Geo 120- everything
Which of these factors contribute to the nature and rate of soil formation? (choose all that apply)
- Amount of time available - Climate - Slope of the surface - Type of parent material
Which of the following factors would cause the cut-off grade of a mineral resource to rise? (Choose all that apply.)
- Better (more equitable) labor agreements - Rising energy costs - More stringent environmental regulations
Which of these are common silicate minerals? Select all that apply.
- Biotite - Olivine - Potassium feldspar - Quartz
If the price of a mineral resource increases, which of these may occur? (choose all that apply)
- Consumer demand for the mineral resource may decrease - Mining may increase to increase the mineral supply - Consumers or product makers may seek a substitute mineral or product
Which of these changes in the physical conditions could cause a solid rock to melt? (Select all that apply.)
- Decrease in pressure - Increase in temperature - Addition of water
Which of these features would you expect to find at a convergent boundary where subduction is taking place? (select all that apply)
- Deep ocean trench - Shallow earthquakes - Volcanoes - Deep earthquakes
Match the plate boundary type below with the correct type of stress
- Divergent = tensional - Convergent = compressional - Transform = shear
Identify the processes below as mechanical (physical) or chemical weathering.
- Exfoliation = mechanical weathering - Frost wedging = mechanical weathering - Root wedging = mechanical weathering - Salt expansion = mechanical weathering - Hydrolysis = chemical weathering - Dissolution =chemical weathering - Oxidation = chemical weathering
What forces are involved in a mass sliding down an inclined plane? SELECT THREE
- Friction - Normal - Shear
Which of these are advantages to using solar energy to generate electricity
- Fuel source is free - It has very low emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutant -Renewable energy source
What are the two primary sources of water for the City of Fort Collins?
- Horsetooth reservoir - Cache la Poudre river
Which of these characteristics of a drainage basin would tend to promote a shorter lag time between a rainfall event and peak discharge? (choose all that apply)
- Impermeable surfaces - Steeper terrain
Which of these changes to the crust would act to reduce regional elevations? (select all that apply)
- Increase density of crust - Cool the crust - Decrease the thickness of the crust
Which of these rock could be the parent rock of gneiss? (select all that apply)
- Mudrock (such as shale) - Granite
Which of these elements are considered Critical Materials in the Medium Term (2015-2025) by the U.S. Department of Energy? (select all that apply)
- Neodymium - Dysprosium - Europium - Yttrium - Terbium
At which type(s) of plate boundaries are you likely to have volcanoes? (Select all that apply.)
- Ocean- ocean convergent - Ocean- continent convergent - Ocean- ocean divergent
For oil to be produced, the following events must occur: (choose all that apply)
- Organic molecules are preserved under low oxygen conditions - Microorganism settle to the bottom of an ocean or lake after they die - Microorganisms produce organic molecules through photosynthesis
Which of these are potential triggers for mass wasting events? (choose all that apply)
- Oversteeping - Rapid melting of snow or ice - Volcanic eruption - Heavy rain - Earthquake
Indicate the order in which these seismic waves would arrive at a seismic station following an earthquake
- P waves = first - S- waves = second - Surface waves = third
Match the igneous rocks below with the correct texture.
- Phaneritic = A - Aphanitic = B - Pegmatitic = F - Glassy = E - Vesicular = D - Porphyritic = C
Which of these are potential triggers for mass wasting events? (choose all that apply)
- Rapid melting of snow or ice - Freezing and thawing - Shaking from construction or mining - Heavy rain - Earthquake
Which of these is a source of non-point pollution? Choose all that apply.
- Residential areas - Fields of an agricultural area
Which of these metamorphic rocks can form from shale? (Select all that apply)
- Schist - Gneiss - Slate - Phyllite
Which of these are potential responses by consumers and manufacturers in the United States if China decided to restrict the export of rare earth elements (REE) to the United States as a part of the ongoing trade war? (Select all that apply.)
- Seek alternative sources of REE - Seek alternative minerals or products - Increase the use of recycled REE
Which of the following are possible impacts of over-pumping groundwater? (select all that apply)
- Shallow wells become dry - Declining water table - Ground subsidence
Which of these energy sources would be considered renewable? (select all that apply)
- Solar - Hydroelectric - Wind
Match the oil and gas terms below with the correct description.
- Source rock = organic matter-bearing rock which the formation of gas and oil takes place -Reservoir = relatively permeable rocks that allow migration and accumulation of oil and natural gas - Trap = structure of arrangement of rocks that lead to the accumulation of oil or gas - Seal = impermeable rocks that prevents migration of oil or gas
Which of these are common non-silicate mineral classes? Select all that apply.
- Sulfates - Oxides - Sulfides - Phosphates
Match the relative dating principle with its definition. (relative dating quiz 7)
- Superposition = the layers on the bottom are the oldest and the layers above are younger - Original horizontality = layers of rock deposited from above, such as sediments and lava flows, originally were laid down horizontally - Lateral continuity = within the depositional basin in which they form, strata are continuous in all directions until they thin out at the edge - Cross- cutting relationships = faults and igneous intrusions that cut across rocks are younger than the rocks they cut across - Inclusions - when one rock formation contains pieces or inclusions of another rock, the inclusion is older than the host rock - Faunal succession = assemblages of fossils contained in strata are unique to the time they lived and can be used to correlate rocks
What are the two most important factors in the process of generating oil from organic remains?
- Temperature - Time
Why are mass movements common after large rainfall events such as the 2013 Front Range Flooding? (select all that apply)
- The addition of water decrease the resisting force - Increased water in streams erodes and undercuts hill slopes
Match the chemical layers of the Earth with the correct descriptions.
- The outermost chemical layer and the one we currently reside on. There are two types: ocean and continental = crust - The largest chemical layer by volume. Scientists hypothesize most of it is made of the rock peridotite = mantle - Consists mostly of iron, nickel, and possibly some oxygen = core
Match the definition on the left with the correct term.
- The process of concentrating a mineral resource following extraction. = benefaction - A process during which the crushed ore is placed in a rotating drum with steel rods or balls = milling - A process during which a rock slurry is mixed with a selected reagent that adds bubbles. = flotation - The use of chemicals (such as sulfuric acid or sodium cyanide) to dissolve only the desired metals = leaching - A process to separate a metal from a mineral by heating the mineral = smelting
Match the descriptions below with the correct soil horizon.
- The top horizon is a thin layer of predominantly organic material, such as leaves, twigs, and other plant parts that are actively decaying into humus = 0 horizon - This layer is often referred to as top soil. It consists of humus mixed with mineral sediment = A horizon - Also called subsoil, this layer consists of sediment mixed with humus removed from the upper layers. The subsoil is where mineral sediment is chemically weathered. = B horizon - This is substratum and is a zone of mechanical weathering. Here, bedrock fragments are physically broken but not chemically altered. This layer contains no organic material. = C horizon - The final layer consists of unweathered, parent bedrock and fragments. = R horizon
What are the two largest uses of water in the United States?
- Thermoelectric power - Irrigation
Which of the following are advantages of using nuclear energy to generate electricity? (choose all that apply)
- Very low emissions of carbon dioxide and air pollutants - Relatively safe - Has a high energy output - On demand energy source
Soil is made up of which of these components? (Select four.)
