Geology Lecture Final Exam
Textbook: Earthquakes 20. Where on Earth are strike-slip faults most common? a. The Wasatch Mountains of Utah b. Southern California c. Fracture zones adjacent to mid-ocean ridges d. Along the edge of continental shields e. Inside collision zone like the Himalaya
Fracture zones adjacent to mid-ocean ridges
Textbook: Minerals 7. Which mineral property involves observing the color of a mineral in powdered form? a. Hardness b. Luster c. Color d. Streak e. Cleavage
Streak
Textbook: Earthquakes 16. Which fault type would be most prominent at a transform plate boundary? a. Thrust b. Reverse c. Detachment d. Normal e. Strike-slip
Strike-slip
Coastal Processes 20. Large estuaries are more common on a(n) _________ coastline a. emergent b. submergent c. stable d. Retreating
Submergent
Textbook: Minerals 6. Which mineral group is an important source of copper, lead, and zinc ore? a. Sulfates b. Native elements c. Sulfides d. Phosphates e. Oxides
Sulfides
Glaciers 9. Which of the four seasons controls the glacial budget and is most responsible for glacial advance and retreat? a. Winter b. Summer c. Fall d. Spring
Summer
Textbook: Plate Tectonics 6. What happens as newly formed oceanic crust moves away from the mid-ocean ridge? a. The crust gets thicker and less dense b. Sediment gets thinner c. The crust gets colder and denser d. The crust gets warmer e. The seafloor increases in height
The crust gets colder and denser
Textbook: Minerals 4. What elements make up the silica tetrahedra, the basic unit of silicate minerals? a. 1 oxygen and 4 silicons b. 2 oxygens and 2 silicons c. 1 oxygen and 1 silicon d. 4 oxygens and 4 silicons e. 4 oxygens and 1 silicon
4 oxygens and 1 silicon
Textbook: Minerals 10. If a mineral scratches a copper penny but NOT a piece of glass then the Moh's Hardness value for that mineral is about _________. a. 7.5 b. 4.5 c. 3 d. 6 e. 1
4.5
Water Textbook 3. __________ account for the largest usage of groundwater in the United States. a. Water for livestock and poultry b. Domestic and municipal supplies c. Industrial uses d. Agriculture and irrigation
Agriculture and Irrigation
Coastal Processes 18. Which of the following is designed to prevent or retard shoreline erosion? a. groin b. seawall c. beach nourishment d. all of the answers are correct
All of the answers are correct
Earth History 28. Why is it difficult to determine the age and history of rocks from the Archean and Proterozoic time periods? a. Little or no fossils to use as age indication b. Erosion destroyed most older rocks c. Plate tectonics destroyed most older rocks d. All the answers are correct
All the answers are correct
Deserts 13. Which desert landform is most similar to a river delta? a. Alluvial fan b. Yardang c. Ventifact d. Bajada e. Blowout
Alluvial fan
Geologic Time 25. ___________ is an erosional contact between tilted, older strata below and horizontal, younger strata above. a. Inverse bedding b. An angular unconformity c. A disconformity d. Cross cutting
An angular unconformity
Earth History 29. What is the age of most of Earth's cratons? a. Paleozoic b. Archean c. Proterozoic d. Mesozoic e. Cenozoic
Archean
Deserts 15. Why does desertification create even more desert in a positive feedback loop? a. More open spaces absorb even more solar energy, increasing heat b. Arid conditions kill plants and make soil less able to absorb moisture c. Rocks absorb more solar energy than plants, increasing heat d. Plants help create wind patterns, and they stop when arid conditions occur e. Drying lakes create dust which amplify and trap solar energy
Arid conditions kill plants and make soil less able to absorb moisture
Textbook: Minerals 2. Minerals have a crystalline structure. What does this mean? a. Minerals are generally inorganic and not made from life b. Atoms are arranged in random order but definite chemical composition c. Minerals have a definite chemical composition and are made of the same elements d. Atoms are arranged in an orderly, repetitive manner e. All minerals form beautiful, visible crystals in the right conditions
Atoms are arranged in an orderly, repetitive manner
Textbook: Minerals 5. Why are mica minerals "like a sandwich"? a. Because they are found in the structures of wheat b. Because layers of weak bonds cause the mineral to easily cleave into sheets c. Because they taste really good and smell really good d. Because there are so many different ways they stack on each other e. Because they have many strong atomic bonds similar to bread
