Exam 1 Review

Which of the following is not a planet? A) Europa B) Venus C) Saturn D) Neptune

A) Europa

The silicon-oxygen tetrahedron, the most fundamental basis for forming minerals, contains: A) Four oxygen atoms and one silicon atom B) Four silicon atoms and one oxygen atom C) Three silicon atoms and one oxygen atom D) Three oxygen atoms and one silicon atom

A) Four oxygen atoms and one silicon atom

Science is based on the assumption that nature behaves in a consistent and predictable manner. A) TRUE B) FALSE

A) TRUE

Active mountain belts are most likely to be found ________. A) along the margins of continents B) in the interior regions of continents C) scattered throughout continents D) along only the eastern margins of continents

A) along the margins of continents

Which mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas? A) calcite B) quartz C) gypsum D) plagioclase

A) calcite

Chemical sedimentary rocks form from materials ________. A) carried in solution B) too fine to see without a microscope C) that form weak bonds with oxygen D) all of the above

A) carried in solution

Angles are important when looking at which physical properties of minerals? A) cleavages B) color streaks C) bands of different luster D) conchoidal fractures

A) cleavages

Ocean crust is denser than continental crust because ocean crust is ________. A) composed primarily of basalt B) composed primarily of granite C) thicker than continental crust D) thinner than continental crust

A) composed primarily of basalt

The ________ is the thinnest layer of the earth. A) crust B) outer core C) mantle D) inner core

A) crust

Confining pressure is where ________. A) forces are applied equally in all directions B) forces are applied from the top and the bottom equally C) pressure is applied in a cubic region D) pressure is parallel to the bedding planes

A) forces are applied equally in all directions

The ________ refers to the water-dominated parts of the earth. A) hydrosphere B) atmosphere C) biosphere D) geosphere

A) hydrosphere

The bond between sodium (Na) and Chlorine (Cl) to form halite (salt) is a(n) ________ bond. A) ionic B) valent C) covalent D) metallic

A) ionic

What two chemical elements are most abundant in the deep interior of the earth? A) iron and magnesium B) magnesium and oxygen C) hydrogen and helium D) silicon and oxygen

A) iron and magnesium

The most abundant chemical sedimentary rock is ________. A) limestone B) dolomite C) chert D) rock salt

A) limestone

Which of the following describes the light reflecting and transmission characteristics of a mineral? A) luster B) color streak C) virtual absorption D) fluorescence

A) luster

The common rock produced by the metamorphism of limestone is ________. A) marble B) mica schist C) phyllite D) gneiss

A) marble

Most sediment is formed by ________ A) settling out of a fluid B) the downhill movement of material during mass wasting C) the rapid distribution of material in a mountain stream D) rocks that erode from the bottoms of glaciers

A) settling out of a fluid

Convergent plate boundaries are ________. A) sites where cold, downgoing convective cells, the plates, descent into the mantle B) sites where heat from the earth's interior is vented to the surface as volcanos C) areas where two plates slide laterally past one another, generating earthquakes, like the San Andrea fault D) sites of supervolcanos like Yellowstone

A) sites where cold, downgoing convective cells, the plates, descent into the mantle

Which of the following is a reasonable approximation of the rate that plates move? A) the rate of growth of human hair or fingernails B) the speed a turtle walks C) the speed of a mountain glacier D) the speed of deep ocean currents

A) the rate of growth of human hair or fingernails

Ocean floor averages about ________ km depth below sea level. A) 2 B) 4 C) 6 D) 8

B) 4

Climate change is controversial despite widespread scientific agreement on the issue. If you wanted an informed analysis of the problem, which of the following would be most likely to give you the most complete analysis? A) An Astronomer B) A meteorologist with Knowledge of oceanography C) A geologist with knowledge of astronomy D) A physicist

B) A meteorologist with Knowledge of oceanography

Which of the following is an economically important sedimentary rock? A) Marble B) Coal C) Pumice D) Calcite

B) Coal

Which of the following is not a criterion for defining something as a mineral? A) Naturally occurring B) Hard C) Generally inorganic D) Orderly crystalline structure

B) Hard

What are the basic differences between the disciplines of physical and historical geology? A) Physical geology is the study of fossils and sequences of rock strata; historical geology is the study of how rocks and minerals were used in the past. B) Historical geology involves the study of rock strata, fossils, and geologic events, utilizing the geologic time scale as a reference; physical geology includes the study of how rocks form and of how erosion shapes the land surface. C) Physical geology involves the study of rock strata, fossils, and deposition in relation to plate movements in the geologic past; historical geology charts how and where the plates were moving in the past. D) none of the above—physical geology and historical geology are essentially the same.