- Water - Air - Weathered rock - Organic material
Continental collisions are characterized by (select all that apply)
- Widespread shallow earthquakes - Broad mountainous regions
Which of these energy sources would be considered renewable? (select all that apply)
- Wind - Hydroelectric - Solar
An increase in Earth's average albedo leads to (select all that apply)
- an increase in the amount of solar radiation that is reflected - a decrease in the amount of solar radiation that is absorbed by Earth
Water is a very unusual substance with unique properties. Indicate unique properties of water compared to most other substances. (choose all that apply)
- as a solid, floats on its own liquid - high specific heat - Universal solvent - Molecular polarity - High cohesion - High adhesion
At a subduction zone, what is the cause(s) of melting? (Select all that apply.)
- heating - addition of water
Hydraulic fracturing (select all that apply).
-Is primarily used to extract oil or gas from shale - Increase the permeability of the rock - Is a process in which fluid and sand is pumped at high pressure into a rock to fracture it - Allows oil and gas to be extracted from source rocks
Which of the following factors would cause the cut-off grade of a mineral resource to rise? (Choose all that apply.)
-New benefaction technologies -Increased market price of the metal
Which of these products are rare earth elements used in? (select all that apply)
-Rechargeable batteries -Magnets -Fluorescent light bulbs - Tv and computer screens
Which of the following are ways of correlating rocks? (Select three that apply)
-time -age -rock type
Quartz has the chemical formula Si)2 and is made of a 3-D framework of silicate tetrahedron. How many directions of cleavage would you expect quartz to have?
0
Quartz is composed of a 3D framework of silicate tetrahedra, with no other elements included. How many directions of cleavage would you expect quartz to have?
0
What is the discharge of river that is 50 ft wide and 5 ft deep and flowing with a velocity of 4 ft/s?
0
An iphone has about 0.014 grams of gold in it. How many metric tons of 15 ppm grade gold ore need to be mined in order to get enough gold for a single iphone? Remember that 1 metric ton = 1,000,000 grams.
0.066
Using relative dating procedures, put the labeled rocks and geologic features in order from oldest (first - 1) to youngest (last - 11)
1 - J 2- K 3- F 4- H 5- B 6- G 7 - E 8- D 9- I 10 - C 11- A
Rank these elements in order of their abundance in Earth's continental crust? (1 is most abundant, 5 is least abundant)
1 = oxygen 2 = silicon 3 = aluminum 4 = iron 5 = calcium
Using the image shown below and your relative dating principles, put the rocks in the order that they formed from oldest (first - 1) to youngest (last - 8).
1 C, 2 H, 3 E, 4 G, 5 A, 6 F, 7 D, 8 B
Which of the following are on a plate boundary
1 and 3
What type of cleavage would you expect to find in Mica
1 direction
Approximately what percentage of the water on Earth is liquid, fresh water?
1%
What percent of water on earth is liquid fresh water
1%
What is the discharge of river that is 50 ft wide and 5 ft deep and flowing with a velocity of 4 ft/s?
1,000
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 4%, how many pounds of ore must be mined in order to obtain 50 pounds of that metal?
1,2500
Approximately how far would a tectonic plate travel in an average human lifetime?
1- 10 meters
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 25 ppm, how many metric tons of ore must be mined in order to obtain 30 grams of that metal? (remember there are 1,000,000 grams in 1 metric ton)
1.2
Questions #1-8 involve the calculation of earthquake recurrence intervals and probabilities for the Los Angeles area. Please use this table to answering these questions, using the procedures you learned in class focusing on the San Francisco area. What is the mean recurrence interval (MRI) in years for earthquakes within the magnitude range 5.0-5.9? What do you estimate that the mean recurrence interval (MRI) in years would be for earthquakes within the magnitude range 7.0-7.9 in the Los Angeles area? Approximately, what do you estimate that the mean recurrence interval (MRI) in years would be for earthquakes within the magnitude range 8.0-8.9 in the Los Angeles area? What is the one year probability of an earthquake in the magnitude range 4.0-4.9 occurring in the Los Angeles area? Give your answer as a %. Approximately, what is the one year probability of an earthquake in the magnitude range 7.0-7.9 occurring in the Los Angeles area? What is the probability of an earthquake in the magnitude range 6.0-6.9 occurring in the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years? Give your answer as a %. Approximately, what is the probability of an earthquake in the magnitude range 7.0-7.9 occurring in the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years Approximately, what is the probability of an earthquake in the magnitude range 8.0-8.9 occurring in the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years?
1.2 150 1,500 years 100 0.7% 88% 18% 2%
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atoms of each isotope in a rock and find 250 atoms of Potassium-40 and 250 atoms of Argon-40. How old is this rock? Give your answer in billions of years.
1.3
What is the percentage of ore to waste (by weight) for the new underground mine?
1.3/0.3 = 433%
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Animas River at Durango, Colorado for the past 108 years. The discharge corresponding to a Moderate Flood Stage is 14,100 ft3/s. This value has been exceeded 2 times during the period of record. What is the approximate probability of Moderate Flooding on the Animas River at this location?
1.8%
What is the mean recurrence interval for magnitudes 5.0 - 5.9
1/ 0.23 = 4.3 years
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri for the past 155 years. The discharge corresponding to a Major Flood Stage is 750,000 ft3/s. This value has been exceeded 19 times during the period of record. What is the approximate probability of Major Flooding on the Mississippi River at this location each year? (Give your answer as a percentage.)
12.5/ 12.25
The approximate percentage of land surface used for pit mining as compared to that used in mine waste storage is
15-30%
Cleavage in feldspars
2 directions
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atoms of each isotope in a rock and find 250 atoms of Potassium-40 and 750 atoms of Argon-40. How old is this rock? (Give your answer in billions of years)
2.6
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 50 ppm, how many grams of ore must be mined in order to obtain 10 grams of that metal?
200,000
If a rock starts off with 100 radioactive parent atoms, how many parent atoms will be left after 2 half-lives?
25
After 2 half-lives, what percentage of the original parent isotopes would still be present?
25%
How many tectonic plates are shown in the diagram below?
3
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atom of each isotope and find 75 atoms of Potassium-40 and 525 atoms of Argon-40. How many half-lives have passed since the rock formed?
3
How many plates are shown in the diagram to the right? In the diagram to the right, which plate is subducting? how are points B and D moving relative to each other? how are points D and E moving relative to each other?
3 A B and D are moving away from each other D and E are not moving relative to each other
Questions #9-12 use this document to assess the seismic risk of two additional San Francisco schools that we did not assess during class: Sunset Ridge Elementary School and El Camino High School. How would you rate the Peak Ground Acceleration for El Camino High School? How would you rate the Liquefaction Potential for Sunset Ridge Elementary School? Which of these schools show evidence for soft stories? Using the risk factors spreadsheet that you used in class, calculate the Risk Factor for El Camino High School and Sunset Ridge Elementary School.
3 (>0.6g) 1 (low/ very low) Neither school has a soft story El Camino High School
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Ohio River at Louisville, KY. Flood stage at this site corresponds to 546,000 cubic feet per second. This discharge has been exceeded 46 times in the 152 years in the record. What is the approximate recurrence interval of flooding at this location? Practice exam didn't have the picture
3 years
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 3%, how many pounds of ore must be mined in order to obtain 100 pounds of that metal?
3,333
Approximately what percentage of the water on Earth is fresh water?
