1. Over time, this rocky cliff will become many smaller rocks and eventually sand particles. This is due to which process?

A) erosion B) deposition C) weathering D) evaporization

2. The surfaces of old concrete statues are often covered with small holes or pits. Which of these MOST LIKELY causes these holes or pits?

A) Long exposure to sunlight causes the pits to form.

B) The concrete is chemically weathered by acid rain.

C) The concrete is chipped away by sand particles blown by strong winds.

D) The concrete becomes pitted as water freezes in small cracks in the statue.

3. How do active volcanoes located on islands create more land area on these islands?

A) Lava from volcanoes cools and hardens, forming more land.

B) Lava from volcanoes melts through old rocks, exposing more land.

C) Heat from volcanoes causes the ocean to evaporate, exposing more land.

D) Heat from volcanoes causes minerals in seawater to condense, forming more land.

4. The major process that wears down whole mountain ranges is

A) earthquakes. B) weathering. C) plate movement. D) silt deposition.

5. What is the primary cause of volcanoes and earthquakes?

A) crustal plate movement B) Earth's gravitational force

C) higher than usual tides D) solar magnetic storms

6. Rocks are affected by heat and pressure. One source of this pressure is

A) energy from the Sun.

B) burning of fossil fuels.

C) the mass of overlying rocks.

D) the decomposition of organic materials.

7. Sedimentary rocks are not found on the Moon because

A) there is no silicon on the Moon.

B) lava flows are missing from the surface.

C) the Moon's gravity is too weak.

D) there is no weathering on the Moon

8. The surface of Earth is always changing. Some changes are due to plate tectonic activity, such as volcano eruptions and earthquakes. Other times changes are the work of water, wind, or ice.

Part AExplain how each of the following processes changes rocks and the surface of Earth.1. Weathering2. Erosion3. Deposition

Part BDescribe one human activity that increases the harmful effects of erosion on Earth's surface.

9. Some physical processes on Earth such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and waves crashing on the shore are easily observed and occur in a short period of time. Some processes are not as easily seen and are slow to affect surroundings, but they still have an effect on Earth's surface.

Part ADescribe two natural processes that are occurring on the hillside shown in the diagram.

Part BDescribe how the hillside might be affected by a heavy rainfall.

Part CDescribe how less vegetation will affect the features of the hillside.

10. Soil is made up of layers. The soil layers shown below are from a grassland environment where the soil has plenty of dead plant material to provide nutrients.

Part ADescribe the composition of Layer 1.

Part BWhich soil layer has the most nutrients available for plants growing in the soil?

Part CDescribe the weather conditions that could increase the thickness of Layer 2.

Part DExplain the process that helps form the soil of an area.

11. Some students compared the soil gathered from hot, dry grassland with the soil gathered from a cool, moist forest. The students studied how soils are different because they are made of different things.

Part ADescribe the two main things that make soil.

Part BExplain why time affects the type of soil in an area.

Part CDescribe how the type of weather in the area affects the contents of the soil.

Part DDescribe how the soil from the grassland would most likely be different from the soil from the forest and explain why?

12. A new neighborhood is built on a beautiful hillside after the pine forest that covered the hillside was cut down. The next rainy season resulted in a great deal of rain in a small period of time. Many of the new hillside homes were destroyed as the land underneath them gave way and slid down the hill.

Part AIdentify two types of geological processes that most likely caused the land to give way.

Part BDescribe two methods that the builders of the new neighborhood might have used to decrease the possibility of a landslide.

13. There are inventions that save energy and conserve natural resources. This illustration shows a way to conserve water.

Part AExplain why water is considered a renewable resource.

Part BExplain the difference between conserving natural resources and renewing natural resources.

Part CExplain how the invention shown in the picture most likely helps to conserve water.

Part DDescribe another way to conserve water.

14. Hybrid automobiles use electric battery power in addition to gasoline. When the brake pedal is activated, the battery is recharged. The gasoline engine operates when the battery is low and needs recharging, when extra acceleration is required, or a higher speed must be maintained. This invention has helped conserve several types of natural resources.

Part AExplain how hybrid cars contribute to the conservation of natural resources.

Part BExplain the effect of using hybrid cars on the environment.

Part CDescribe two possible alternative energy sources for powering the car battery.

Part DWhich type of energy source would be most plentiful for powering the car battery? Explain.

15. Do you say rocks and minerals, or minerals and rocks? The second choice should be the correct one. 

Part AExplain the difference between minerals and rocks.

Part BClassify each rock in the diagram according to the process that formed the rock.

Part CDescribe a weathering process that changes rocks.

Part DDescribe the role of rocks in soil.

16. Students are studying geological processes using the model shown below.

Part ADescribe the geological process demonstrated by this model and what causes it.

Part B

Explain two other causes for this type of geological process.

Part CExplain what the watering can in the model represents.

Part DIn the real world, describe what might be done to reroute the water and how this would affect both sides of the soil sample in the tub.

