1-Dark & rough / absorbs light
Light & smooth / reflects light
2-The earth’s orbit is / nearly circular
3-Two proofs that the earth rotates / Coriolis Effect & Foucaults
Pendulum
4-The proof that the universe is expanding is /the redshift
5-Porosity does NOT depend on / particle size
6-The sediments deposited at the mouth of a river form a / delta
7-Plate tectonics is caused by/mantle convection currents
8-The farther you go from the center of a ridge/the older the rocks
get
9- The weather in a high is/ nice (sunny no precip)
The weather in a low is/ bad (cloudy &
precip)
10-One seismograph can give you/epicenter distance
To get the direction you need/three seismographs
11- Streams valleys are / V shaped
12-The mineral & rock that react to acid are/ calcite & limestone
13-The 500 rule says/over 500 add a 9, below 500 add a 10, and always
add a decimal
14-As particle size increases, permeability / increases
15-A new moon occurs when / the moon is between the earth & the
sun
A full moon occurs when / the earth
is between the sun & the moon
16-Minerals are identified on the basis of / well defined physical
and chemical properties
17-As particle size increases, capillary action / decreases
18-The basic elements of most minerals are / oxygen and silicon
19-The physical properties of minerals depends upon / the internal
arrangement and bonding of atoms
20-Rocks are classified on the basis of / their origin (how they formed)
21-Igneous rocks form by / the crystallization of molten magma or lava
(intergrown crystals)
22-Crystal size in igneous rocks depends on / the rate of cooling
23-Intrusive igneous rocks form / slowly beneath the earth’s surface
(large crystals)
24-Extrusive igneous rocks form / quickly on the earth’s surface (small
crystals)
25-Continents are / granite and thick
Oceans are / basalt and thin
26-Sedimentary rocks form from / sediments, evaporation of water and
organic remains
27-Rocks are identified by their / texture
Igneous / Coarse, fine, glassy, vesicular
Sedimentary / clastic
Metamorphic / foliated
28-Fossils are found almost exclusively in / sedimentary rocks
29-Metamorphic rocks form from / other rocks by the action of heat
and/or pressure (recrystallization)
30-Contact metamorphism occurs when / molten rock comes in contact
with other rocks
31-Regional metamorphism occurs / over large areas and is associated
with mountain building
32-A solar eclipse happens when / The moon is between the earth &
the sun and it blocks out the sun
33-A lunar eclipse happens when / the Earth is between the sun &
the moon and the Earths shadow hits the moon
34-We know the outer core is liquid because / S waves cant go through
it
35-The area drained by a river and its tributaries is a / watershed
36-The closer & larger two objects are / the greater the force
of gravity
37-Plate tectonics says / the earth’s lithosphere is divided into pieces
called plates that move
38-The 3 types of plate boundaries are / divergent (moving away at
mid ocean ridges), convergent (coming together) and transform (sliding
/ San Andreas Fault)
39-Subduction is when / one plate sinks under another forming a trench
40-Weathering occurs when rocks are exposed to / the hydrosphere, biosphere,
& atmosphere
41-Moist & warm climates favor / chemical weathering
42-Moist & cold climates favor / physical weathering
43-When in doubt / use the reference tables
44-As particle size decreases / surface area increases & the rate
of weathering increases
45-Soils develop as a result of / weathering and biological activity
46-The primary force that drives the agents of erosion is / gravity
47-Become one with / the index cards
48-The closer isolines are / the steeper the gradient
49-Stream velocity depends on / gradient and volume of water
50-The outside of a meander bend is / fast and erodes. The inside
of a meander bend is / slow and deposits
51-As stream velocity increases, the size of the particles that can
be transported / increases
52-Streams carry sediments by / solution, suspension, bouncing &
rolling
53-The particles that settle out first are / larger, most dense, and
roundest
54-Water and wind deposits are / sorted by size and layered
55-Gravity and glacial deposits are / unsorted
56-Resistant layers of rock / stick out (forms cliffs)
57-Glacial landscapes show / U shaped valleys, depressions, irregular
hills, scratched boulders
58-In undisturbed strata, the bottom layer is / older
59-Faults, folds, & intrusions are / younger than the rocks they
are found in
60-Index fossils are / found over a wide area and existed for a short
period of time
61-Rocks / Remember
62-An unconformity is a / buried erosional surface
Unconformities represent a / gap in
the geologic record
63-Precipitation occurs when: warm, moist air rises, expands and cools
64-The half life of a radioactive istope / cannot be changed
65-Carbon is used to date / recent organic remains
66-Most life forms of the geologic past have / become extinct