3.5%
What percentage of freshwater is groundwater
30.1%
A river has a discharge of 200 cubic meters per second. Its width is 10 meters and its average velocity is 5 meters/second. What is its depth?
4
What is the currently scientifically accepted age of the Earth?
4.54 billion years old
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Animas River at Durango, Colorado for the past 108 years. The discharge corresponding to a Moderate Flood Stage is 14,100 ft3/s. This value has been exceeded 2 times during the period of record. What is the approximate recurrence interval of Moderate Flooding on the Animas River at this location?
54 years
After 4 half-lives, what percentage of the original parent isotopes would still be present in a rock?
6.25%
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri for the past 155 years. The discharge corresponding to a Major Flood Stage is 750,000 ft3/s. This value has been exceeded 19 times during the period of record. What is the approximate recurrence interval in years of Major Flooding on the Mississippi River at this location?
8 / 8.16
If a river has an average width of 10 m, an average depth of 4 m, and is flowing with a velocity of 2 m/s, what is its discharge?
80
According to a 2004 study published in the prestigious journal of Science, 97% percentage of climate scientists agree that warming is from human activities.
97%
Examine the diagram below. The lettered objects represent volcanoes formed on an oceanic plate above a hot spot. The arrow illustrates the direction of plate motion. Which volcano is the youngest?
A
Which rock is older the limestone (A) or the igneous sill (B)
A
At which of these sites would expect to find composite volcanoes? (Select all that apply.) At which of these sites would you expect to find basaltic lava? (Select all that apply.) At which of these sites would you be most worried about an explosive eruption?
A & B A B
Which of these best describes a 100-year flood?
A 100-year flood has a 1 in 100 chance of being equaled or exceeded in any year
Which of these is the best description of a scientific study?
A scientific study involves making hypotheses, collecting data, and performing experiments or testing claims, to reach a conclusion supported by evidence.
Which of the following settings would be most vulnerable to mass movements?
A steep mountain covered in a thick layer of sediments
What is a pyroclastic density current or pyroclastic flow?
A very hot (several 100°C) mixture of gases and volcanic tephra that flows rapidly (up to 100s of km/h) down the side of a volcano
Adding water to a rock can contribute to melting by
Adding water to a rock can contribute to melting by
What type of rock/ sediment is Qs
Alluvium (cobble and boulder gravel)
For earthquakes of the same magnitude, which of these would you expect to cause greater damage?
An earthquake with a shallower epicenter
Which type of coal has the highest carbon content?
Anthracite
Below the water table, all of the pore spaces are saturated with water
Below
The diagram below shows rock units with their ages in millions of years. When did crustal deformation (uplift or mountain building) occur?
Between 60- 200 million years ago
Dolomite has the chemical formula (Ca, Mg) Co3. which class of minerals would dolomite be placed
Carbonates
Which of the following would likely have the lowest permeability?
Clay
Fossil fuels
Coal Oil / petroleum Natural gas Other nontraditional fossil fuels Oil shale Oil sands and tar sands Shale gas Methane hydrate Non renewable energy resources
Mt. Rainier
Composite volcano (stratovolcano)
Mafic (ferromagnesian)
Contain mg and/ or fe, dark in color
What type of plate boundary is at the location indicated by the arrow between the Eurasian and Arabian plates
Continental collision
Which of these plate boundary types would you expect to find thick crust, reverse faults, and folds?
Continental collision
Which of these plate boundary types typically do not have volcanoes?
Convergent boundary between two continental plates
If you wanted to reconstruct ocean temperatures on short timescales (decades to centuries) with annual resolution, which of these archives would be the best target?
Corals
If you wanted to reconstruct temperatures on short timescales (decades to centuries) with annual resolution in the ocean, which of these archives would you target
Corals
Explore this Geologic Timeline created by PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/deeptime/ Or this one from UC Berkeley: https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php At the end of which of these time intervals did the non-avian dinosaurs go extinct?
Cretacous
Why are there mountains at divergent boundaries
Crust at the boundary is less dense
The schematic cross sections below illustrate four models of relative plate motions and plate boundary geometry. Which of the cross sections best represents the characteristics of the plate boundary at location 8 on the map below?
D
Which of the regions of the United States indicated on the map below would you expect to have the highest mass movement hazard?
D
Examine the diagram. The lettered objects represent volcanoes formed on an ocean plate above a hot spot. The arrow illustrates the direction of plate motion. Which volcano is the oldest? Examine the diagram. The lettered objects represent volcanoes formed on an ocean plate above a hot spot. The arrow illustrates the direction of plate motion. Which volcano is the youngest?
D C
Oldest to youngest
D, C, B, A
The stratigraphic column below shows descriptions of the rock layers below Fort Collins. Which of the following would be the best choice for a source of groundwater? The stratigraphic column below shows descriptions of the rock layers below Fort Collins. Which of the following would likely make the best aquifer?
DAKOTA SANDSTONE/ group Niobrara group
What do tilt meters measure?
Deformation of the surface of the volcano
Which of these events occurred first
Deposition of muddy gray sandstone
Which of these events occurred fourth
Deposition of the reddish sandstone
New ocean crust is formed at which type of plate boundary?
Divergent
Why type of plate boundary encircles antarctica
Divergent
relatively shallow earthquakes
Divergent boundary
Hazards from collapsible soils tend to happen in areas with
Dry, low density soils
During metamorphism, the minerals in a rock can recrystallize into other minerals, migrate within the rock, and be deformed to become aligned in a preferred direction.
During metamorphism, the minerals in a rock can recrystallize into other minerals, migrate within the rock, and be deformed to become aligned in a preferred direction.
Which best explains how sunlight can easily pass through the atmosphere, but heat energy radiated from the Earth's surface has a harder time escaping the atmosphere?
Each unique wavelength of radiation interacts differently with atmospheric gases.
Based on the hydrograph shown below, at what time of year does the most water typically flow through the Cache la Poudre River?
Early summer
Which of these events occurred third
Erosion down into the muddy gray sandstone
Which of the following formulas represents an sulfide?
FeS2
Which of these magma compositions will generate the most gas pressure?
Felsic
Which of these events occurred second
Folding and uplift of the muddy gray sandstone
Igneous rocks
Formed from the cooling of a molten rock Classified by composition and texture Composition provides information about the source and evolution of the magma that formed it Texture = provides information about cooling history
Which of these is not a defining property of a mineral?
Formed within the earth
Which statement best describes the current state of US energy production and/or consumption?
Fossil fuels represent more than 80% of US energy consumption and the US is the world's largest oil producer
Which of these schools in the San Francisco area would we expect to experience the greatest intensity of shaking in the next 50 years?
Francisco middle school
Review the map of the plates below and identify which pair of locations is moving further apart as a result of plate tectonics.
Galapagos islands and hawaii
Which of these schools in the San Francisco area would we expect to have the greatest landslide potential?
Garfield elementary school
How does the thickness of the crust beneath the rockies compare the surrounding areas
Generally thicker beneath the rockies
What would the metamorphic rock shown below be called?
Gneiss
Gneissic banding is a metamorphic foliation in which visible silicate minerals separate into dark and light bands or lineations.
Gneissic banding is a metamorphic foliation in which visible silicate minerals separate into dark and light bands or lineations.
what rock?
Gneissic foliation
In the image below there are pieces of a dark metamorphic rock included in a gray granite. Which rock is younger?
