GOEL 101 - Exam 1

Subduction zones are areas where continental crust gets pushed beneath continental crust . Mid-ocean ridges (divergent plate boundaries) are a, c, and d . Transform boundaries b, c, and d . The San Andreas fault is an example of a transform boundary .

continental crust gets pushed beneath continental crust or less dense oceanic crust, a c and d, b and d, transform boundary

Detrital sedimentary rocks differ from chemical sedimentary rocks in that

detrital sedimentary rocks are composed of visible pieces of preexisting rocks, and chemical sedimentary rocks are composed of minerals that evaporate or precipitate from a solution

three major plate boundaries

divergent, plates moving away from each other at mid-ocean ridges convergent, plates are colliding with each other and oceanic plate subduct under continental plates transform, edges of plates slide past each other

The study of interactions of living things and their physical environment is called

ecology

A _______________ is a coastal body of water and land where fresh and saltwater mix, water levels fall and rise with tides, and nutrients are rapidly circulated.

estuary

Which of the following does NOT tend to increase biodiversity in an ecosystem?

extreme disturbance

The ---- is the location at depth where the rocks rupture and release the energy to produce an earthquake. The ---- is the point on the earth's surface that is directly above the location of the rupture.

focus, epicenter

Some metamorphic rocks are potential environmental hazards because

foliation planes can be planes of weakness in the rock

The mineral quartz can be used in the manufacture of _______ . (pick 3)

glass, jewelry, abrasives

A strike-slip fault has what type of motion?

horizontal

Surface seismic waves...

include love and Rayleigh waves, travel slower than p or S waves, only travel through surface or crust, can be more destructive than p or S waves

As a tsunami approaches land, the height of a tsunami wave ____.

increases primarily because the water depth and velocity decreases.

What is the principal difference between the inner core and outer core?

inner core is solid while outer core is liquid

The Moment Magnitude of an earthquake

is a measure of the energy released in the earthquake, requires knowledge of the amount of slip on the fault, the length and death of the fault rupture, and the strength of the rocks involved in order to calculate

If magma has a HIGH silica content

it has high viscosity and a high explosive potential since its difficult for trapped gas to bubble out and escape

Species with disproportionate influences on their ecosystems are called

keystone species

match the terms

lahar - mudflow produced when ash mixes with water caldera - large depression produced by collapsed volcano summit into empty magma chamber geyser - periodic release of steam and hot water caused by circulation of groundwater vent - opening through which lave is erupted

How does earthquake magnitude differ from intensity?

magnitude reflects energy release, while intensity reflects the amount of shaking

What is sustainability?

meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs

What can trigger a tsunami? Select ALL the possible events that can cause a tsunami.

meteor impact into the ocean, underwater earthquake, underwater volcanic eruption, landslide into the ocean

The life story of most oceanic lithosphere is the same. It's created at ______________ and gets destroyed at _________________.

mid-ocean ridges; subduction zones (trenches)

Intrusive igneous rocks differ from extrusive igneous rocks in their

mineral crystal sizes

1. [A] crust is denser and thinner than (B] crust.2. The [C] is the weak layer in the mantle that allows the tectonic plates to slip, collide, and separate.3. Oceanic lithosphere is created at [D] and returns to the mantle at [E].4. At convergent plate boundaries, the subducting oceanic plate grinds along the base of the overriding plate, generating large [F

oceanic, continental, asthenosphere, mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, earthquakes

What does the concept of environmental unity state?

one action leads to subsequent actions in line systems

Which seismic wave travels the fastest?

p-waves

Which of the following is NOT produced during a pyroclastic eruption?

pahoehoe basalt

There are many different kinds of hazards associated with volcanic eruptions. Select all the problems that are the direct result of an ash fall.

poisonous gases, tsunami, global temperature changes, lahars, ash falls

How are the impacts of natural hazards linked to population growth?

population growth concentrates people and resources, such that the impacts of an individual natural hazard can be greater

The major goal of the U.S. earthquake hazard reduction program is to

reduce earthquake hazards through understanding of risks and prediction of hazards

Ocean-continent convergent plate boundaries

result in mountain belts with volcanic arcs built on the continent

Basalt is the dominant lava type erupted in --- volcanoes. Andesite is the dominant lava type erupted in --- volcanoes. Tephra, ash, and basalt are erupted from a type of relatively small volcano called a ---.

shield, composite, volcanic dome

What types of Earth materials are most likely to amplify seismic waves and undergo liquefaction?

soft sandy soils and clay-rich soils

A group of individuals capable of interbreeding is called a(n)

species

Composite volcanoes are typically associated with what type of plate tectonic feature?

subduction zone

As an ecosystem evolves following disturbance, it follows the path of

succession

The Us has many volcanoes. Yellowstone is a good ex of a ----. Mt Rainier is an ex of a ---. Mauna Loa is an ex of a ---. Crater Lake is an ex of a ----.

super, composite, shield, caldera

Which type of seismic wave does the most damage?

surface waves

Viscosity of a magma is controlled by

temperature and silica content of the magma

Why is the geologic history of a volcano important in hazard prediction?

the geologic history reveals the frequency and style of eruptions

Why do some faults "creep" with slow, constant movement and others are "stuck" and aren't moving?

the ones that are slowly creeping are lubricated by either fluids or slippery rocks, the ones that aren't moving are stuck together by friction

Which is NOT a reason that ash fall is such a significant hazard?

the weight of the ash initiates tsunami

How do magnetic stripes on the ocean floor serve as evidence for seafloor spreading?

