Which parts of the Earth are contained in the lithosphere?
The lower mantle and the crust.
Both the inner and outer core.
The upper mantle and the crust.
The outer core and lower mantle.
Which statement about the four spheres of Earth is true?
Scientists think there are more than four spheres of Earth.
They often occur in the same place and interact.
They describe distinct layers of Earth's interior.
They occur in the same place, but do not interact.
Which of these is NOT one of the four spheres of Earth that are said to drive all its processes and support life on the planet?
Lithosphere
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Geosphere
Which of Earth's interior layers is liquid iron?
The mantle
None are liquid
The outer core
The inner core
The interior of the Earth is part of which sphere?
The atmosphere
The biosphere
The hydrosphere
The geosphere
Which of these is part of the Earth's lithosphere?
Liquid Mantle
Crust
Hydrosphere
Core
Which of the following is true about the Hawaiian islands?
The islands are all the same age.
none
There is no order to their age.
The islands get older as you travel northwest.
Which of the following is NOT a reason that sphere interactions are important?
They recycle material on Earth.
They form the overall system of Earth.
They help to keep matter in one place.
They change matter through different phases.
Why is the inner core solid?
Because it is under too much pressure to melt.
Because it consists mostly of silicon.
Because it is very hot.
Because of plasticity.
A plant rooted in the ground has a connection to which sphere(s)?
Biosphere and hydrosphere only
Geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere
Biosphere only
Hydrosphere, atmosphere, and geosphere
How can you tell where one sphere ends and the next one begins?
You calculate which sphere is more involved.
You find the exact point where they meet.
There are no hard rules, and often spheres overlap.
You look it up in a textbook.
Why can both P and S waves travel through the mantle?
The mantle is not very far below the Earth's surface.
Parts of the mantle are solid and other parts are liquid.
The mantle is a liquid.
The mantle is a solid.
We look up in the sky and see a cloud. Which sphere is this cloud in?
The geosphere only
Both the hydrosphere and atmosphere
The atmosphere only
The hydrosphere only
How are mantle plumes and hot spots related?
None are correct
Hot spot is another word for mantle plume.
Mantle plumes rise & break through the crust, make hot spots
Hot spots erupt and form mantle plumes.
What is the cause of earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains on Earth?
Convection currents in the mantle.
Movements in the outer core.
Convection currents in the crust.
Sinking of the oceanic crust.
How does the inner core differ from the outer core?
The inner core is made of iron the outer core is lithium
The inner core is very cold while the outer core is very hot
The inner core is characterized by plasticity.
The inner core is solid, while the outer core is liquid.
What is the name of the Earth's outermost, 60-mile-thick, layer?
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Asthenosphere
Biosphere
What happens to P waves when they reach the outer core?
They slow down because it is liquid.
They speed up because it is liquid.
They speed up because it is solid.
They slow down because it is solid.
Which of the following events is LEAST likely to trigger a tsunami?
Rock weathering in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands
An underwater landslide
An underwater earthquake that causes a plate to move upwards
A volcanic eruption on the Big Island of Hawaii
How do we know that seismic waves have reached a new layer in the Earth's interior?
Nothing happens, they simply travel through.
They get bounced back when they reach the mantle.
They travel all the way to the core before bouncing back.
They change speed as they reach different layers.
Which is NOT one of Earth's four spheres?
The geosphere
The biosphere
The troposphere
The hydrosphere
Why are plants and animals part of the biosphere?
Because they can travel in the air.
Because they live on the ground.
Because all living things are part of the biosphere.
Because they can migrate.
If scientists can ONLY detect P waves in a certain layer of the Earth's interior, what does that tell us?
We know that the layer is solid.
We know that the layer is the mantle.
We know that the layer is liquid.
We know that the layer could be either liquid or solid.
Why is rain not part of the atmosphere?
Because it is part of the geosphere.
Because it is part of the biosphere.
Because it is part of the hydrosphere.
Because it moves between spheres.