Gray granite is younger
The map below shows elevation of the water table in Long Island, NY. Which of these best describes the direction of groundwater flow?
Groundwater flows from the interior of the island towards the coast line.
Review the map of the plates below and identify which pair of locations is moving closer together as a result of plate tectonics.
Hawaii and Tokyo
Which type of metamorphism would you expect to have at a subducting plate
High p, low t
Which type of metamorphism would you expect to have at a divergent boundary
High t, low p
Which of these statements correctly describes the metamorphic rocks that would form in a contact metamorphic setting?
High-grade metamorphic rocks form closest to the magma chamber and low- grade metamorphic rocks form farther away
Which of these statements correctly describes the metamorphic rocks that would form in a contact metamorphic setting?
High-grade metamorphic rocks form closest to the magma chamber and low-grade metamorphic rocks form farther away
Which of these tectonic settings are you most likely to find the eruption of a felsic magma?
Hot spot under a continent
What is the biggest difference between hot-spot volcanism in an island chain and plate tectonic volcanism in an island arc?
Hot spots have age trends
Which of these terms is defined as the point within the Earth where the earthquake occurred?
Hypocenter
Melt rocks
Increase temperature Decrease pressure Add water
Organisms that lived for relatively short time periods are particularly useful for dating rocks, especially if they were distributed over a wide geographic area and so can be used to compare rocks from different regions. These organisms are known as
Index fossils
Which magma composition would you expect to create a cone-shaped composite volcano?
Intermediate
Which of these volcano monitoring methods can create detailed images of the volcano surface?
Lidar
Which site on the cross section below is the most likely setting for an oil field (large accumulation of oil)?
Limestone at D
Tectonic plates are made up of which layer of the Earth. Choose the best answer.
Lithosphere
The rock pictured below is primarily composed of pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar. How would you describe its composition?
Mafic
What rock forms when limestone undergoes metamorphism?
Marble
Mechanism of melting and source of magma is different at different tectonic settings
Mechanism of melting and source of magma is different at different tectonic settings
What materials were used to determine the age of the Earth?
Meteorites
Which of the following features would not be found at a convergent boundary between an ocean plate and a continental plate?
Mid- ocean ridge
Climate has changed in the past. What has caused the series of major climate fluctuations on thousand year time scales of the last 5 million years?
Milankovitch cycles
Is ocean crust more or less dense than continental crust?
More dense
Which of these fossil fuels are produced at a greater depth of burial?
Natural gas
What is the charge of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron?
Negative 4
What happens when 2 continental plates converge
Neither subducts
Isotopes are atoms of the same element but have different numbers of
Neutrons
Cut off grade
New beneficiation technologies = fall Better (more equitable) labor agreements = rise Rise energy costs = rise More stringent environmental regulations = rise
Which of these Northeastern Colorado formations has most of the oil and natural gas being extracted from during the oil and gas boom of the past decade?
Niobrara formation
The image below shows an unconformity between granite on the bottom and sandstone on the top. What type of unconformity is this?
Nonconformity
What type of cleavage would you expect to find in quartz
None
Mosaic canyon- death valley
Normal fault
Below is the hydrograph for the Cache la Poudre River for Nov. 6 - Nov. 13, 2015. Based on this data, which of these days would you predict that it had rained (assuming the lag time is less than one day for this location)? (select all that apply)
Nov 10 Nov 9
Which oxygen isotope, used in paleoclimatology, would be more easily evaporated and thus more concentrated in glacial ice?
O-16
What type of plate boundary is at the location indicated by the arrow, between the Eurasian and Phillippine plate
Ocean - continental convergent
Which types of plate boundaries are you likely to find mountains
Ocean ocean divergent Ocean - continental convergent Continental collision
Which of these minerals would crystallize first from a cooling magma?
Olivine
Explore this Geologic Timeline created by PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/deeptime/ Or this one from UC Berkeley: https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php The most severe mass extinction in Earth's history occurred at the end of which of these time periods?
Permian
During which eon did life become abundant on Earth?
Phanerozoic
At the plate boundary indicated by the arrow, which plate is being subducted
Phillippine plate
The rock/sediment type indicated by the abbreviation Kpl is shale layer that is a member (part) of which formation?
Pierre shale
Which of these silicate minerals is felsic
Plagioclase feldspar - caAl2si2O8
Which of these Geologic time intervals was the longest and constituted almost 90% of Earth's History?
Precrambrian
Which of these is considered the biggest hurdle in the path of REE production?
Processing REE ore
Melting at a subduction zone
Produce felsic intrusive rocks and intermediate extrusive rocks
Volcanic hazards
Pyroclastic flow (ash flow) Mahar (mud flow or debris flow) Gases Ash falls Volcanic landslides Lava flows
What is the abbreviation of the rock/ sediment type that underlies CSU and most of the city of Fort collins
Qs
Z -- midterm 1 practice exam
Quantitative vs qualitative data - Race Track Playa (in class) and another -Data from weather instruments -GPS measurements and rock movement Interpretation vs observation- Race Track Playa (in class) -Rocks have moved in the past Observation, not interpretation- Fort collins (in class) There is a river that flows toward the southeast through Fort Collins -The are to the West of Fort collins is steeper topography than to the east Observation vs interpretation- Race Track Playa (in class) → Which of the following statements about the Race Track Playa is an observation rather than an interpretation? -The rocks on the playa have a similar composition to those found in the surrounding mountains Science differs from Pseudoscience -Science can be proven wrong with enough evidence Match chemical layers of the Earth → 1st question on reading quiz 1- plate tectonics - Outermost layer= crust - Largest chemical layer = mantle - Consists mostly of iron, nickel, and some oxygen = core Examine map below--- how many plates = present → 6th question on homework quiz 1 - 5 Which plate boundaries have volcanoes → 1st question on homework quiz 1 - Ocean ocean convergent - Ocean- continent convergent - Ocean- ocean divergent Examine map-- youngest ocean crust → 7th question on homework quiz 1 - A Match physical layers of earth → 2nd question on reading quiz 1- plate tectonics - Outermost physical layer = lithosphere - Mechanically weak = asthenosphere - More rigid and immobile = mesosphere - Entirely liquid = outer core - Hottest part/ solid = inner core Examine map-- epicenter of deep earthquake→ 8th question on homework quiz 1 - D Google earth image of seafloor in the South American Ocean -- locate relative motion between south america and africa → hw quiz 1 uses image of seafloor in the indian ocean and need to locate divergent boundary - South America and Africa are moving away from each other Shallow earthquakes, no volcanism-- what plate boundary? - Transform Features at convergent boundary where subduction is taking place → 4th question on homework quiz 4 - Accretionary prism - Deep ocean trench - Deep earthquakes - Shallow earthquakes Volcanoes,A and B = 2 separate plates, curved black line = plate boundary and arrows = direction of plate motion and rates of motion. What type of plate boundary? → quizlet - Convergent Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) -- which class of minerals? → quizlet → homework quiz 2 uses Magnetite (fe3O4), Molybdenite (MoS2), and Proxene ((NaCa)(MgFeAl)(Al Si)2O6)) - Sulfides Siderite (FeCO3) -- which class of minerals → quizlet - Carbonate Sphalerite (ZNS) -- which class of minerals - sulfide All minerals ___ (select all that apply) → 1st question on reading quiz 2- minerals and quizlet - Inorganic - Ordered internal structure - Specific chemical composition - Are natural - Solid Silicate minerals, cleavage planes occur ___ → 4th question on hw quiz 2 and quizlet - At weak bonds between the silica tetrahedra and other elements Image of rock -- asks about composition and gives hint (minerals = pyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine) → Note homework quiz 2 doesn't give hints like this - Mafic Adding water to a rock contributes to melting by___ → 8th question on reading quiz 3 - igneous