🌍

Earth Science & Geology Quiz

Earth Science & Geology · Expert

20 questions · Unlimited attempts · Free online practice

Earth's landscapes are constantly changing, shaped by powerful natural forces over millions of years. Earth science and geology help us understand how mountains rise, rivers carve...

Playing as a guest

You can play free without an account. Create one to save scores and resume later.

All 20 questions in this Earth Science & Geology quiz
  1. What is the name of the elevated flat-topped terrain bounded by steep escarpments?

    • A. Peneplain
    • B. Plateau
    • C. Butte
    • D. Mesa
  2. What is the name of the layer of permanently frozen ground found in Arctic and subarctic regions?

    • A. Cryosphere
    • B. Periglacial
    • C. Tundra
    • D. Permafrost
  3. What is the name of the supercontinent that existed before the current continents formed?

    • A. Pangaea
    • B. Laurasia
    • C. Gondwana
    • D. Rodinia
  4. What is the name of the tectonic plate that covers most of Africa?

    • A. Eurasian Plate
    • B. Somali Plate
    • C. African Plate
    • D. Nubian Plate
  5. What is the name of the volcanic crater that forms when a magma chamber empties and collapses?

    • A. Fumarole
    • B. Caldera
    • C. Maar
    • D. Atoll
  6. What is the name of the process that transports sediment by wind, water, or ice?

    • A. Compaction
    • B. Deposition
    • C. Erosion
    • D. Weathering
  7. What is the scientific study of earthquakes called?

    • A. Geomorphology
    • B. Petrology
    • C. Volcanology
    • D. Seismology
  8. What is the name of the layer of Earth's atmosphere that contains the ozone layer?

    • A. Troposphere
    • B. Mesosphere
    • C. Stratosphere
    • D. Thermosphere
  9. What is the name of the catastrophic rapid flow of water and debris down a mountain slope?

    • A. Debris flow
    • B. Avalanche
    • C. Lahar
    • D. Rockslide
  10. What is the name of the phenomenon where warm ocean water causes widespread coral death and bleaching?

    • A. Eutrophication
    • B. Algal bloom
    • C. Crown-of-Thorns outbreak
    • D. Coral bleaching
  11. What is the term for the slight flattening of Earth at the poles and bulging at the equator?

    • A. Ellipsoid
    • B. Oblateness
    • C. Oblate spheroid
    • D. Spheroid
  12. What is the name of the geological time unit that encompasses the formation of Earth to the first complex life approximately 541 million years ago?

    • A. Archean
    • B. Precambrian
    • C. Hadean
    • D. Paleozoic
  13. What is the name of the rock type that forms from compressed plant and animal remains over millions of years?

    • A. Chert
    • B. Shale
    • C. Limestone
    • D. Coal
  14. What is the name of the transition zone between fresh water in rivers and salt water in the sea?

    • A. Estuary
    • B. Lagoon
    • C. Halocline
    • D. Thermocline
  15. What is the name of the horizontal layers of rock found in sedimentary sequences?

    • A. Intrusions
    • B. Strata
    • C. Dikes
    • D. Unconformities
  16. What is the name of the dark cloud of hot gas and ash that travels at high speed down the flanks of a volcano?

    • A. Fumarole
    • B. Lahar
    • C. Pyroclastic flow
    • D. Tephra
  17. What is the name of the circular atmospheric storm system that rotates counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?

    • A. High pressure system
    • B. Cold front
    • C. Cyclone
    • D. Anticyclone
  18. What is the name of the hot spot that drives the volcanic activity of the Hawaiian Islands?

    • A. Yellowstone hotspot
    • B. Hawaiian hotspot
    • C. Iceland hotspot
    • D. Juan de Fuca hotspot
  19. What is the term for the gradual sinking of land relative to sea level?

    • A. Subsidence
    • B. Transgression
    • C. Isostatic uplift
    • D. Eustasy
  20. What is the name of Earth's solid outer layer consisting of the crust and upper mantle?

    • A. Geosphere
    • B. Hydrosphere
    • C. Lithosphere
    • D. Asthenosphere