17. Soil is the collective term for a mixture of organic material, rock and mineral pieces, and water. A conservationist analyzed a sample of soil and found the following substances:

crushed rocks of different types, crushed minerals of different types, clay/silt, sand, peat

Part APeat is a type of organic material. Describe common sources of organic matter in soil.

Part BExplain why air is important in soil.

Part CWhich natural process helps create the non-organic material in the soil? Explain your answer.

Part DDescribe a method humans can use to conserve soil.

18. Soil erosion is a problem that affects communities and people worldwide. Various methods of soil conservation are practiced throughout the world to prevent soil erosion.

Part AExplain how removing grass from a hillside causes soil erosion.

Part BExplain how wind causes soil erosion.

Part CDescribe a human activity that conserves soil. 

Part DDescribe another human activity not mentioned in Part C that conserves soil. Explain your answer.

19. The state of Georgia encourages everyone to recycle aluminum, glass, paper, and plastic.

Part AIdentify a renewable resource and explain why it is important to recycle this resource.

Part BIdentify a nonrenewable resource and explain why it is important to recycle this

resource.

Part CDescribe one major benefit of recycling for the environment.

Part DDescribe a second major benefit of recycling for the environment.

20. Coal is a fossil fuel that forms from plant materials. The model below shows the main influences on coal formation.

A model of renewable and nonrenewable resources is shown below.

Part ADescribe a renewable and a nonrenewable resource shown in the model.

Part BExplain the formation of coal. Examine this model and compare it to the model in the passage. Which model is the most useful to explain the formation of coal? Explain your answer.

Part CExplain how models about renewable and nonrenewable resources can help educate people about the importance of conserving resources.

Part DDescribe two methods used to conserve the resources shown in the diagram.

21. Physical processes like erosion, deposition, and the movement of tectonic plates cause changes to the geological features of Earth. These processes are continually interacting.

Part ADescribe how water erosion may change a geological feature on Earth.

Part BDescribe an example of physical deposition changing Earth's surface.

Part CDescribe the process of beach erosion.

Part DDescribe the effects that the movement of tectonic plates may have on Earth's surface.

22. Erosion of topsoil is a problem in many places. In some crop fields the plant material is left in the soil after harvest.

Explain why having plant material in fields helps to prevent erosion.

23. The characteristics of soil depend on where the soil forms. Over time, different layers of soil form. Plant growth and health depends on the quality of the soil.

24. Which of the following describes the layer of soil that would contain the highest quality soil for plant growth?

A) mostly larger rock pieces

B) recent layer of rotting plants

C) mixture of rotting plants and small pieces of rock

D) mostly small pieces of rocks and few rotten plants

25. Scientists are researching different methods to best conserve natural resources. Which conservation method would conserve soil?

A) Water cooling technology reduces the temperature of water run-off.B) Hydroponics technology uses nutrient-enriched water to grow plants.C) Deforestation increases the need for planting new trees to absorb carbon dioxide.D) Increased use of water for irrigation during different growth periods of crops helps to increase crop yield.

Answer:

8. Part A Weathering breaks down rocks by chemical or mechanical processes and changes the surface of rocks and the surface of Earth. Erosion can be caused by moving water. The moving water can move rocks to different locations and can remove soil where the water has been flowing. Deposition is a process that drops or deposits the materials at another location

when the flow of water slows down. Deposition occurs on inside curve of a river or at the mouth of a river. Part B When humans remove ground covering or trees for farming, landscaping, or building construction, soil erosion increases in that area.

9. Part A Gravity is pulling on rocks on the hillside, and weathering is occurring on the rocks on the hillside. Part B Heavy rainfall would flow faster down the hill due to the pull of gravity, and this could increase erosion. Part C Less ground cover on the hillside will accelerate the rate of erosion and the hillside soil will be found at the bottom of the hill.

10. Part A The composition of Layer 1 includes living plants, decaying plant and animal material, and water. Part B Layer 2 has the most nutrients for plants. Part C Layer 2 can increase in thickness if more plant material is decayed. The decaying process can be accelerated with increased moisture, so having more rainfall or increased moisture can increase the thickness of Layer 2. Part D The process that helps form soil is weathering of rocks. Weathering breaks down the larger rocks into smaller-sized particles of rock, which accumulate to form the soil of an area.

11. Part A The two main things that make soil are weathered rocks and decomposed organic material. Part B Time affects the type of soil because it takes time to weather rocks into smaller pieces and to break down organic material into the soil. Part C Weather affects the type of soil by breaking down rocks faster where the weather is harsher and having more organic material decay quickly in the soil where the weather is milder and more plants and animals live there. Part D The soil in the grassland would have more weathered rocks because there would be fewer plants in a hot, dry climate, and the forest would have more organic material in the soil because more plants and animals would be able to live in a cool, moist climate.

12. Part A The geological processes that caused the landslide were rapid erosion accelerated by removal of ground cover.

Part B Prevention of the landslide might have been accomplished by reducing the number of trees destroyed, building fewer homes, replanting vegetation that could help bind the soil together. A better water runoff system that would redirect the water flow away from the houses could have been built when the homes were built.