rocks - Decreasing temperature at which the rock melts How would you describe the texture of the rock shown below? → Homework quiz 2 uses a different picture quizlet - Phaneritic (coarsely crystalline) How would you describe the composition of this rock? → 8th question on homework quiz 2 and reading quiz 3 - igneous rocks uses a different picture - Felsic igneous rock with a felsic composition that formed intrusively would be called a ____ → 6th question on reading quiz 3 - igneous rocks replaces felsic with mafic - Granite Feldspars typically produce what weathering products? → Sedimentary quizlet and section 5.2.2 - Clay minerals plus potassium, sodium and calcium in solution A black color in sedimentary rocks indicates (choose all that apply) → quizlet Deposition in an environment without much oxygen - The presence of organic matter A reddish color in sedimentary rocks indicates (choose all that apply) → 20th question on homework quiz 2 - Presence of iron oxides - Deposition in an environment with plenty of oxygen What rock fizzes when hydrochloric acid is dropped on it? → quizlet - Limestone Salt is an example of which type of sedimentary rock→ kind of similar to 1st question reading quiz 4-- sedimentary rocks - chemical The metamorphic rock shown below is composed of medium-fine interlocking crystals that fizz when hydrochloric acid is dropped on them. What is this rock?→ uses same picture as the 3rd question in reading quiz 5-- metamorphic rocks, but asks a different question - Marble Rock shown below = fine-grained platy mineral such as mica. What is it called → quizlet and uses a lot of these types of questions on homework quiz 2 - Slate Is this rock foliated → Reading quiz 5-- metamorphic rocks asks the same question with the same picture and uses a different picture for this same question - Yes Metamorphic rock stared as a sandstone before it was metamorphosed. Very hard and doesn't fizz under hydrochloric acid. What is this rock? → quizlet and this site - Quartzite The rock shown below contains large mica crystals and other platy minerals aligned in a parallel direction. What type of foliation does this rock display→ 6.2.1 in textbook uses a lot of these types of questions on homework quiz 2 - Schistosity
What is the process of fixing, removing, or counteracting environmental problems associated with mining called?
Remediation
Which of these best describes the order of events that must have happened to explain the sedimentary rocks we see at red rocks
Rock a was deposited then rock b was deposited then the rocks were tilted
A large rock body that moves as a unit along a planar surface would be classified as a
Rock slide
Rocks subjected to stress may deform brittlely or ductilely, depending on their depth in the crust and how rapidly the deformation happens.
Rocks subjected to stress may deform brittlely or ductilely, depending on their depth in the crust and how rapidly the deformation happens.
Which of these could be the parent rock of quartzite
Sandstone
What is the rock pictured above in the middle, labeled B?
Schist
what rock
Schist
Which of these statements most accurately reflects how scientists know that the age of the Earth is approximately 4.56 billion years?
Scientists have used radioactive isotopes to date meteorites that formed at the same time as the Earth
Sedimentary rocks are classified according to what they are made of and what their texture is
Sedimentary rocks are classified according to what they are made of and what their texture is
Soils on top of which of these rock types would you expect to be most at risk for swelling soils.
Shale
Which of these rocks and depositional environments is the most likely source for oil and/or natural gas?
Shale deposited in an inland sea environment
How would you describe the scientific method?
Simple, linear process
What is the rock pictured above in the middle, labeled C?
Slate
what rock?
Slate
Which of these would be the most likely depositional environment for the sedimentary rock pictured below that contains rounded cobble, pebble and sand-sized clasts?
Steep river channel
Currently, the most widely accepted hypothesis for the formation of the Rocky Mountains involves
Subduction of an ocean plate at a shallow angle under western North America
In which of these environments would you expect to have high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphism?
Subduction zone
shallow and deep earthquakes
Subduction zones
Gelena has the chemical formula PbS. which class of minerals would gelena be placed?
Sulfides
Which of these types of mining typically produces a greater disturbance of the land and a larger amount of waste rock?
Surface mining
What is the geological structure shown in this image called?
Syncline
In the eastern United States, THERMOELECTRIC POWER is the largest use of water.
THERMOELECTRIC POWER
age of earth
The Earth is 4.6 billion years old!
What determines the ore grade of a mineral resource?
The concentration of the mineral resource in the rock
What happens as newly formed ocean crust moves away from the mid-ocean ridge?
The crust gets colder
The failure of a slope typically occurs when:
The downslope force is greater than the resisting force
Isostasy
The equilibrium exists between parts of earths crust, which behaves as it consists of blocks floating on the underlying mantle
The two graphs below show GPS data from Station JRO-1, which is located on the north side of Mount St. Helens. What do the data indicate about the movement of this station between Sept. 25 and Nov. 24?
The ground deformed in a way that the station moved to the southeast
When a oceanic plate and a continental plate converge, which plate will subduct?
The oceanic plate
Why might some wells extract predominantly oil and some predominantly natural gas
The rocks underwent different burial histories
Which of the following statements about the half-life of a radioactive isotope is true?
The term half-life refers to the time it takes for half of the radioactive parent atoms to decay into daughter atoms
Read this article about a swarm of earthquakes at Yellowstone in 2017 - water is diffusing through small cracks in the subsurface... Why did they not increase the threat level of Yellowstone at the time, given the increase of seismic activity?
There were no other signs of volcanic unrest
What must have happened at some time after the igneous and metamorphic rocks formed
They became uplifted relative to the surrounding rocks
High regional elevation
Thick crust, underlain by less dense crust, warm regions
Generally, which direction is the australian- indian plate moving
Toward the northeast
Generally, which direction is the pacific plate moving
Toward the northwest
What type of cleavage would you expect to find in amphibole
Two directions
Based on the map below, which of these hazards from Mt. Rainier would you be most concerned about if you lived in Tacoma?
Volcanic mudflows
Conditions would promote soil development
Warmer climate Wetter climate Flatter topography
Which materials would you predict groundwater to flow fastest through
Well sorted sand
Are rare earth elements currently being mined in the United States?
Yes, there is on operational mine in california
What type of unconformity is shown in the image below?
angular unconformity
What type of structure
anticline
folds
anticline and syncline
An igneous rock with a mafic composition that formed extrusively would be called a
basalt
BELOW the water table, all of the pore spaces are saturated with water
below
Which of these mechanisms could not have an influence on climate on timescales of years to decades
changes in earth's orbit
Which of these countries produces most of the world's supply of rare earth elements?
china
Lyons
clastic, fine sand (clast), well sorted, deposited far from their source, quartz mineral, sandstone (classified)
Which mass wasting type is very slow movement that can cause fences, retaining walls, and telephone poles to tilt downhill?
creep
Since the early 1980's, water use in the United States has
decreased
Since the early 1980's, water use in the united states has DECREASED
decreased
The areas from which streams collect water are separated into drainage basins, the borders of which are defined by local topographic highs.
drainage basins
Recent changes in atmospheric CO2 and temperature are faster than previous changes that we know about in the geologic record.
faster
An igneous rock with which of these compositions would melt first as the rock is being heated
felsic
Clastic sedimentary rocks are defined and named based mainly on their grain size while chemical sedimentary rocks are defined mainly on their composition
grain size
The concentration of a mineral resource in an ore deposit is generally HIGHER than the average concentration in Earth's continental crust.
higher
Whether oil or natural gas is produced in a source rock depends on how deep the rock is buried
how deep the rock is buried
The rate of groundwater flow is determined by the hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient.
hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient.