B) Historical geology involves the study of rock strata, fossils, and geologic events, utilizing the geologic time scale as a reference; physical geology includes the study of how rocks form and of how erosion shapes the land surface.

What is required for an igneous rock to weather? A) It must move downslope under the influence of gravity B) It must be exposed at the surface of the earth C) It must be uplifted from where it was emplaced D) It must be deposited by water or ice

B) It must be exposed at the surface of the earth

What determines the physical and chemical properties of an atom? A) The type of bonds B) The number of electrons C) The number of protons D) The number of neutrons

B) The number of electrons

Which of the following is not an example of a foliation in a metamorphic rock? A) compositional banding B) bedding planes and strata C) parallel alignment of flattened pebbles D) parallel alignment of platy or flat minerals

B) bedding planes and strata

Shield areas in continental interiors are characterized by ________. A) linear chains of mountains less than 100 million years old B) flat areas that include rocks older than 1 billion years old C) flat river valleys that cut through older mountain ranges D) ancient coastal regions that have become abandoned and eroded

B) flat areas that include rocks older than 1 billion years old

Obsidian exhibits a ________ texture. A) fine-grained B) glassy C) coarse-grained D) porphyritic

B) glassy

The most important agent(s) of metamorphism, according to your text, is (are) ________ A) chemically active fluids B) heat C) differential stress D) confining pressure

B) heat

Which of the following is a renewable resource? A) coal B) ice C) helium gas D) rock salt

B) ice

In correct order from the center outward, Earth includes which units? A) core, inner mantle, outer mantle, crust B) inner core, outer core, mantle, crust C) inner core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere D) core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere

B) inner core, outer core, mantle, crust

Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________. A) isotopes B) ions C) isochrons D) periodic elements

B) ions

The ________ forms the relatively cool, brittle tectonic plates. A) asthenosphere B) lithosphere C) astrosphere D) eosphere

B) lithosphere

Major mountain belts on the earth are ________ A) older than smaller mountain belts because they have had enough time to grow large B) located around the Pacific Ocean C) over 10 km high D) made of granite because it is low density and allows for maximum growth

B) located around the Pacific Ocean

4) The ________ explains how our solar system probably formed from a giant cloud of gases and dispersed solid particles. A) protogalactic theory B) nebular theory C) extrastellar solar hypothesis D) planetary compression theory

B) nebular theory

The most prominent features on the ocean floor are the ________. A) deep-ocean trenches B) oceanic ridges C) seamounts D) lava plateaus

B) oceanic ridges

A naturally occurring concentration of one or more metallic minerals that can be extracted economically is a(n) ________. A) reserve B) ore C) resource D) tailing

B) ore

Which one of the following is an igneous rock? A) limestone B) rhyolite C) slate D) shale

B) rhyolite

Which of the following is not a fundamental particle found in atoms? A) neutron B) selectron C) electron D) protons

B) selectron

The most common sedimentary rock is ________. A) sandstone B) shale C) conglomerate D) breccia

B) shale

Which of the following physical properties is not generally used to identify most minerals? A) luster B) smell C) cleavage D) hardness

B) smell

Oceanic crust is generated at ________. A) hot spots on the sea floor, like Iceland B) spreading ridges C) convergent plate margins D) transform plate margins

B) spreading ridges

The most common group of rock forming minerals is ________. A) carbonate B) the silicates C) the sulfates D) the halides

B) the silicates

Intrusive igneous rocks are often characterized as coarse-grained because ________. A) the pressures at depth cause them to have a rough texture B) the slow cooling at depth allows large crystals to grow C) the uplift process that exposes the rock fractures them and makes them rough D) small holes from escaping gases leave them rough and course

B) the slow cooling at depth allows large crystals to grow

The primary goal of Earth Science is ________ A) to develop things that will benefit mankind B) to identify the patterns in nature and use that information to predict the future C) to locate resources D) to protect the environment

B) to identify the patterns in nature and use that information to predict the future

Which of the following places is well known for its intrusive igneous rocks that were exposed by erosion? A) Mount St. Helens Volcano B) Hawaii C) Yosemite National Park D) Yellowstone National Park

C) Yosemite National Park

Why does magma rise toward the Earth's surface? A) because it is hot B) because it is a liquid C) because it is less dense than the material around it D) because it is immiscible and cannot combine with the material around it

C) because it is less dense than the material around it

What is the source of the energy that powers the Earth system? A) the Sun B) heat from Earth's interior C) both A and B D) none of the above

C) both A and B

Which of the following is not a common rock forming mineral? A) potassium B) iron C) carbon D) magnesium