Because layers of weak bonds cause the mineral to easily cleave into sheets
Textbook: Weathering Erosion and Sedimentary Rocks 17. What do chemical and detrital sedimentary rocks have in common? a. Both come from older bedrock b. Both made by organisms c. Both involve water in their formation d. Both made by erosion e. Both rounded by grains
Both involve water in their formation
Coastal Processes 17. Which one of the following structures is built to protect boats from large breaking waves? a. jetty b. groin c. seawall d. breakwater
Breakwater
Textbook: Minerals 3. What is the most common mineral formed by life? a. Quartz b. Dolomite c. Calcite d. Feldspar e. Apatite
Calcite
Earth History 27. This geologic time period is known for the first fossils with hard parts, a huge evolutionary explosion of diversification, and the first chordates. What is the name of this geologic time period? a. Proterozoic b. Jurassic c. Devonian d. Cambrian e. Cenozoic
Cambrian
Textbook: Weathering Erosion and Sedimentary Rocks 19. Which of the following is the correct order of grain sizes from smallest to largest for clastic (detrital) sedimentary rocks? a. pebble, silt, boulder, cobble, sand, clay b. clay, silt, sand, pebble, cobble, boulder c. boulder, clay, silt, cobble, pebble, sand d. sand, silt, clay, pebble, cobble, boulder e. silt, sand, clay, boulder, pebble, cobble
Clay, silt, sand, pebble, cobble, boulder
Geologic Time 24. What stratigraphic principle is most directly used to determine relative age among different kinds of geologic events that affected an area? a. Fossil Succession b. Original Horizontality c. Cross-cutting Relationships d. Superposition e. Lateral Continuity
Cross-cutting Relationships
Textbook: Metamorphic Rocks 24. Which of the following types of metamorphism results in a distinct foliation? a. directed stress b. confining pressure c. hydrothermal fluids d. non-directed stress e. heat from pluton
Directed stress
Glaciers 6. What causes striations and glacial polish on bedrock? a. Grains of rock embedded in the ice grind against the bedrock b. Meltwater pouring down crevasses causes erosion of the bedrock c. The ice, superhardened by cold temperature, grinds against the bedrock d. Cryometamorphism softens the bedrock minerals which are then easily attacked by the ice
Grains of rock embedded in the ice grind against the bedrock
Earth History 26. What evidence found on Earth supports the Giant Impact Hypothesis? a. Impact started plate tectonics b. High density of Earth c. Lack of craters d. Giant crater which makes up the Pacific Ocean e. Giant Crater which makes up the Atlantic Ocean
High density of Earth
Textbook: Volcanoes 14. How does the silica content affect the behavior of magma? a. Higher silica makes the magma less viscous b. Higher silica makes the cooling rate greater c. Higher silica makes the magma have less volatiles d. Higher silica makes the magma more viscous e. Higher silica makes the magma have more volatiles
Higher silica makes the magma more viscous
Textbook: Plate Tectonics 8. What is the biggest difference between hot-spot volcanism in an island chain and plate tectonic volcanism in an island chain? a. Arcs have different magma b. Hot spots only have tsunamis manna plates c. Hot spots have age trends d. Hot spots erupt more often e. Arcs have less earthquakes
Hot spots have age trends
Textbook: Weathering Erosion and Sedimentary Rocks 20. What story does a sedimentary rock tell? a. Volume of the river that made them b. Ideas about ancient landscapes c. Ideas about temperature in the past d. Number of organisms present e. Types of volcanoes present
Ideas about ancient landscapes
Textbook: Minerals 1. When a positively-charged sodium ion is chemically bonded to a negatively-charged chlorine ion the result is sodium chloride (i.e. the mineral halite). This is an example of ____________________________________. a. Van der Walls bonds b. isotopic annealing c. ionic bonding d. metallic bonds e. covalent bonding
Ionic Bonding