Types of magma expect in Hawaii
mafic
What is the process of fixing, removing, or counteracting environmental problems associated with mining called?
remediation
Examine the map below and answer the question that follows. E is moving toward the southeast.
southeast
Radioactive decay
spontaneous change in the nucleus of an atom releasing matter or energy
Which class of minerals would barite (BaSO4) go in
sulfates
What did you observe about this setting from the photos? Which of the following statements is not an observation that we could make from the photos we have seen Which of the following statements is an interpretation that we could make from the photos we have seen What caused the tracks next to rocks on the race track playa? What data did Richard Norris and his team collect to investigate how the rocks were moving Which of these data are quantitative
unanswered iclickers
Directed stress (choose all that apply)
- Are generated by the movement of lithospheric plates is an unequal balance of forces on a rock in one or more directions - occurs at much lower pressures than confining pressure and does not generate chemical reactions that change mineral composition and atomic structure
All minerals (Select all that apply)
- Are inorganic - Have a ordered internal structure - Have a specific chemical composition - Are natural - Are solid
Match these sedimentary structures with the correct description.
- Bedding plates = discernible layers of rocks - Graded bedding = a sequence of beds that either get coarser or finer - Plane beds = flat, parallel layers - Cross bedding = inclined layers within a bed - Bioturbation = action of burrowing organisms in soft sediments - Sole marks = features formed from the erosion into sediments by flow - Imbrication = stacking of clasts aligned in the direction of flow - Vugs = small voids in rocks
The Google Earth image below shows the age of the seafloor in the Indian Ocean. Young (recently formed) ocean crust is indicated by red. Which of the letters is located on a divergent boundary? (Choose all that apply.)
- C - A - D
What are the two primary sources of water for the City of Fort Collins?
- Cache la poudre river - Horsetooth river
Place these clastic sedimentary rocks in order from smallest grain size (1) to largest grain size (4).
- Claystone = 1 - Siltstone = 2 - Sandstone = 3 - Conglomerate = 4
Which of these energy sources can generally produce electricity "on-demand"? (select all that apply)
- Coal - Hydroelectric - Nuclear - Natural gas
Rank these fossil fuels by the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced for a given amount of energy produced from 1 (most CO2) to 3 (least CO2).
- Coal - Oil - Natural gas
Match the description of igneous rock texture to the correct term.
- Coarsely crystalline, individual crystals are readily visible to the unaided eye = phaneritic - Finely crystalline, individual crystals are too small to see with the unaided eye = aphanitic - A mix of coarse crystals surrounded by a matrix of finely crystalline material = porphyritic - Very large crystals (centimeters or larger) = pegmatitic
If the price of a mineral resource increases, which of these would you expect to occur? (choose all that apply)
- Consumers or product makers may seek a substitute mineral or product - Consumer demand for the mineral resource may decrease - Mining may increase to increase the mineral supply
Match the descriptions below with the correct term defining the igneous rock composition.
- Contains a predominance of the light-colored (felsic) minerals feldspar and silica in the form of quartz. Rich in silica (in the 65-75% range, meaning the rock would be 65-75% weight percent SiO2) and poor in iron and magnesium. = felsic - Usually contains roughly-equal amounts of light and dark minerals, including light grains of plagioclase feldspar and dark minerals like amphibole. Contains silica in the 55-60% range. = intermediate - Contains an abundance of ferromagnesian minerals (with magnesium and iron, chemical symbols Mg and Fe) plus plagioclase feldspar. It is mostly made of dark minerals like pyroxene and olivine, which are rich in iron and magnesium and relatively poor in silica. Silica in the 45-50% range. = mafic - Rocks composed of mostly olivine and some pyroxene which have even more magnesium and iron and even less silica. These rocks are rare on the surface, but make up peridotite, the rock of the upper mantle. It is poor in silica, in the 40% or less range. = ultra-mafic
Determine if the descriptions below would correspond to intrusive or extrusive igneous rock
- Cools quickly on earth's surface = extrusive - Cools slowly within earth's crust = intrusive - Contains tiny microscopic crystals = extrusive - Contains larger crystals that can be seen with the naked eye = intrusive
Which of these changes to the crust would act to increase regional elevations? (select all that apply)
- Heat the crust - Decrease the density of the crust - Increase the thickness of the crust
Which of the following conditions would increase the Moment Magnitude of an earthquake? (Select all that apply.)
- Increase the area of the fault that slips - Increase the distance that the fault slips - Increase the rigidity of the rock
Which of the following factors would cause the cut-off grade of a mineral resource to fall? (Choose all that apply.)
- Increased market price of the material - New benefaction technologies
Which of these could cause the designation of the 100-year flood for a river to change? (select all that apply)
- Installation of flood controls - Urban development - Collection of more data
Thinking about the water cycle, what can happen to water after falling to Earth as precipitation? (choose all that apply)
- It runs off - It evaporates - It infiltrates
Match the mineral class with some common uses of minerals in that class.
- Jewelry, coins, industry = native elements - Lime, portland cement = carbonates - Ores of iron and aluminum, pigments = oxides - Table salt, fertilizer = halides - Ores of lead, copper, mercury = sulfides - Sheetrock, therapeutic soak = sulfates - Fertilizer, teeth, bones = phosphates
Which of these characteristics of a drainage basin would tend to promote a longer lag time between a rainfall event and peak discharge? (choose all that apply)
- Large drainage basin - More vegetation - Thick soils
Rank these magma compositions from most viscous (1) to least viscous (3).
- Mafic = 3 - Intermediate = 2 - Felsic = 1
Magma viscosity is primarily dependent upon which two factors?
- Magma temperature - Magma composition
Which of the following are potential reasons why ores grades of a mineral resource may trend toward lower grade ores in more recent times? (Choose all that apply.)
- Once a mine gets established, it doesn't want to leave (and it is more expensive to set up a new mine), so it continues on to the lower grade ores after going after the higher grade deposits. - Many of the best deposits have already been exploited and thus often we only find/use lower grade ores. - Machinery and methods and large-scale mining methods have improved to allow for less expensive production and thus the ability to use the lower grade ores
For oil to be produced, the following events must occur: (choose all that apply
- Organic molecules are preserved under low oxygen conditions - Microorganisms settle to the bottom of an ocean or lake after they die - Organic molecules are buried to greater depth by the accumulation of sediment - Microorganisms produce organic molecules through photosynthesis
Sandstones are commonly made up of quartz sand grains. Why is quartz the most common mineral found in sandstones? (Select all that apply.)
- Other minerals, such as feldspars, will break down to clays - Quartz is chemically resistant to weathering
Match the physical layers of the Earth with the correct description.
