This exam is closed book, closed notes.  Please note that for some sections you will have a choice of which questions to answer.  Read all instructions.  Good luck!


True/False.  Answer all questions by circling the best choice.  There are ten 'real' questions and one bogus question.  The bogus question is not to be taken internally, and will not be graded.  (1 point each; 10 points total).

T	F	1.	Both sedimentary and igneous rocks may become metamorphic rocks if they are subjected to high temperatures and pressures.

T	F	2.	The terms 'weather' and 'climate' mean the same thing.

T	F	3.	The total amount of water on the Earth has remained nearly constant over time.

T	F	4.	The second law of thermodynamics (the tendency of heat to spread out) plays an important role in both atmospheric or oceanic circulation.

T	F	5.	Using underground aquifers as water supplies is similar to mining a nonrenewable resource because of the few years it takes to use up the water and the thousands of years it takes for the water to be replenished.

T	F	6.	Elvis has been positively sighted at the Cretaceous Tertiary (KT) boundary wearing a Hard Rock Café  (K)T-shirt..

T	F	7.	Water vapor is an important greenhouse gas.

T	F	8.	The atmosphere is largely transparent to the Sun's incoming visible and ultraviolet radiation.

T	F	9.	The Richter earthquake magnitude scale is not used by earth scientists anymore because very large earthquakes all have the same magnitude using this scale.

T	F	10.	An earthquake can rupture a fault for hundreds of kilometers.

T	F	11.	Tucson uses about the same amount of water as is put back in the earth by natural processes (mostly rain).


Multiple Guess.  Answer all questions by circling the best choice.  (2 points each; 30 points total).

1.	Ozone is:
	a.	O
	b.	O2
	c.	O3
	d.	CO2
	e.	Mostly Methane

2.	Limestone, such as that found on the cliffs of Lookout Mountain in Tennessee, is formed from
	a.	melted igneous rocks.
	b.	skeletons of sea animals.
	c.	grains of quartz.
	d.	granite.
	e.	slabs of slate.

3.	Plate tectonics
	a.	none of the below.
	b.	all of the below.
	c.	influences the atmospheric cycle.
	d.	influences the hydrological and rock cycles.
	e.	affects the distribution of the Earth's mountains and oceans.

4.	The most violent weather phenomenon known is the
	a.	monsoon.
	b.	hurricane.
	c.	tornado.
	d.	El Nino.
	e.	typhoon.

5.	The Rillito River at flood time is about 200 feet wide, 10 feet deep, and moving at a speed of 5 feet per second.  What is the flow rate at that time?
	a.	200 cfs (cubic feet per second).
	b.	10 cfs.
	c.	50 cfs.
	d.	2000 cfs.
	e.	10,000 cfs.

6.	Ocean currents
	a.	have no effect on climate.
	b.	are like rivers of moving water.
	c.	flow only from tropical areas to colder areas.
	d.	occur only at the deepest level of the ocean.
	e.	cause chlorine atoms to leave the ocean water quickly.

7.	What is the average elevation of the ozone layer?
	a.	50 to 60 miles.
	b.	20 to 30 miles.
	c.	30,000 feet.
	d.	12,000 feet.
	e.	varies with temperature.

8.	What is the ozone hole?
	a.	Annual drop in ozone concentrations over Antarctica.
	b.	Annual drop in ozone concentrations over Alaska.
	c.	Monthly drop in ozone concentrations over Antarctica.
	d.	Significant decrease in ozone levels due to the global warming.
	e.	Significant decrease in ozone levels due to acid rain.
Multiple Guess, con't

9.	During a large earthquake, displacements on a fault are on the order of:
	a.	millimeters
	b.	centimeters
	c.	meters
	d.	kilometers
	e.	half the circumference of the Earth

10.	Fossils (leaf prints, rain drop splatters, bones, footprints, etc.) tend to form in 
	a.	igneous rocks.
	b.	metamorphic rocks.
	c.	sophomoric rocks.
	d.	volcanic rocks.
	e.	sedimentary rocks.

11.	At low pressure regions, air tends to
	a.	drop down from above and spread out at the base, causing clouds and rain.
	b.	come in at the base and go up, causing clouds and rain.
	c.	drop down from above and spread out at the base, causing clear skies and dry weather.
	d.	come in at the base and go up, causing clear skies and dry weather.
	e.	none of the above.

