ICAS - ICAS Earth and Environmental Science Questions and Answers

Question 1

A community notices that a nearby river, which was once clear, has become murky and has less fish.
A new factory opened upstream last year.
Local authorities find high levels of nitrates and phosphates in the water near the factory's discharge pipe.
What is the most likely immediate consequence of this type of pollution?

Accepted Answer

A rapid growth of algae, which then die and decompose, depleting oxygen.

Answer

An increase in water temperature, killing off sensitive fish species.

Answer

The water becoming more acidic, dissolving the shells of aquatic organisms.

Answer

Heavy metals accumulating in the riverbed, poisoning bottom-dwellers.

Question 2

Which of the following best describes the mechanism that drives the movement of Earth's tectonic plates?

Accepted Answer

Convection currents in the molten mantle beneath the lithosphere.

Answer

The gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun on the Earth's crust.

Answer

The spinning of the Earth on its axis, causing the plates to shift.

Answer

The expansion and contraction of the crust due to solar heating and cooling.

Question 3

Deforestation for agriculture and urban development is a major environmental concern. Which of the following is a direct consequence of large-scale deforestation?

Accepted Answer

An increase in soil erosion and downstream sedimentation.

Answer

A decrease in average global sea level.

Answer

An increase in soil quality and fertility.

Answer

A decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Question 4

The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. Human activities have significantly altered this cycle. Which human activity is the primary contributor to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

The burning of fossil fuels for energy.

Answer

The use of nitrogen-based fertilizers in agriculture.

Answer

Large-scale commercial fishing operations.

Answer

The disposal of plastic waste in landfills.

Question 5

A geologist is studying a region and finds a long mountain range with active volcanoes and frequent, deep earthquakes. The oceanic crust on one side of the mountain range is significantly younger than the continental crust on the other. What type of plate boundary is this geologist most likely studying?

Accepted Answer

Convergent boundary (oceanic-continental subduction)

Answer

Divergent boundary

Answer

Transform boundary

Answer

Convergent boundary (continental-continental collision)

Question 6

Which of the following correctly describes a sequence in the rock cycle?

Accepted Answer

Igneous rock undergoes weathering and erosion to form sediment, which is then compacted and cemented to form sedimentary rock.

Answer

Metamorphic rock melts to form magma, which then cools and solidifies to form sediment.

Answer

Sedimentary rock is exposed to intense heat and pressure, causing it to erode into metamorphic rock.

Answer

Magma crystallizes to form sedimentary rock, which is then weathered to form igneous rock.