EOSC 114 Extinctions multiple choice - University of British Columbia EOSC 114

Document Content and Description Below

EOSC 114 Extinctions multiple choice 1. Which of the following is NOT a proposed strategy to prevent an extraterrestrial object from impacting Earth? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. Use solar... sails to shift its orbit. B. Use lasers to vapourize materials on its surface. C. Use robots to excavate material from its surface to reduce its mass. D . Use gravity slings to capture the object and mine it for precious metals. 100% E. Bombard with nuclear weapons to fragment the object. Score: 1/1 2. Which of the following hypothetical "biosphere crises" could be classified as a mass extinction? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. 55% of species in the oceans go extinct over 80,000 years. No extinctions of species on land. B. 45% of species lost over a 25 million year period 0% C. 10% of species extinct over a 50,000 year period. 25% of that number on land, 75% in the oceans. D. Complete extinction of one group of reptiles over 5,000 years. No other extinctions recorded. E. 32% of species extinct over a period of 1 million years. 45% of that number on land, 55% in the oceans. Score: 0/1 3. Which of the following regarding the biosphere is TRUE? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. The biosphere does not interact with either the atmosphere, ocean, or the solid Earth. B. Dinosaurs were not part of the Tertiary biosphere. 0% Student Response Value Correct AnsC. The biosphere has remained constant and unchanging since the Permo-Triassic extinction. D. The biosphere suffered a major drop in diversity at the end of the Permian. E. The biosphere came into existence around 10 million years ago. Score: 0/1 4. All of the following likely caused the Permo-Triassic extinction EXCEPT ______. Student Response Value Correct AnsA . widespread deforestation 100% B. massive loss of marine life in anoxic oceans C. decrease in continental biodiversity D. greenhouse warming E. loss of coastal and shallow water marine habitats Score: 1/1 5. What is the Oort cloud? Student Response Value Correct AnsA . A spherical cloud of comets surrounding the solar system beyond the orbit of Pluto. 100% B. The cloud of carbon dioxide that surrounded the Earth following the K/T impact event. C. A cloud of debris between the orbit of Mars and Jupiter. D. A cloud of carbon dioxide that surrounded the Earth following large scale volcanic events in the Deccan area of India. E. A rapidly moving cloud of hot ash and gas that flows down the flanks of a stratovolcano. Score: 1/1 6. All of the following have been used as supporting evidence for an impact event in the late Cretaceous EXCEPT ______. Student Response Value Correct AnsA. the presence of a large circular structure off the coast of Mexico B. the presence of elevated levels of iridium C. the presence of shocked quartz D. the extinction of ammonites E . evidence of glaciers in Gondwana 100% Score: 1/1 7. If you were a paleontologist looking for evidence of an ancient global fire, which of the following would you say definitely points to one? Student Response Value Correct AnsA . a sudden increase in fern spores relative to pollen 100% B. extinction of fern-eating mammals C. lots of ferns in a forest D. no ferns in specific locations E. giant ferns of various ages Score: 1/1 8. Why was it difficult for people in the early centuries to comprehend and accept the idea of a very old Earth (older than thousands of years)? Student Response Value Correct AnsA . Observations from fossils and rock strata were limited to unknown areas outside Europe. 0% B. Calendars and clocks had not been invented yet. C. It conflicted with their belief that Earth was created as we know it today. D. Strong evidence by scientists who studied the formation of mountains and river valleys supported the idea of a young Earth. E. Geologists/paleontologists were not trusted at that time. Score: 0/1 9. Asteroids are ______. Student Response Value Correct AnsA. larger than the entire of British Columbia B. primarily composed of condensed gases C. mainly composed of sedimentary rocks D. comets without tails E . generally found inside the orbit of Jupiter 100% Score: 1/1 10 . Which of the following sequence of events probably BEST describes conditions on Earth following the impact at Chicxulub? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. hot house conditions (days) ⇒ cold house conditions (years) B. initial inferno and vaporization of all close to impact ⇒ cold house conditions (years) ⇒ hot house conditions (days) C. initial inferno and vaporization of all close to impact ⇒ cold house conditions (months) ⇒ hot house conditions (years) 100% D. hot house conditions (days) ⇒ cold house conditions (years) ⇒ glaciation (million years) E. initial inferno and vaporization of all close to impact ⇒ cold house conditions (years) ⇒ glaciation (decades) Score: 1/1 11 . Fossil fern spores can be used as a proxy for which of the following events? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. tsunami 000B. ocean anoxia Student Response Value Correct AnsC. earthquakes D. forest fires 100% E. glacial events Score: 1/1 12 . Which of the following statements about the Principle of Faunal Succession is TRUE? Student Response Value Correct AnsA . Fossils succeed one another from oldest to youngest due to evolution. 100% B. Strata cannot be correlated across large continental areas. C. Ancient life was most successful after global forest fires. D. Evolutionary success has been too rapid to allow for accurate correlation of strata. E. Fossils are generally not affected by mass extinction events. Score: 1/1 13 . The organisms most responsible for biological extinctions today are ______. Student Response Value Correct AnsA . humans 100% B. viruses C. domestic dogs D. fungi E. domestic cats Score: 1/1 14 . How is acid rain generated after a meteorite impact? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. Forest fires cause the flesh of animals to burn, releasing amino acids to the Student Response Value Correct AnsB. The blast causes nitrogen and oxygen to form oxides of nitrogen which interacts with water to form nitric acid. 100% C. The heat from the blast causes the rapid evaporation of sea water and release of chlorine acids to the atmosphere. D. Tektites interact with rainwater creating "tektite rain", which is rich in hydrochloric and sulphuric acids. E. The very high heat melts pure sandstone to form sulphuric acid that gets released directly into the atmosphere. Score: 1/1 15 . An impact event in the 20th century that could have caused a mass extinction on Earth (if it hit us) occurred in _________. Student Response Value Correct AnsA . Siberia 0% B. Yucatan C. Mars D. the Sun E. Jupiter Score: 0/1 16 . What is the significance of high levels of iridium in Late Cretaceous sediments? Student Response Value Correct AnsA. It proved that the K/T meteorite crater was in the Northern Hemisphere. B. It was evidence that large-scale earthquakes did not contribute to the K/T extinction. C. It supported the idea that global fires occurred in the Late Cretaceous, contributing to the mass extinction. D. It is proof that the Late Cretaceous biosphere was stressed by iridium contamination prior to the K/T extinction. E . It supports the idea that an extraterrestrial object collided with the Earth at that time, contributing to a mass extinction. 100% Score: 1/1 17 . Which of the following will make this statement TRUE? "Most asteroids ______." Student Response Value Correct AnsA. contain very little ice and water B. are over 30,000 km in diameter 0% C. develop a long tail of gas when approaching the Sun D. are located in a belt outside our solar system [Show More]

Last updated: 2 years ago

Preview 1 out of 55 pages