their symmetry on either side of the mid-ocean ridge shows that new crust is created, then split

Which of the following statements about scientific theories and laws is correct?

theories are based on a body of data that have been repeatedly confirmed by observations or experiments

How did mountain ranges like the Himalayas, Alps, and Appalachians form?

they are all examples of mountains that formed along continent-continent convergent plate boundaries

Which of the following is NOT a criteria by which minerals are defined?

they can be solid, liquid, or gas

Sulfide minerals are potential environmental hazards because

they can combine with oxygen and water to form sulfuric acid

This biome has a short growing season, permafrost, has only small hardy plants, and low average precipitation.

tundra

A transform plate boundary involves

two plates sliding past each other, such as the North American plate and the Pacific plate sliding past each other along the San Andreas Fault

Transform plate boundaries are marked by

two plates sliding relative to one another

How can you estimate the time it takes for a population to double in size?

use formula D = 70/G, where D = time and G = growth rate

Science

uses observation, experiment, and calculations to explain natural phenomena

Which of the following is not a mineral?

volcanic glass

The movement of the Pacific plate over a stationary mantle plume has produced volcanoes that make up the Hawaiian Islands (shown below). If the Pacific plate is moving to the northwest, what features should we expect to see in the hot spot track that is the Hawaiian Island chain?

volcanoes should get progressively older towards the northwest end of the chain

Earthquake magnitude is the measure of the amount of ENERGY RELEASED during an earthquake and it DOES NOT vary with location. Earthquake intensity is a measure of the amount of GROUND SHAKING during an earthquake and it DOES vary with location and subsurface earth materials.

...

The HIGHER the silica content, the more viscous the magma. The LOWER the viscosity of the magma, the more explosive the eruption.

....

It takes --- seismometer stations to determine earthquake ---. --- waves are always the first to arrive and --- are the second to arrive.

3, epicenter, P, S

What is a theory?

A hypothesis that has withstood extensive testing

What is a seismic gap?

An area along an active fault that has not generated an earthquake recently so it is likely to produce a large earthquake in the future.

You are relocating to a seismically active area and are looking to buy a house. Should you buy a house built on bedrock or one built on soft sediments like clay-rich soils? Why?

Bedrock because it will experience less ground shaking than soft sediments like clay-rich soils.

What type of volcano is associated with volcanic arcs built over subduction zones?

Composite volcanoes

Cinder Cones form on oceanic plates above hotspots.

False

Crust is consumed (subducts) at transform boundaries.

False

Limestone is an evaporate sedimentary rock.

False

When detrital sediments are transported for long periods of time, the proportion of feldspar decreases while the proportion of quartz increases. Why?

Feldspar chemically weathers to small clay particles during transport. The quartz particles are more resistant to weathering and can be transported longer and farther.

Do large pyroclastic eruptions cause short-term global warming or global cooling? Why?

Global cooling, because the particles and gases ejected into the atmosphere create aerosols that block solar radiation.

What environmental problem is associated with the mining and processing of sulfide ores?

Groundwater and surface water infiltrate the mines and combine with sulfide minerals forming acidic water with elevated concentrations of dissolved metals. The acidic water drains from the mine and pollutes surrounding streams and rivers.

Why do some metamorphic rock become foliated? What hazard is associated with foliated metamorphic rocks?

Mineral grains become flattened and aligned in parallel sheets as a response to pressure and temperature to form metamorphic foliations. Metamorphic rocks break parallel to their folation planes, and this can create landslide hazards when foliated planes are tilted at an angle towards roads, dams, or other structures.

Table sugar, also known as sucrose (like the kind in rock candy), is NOT a mineral because... ....

Sugar is an organic compound.

An ecosystem involves only the living organisms in a region.

True

Intrusive igneous rocks consist of slowly cooled magma.

True

P-waves travel faster than surface waves.

True

Which volcano is more likely to produce a lahar - a composite volcano like Mt. Rainier in Washington or a shield volcano like Kilauea in Hawaii? Why?

a composite volcano because ash from a pyroclastic eruption could mix with water from melted snow and ice on the summit and form a lahar

What is uniformitarianism?

a concept that state that present process operated in the past, at similar rates

Why is topographic monitoring sometimes useful in forecasting a volcanic eruption?

a volcano sometimes swells as lava moves toward the surface

Why is it possible for an ecosystem adapted to cool temperatures (algific talus slopes), to thrive in the warm summer climate of Iowa?

air chilled by flowing through fractured and partially dissolved limestone and dolomite bedrock creates a microclimate with cooler temperatures

How is the behavior of seismic waves traveling through the Earth used to characterize the Earth's interior?

all of the above

A tsunami may occur when _____.

an earthquake occurs on or near the ocean floor, a volcano erupts underwater, an underwater landslide occurs

A group of populations of different species living in the same area with varying degrees of interaction with each other is

an ecological community

Why is human population growth considered an environmental problem?

as the population increases, more resources are needed and more waste is produced, causing greater amounts of disruption to the environment

Clay minerals are used in the manufacture of _________. (pick 3)

bricks, ceramics, landfill liners

Faults are a result of [a] deformation, and folds are a result of [b] deformation.

brittle, ductile

Limestone is prone to chemical weathering where the rock can dissolve to form caves because it consists of a mineral from the

carbonate group

The maximum number of people Earth can hold without causing prohibitive environmental degradation is called

carrying capacity

The 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo

caused global cooling the next year because incoming solar radiation was scattered off ash particles and aerosol droplets in the atmosphere

particle size small to largest

clay/shale, silt-siltstone, sand/sandstone, pebbles/conglomerate