12.	Knowing that igneous rocks are composed of mineral grains that grow as the rock cools, these grains would be
	a.	larger in a volcanic rock.
	b.	larger in a plutonic rock.
	c.	the same size in both volcanic and plutonic rocks.
	d.	larger in an extrusive rock.
	e.	none of the above.

13.	For every species alive today, about how many have lived in the past but are now extinct?
	a.	1.
	b.	1000.
	c.	1,000,000.
	d.	billions and billions.
	e.	It isn't possible to estimate how many.

14.	Without the greenhouse effect, Earth's average surface temperature (about 15oC) would be 
	a.	about the same as it is today.
	b.	about 20oC.
	c.	about 20 K.
	d.	about -20 K.
	e.	about -20oC.

15.	What factor(s) make(s) a species vulnerable to extinction?
	a.	limited geographic extent of the species.
	b.	limited tolerance to climate changes.
	c.	being high on the food chain.
	d.	only a and b.
	e.	a, b, and c.

 Short Answer. Answer 4 out of 6 questions.  If you answer more than 4 questions, only the first 4 will be graded.  There is no minimum length for an answer, and you should not need more than a sentence or two for any question.  (5 pts each; 20 pts total).  

 1.	Why do ocean currents tend to circulate clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere?












 2.	Why is the Pleistocene Extinction, which lasted from about 18,000 to 9,000 years ago and wiped out the large mammals of North America (mastadons, sabertooth cats, etc.), not considered a mass extinction? 












 3.	Ozone at ground level and stratospheric ozone get different reactions from policy makers.  Why?












  Short Answer, con't:  Remember, answer only 4 out of the 6 questions.

  4.	Why are there at least two purported palm trees in Cornwall, a coastal area of southern England along the Atlantic Ocean, even though it is located at a latitude of about 50N, above the latitude in Nova Scotia?













  5.	Why is Tucson in a desert?













  6.	The largest earthquake recorded in modern times occurred in May 1960 in Chile with a magnitude Mw = 9.5 (using the moment magnitude scale). What kind of a plate tectonic setting did it occur in? 








   Interpretation.  Answer 1 out of the 2 sets of questions below.  (20 points).














   a.	Which of the two diagrams above (#1 or #2) represents the expected global air circulation if the Earth were not rotating? (1 pt) 


   b.	Which part of the Earth (i.e., poles, mid-latitudes, equator, or?) receives the most solar energy? (2 pts)


   c.  Label diagram #2 with these terms: Westerlies; Easterlies; Trade-Winds.  (3 pts)

   d.	At a latitude of 15N, does the wind at low elevations tend to blow toward or away from the equator?  Circle the correct answer.  (2pts)

   e.	At a latitude of 15N, does the wind at high elevations tend to blow toward or away from the equator?  Circle the correct answer.  (2pts)


   f.	At what latitude(s) do the world's major deserts tend to form?  Also indicate with arrow(s) on Diagram #2 where these latitude(s) are located. (4 pts)


   g.	Why do deserts tend to form at these latitudes?  Be specific in terms of the global air flow patterns and moisture.  (6 pts)








   h.	Extra Credit:  Why is an El Niño called 'El Niño' (be specific) (3 pts)
    Interpretation, continued.  Remember, answer 1 out of the 2 sets of questions only.  (20 pts).

    2.  Consider the following graph of the numbers of families versus geologic time, which shows a number of mass extinctions:



























    a.	At which geologic boundary did the largest extinction occur?  How many millions of years ago did this happen?  (5 pts.)







    b.	About what percentage of families became extinct at this time?  Show your work!  (5 pts.)







     Interpretation, continued.  Remember, answer 1 out of the 2 sets of questions only.  (20 pts).

     2.  continued ...

     c.	About how many million years did it take for the number of families on the Earth to recover to the level before this extinction?  Show on the graph your answer as well.  (5 pts.)









     d.	Give one theory for the cause of the extinction at the Cretaceous Tertiary boundary that wiped out the dinosaurs.  (5 pts.)











     f.	Extra Credit:  What does the 'Cambrian Explosion' refer to?  (3 pts.)





      Essay. Please jot down your ideas and organize your thoughts on the back of the previous page.  Please write the essay with complete sentences that make your point.  Part of the grading will be on the clarity of your presentation. Remember that the essay is worth one fifth of this exam and work accordingly. (20 pts).

      1.	Describe the greenhouse effect, being sure to include the kinds of electromagnetic radiation involved, why the wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation are important, the primary gasses involved, and the role of humans.