67-Warm air is capable of / holding more water vapor than cool air
68-As altitude increases, air pressure / decreases
69-Wind is named for / the direction it comes from
Wind is caused by / differences in air
pressure
70-The closer air temperature is to the dew point / the greater the
chance of precipitation
71-Air in a low pressure area is / warm & moist
Air in a high pressure area is / cool & dry
72-The altitude of Polaris equals / the latitude of the observer
73-A rising barometer means / good weather is coming
A falling barometer means / bad weather is
coming
A steady barometer means / no change
74-Fronts occur where / air masses meet
75-The most likely areas for precipitation are / the leading edges
of air masses (fronts)
76-The circulation around a low pressure system is / counterclockwise,
toward the center, where air rises
The circulation around a high pressure system
is / clockwise, away from the center, where air sinks
77-Weather systems in the US usually move / from west to east (with
a hook to the NE)
78-CT / warm & dry CP / cool & dry
MT / warm & moist MP / cool
& moist
79-Hurricanes form / over warm oceans in summer and autumn
80-Hurricanes lose strength / as they move over land or cool water
81-To find Polaris (N. star) / go 5 times the distance between the
pointer stars of the big dipper
82-The earth rotates / west to east, 15 degrees per hour, in 24 hours
or one day
83-In the US, at noon, to see the sun you have to face / south
84-The earth revolves / counterclockwise, 1 degree per day, in 365
1/4 days or one year
85-As a planet gets closer to the sun / the faster it orbits
86-The earth’s orbit around the sun is / nearly circular
87-The moon revolves / around the earth, in an elliptical orbit, in
one month
88-The seasons are caused by / the tilt of the earth’s axis & the
revolution around the sun
89-The intensity of sunlight varies with / the angle of
the sun
90-The sun is most intense at an angle of / 90
91-Shadows get longer as the sun / gets lower
92-Summer solstice / June 21
sun rises / north of east
sun sets / north of west
sun’s altitude / highest of year
vertical ray hits / tropic of cancer
NY gets / 16 hours of daylight
North Pole gets / 24 hours of daylight
93-Winter solstice / December 21
sun rises / south of east
sun sets / south of west
sun’s altitude / lowest of year
vertical ray hits / tropic of Capricorn
NY gets / 8 hours daylight
North Pole gets / 0 hours daylight
94-Vernal Equinox / March 21
Autumnal Equinox / September 23
sun rises / due east
sun sets / due west
vertical ray hits / equator
whole earth gets / 12 hours
95-The equator always receives / 12 hours of intense sunlight
96-The earth absorbs mostly / short wavelength light energy
The earth reradiates mostly / long wavelength
heat energy
97-Gases such as carbon dioxide / prevent the escape of heat causing
the greenhouse effect
98-Marine climate has / cool summers & warm winter
Continental climate has / cold winter &
hot summers
99-Leeward side of a mountain is / dry & warm due to compression
Windward side of a mountain is / cool & moist due to expansion
THE DREADED 13 EARTH SCIENCE FACTS
1- The 3 types of plate boundaries are / divergent (moving away at mid
ocean ridges), convergent (coming together) and transform (sliding/San
Andreas Fault)
2- Glacial landscapes show / U shaped valleys, depressions, irregular
hills, scratched boulders 3-The physical properties of minerals depends
upon / the internal arrangement and bonding of atoms
4-Igneous rocks form by / the crystallization of molten magma or lava
(intergrown crystals)
5-Sedimentary rocks form from / sediments, evaporation of water and
organic remains
6-Metamorphic rocks form from / other rocks by the action of heat and/or
pressure (recrystallization)
7-The closer air temperature is to the dew point / the greater the
chance of precipitation
8-A rising barometer means / good weather is coming
A falling barometer means / bad weather is
coming
A steady barometer means / no change
9-The circulation around a low pressure system is / counterclockwise,
toward the center, where air rises
The circulation around a high pressure system
is / clockwise, away from the center, where air sinks
10-The earth rotates / west to east, 15 degrees per hour, in 24 hours
or one day
11-The earth revolves / counterclockwise, 1 degree per day, in 365
1/4 days or one year
12-The moon revolves / around the earth, in an elliptical orbit, in
one month
13-Summer solstice / June 21
sun rises / north of east sun sets / north
of west
sun ‘s altitude / highest of year
vertical ray hits / tropic of cancer
NY gets / 16 hours North Pole gets / 24 hours
Winter solstice / December 21
sun rises / south of east
sun sets / south of west
sun’s altitude / lowest of year
vertical ray hits / tropic of Capricorn
NY gets / 8 hours North Pole gets / 0 hours
Equinoxes/ March 21/Sept 23
sun rise/ due east sunset/due west
vertical ray hits / equator