- Outermost physical layer of the Earth. It is broken into segments called plates = Lithosphere - It is mechanically weak, this layer moves and flows due to convection currents created by heat coming from the earth's core = Asthenosphere - More rigid and immobile than the asthenosphere. Located at a depth of approximately 410 and 660 km below the earth's surface = mesosphere - The only entirely liquid layer within the Earth. Scientists believe the earth's magnetic field is generated by the circulation of molten iron and nickel within it = outer core - Hottest part of the Earth. Solid = inner core
Which of these can be done to minimize the potential problem of tailings? (select all that apply)
- Putting plastic liners underneath the tailings pond - Cap the tailings ponds with an impermeable liner. - Treat the water from the tailings pond to neutralize the acids.
Which of these are true statements about rare earth elements (REE)? (select all that apply)
- REEs are elements include the Lanthanide group and Yttrium - REEs have partially filled f electron orbitals
Which of the following factors would cause the cut-off grade of a mineral resource to rise? (Choose all that apply.)
- Rise energy costs - Better (more equitable) labor agreements - More stringent environmental regulations
Which of these factors will affect the shear strength of material on a slope? (choose all that apply)
- Rock type - Amount of water the material contains - The orientation of bedding of metamorphic layers - Cohesion of sediments
Which of these are examples of clastic sedimentary rocks? (select all that apply)
- Sandstone - Siltstone - Breccia - Shale
Which of these are potential responses by consumers and manufacturers in the United States if China decided to restrict the export of rare earth elements (REE) to the United States as a part of the ongoing trade war? (Select all that apply.)
- Seek alternative minerals or products - Seek alternative sources of REE - Increase the use of recycled REE
Put these metamorphic rocks in order of increasing metamorphic grade from 1 (lowest grade) to 4 (highest grade).
- Slate = 1 - Phyllite = 2 - Schist = 3 - Gneiss = 4
match the oil and gas terms below with the correct description
- Source rock: organic matter-bearing rock within which the formation of gas and oil takes place - Reservoir: relatively permeable rocks that allow migration and accumulation of oil and natural gas - Trap:structure or arrangement of rocks that leads to the accumulation of oil or gas - Seal: impermeable rock that prevents migration of oil or gas
Match the description of deformation below with the correct type of deformation.
- Strain that is reversible after a stress is released: Elastic deformation - This occurs when enough stress is applied to a material that the changes in its shape are permanent, and the material is no longer able to revert to its original shape: ductile deformation - This occurs when rock integrity fails and the rock fractures under increasing stress: Brittle deformation
Match the relative dating principle with its definition.
- Superposition = the layers on the bottom are the oldest and the layers above are younger - Original horizontality = layers of rock deposited from above, such as sediments and lava flows, originally were laid down horizontally - Lateral continuity = within the depositional basin in which they form, strata are continuous in all directions until they thin out at the edge - Cross- cutting relationships = faults and igneous intrusions that cut across rocks are younger than the rocks they cut across - Inclusions - when one rock formation contains pieces or inclusions of another rock, the inclusion is older than the host rock - Faunal succession = assemblages of fossils contained in strata are unique to the time they lived and can be used to correlate rocks
Match the descriptions below with the correct type of radioactive decay.
- Two protons and two neutrons are emitted from the nucleus of an atom = alpha decay - A neutron in its nucleus splits into an electron and a proton = beta decay - A proton in the nucleus captures an electron from one of the electron shells and becomes a neutron = electron capture
Match the depositional environments listed below with the types of sediment that are typically found there.
- Very fine muds and oozes, diatomaceous Earth = abyssal - Very well sorted sand = littoral (beach) - Lime mud with coral = reef - Sand and mud, can have larger sediments = fluvial (river) - Mud to boulder, poorly sorted = glacial - Very well sorted sand and silt = aeolian (dunes)
Which of these features would you expect to find at a convergent boundary where subduction is taking place? (select all that apply)
- Volcanoes - Deep ocean trench - Accretionary prism - Shallow earthquakes - Deep earthquakes
Which of these features would you expect to find at a divergent boundary? (Select all that apply.)
- Volcanoes - Shallow earthquakes - Ridge of elevated seafloor
The Google Earth image below shows the distribution of earthquakes near Japan. Orange dots indicate shallow earthquakes, while green and blue dots indicate deeper earthquakes. Based on the topography, location of continents and the distribution of earthquakes, which of the following features would you expect to find at the plate boundary indicated by the arrow? (Choose all that apply.)
- Volcanoes - deep ocean trenches
Match the type of unconformity with the correct description.
- Where is a break or stratigraphic absence between strata in an otherwise parallel sequence of strata: disconformity - where sedimentary strata are deposited on crystalline (igneous or metamorphic) rocks: nonconformity - where sedimentary strata are deposited on a terrain developed on sedimentary strata that have been deformed by tilting, folding, and/or faulting. so that they are no longer horizontal: angular unconformity
Hydraulic fracturing (select all that apply)
- is a process in which fluid and sand is pumped at high pressure into a rock to fracture it - allows oil and gas to be extracted from source rocks - increase the permeability of the rock - is primarily used to extract oil or gas from shale
For oil to be produced, the following events must occur: (choose all that apply)
- microorganisms settle to the bottom of an ocean or lake after they die - organic molecules are buried to greater depth by the accumulation of sediment - microorganisms produce organic molecules through photosynthesis - organic molecules are preserved under low oxygen conditions
Which of these energy sources produce carbon dioxide as a waste during electricity production (excluding emissions resulting from manufacturing of equipment)? (select all that apply)
- natural gas - coal
What are the two largest uses of water in the United States?
- thermoelectric power - irrigation
Match these descriptions of processes associated with lithification with the correct term.
- when friction and gravity overcome the forces driving sediment transport, allowing sediment to accumulate = deposition - when material continues to accumulate on top of the sediment layer, squeezing the grains together and driving out water = compaction - minerals coating the sediment grains and gluing them together into a fused rock = cementation
Match the type of unconformity with the correct description.
- where is a break or stratigraphic absence between strata in an otherwise parallel sequence of strata = disconformity - where sedimentary strata are deposited on crystalline (igneous or metamorphic) rocks = nonconformity - where sedimentary strata are deposited on a terrain developed on sedimentary strata that have been deformed by tilting, folding, and/or faulting. so that they are no longer horizontal = angular unconformity
Which of the following changes to the crust would act to increase regional elevations? (Choose all that apply.)
-Heat the crust - Decrease the density of the crust - Thicken the crust
A reddish color in sedimentary rocks usually indicates (choose all that apply)
-deposition in an environment with plenty of oxygen The presence of iron oxides -the presence of iron oxides
There have been 2 earthquakes in the magnitude range 6.0-7.0 in the San Francisco area over the past 30 years. What is the Mean Recurrence Interval of earthquakes in this magnitude range?
15 years
The graph below shows the peak streamflow for the Gunnison River at Grand Junction, CO. Flood stage at this site corresponds to 17,400 cubic feet per second. This discharge has been exceeded 19 times in the 120 years in the record. What is the approximate probability of flooding at this location in any given year? (Give your answer as a percentage.)
16.6/ 15.9
During what decade were many of the first U.S. federal regulations in the interest of protecting human health and the environment enacted?
1970s
Rank these reservoirs of water according to their volume. (1 = greatest volume; 4 = least volume)
1= oceans 2= glaciers and ice sheets 3 = groundwater 4 = lakes 5 = atmosphere 6 = rivers
Amphibole forms an internal structure made of double chains of silicate tetrahedron. How many directions of cleavage would you expect amphibole to have?
