lec-quiz-1-SP21

Environmental Geology (GEOL 1200) Lecture Quiz 1 January 29, 2021 1. The geologic process of continental scale glacier formation during the last Ice Age affected the environment of the Upper Midwest of the U.S., and thus human life, in which of the following ways? a. creation of fertile soils b. alteration of landscape and topography c. creation of water resources (lakes, streams, groundwater) d. all of the above e. none of the above 2. The view that continued progress and provision of material needs for mankind can be met by similarly continued advances in technology is called a. Malthusian b. Merrittian c. Freemanian d. Cornucopian e. Newtonian 3. Which of the following eras in the geologic time scale is oldest? a. Mesozoic b. Paleozoic c. Cenozoic 4. A system whose boundaries can be crossed by energy but not by matter is said to be a. open b. closed c. isolated d. secure e. exposed 5. Natural fluxes of CO 2 into Earth’s atmosphere are about equal in magnitude to natural fluxes of CO 2 out of Earth’s atmosphere. a. true b. false 6. The purpose of the Biosphere 2 experiment was to a. model life in a space colony b. provide a safe haven for endangered species of desert plants c. test the effects of high levels of radiation on various species of insects d. determine if humans could survive in the type of atmosphere thought to have existed during the early history of the Earth e. test the efficiency of solar powered air conditioning units 7. Which of the following is true of the hydrosphere? a. all of the planets and moons in our solar system have a hydrosphere b. evaporation, precipitation, and surface runoff are components of Earth’s hydrosphere c. free-flowing liquid water has been shown to exist throughout the entire thickness of the Earth 1

d. the hydrosphere does not extend into the Earth’s atmosphere e. the hydrosphere is geologically inert, i.e. water does not participate significantly in any geological processes 8. Which of the following is true of heat energy within the Earth? a. it accounts for a smaller fraction of Earth’s energy budget than solar energy b. it has little effect on geologic processes c. it is produced mainly from the spinning of the Earth on its axis of rotation d. the Earth’s heat energy is primarily concentrated in the pedosphere 9. Which of the following is currently the greatest source of energy in the U.S.? a. nuclear b. solar c. wind d. petroleum e. coal 10. Which of the following curves in the figure below represents a non-renewable resource? a. A b. B c. C 11. Globally, environmental impact has generally increased over the past two centuries because a. human population has increased b. consumption of material resources has increased c. all of the above d. none of the above 12. Human population is growing at about the same rate everywhere in the world. a. true b. false 13. An average birth rate of ______ children per woman is the “replacement level” at which the population of a society remains constant over time. a. 1.1 b. 2.1 c. 3.1 d. 4.1 e. 5.1 2