Earth Systems Final Review
Name:__________________________________________
Unit 1: Earth’s Materials (Ch. 1-4)
1. How did Earth’s early atmosphere form? (1.1) Gaseous materials were allowed to escape from Earth’s interior
(outgassing)
2. What property of minerals is identified on Moh’s Scale? (2.3) Hardness
3. In what landforms would you find regional metamorphism of metamorphic rocks? (3.4) Mountains
4. Define clastic sedimentary rocks. (3.3) rocks that are made of weathered bits of rocks and minerals
5. Lines that are close together on a topographic map indicate a (1.3) steeper slope.
6. What is the maximum elevation of the highest peak on the topographic map below? (1.3) 109 meters
7. What is the contour interval on the topographic map below? (1.3) 10 meters
8. Using the scale next to the map, what is the actual distance represented by 1 inch on the map? (1.3) 48,000
inches
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Unit 2:
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Scale 1: 48,000
Define density. (2.3) a property of matter that is the ratio of an objects mass to its volume (D=M/V)
Sculpturing Earth’s Surface (Ch. 5-7)
What is the main agent of chemical weathering? (5.1) Water
Why are nitrogen-fixing bacteria important for soil fertility? (5.2) they convert nitrogen gas into nitrogen
compounds that plants use
(5.1) Mechanical weathering occurs when physical forces break rock into smaller pieces without changing the
rock’s composition.
A rock’s mineral (5.1) composition can dramatically affect its rate of chemical weathering.
The (6.1) steeper the gradient or slope of a stream channel, the more energy it has and the faster it will flow.
What are the 5 factors in soil formation? (5.2) parent material, time, climate, organisms, and slope
Which horizon of the soil profile would be affected most by weathering and erosion? (5.2) A Horizon (topsoil)
Label the erosional landforms caused by valley glaciers. (7.1)
18. When a stream enters the relatively still waters of an ocean or lake, its velocity drops. As a result, the stream
deposits sediment and forms a (6.2) delta.
19. How does soil vary at different depths? (5.2) A: organic matter, small minerals; B: clay or silt; C: partially
weathered parent material; unweathered parent material
Unit 3: Forces Within (Ch. 8-11)
20. Which layer of earth’s interior is liquid? (8.4) outer core
21. The main source for mantle convection is energy released by (1.1) radioactive isotopes in the mantle, such as
uranium, thorium, and potassium.
22. What kind of plate boundary is associated with rift valleys? (9.3) Divergent boundaries
23. What landform is created at the convergence of two continental plate boundaries? (9.3) Mountain ranges
24. What type of plate boundary occurs where there is seafloor spreading? (9.2) Divergent boundaries
25. What are the three types of evidence for continental drift? (9.1)
a. Matching Fossils b. Rock Types c. Ancient Climates
26. What does a time-travel graph tell you about p and s waves? (8.2) The difference in arrival times can determine
an earthquake’s epicenter
27. What type of volcano is least explosive? (10.2) Shield Volcano Most explosive? Composite Cone (Stratovolcano)
28. What types of igneous activities are associated with the plate boundary on the west coast of the U.S.? (10.1)
Volcanic eruptions (Mt. St. Helens)
29. What type of plate boundary creates new crust? (9.3) Divergent boundaries
30. How does paleomagnetism provide evidence of continental drift? (9.2) Scientists inferred that as new basalt
forms along the mid ocean ridges, it becomes magnetized according to the polarity of Earth’s magnetic field at
the time. The matching pattern of strips on both sides of a ridge is evidence that sea-floor spreading occurs.
31. Define liquefaction. (8.3) a phenomenon associated with earthquakes in which soils and other unconsolidated
materials saturated with water are turned into a liquid that is not able to support buildings
Unit 4: Historical Geology (Ch. 12-13)
32. Why is there no rock record dating back to Earth’s formation 4.6 billion years ago? (13.1) Most rocks from this
time have been eroded away, subducted, or greatly metamorphosed.
33. Define the law of superposition. (12.1) In an undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, each layer is older
than the one above it and younger than the one below it.
34. List the divisions of the geologic time scale from longest to shortest. (12.4)
Eons > Eras > Periods > Epochs
35. Define the principle of cross-cutting relationships. (12.1) When a fault cuts through rock layers, or when magma
intrudes other rocks and hardens, then the fault or intrusion is younger than the rocks around it.
36. Geologists use (12.1) correlation to match rocks of similar age in different locations.
37. Define the principle of fossil succession. (12.2) Fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and
determinable order. Therefore, any time period can be recognized by its fossil content.
Unit 5:
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Meteorology (Ch. 17-21)
Near the equator, the sun’s energy strikes the planet at nearly (21.1) right angles.
Where would you find a cP air mass? (20.1) High latitudes and over land
How is a cold front shown on a weather map? (20.2) A blue line edged with blue triangles that point toward the
warmer air mass
Why is it warmer on a cloudy night? (17.3) Clouds act as a blanket by absorbing outgoing radiation emitted by
Earth and reradiating a portion of it back to the surface.
In the northern hemisphere, the winds of a cyclone blow (19.2) counterclockwise and toward the center.
What would happen if Earth’s temperatures rise due to climate change? Increased water vapor (GHG), sea ice
would melt causing sea level rise, more frequent storms, and weather pattern changes.
Where do maritime air masses form? (20.1) Over water
Astronomy (Ch. 22-25)
What is the correct order of the planets starting with the planet closest to the sun? (23.1) Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
According to Newton, every body in the universe attracts every other body with a force that is directly
proportional to their (22.1) masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their
center of mass.
What is the current theory of how the planets in our solar system formed? (23.1) According to the nebular
theory, the sun and planets formed from a rotating disk of dust and gases.
Draw a diagram of the positions of the sun, moon, and Earth during a solar eclipse. (22.2)
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What is the result of the Earth’s tilted axis? (22.2) Seasons
Between what planets would you find most of the asteroids in our solar system? (23.4) Mars and Jupiter
What planet, other than Earth, has evidence of surface water? (23.2) Mars
Name the 4 Jovian planets. (23.3) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
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Unit 6:
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