All Matches
Solution Library
Expert Answer
Textbooks
Search Textbook questions, tutors and Books
Oops, something went wrong!
Change your search query and then try again
Toggle navigation
FREE Trial
S
Books
FREE
Tutors
Study Help
Expert Questions
Accounting
General Management
Mathematics
Finance
Organizational Behaviour
Law
Physics
Operating System
Management Leadership
Sociology
Programming
Marketing
Database
Computer Network
Economics
Textbooks Solutions
Accounting
Managerial Accounting
Management Leadership
Cost Accounting
Statistics
Business Law
Corporate Finance
Finance
Economics
Auditing
Ask a Question
Search
Search
Sign In
Register
study help
physics
conceptual physical science
Questions and Answers of
Conceptual Physical Science
Carbonate rocks are formed mainly in marine environments. Why do we find abundant carbonate deposits on continental land?
Why are headlands prime areas for erosion?
As a volume of seawater freezes, the salinity of the surrounding water increases. Explain.
Because seawater does not freeze easily, sea ice never gets very thick. Where, then, do large icebergs originate?
Why is there more concern about melting polar ice caps than about melting icebergs?
What happens to the salinity of seawater when evaporation at the ocean surface exceeds precipitation? When precipitation exceeds evaporation? Defend your answer.
The Mediterranean Sea is very salty. What can you say about the relative rates of evaporation and precipitation over the Mediterranean?
If it is winter and January in Chicago, what are the corresponding season and month in Sydney, Australia?
Why are temperature fluctuations greater over land than over water? Explain.
What is the mass in kilograms of the air in a scuba tank that has an internal volume of 0.0100 m3 and is pressurized so that the density of the air in the tank is 240 kg/m3?
What factors set surface ocean currents in motion?
Explain the circulation pattern of the Gulf Stream.
Considering that our atmosphere developed as a result of volcanic eruptions, why aren’t there higher traces of atmospheric carbon dioxide, one of the principal volcanic gases?
How does the ocean influence weather on land?
Deep-water ocean currents transport water and heat all over the planet. Starting from the where the conveyor belt originates, place the following areas in the geographic sequence of the current’s
From the equator to the poles, place the following wind bands in order: (a) trade winds, (b) horse latitudes, (c) doldrums, (d) westerlies.
Beginning with the underlying cause, rank the factors that contribute to global air circulation from most to least significant: (a) pressure differences, (b) temperature differences, (c) Coriolis
Rising through Earth’s atmospheric layers, starting from ground level, place Earth’s atmospheric layers in order: (a) exosphere, (b) stratosphere, (c) troposphere, (d) thermosphere.
Going from continental land toward the deep ocean basin, place these parts of the continental margin in order: (a) slope, (b) shelf, (c) rise, (d) mid-ocean ridge.
Why are eastbound aircraft flights usually faster than westbound flights?
What are the trade winds?
Why are most of the world’s deserts found in the area known as the horse latitudes?
How does the Coriolis force determine the general path of air circulation?
What does the Coriolis force do to winds? To ocean currents?
In what direction does Earth spin: west to east or east to west?
What causes pressure differences to arise, and hence causes the wind to blow?
What is the underlying cause of air motion?
How is the atmosphere near Earth’s surface heated from below?
How does radiation emitted from Earth differ from radiation emitted by the Sun?
Why are the hours of daylight equal all around the world on the two equinoxes?
What does Earth’s tilt have to do with the change of seasons?
What does the angle at which sunlight strikes Earth have to do with the temperate and polar regions?What does Earth’s tilt have to do with the change of seasons?
Does temperature increase or decrease as one moves upward in the troposphere? As one moves upward in the stratosphere?
In which atmospheric layer does all our weather occur?
Why doesn’t gravity flatten the atmosphere against Earth’s surface?
What elements make up today’s atmosphere?
When do the highest high tides occur: during a spring tide or during a neap tide?
Why is a barrier island’s lagoon usually a quiet environment?
What is wave refraction? Why does it occur in ocean waves?
Why do waves become taller as they enter shallow water?
The salinity of the ocean varies from one place to another. What two factors lead to an increase in salinity? What two factors lead to a decrease in salinity?
Name four features of the ocean floor that can be found between two continents.
Explain the importance of photosynthesis in the evolution of the atmosphere.
Earth’s present atmosphere probably developed from gases that escaped from its interior during volcanic eruptions. What three principal atmospheric gases did these eruptions produce?
What were the main components of Earth’s first atmosphere? What happened to this atmosphere?
Why are temperature swings smaller over coastal lands than inland?
Species can go extinct when they are unable to adapt to changes in the environment or compete effectively with other organisms. The cause of extinction can be catastrophic or natural. What are some
Throughout geologic time, species have become extinct. Many scientists believe that Earth is presently experiencing one of the fastest mass extinctions of all time. This extinction is mainly the
How have modern humans affected geologic processes?
How did the loss of coastlines affect shallow marine life? Could this happen again?
What circumstances are likely to lead to the formation of continental-scale glaciers?
If sea level were to rise today, what land areas would be most affected? What life forms would be in danger of extinction?
