism
B)  erosion
C)  tectonics
D)  volcanism
E)  impact crateringF) C) and D)
G) B) and D)

Question 8

Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?

Accepted Answer

A)  It does not have a metallic core.
B)  It has too thick an atmosphere.
C)  It is too close to the Sun.
D)  It is too large.
E)  Its rotation is too slow.F) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 9

When we see a region of a planet that is not as heavily cratered as other regions, we conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)  the surface in the region is older than the surface in more heavily cratered regions.
B)  the planet is rotating very slowly and only one side was hit by impactors.
C)  there is little volcanic activity to create craters.
D)  the surface in the region is younger than the surface in more heavily cratered regions.
E)  the planet formed after the age of bombardment and missed out on getting hit by leftover planetesimals.F) A) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 10

A terrestrial world's lithosphere is _ .

Accepted Answer

A)  the interior region in which the planet's magnetic field is generated
B)  a layer of hot, molten rock encompassing the core and part of the mantle
C)  a thin layer of rock that lies between the mantle and crust
D)  a layer of relatively strong, rigid rock, encompassing the crust and part of the mantleE) A) and B)
F) B) and D)

Question 11

Why is Venus so much hotter than Earth?

Accepted Answer

A)  Venus is more massive.
B)  Venus has significant amounts of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere.
C)  Venus was formed before the Earth was.
D)  Venus rotates more slowly.
E)  Venus is closer to the Sun.F) C) and E)
G) C) and D)

Question 12

Which of the following planets has the least substantial atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mars
B)  Venus
C)  Mercury
D)  Earth
E)  NeptuneF) None of the above
G) C) and D)

Question 13

Which of the following general statements about Earth's atmosphere is not true?

Accepted Answer

A)  The oxygen in our atmosphere was released by living organisms.
B)  Without the relatively rare gas called ozone, Earth's surface would be bathed in dangerous ultraviolet light from the Sun.
C)  The nitrogen and oxygen in Earth's atmosphere keep the surface pleasantly warm.
D)  Gas high in the atmosphere absorbs dangerous X- rays from the Sun.E) A) and C)
F) A) and B)

Question 14

How does seafloor crust differ from continental crust?

Accepted Answer

A)  Seafloor crust is thicker, older, and higher in density.
B)  Seafloor crust is thicker, younger, and lower in density.
C)  Seafloor crust is thinner, younger, and higher in density.
D)  Seafloor crust is thinner, older, and lower in density.E) None of the above
F) C) and D)

Question 15

Suppose Earth's atmosphere had no greenhouse gases. Then Earth's average surface temperature would be

Accepted Answer

A)  15°C, or about the same as it is now.
B)  - 16°C, which is well below freezing.
C)  20°C, or about 5°C warmer than it is now.
D)  0°C, or about the freezing point for water.
E)  10°C or about 5°C cooler than it is now.F) A) and B)
G) A) and C)

Question 16

The Caloris Basin on Mercury covers a large region of the planet, but few smaller craters have formed on top of it. From this we conclude that

Accepted Answer

A)  the Caloris Basin formed toward the end of the solar system's period of heavy bombardment.
B)  the Caloris Basin was formed by a volcano.
C)  Mercury's atmosphere prevented smaller objects from hitting the surface.
D)  erosion destroyed the smaller craters that formed on the basin.
E)  only very large impactors hit Mercury's surface in the past.F) A) and E)
G) B) and E)

Question 17

Which of the following is not a product of outgassing?

Accepted Answer

A)  nitrogen
B)  water
C)  carbon dioxide
D)  oxygenE) A) and B)
F) A) and C)

Question 18

Higher temperatures make rocks weaker.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

Based on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so was .

Accepted Answer

A)  a global "repaving" that erased essentially all the surface features that had existed earlier
B)  the impact of an unusually large asteroid that left a deep scar on one side of the planet
C)  the eruption of a giant volcano that formed one of Venus's "continents"
D)  the onset of mantle convection, which caused Venus's lithosphere to split into plates like those on EarthE) B) and D)
F) B) and C)

Question 20

Explain how we can estimate the geological age of a planetary surface from its number of impact craters.

Accepted Answer

Even though impacts still occur today, t...

Exam 7: Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Which of the following is an example of convection?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The Caloris Basin on Mercury covers a large region of the planet, but few smaller craters have formed on top of it. From this we conclude that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

When we see a region of a planet that is not as heavily cratered as other regions, we conclude that

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Current CO₂ levels are higher than they have been at any other time during the history of the human species.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following statements does not lend support to the idea that carbon dioxide is a cause of global warming?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Higher temperatures make rocks weaker.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following gases absorbs ultraviolet light best?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Explain how we can estimate the geological age of a planetary surface from its number of impact craters.

Correct AnswerverifiedEven though impacts still occur today, t...View AnswerShow Answer

Why is Venus so much hotter than Earth?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following planets has the least substantial atmosphere?

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How does seafloor crust differ from continental crust?

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Which of the following most likely explains why Venus does not have a strong magnetic field?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A terrestrial world's lithosphere is _ .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why does the Moon have a layer of "powdery soil" on its surface?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

All of the following statements are true. Which one provides strong observational support for the claim that greenhouse gases make a planet warmer than it would be otherwise?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Based on its surface features, the most important event on Venus in the past billion years or so was .

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is not a product of outgassing?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following general statements about Earth's atmosphere is not true?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Suppose Earth's atmosphere had no greenhouse gases. Then Earth's average surface temperature would be

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following does not have a major effect in shaping planetary surfaces?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

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Even though impacts still occur today, t...
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