Rocks and minerals | Dynamic crust | Geologic history | Measuring earth | Astronomy |
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Which minerals contain the two most abundant elements by mass in Earth’s crust?
Amphibole and quartz
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The innermost layer of the earth is thought to be made of solid iron. What is the name of this layer?
Inner core
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What geologic event occurred most recently?
Initial opening of the Atlantic Ocean
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The true shape of the earth is best described as a
Slightly oblate sphere
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Which planet orbit around the sun is most nearly circular?
Venus
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Which processes lead directly to the formation of igneous rock?
Melting and solidification
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What causes tectonic plates to move?
Convection currents in the mantle
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When did the Jurassic period end?
144 million years ago
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At which location would an observer find the greatest force caused by the earth’s gravity?
North Pole
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One factor responsible for the strength of gravitational attraction between a planet and the sun is the
Distance between the planet and the sun
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Which rock is composed of the mineral halite that formed when seawater evaporated?
Rock salt
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Earths solid, rocky surface is the
Crust
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A well was drilled in Syracuse, New York. The first bedrock layer reached by the drill formed during which period?
Silurian
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Which object best represents a true scale model of the shape of the earth?
A Ping pong ball
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The modern heliocentric model of planetary motion states that the planets travel around
The sun in slightly elliptical orbits
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Which two rocks have the most similar composition?
Granite and Phyllite
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What is the minimum number of seismograph stations needed to locate an earthquake epicenter?
3
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Geologists have subdivided geologic time into periods that are based on
Fossil evidence
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The polar circumference of the earth is 40,008 kilometers. What is the equatorial circumference?
40,076
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Which planet has a density that is less than the density of liquid water?
Mercury
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Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils?
Shale
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Which wave can only go through solids?
Secondary
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During which of the following geologic periods did trilobites exist?
Devonian
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As an observer travels northward from New York State, the altitude of the north star
Increases directly with the latitude
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Which planet has completed less than one orbit of the sun in the last 100 years?
Neptune
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