13. Part AWater is a renewable resource because it can be regenerated through the rain cycle. Part B Renewing a resource means to make more of the resource. Conserving means to use less of the resource or to use the resource for more than one purpose. Part C The water that is used in the sink is collected in the tank inside the cabinet. Then it is pumped into the toilet where it is used to flush the toilet. Water is being conserved in this setup. Part DAnother way to conserve water is to turn off the running water while brushing your teeth.

14. Part A Hybrid cars help conserve fossil fuels and clean air. When a car uses gasoline, it is burning a fossil fuel. Since fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources, using less of them helps to conserve our supply. Part B Burning fossil fuels, such as gasoline, contributes to air pollution by sending particulate matter into the air. A hybrid car burns less gasoline, so it is sending fewer pollutants into the air. This helps to keep the air clean and conserve it for future generations. Part C The alternate sources of energy that could recharge the car battery could be electricity by plugging it into an electrical circuit or using solar panels to capture solar energy. Part D Solar energy is the most plentiful and it does not require using electricity that might have been generated from burning fossil fuels. Solar energy would require a solar panel mechanism.

15. Part A A mineral is the same throughout, and a rock is made of two or more minerals.Part B Granite is an igneous rock. Marble is a metamorphic rock. Sandstone is a sedimentary rock. Part C

Acid rain can dissolve rocks. This weathering process can take many years depending on the type of rock. Part D Tiny weathered rocks and organic material make up soil.

16. Part A: Erosion by water is being demonstrated in this investigation. Part B: Other causes for erosion are wind, ice, or gravity. Wind can carry particles of soil long distances. Ice, such as a glacier, can travel and carry rocks and boulders large distances as it moves. Gravity can carry particles down gradients. Part C: The watering can represents a cloud that is producing rain. Part D: Building a dam or drainage system could be helpful in rerouting water flow away from a hillside and could lessen the chance of a landslide, but it will reduce the amount of water the ecosystem may require.

17. Part A The organic material in soil is made up of decaying plant and animal matter. Part B The air in soil helps decomposers break down plant material. Air also makes space for the water to flow through the soil. Part C The natural process that helps create the non-organic material in the soil is weathering. Weathering breaks down rock into smaller pieces. Part D Growing trees and other plants can help conserve soil by preventing or slowing down erosion. Promoting helpful soil organisms such as earthworms can help conserve soil too. Earthworms help break down dead plants to create organic matter for the soil and they can help make the soil loose so that air and water can get into the soil.

18. Part A When grass is removed from the soil it makes the soil prone to erosion by water, especially on hillsides. Rainwater will wash the soil down the slopes. Part B The wind causes the soil to become dry. As the soil becomes dry, it does not stick together and the wind is able to pick up small particles and move them to different locations. Part C Removing trees and grass along rivers can cause the water flowing in the river to erode the river banks. Part D Building water holding ponds in cities helps to slow down and stop the flow of water, or runoff, caused by a heavy rain. Slowing or stopping the flow of water helps to conserve the soil because the soil can not be moved as easily when it rains.

19. Part A Wood is a renewable resource but it takes 15–20 years for it to replace itself. It is important to recycle wood so we don’t use more energy and cut down more trees to make a product we already have. Part B Oil is an example of a nonrenewable resource that cannot be replaced or takes millions of years to replace. It is important to recycle oil so that we do not run out of it. Part C Recycling is a benefit to the environment because it conserves natural resources.

Part D Recycling can reduce the need for landfills because we can use things over again instead of taking up space in a landfill. This conserves the use of land and may keep the water clean.

20. Part A A renewable resource in the model is the trees and a nonrenewable resource is coal. Part B Coal is formed when decayed plant material is pressurized by new layers of sediments for millions of years. The model in the passage is more useful because it attempts to show that changes occur over a long period of time in the production of coal, a nonrenewable resource. It also shows that the pressure must increase for coal to be formed. The model in this question shows coal, a nonrenewable resource, as a deposit below ground that can react with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide. However, it does not explain process by which coal is formed. Part C Using models to show renewable and nonrenewable resources helps people understand the amount of time required for the formation of the resources and the limited amount of these resources that exists. This may help people realize the importance of conserving them. Part D Two methods to help conserve the natural resources shown in the diagram would be to replant forests to replace trees and to use alternate energy sources such as wind or solar energy to reduce the amount of coal humans burn for energy.

21. Part A Erosion is the movement of soil or rocks from one place to another. Swift flowing water can cut into river banks and cause the river to flow in a different path. Part B Deltas at the end of rivers are an example of soil deposition. The sediment in river water is deposited in the areas where the river flow slows down. This makes large level areas of fertile wetlands. Part C Beach erosion can occur when waves or the tide wash water onto the shore that then takes part of the sand or dirt from the shore with it as it moves back out to sea. Part D The movement of tectonic plates can cause events such as earthquakes or volcanoes. These can change Earth’s surface by causing such things as landslides or the formation of new rock created by lava flows.

22. The plant material helps to hold the soil together and keeps it from blowing or washing away