C) carbon

A major cause of the differences in elevation between ocean basins and continents is ________. A) viscosity B) temperature C) density D) mass

C) density

What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature? A) silicate B) native gold C) diamond D) muscovite

C) diamond

The largest of Earth's spheres is the ________. A) hydrosphere B) atmosphere C) geosphere D) biosphere

C) geosphere

Rhyolite is the fine-grained equivalent of this igneous rock. A) basalt B) andesite C) granite D) diorite

C) granite

Select from the list below the coarse-grained rock which is composed mainly of quartz and potassium feldspar. A) basalt B) andesite C) granite D) diorite

C) granite

Which of the following minerals is not a chemical compound? A) quartz (SiO2) B) halite (NaCl) C) graphite (C) D) pyrite (FeS)

C) graphite (C)

Flat, stable areas of continental crust tend to be located ________. A) along coastlines B) near desert regions C) in the interior of continents D) in areas that receive large amounts of rainfall

C) in the interior of continents

For a geologist, the most important characteristic of a sedimentary rock is its ________. A) texture B) composition C) layering D) lithology

C) layering

Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure? A) carbonates B) pyroxenes C) micas D) feldspars

C) micas

Which two elements combine to make most of the common rock forming minerals in the crust? A) carbon and oxygen B) nitrogen and oxygen C) silicon and oxygen D) silicon and nitrogen

C) silicon and oxygen

Which of the following lists the rocks in the order of increasing grain size and increasing grade of metamorphism? A) phyllite, slate, schist B) schist, slate, phyllite C) slate, phyllite, schist D) slate, schist, phyllite

C) slate, phyllite, schist

If magma or lava cools quickly, the resulting igneous rock will have ________. A) more silicate minerals B) more variations in mineral types C) very small crystals D) very large crystals

C) very small crystals

The first step in turning a rock into a sediment is ________. A) gravity and erosional agents (wind, water, etc.) remove material from the parent rock B) rock is broken into small pieces during the transportation phase C) weathering alters the rock D) compaction

C) weathering alters the rock

The basic building block of a silicate is composed of ________. A) 1 oxygen and 1 silicon B) 2 oxygens and 1 silicon C) 3 oxygens and 1 silicon D) 4 oxygens and 1 silicon

D) 4 oxygens and 1 silicon

What is the most abundant element found near the surface of Earth? A) Potassium B) Silicon C) Calcium D) Oxygen

D) Oxygen

Detrital sedimentary rocks are typically classified on the basis of their ______. A) Lithology B) Texture C) Provenance D) Particle size

D) Particle size

Which of the following changes may occur during metamorphism? A) Certain minerals may recrystallize. B) The rock becomes more compact. C) Crystals may grow larger. D) all of the above

D) all of the above

Igneous rock is formed ________. A) by the weathering of preexisting rocks B) by changes in mineral composition C) at great depth within Earth D) by crystallization of magma

D) by crystallization of magma

The most unreliable (variable) diagnostic property of minerals such as quartz is ________. A) hardness B) habit C) specific gravity D) color

D) color

The Himalayan Mountains and adjacent Tibet are a mountain system formed by ________. A) subduction B) sea floor spreading C) back-arc contraction D) continental collision

D) continental collision

The resistance of a mineral to abrasion is known as ________. A) luster B) cleavage C) streak D) hardness

D) hardness

The asthenosphere is actually a part of the ________ of the earth A) outer core B) crust C) inner core D) mantle

D) mantle

When electrons are shared amongst all atoms, the resulting bond is a(n) ________ bond. A) covalent B) ionic C) partial D) metallic

D) metallic

What is the most common place for sediment to be deposited? A) rivers B) beaches C) mountains D) oceans

D) oceans

The ________ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in the earth's interior. A) inner core B) lithosphere C) mantle D) outer core

D) outer core

Which igneous texture is characterized by two distinctively different crystal sizes? A) fine-grained B) glassy C) coarse-grained D) porphyritic

D) porphyritic

Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen? A) calcite B) diamond C) olivine D) quartz

D) quartz

The texture of an igneous rock ________ A) is controlled by the composition of magma B) determines the color of the rock C) is caused by leaching D) records the rock's cooling history

D) records the rock's cooling history

Which of the following is a mineral as defined by a geologist? A) boulder B) concrete C) sugar D) salt

D) salt

The low grade metamorphism of shale produces ________ A) marble B) schist C) gneiss D) slate

D) slate

The composition of the earth's inner core is thought to be ________ A) basalt B) granite C) peridotite D) solid iron-nickel alloy

D) solid iron-nickel alloy

Soil belongs to the ________. A) hydrosphere B) atmosphere C) geosphere D) biosphere E) All of the above

E) All of the above