During Earth’s long history, life has emerged and life has perished. Briefly discuss the emergence of life and the extinction of life during each era.
How old are the oldest rocks on Earth? About how old are the oldest rocks on the Moon?
How did the San Andreas Fault form?
What geologic event most likely resulted in the bending of the Hawaiian Island/Emperor Seamount chain?
How was the Gulf of California formed?
What is a likely cause of glacial–interglacial cycles? Are we currently in an ice age? Explain.
How did Pleistocene glaciations affect the land surface?
What event allowed the evolution of many mammals in the early Cenozoic era?
What was the impact on animal diversity as continents became separated from one another?
How did Pleistocene climate affect land-based animals?
What is the Anthropocene epoch?
What impact did the breakup of Pangaea have on sea level?
How does basaltic lava in a rift zone separate two landmasses?
Why does sea level rise when the rate of seafloor spreading increases?
Most scientists think the iridium-rich sediments found straddling the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary can be explained by a meteorite impact. Why are high concentrations of iridium significant?
Was there a time when dinosaurs and humans coexisted?
What effect did the breakup of Pangaea have on Earth’s climate?
How did the breakup of Pangaea impact land-based animal and plant life?
What is the significance of an amniote egg?
What are some potential worldwide consequences that can occur when all landmasses are joined together, as in the formation of Pangaea?
What can cause a rise in sea level? Is this likely to happen in the future? Why or why not?
Coal beds form from the accumulation of plant material that has become trapped in swamp floors. Yet coal deposits are found on the continent of Antarctica, where no swamps or vegetation exists. What
During the Silurian, many continental landmasses were covered by shallow seas. Yet this time period marks the emergence of land plants. How can this be?
What was the coldest period of the Paleozoic? What may have contributed to this cooling period?
Throughout the Paleozoic, sea level was variable; sometimes it was high and other times it was low. What was the primary cause of this variation in sea level?
Why are Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks such as limestone and dolomite found widely distributed in the continental interiors?
Geologists often refer to the early Paleozoic era as the Cambrian explosion. What do you think this term means?
What are stromatolites, and what is their significance in Earth’s history?
Why is it difficult to find fossils in Precambrian rocks?
A radiometric date is determined from mica that has been removed from a rock. What does the date signify if the mica is found in granite? What does the date signify if the mica is found in schist?
In dating a mineral, what is meant by “resetting the mineral’s time clock”?
Suppose you see a sequence of sedimentary rock layers covered by a basalt flow. A fault displaces the bedding of the sedimentary rock but does not cut into the basalt. Relate the fault to the ages of
What general assumption must be made to understand the processes that occurred throughout Earth’s history?
Refer to the accompanying figure. Using the principles of relative dating, determine the relative ages of the rock bodies and other lettered features. Start with this question: What was there first?
On a cross section, a dark wavy line is used to represent unconformities—missing layers of time. Match the following three types of unconformities—angular unconformity, nonconformity, and
If fine muds were laid down at a rate of 1 cm/1000 yr, how long would it take to accumulate a sequence 1 km thick?
With the formation of Pangaea, disconnected continents merged into one huge landmass. This decreased the amount of shallow marine environments, which led to mass extinctions during the Permian. Let
The decay of radioactive elements to stable elements can be used to “date” certain rocks and minerals. Going from dating oldest rocks to dating youngest rocks, rank the following radioactive
Going from oldest to youngest, rank these life forms: (a) rat bones, (b) fossil ferns, (c) trilobites, (d) dinosaur bones.
The geologic time scale is subdivided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs. Rank, from oldest to most recent, the following time periods: (a) Cretaceous, (b) Jurassic, (c) Triassic, (d) Tertiary, (e)
Throughout geologic time there have been several episodes of species extinction. Rank the following from most devastating to least devastating: (a) Ordovician, (b) Permian, (c) Cretaceous, (d)
The Cenozoic is known for many tectonic events. In sequential order, from earliest to most recent, list the following events: (a) formation of the Gulf of California, (b) formation of the Himalayas,
Throughout geologic time there have been many changes to Earth’s surface. From most recent to the most distant past, rank these tectonic events: (a) formation of the Appalachian Mountains, (b)
Our Earth has experienced several episodes of glaciation. Going from the most recent episode of glaciation to the oldest episode, rank these time periods: (a) late Precambrian, (b) Pleistocene, (c)
Each period of the Paleozoic saw marked changes in life forms. List the following life forms in the order in which they appeared on Earth during the Paleozoic: (a) reptiles, (b) fishes, (c) swamp
The Precambrian spans a huge amount of time. List the following highlights of the Precambrian from first to last: (a) stromatolites, (b) formation of the Moon, (c) appearance of primitive ozone
If a sedimentary rock contains inclusions of metamorphic rock, which rock is older? Defend your answer.
Granitic pebbles within a sedimentary rock have a radiometric age of 300 million years. What can you say about the age of the sedimentary rock? Nearby, a dike having a radiometric age of 200 million
Showing 1600 - 1700
of 3479
First
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Last