Textbook: Plate Tectonics 7. Why are there not as many earthquakes or volcanoes on the east coast of North America as there are on the west coast of North America? a. The crust on the east coast is too thick to allow volcanoes b. It is not close to a plate boundary c. The plate boundary on the east coast is purely transform d. The crust on the east coast is too thick to allow earthquakes e. The Atlantic side of the continent moves slower than the Pacific side
It is not close to a plate boundary
Textbook: Volcanoes 15. Which volcanic hazard is LEAST likely to cause injury or death? a. Lava flow b. Pyroclastic flow c. Ash fall d. Lahar e. Landslide
Lava flow
Coastal Processes 16. The movement of water within the surf zone that parallels the shore is termed _________ a. tidal current b. longshore current c. salinity current d. beach drift
Longshore current
Textbook: Igneous Rocks 14. Partially melting an ultramafic rock would immediately produce a magma of what composition? a. felsic b. intermediate c. ultramafic d. mafic e. Ultrafelsic
Mafic
Textbook: Weathering Erosion and Sedimentary Rocks 18. Which of the following is NOT part of the process of diagenesis and lithification? a. Cementation b. Compaction c. Crystallization d. Deposition e. Melting
Melting
Textbook: Minerals 8. Which of the following luster descriptions is a common starting point for mineral identification? a. Metallic/non-metallic b. Glassy/non-glassy c. Metallic/submetallic d. Vitreous/non-vitreous e. Earthy/dull
Metallic/non-metallic
Textbook: Volcanoes 13. Which tectonic setting generally has the least explosive volcanism? a. Rift b. Subduction c. Collision d. Transform e. Mid-ocean ridge
Mid-ocean ridge
Textbook: Igneous Rocks 12. The rate of cooling for intrusive rocks is _______________________________________ a. Fast b. Slow c. Fast, then slow d. Variable e. Slow, then fast
Slow
Textbook: Metamorphic Rocks 22. What are polymorphic minerals? a. When the same mineral appears in different metamorphic facies b. Minerals that have the same chemical formula but different crystal structures c. Minerals that have the same crystal structure but different chemical formulas d. When the same mineral appears in different metamorphic grades e. The few minerals that can have multiple different crystal habits depending on formation
Minerals that have the same chemical formula but different crystal structures
Textbook: Metamorphic Rocks 25. Index minerals are ____________________. a. Any minerals that grow in metamorphic rocks b. Minerals that only form at certain temperatures/pressures c. Minerals that help organize metamorphic rocks d. Minerals that form at high pressure e. Minerals that grow in magma and therefore will be found in foliated rocks
Minerals that only form at certain temperatures/pressures
Textbook: Earthquakes 18. Which seismic wave type travels the fastest? a. Love wave b. S-wave c. Rayleigh wave d. P-wave e. Surface wave
P-wave
Textbook: Understanding Science 4. What paradigm shift in geology most changed the way geologists look at the world? a. Uniformitarianism b. Extinction c. Deep time d. Evolution e. Plate Tectonics
Plate Tectonics
Deserts 14. Which of these desert landforms would most likely be associated with salt flats? a. Arroyo b. Ephemeral stream c. Playa d. Barchan e. Inselberg
Playa
Textbook: Understanding Science 5. Which large chunk of geologic time is characterized by the lack of easy-to-find fossils? a. Phanerozoic b. Paleozoic c. Precambrian d. Archean e. Hadean
Precambrian
Water Textbook 5. What force pushes groundwater from pore to pore below the water table? a. integrated saturation impulse b. permeability steepness c. pressure gradient or hydraulic gradient d. seepage affluence actor
Pressure gradient or hydraulic gradient
Textbook: Understanding Science 1. Which of these assumptions is required for uniformitarianism to be true? a. The geologic features and layers that we see today were formed by a series of brief catastrophic events b. Processes have been following the same set of rules of nature since the beginning of time c. Volcanoes and floods and similar landscape-shaping forces must have had the same intensity in the past as they do d. Geologic time is vast and all processes must have occurred slowly e. Every geologic process that operated on Earth in the past has to still operate today
Processes have been following the same set of rules of nature since the beginning of time
