Earth Science MCQ Questions and Answers for Practice

1. A volcano which is composed of lava flows and pyroclastic material and which is steep-sided and very tall is known as:

1. Syncline
2. Composite cone
3. Anticline
4. none of these

2. Fine parallel lines, or striations, are most likel to be seen on a cleavage surface of which of the following minerals?

1. quartz
2. orthoclase
3. hornblende
4. plagioclase (pron: play-gee-o-klase)

3. Global climate change is being attributed to the atmospheric increase in what two gases produced by human activities?

1. oxygen and hydrogen
2. ozone and methane
3. nitrous oxide and sulfur dioxide
4. methane and carbon dioxide

4. Iceland has a great deal of volcanic activity. The reason for this is:

1. it was formed above a mid-ocean rift.
2. it is part of the Ring of Fire.
3. two tectonic plates are rubbing against each other under Iceland.
4. the American plate is diving under the European plate in this region.

5. In geological studies, a dome shaped intrusion is called a:

1. volcanic neck
2. laccolith
3. nuee ardente
4. caldera

6. In geological studies, all of the following are TRUE of P waves except that they:

1. are body waves
2. travel like sound waves
3. can pass through liquids
4. are slower than S waves

7. Of the following, the rock that is most resistant to both chemical and mechanical weathering is:

1. shale
2. limestone
3. marble
4. quartzite

8. Shiprock in New Mexico is a:

1. laccolith
2. volcanic neck
3. cinder cone
4. caldera

9. The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is in the range of:

1. 1-10 parts per million
2. 10-100 parts per million
3. 100-1000 parts per million
4. 1000-10,000 parts per million

10. The ice sheet that covered northeastern United States came from which of the following locations?

1. Labrador center in eastern Canada
2. Keewatin center in central Canada
3. Cordilleran center in the Rocky Mountains
4. Greenland

11. The solidified lava of a volcano belongs to which rock family? Is it:

1. igneous
2. metamorphic
3. sedimentary
4. fossilized

12. The tanning rays of the sun are called:

1. infrared rays
2. visible light
3. ultraviolet rays
4. gamma rays

13. What is the relative humidity when the absolute humidity is 3 grams per cubic meter and the air has a capacity of 12 grams per cubic meter?

1. 4%
2. 9%
3. 25%
4. 400%

14. What percentage of the earths atmosphere does O2 comprise?

1. 75%
2. 50%
3. 21%
4. 32%

15. Which of the following energy sources does NOT originally come from the Sun?

1. wind
2. Ocean thermal energy conversion
3. geothermal
4. hydroelectric