The Earth and Its Crustal Resources
1. The layer of the lithosphere that breaks off into large, slowly moving tectonic plates is called the (pp. 344-345)
A. mantle.
B. magma.
C. crust.
D. core.
E. inner core.
2. Tectonic plates are moved by (p. 345)
A. magnetic fields formed deep within the earth's mantle.
B. convection currents from the hot core.
C. contractions of the crustal layer as it cools.
D. subductions of oceanic plates over continental plates.
E. none of the above.
3. Due to continental drift, in about 30 million years Los Angeles will (p. 345)
A. slowly ride past Mexico City.
B. slowly ride past San Francisco.
C. have sunk directly toward the center of the earth about 30 miles while staying in its present position.
D. be in the position of present day Pittsburgh.
E. none of the above.
4. Igneous rocks (p. 346)
A. are made from cooled magma.
B. can be basalts.
C. can be limestones.
D. can be shales.
E. A and B.
F. all of the above.
5. Imagine you live in an area with limestone caves. These features are a good example of (p. 347)
A. hydrolysis.
B. sedimentation.
C. mechanical weathering.
D. chemical sedimentation.
E. all of the above.
6. Some soils in the western United States contain higher than normal levels of arsenic and selenium. The presence of these elements in the soil is caused by (p. 347)
A. chemical sedimentation.
B. evaporative sedimentation.
C. mechanical sedimentation.
D. biogenic sedimentation.
E. metamorphosis.
7. According to some geomorphologists, the second leading cause of earth moving, behind only the immense earth moving power of plate tectonics, is (p. 348)
A. acid rain.
B. nuclear weapons testing.
C. human activities.
D. hurricanes.
E. none of the above.
8. The metal consumed in the greatest quantity by world industry is (p. 348)
A. aluminum.
B. iron.
C. copper.
D. manganese.
E. chromium.
9. Strategic minerals (pp. 349-350)
A. are minerals that a nation cannot produce itself, but needs for its industry.
B. are often stockpiled by nations.
C. that are produced by less wealthy nations are sometimes mined with little regard for the environment when market values drop.
D. for the United States include bauxite and manganese.
E. all of the above.
10. According to the General Mining Law of 1872, mining companies (p. 350)
A. do not pay anything for the minerals they take from public land beyond the price of the land itself.
B. pay the same price for exclusive claim to land as they did in 1872: $2.50 to $5.00 per acre.
C. are responsible for cleanup of any waste that is produced as a result of their operations.
D. A and B.
E. all of the above.
11. The process of strip mining causes which of the following environmental problems? (p. 353)
A. erosion off of spoil banks
B. chemical and sediment pollution of rivers
C. soil compaction
D. A and B
E. all of the above
12. Which of the following illustrates an environmental problem caused by the copper smelters at Ducktown, TN? (p. 353)
A. acidified soil
B. charred soil
C. chromium poisoning
D. cyanide from heap-leaching
E. all of the above
13. One way that the earth's already mined mineral resources can be extended is through (p. 354)
A. heap-leaching.
B. increased smelting.
C. new mini steel mills.
D. garimperos.
E. none of the above.
14. Volcanoes can have environmental effects because (p. 357)
A. weathered volcanic material has created some of the earth's most fertile soils.
B. they often produce tsunamis.
C. a large eruption can produce a lot of sulfur dioxide which can cause global cooling.
D. A and C.
E. all of the above.
15. What types of human activities can increase the severity of flooding? (pp. 357-358)
A. clearing land and developing shopping malls around a city
B. building levees and straightening stream channels
C. retaining wetlands
D. A and B
E. A and C
F. all of the above