Textbook: Igneous Rocks 15. What is the name of a volcanic hazard composed of hot gases and lapilli that runs downhill at tremendous speed (perhaps > 100 mph!)? a. Pyroclastic flow b. Cinder flow c. Lava flow d. Ash flow e. Lahar flow
Pyroclastic Flow
Textbook: Weathering Erosion and Sedimentary Rocks 16. What is the most common material found in sandstones? a. Feldspar b. Basalt c. Quartz d. Lithic fragments e. Zircon
Quartz
Textbook: Metamorphic Rocks 21. How can you distinguish metamorphic quartzite from sedimentary sandstone? a. Quartzite breaks across the grains while sandstone breaks around the grains b. Quartzite is very hard (greater than 7) while sandstone is quite soft (less than three) c. Quartzite fizzes with acid while sandstone does not d. Quartzite is foliated while sandstone is nonfoliated e. Quartzite is always much darker in color than sandstone
Quartzite breaks across the grains while sandstone breaks around the grains
Water Textbook 1. Which of the following is not a general characteristic of groundwater? a. constant temperature year round b. rarely contains dissolved constituents c. rarely contains suspended sediment d. supply is independent of short droughts
Rarely contains dissolved constituents
Textbook: Earthquakes 17. Which seismic wave type is most damaging? a. P-wave b. Body wave c. S-wave d. Love wave e. Rayleigh wave
Rayleigh wave
Textbook: Understanding Science 2. Why do scientists prefer quantitative data? a. Reveal trends and used in calculations b. The data last longer and can be stored better c. Give a higher degree of certainty d. Easier to look at and think about e. More aesthetically pleasing
Reveal trends and used in calculations
Deserts 11. Which of the following factors does NOT influence dune formation? a. Sediment composition b. Sediment supply c. None of the above d. Vegetation e. Wind direction
Sediment composition
Textbook: Metamorphic Rocks 23. How does burial metamorphism occur? a. Tall mountains collapse tectonically over time, and the roots of these mountains are metamorphosed b. Sediments are buried in deep depositional basins where diagenesis extends to changes in minerals c. Ocean crust minerals change when slabs are deeply buried in subduction zones d. Continental collisions cause crunching and burial of rocks that were formerly near the surface e. Meteor impacts bury surface rocks at great depth along with the meteor fragments
Sediments are buried in deep depositional basins where diagenesis extends to changes in minerals
Water Textbook 4. __________ would have the largest capacity to naturally remove sewage pollutants. a. Fractured granite b. Well-sorted, coarse gravel c. Slightly clayey sand d. Limestone with solution channels and caverns
Slightly clayey sand
Glaciers 8. What happens at the base of a glacier? a. The ice adheres tightly to the bedrock surface, lifting it away to cause intense erosion b. The ice slides over bedrock on a thin film of melt water c. Vertical cracks appear where the ice bonds with boulders and obstructions d. Meltwater accumulates in subglacial ponds scooped out by the ice
The ice slides over bedrock on a thin film of melt water
Textbook: Igneous Rocks 11. Porphyritic rocks with coarse grained crystals surrounded by a finer grained groundmass indicate what? a. The rock cooled slowly on the surface b. The rock cooled slowly underground c. The rock cooled quickly on the surface d. The rock cooled quickly underground e. The rock cooled slowly, then more quickly
The rock cooled slowly, then more quickly
Glaciers 10. What is the most immediate and visible evidence that a valley has been occupied by a glacier? a. Polish and striations on bedrock exposures b. There are moraine deposits near the mouth of the canyon c. The valley is quite straight with a broad bottom, and is U shaped d. The presence of cirques, tarns, and a horn at the head of the valley
The valley is quite straight with a broad bottom, and is U shaped
Water Textbook 2. Excessive groundwater withdrawals can cause ________ a. the water table drops or declines in elevation b. an influent stream becomes an effluent stream c. expansion of the dewatered aquifer d. porosity in the aquifer increases as the water is removed
The water table drops or declines in elevation
Textbook: Understanding Science 3. Why are objective observations so important to science? a. They are 100% free of bias b. They can be stated by anyone c. They are helpful in removing bias d. They can only be done by trained scientists e. They produce the numbers used in scientific calculations
They are helpful in removing bias
Textbook: Igneous Rocks 13. Which rock composition has the least amount of silica? a. felsic b. intermediate c. mafic d. Ultramafic
Ultramafic
Textbook: Earthquakes 19. Which building type is least resistant to earthquake damage? a. Wood frame b. Steel frame c. Reinforced masonry d. Unreinforced masonry e. Base isolated steel
Unreinforced masonry
Deserts 12. Which of the following is a product of desert weathering? a. Cross Bedding b. Varnish c. Karst d. Loess e. Mudcracks
Varnish
Textbook: Minerals 9. Cleavage is a result of ________________ in a mineral's atomic structure. a. hardness b. strength c. carbon d. softness e. weakness
Weakness
Glaciers 7. How does isostasy apply to glaciation? a. Weight of ice sheets depresses the crust; after melting, crust rebounds and rises. b. It describe the balance between glacial erosion and glacial deposition c. It describes the relation between plate tectonics and ice ages over geologic time d. It shows the balance between snow accumulation and glacial advance
Weight of ice sheets depresses the crust; after melting, crust rebounds and rises.
Earth History 30. Western North America has been tectonically active for hundreds of millions of years. When was the last time Eastern North America was active? a. When Pangea broke up b. When Rodinia broke up c. When Pangea was formed d. When Rodinia was formed e. In between Rodinia and Pangea
When Pangea broke up
Textbook: Volcanoes 12. Explosive silica-rich volcanoes will be located mostly at _____. a. convergent plate boundaries with subduction zones b. divergent boundaries of the East African Rift c. oceanic hot spot volcanic chains d. divergent boundaries of the mid-ocean ridge e. convergent plate boundaries with continental to continental plate collision
convergent plate boundaries with subduction zones
Textbook: Volcanoes 11. Deep-sea hydrothermal vents (i.e., black smokers) are located at what plate boundary? a. convergent boundaries with subduction zones b. divergent boundaries of the mid-ocean ridge c. convergent boundaries with oceanic to oceanic plate subduction d. divergent boundaries of the East African Rift e. transform boundaries like the San Andreas
divergent boundaries of the mid-ocean ridge
Coastal Processes 19. The presence of which one of the following would indicate that the land had been uplifted or that sea level had fallen? a tombolo b. a sea stack c. an estuary d. elevated marine terrace
elevated marine terrace
Geologic Time 23. Which of the following denotes the divisions of the geologic time scale in correct order of decreasing lengths of time beginning with the longest time interval and ending with the shortest? a. eon, era, epoch, period b. era, period, epoch, eon c. eon, epoch, period, era d. eon, era, period, epoch
eon, era, period, epoch
Geologic Time 21. An unconformity is a buried ________ a. fault or fracture with older rocks above and younger rocks below b. surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below c. fault or fracture with younger strata above and older strata below d. surface of erosion with older strata above and younger strata below
surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below
Textbook: Plate Tectonics 10. As you move towards the mid-ocean ridge, a. sediment gets thicker b. the crust gets thicker c. the crust gets colder d. the crust gets younger e. the seafloor decreases in height
the crust gets younger
Geologic Time 22. Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity? a. tilted strata lie below the unconformity, and bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity. b. Horizontal lava flows lie below the unconformity, and horizontal, sedimentary strata lie above. c. It is the discordant boundary between older strata and an intrusive body of granite. d. Tilted strata lie below the unconformity with loose, unconsolidated soil above
tilted strata lie below the unconformity, and bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity.
Textbook: Plate Tectonics 9. A linear trend of shallow earthquakes with little or no volcanism is likely evidence of what type of plate boundary? a. ocean-continent convergent b. ocean-ocean convergent c. transform d. fast-rifting divergent e. slow-rifting divergent
transform