2
How many directions of cleavage would you expect a silicate mineral that forms single chains of silicate tetrahedra to have?
2
Radiocarbon (C-14) has a half life of 5730 years. It would be most useful to date
2,000 year old charcoal from an archeological site
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 4%, how many pounds of ore must be mined in order to obtain 100 pounds of that metal?
2,500
What is the current estimate for how much Earth's temperature will increase if the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is doubled?
2-4.5 degrees C
Approximately what percentage of the water on Earth is fresh water?
2.5%
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atoms of each isotope in a rock and find 50 atoms of Potassium-40 and 150 atoms of Argon-40. Approximately, how old is this rock?
2.6 billion
Approximately, what percentage of Colorado's electricity is currently generated from renewable energy sources?
25%
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 15 ppm, how many metric tons of ore must be mined in order to obtain 45 grams of that metal? (remember there are 1,000,000 grams in 1 metric ton)
3
How many metric tons of 15 ppm grade gold ore need to be mined in order to get enough gold for a single Krugerrand? Remember that 1 metric ton = 1x106grams.
31.1035 g Au x (1x106 g ore/15 g Au) = 2.1x106 g of ore. 2.1x106 g of ore x (1 metric ton/1x106 g) = 2.1 metric tons of ore per single coin.
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atom of each isotope and find 50 atoms of Potassium-40 and 750 atoms of Argon-40. How many half-lives have passed since the rock formed?
4
Potassium-40 is radioactive and decays into Argon-40. The half-life of Potassium-40 is 1.3 billion years. You measure the # of atom of each isotope and find 75 atoms of Potassium-40 and 525 atoms of Argon-40. How many half-lives have passed since the rock formed?
4
How many pounds of 0.6% grade copper ore needs to be mined in order to obtain 420 pounds of copper
420 lbs cu x (100 lbs ore/ 0.6 lbs cu) = 70,000 lbs of ore
Examine the map below and answer the question that follows. How many plates are present?
5
How many plates are shown in the diagram to the right? In the diagram to the right, which plate is subducting? In the diagram to the right, how are points D and E moving relative to each other?
5 D and E are moving away from each other C and D are moving towards each other
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 2%, how many pounds of ore must be mined in order to obtain 100 pounds of that metal?
5,000
If a metal ore has an average ore grade of 10 ppm, how many grams of ore must be mined in order to obtain 20 grams of that metal?
500,000
There have been 7 earthquakes in the magnitude range 5.0-6.0 in the San Francisco area over the past 30 years. What is the probability of an earthquake in this magnitude range occurring in the next 30 years?
99.96%
Examine the idealized maps which illustrate an oceanic ridge (double lines) separated by a transform boundary. Which image shows the correct plate motions associated with the transform boundary?
A
Examine the map above and answer the question that follows. Where would you find the youngest ocean crust?
A
The map below shows the plate configurations along the western margin of North America. Which of the four diagrams on the right best represents a cross section through the outer layers of Earth along the line XY?
A
The schematic cross sections below illustrate four models of relative plate motions and plate boundary geometry. Which of the cross sections best represents the characteristics of the plate boundary at location 6 on the map below?
A
Which of the diagrams below best represents the change in the % of the parent isotope remaining as radioactive decay occurs?
A
What is a lahar?
A flow of mud and debris down a channel leading away from a volcano
If ore grades (the concentration of the metal within the ore) have decreased toward more recent times, yet production of the metal has increased, then what are the implications for the amount of ore that must be mined to allow production of the metal to stay the same or to increase?
A greater amount of ore must be mined
Which of these options most likely accounts for the damage observed in the apartment building near Northridge, CA in the image below?
A soft story on the bottom floor
What percentage of freshwater is groundwater?
About 30.1%
Which represents the longest interval of geological time?
An eon
An increase in greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere causes
An increase in the amount of outgoing long wave radiation that is absorbed by the atmosphere
At a subduction zone setting, what type of volcanic igneous rock would most expect to find?
Andesite
The steepest angle at which sediments will be stable and NOT move down hill is called
Angle of repose
What type of unconformity can be observed at siccar point
Angular unconformity
What type of fold is shown in the image below? (can't see image on practice test)
Anticline
What type of structure
Anticline
which of these terms would best describe the texture of the igneous rock pictured to the right? The rock pictured to the right contains pyroxene and plagioclase feldspar. How would you classify its composition? What would the rock pictured to the right be called?
Aphanitic Mafic Basalt
Which list contains the names of the three eons in order from oldest to youngest?
Archean, proterozoic, phanerozoic
In silicate minerals, cleavage planes often occur
At weak bonds between the silica tetrahedra and other elements
At which of these sites would you expect to find andesite? (Select all that apply.)
B
The schematic cross sections below illustrate four models of relative plate motions and plate boundary geometry. Which of the cross sections best represents the characteristics of the plate boundary at location 2 on the map below?
B
Using the figure below, and your relative dating principles, which of the 3 Rhyolite Dikes is oldest?
B
Which rock is older the felsic igneous rock (A) or the mafic igneous rock (B)
B
Oldest to youngest
B, A, C, D
If a region has extensive reverse faulting and folding, would you expect that region to have high regional elevation, high relief, or both?
BOTH
The sediment pictured below is mostly sand-sized, but contains some some pebbles and shell fragments. Which of the these is the most likely depositional environment for this sediment?
Beach
Which of these is the LEAST likely depositional environment for the rock composed of clay-sized clasts pictured below?
Beach environment influenced by waves
The diagram below shows rock units with their ages in millions of years. When did crustal deformation (uplift or mountain building) occur?
Between 60- 200 million years old
Renewable energy sources
Biomass (burning of wood, biofuels - ethanol and biodiesel, or waste Hydroelectric power (using flowing water to produce energy) Solar wind Wind energy Tidal and wave energy Geothermal energy
Based on the boundary types illustrated, which of the figures below most accurately represents the relative plate motions for the Juan de Fuca and North American plates?
C
The Google Earth Image below shows the topography of South America. Which region indicated by the letters would you expect to have the most tectonic activity (e.g. earthquakes and volcanoes)?
C
The graph below shows a record of the 18O/16O ratio in the ocean over the entire Cenozoic. What is the general trend in climate from the early Eocene to the present? → cooling
COOLING
Which class of minerals would rhodochrosite (mnCO3) go in
Carbonates
Which of these countries supplies the majority of the world's rare earth elements?
China
Swelling soils occur when water is added to which type of minerals?
Clay minerals
Which of type of volcano would you expect to find in the Pacific Northwest?
Cone shaped composite volcano
At a subduction zone, which type of volcano would you expect to find?
Cone- shaped composite volcano
At a subduction zone, which type of volcano would you expect to find?
Cone-shaped composite volcano
Which of these sedimentary rocks contains clasts that are larger than sand?
Conglomerate
The rock pictured to the right contains rounded cobble, pebble, and sand-sized clasts, what would this rock be called? Which of these would be the most likely depositional environment for the rock pictured to the right?
Conglomerate Steep river channel
Large, wide mountain ranges (himalayas and tibetan plateau)
Continental collision
Examine the map below and answer the question that follows. Where would you be most likely to find the epicenter of a deep (more than 300 km) earthquake?
D
The map below shows the annual water balance for different parts of Colorado. Which area would you predict is more heavily dependent on groundwater? (can't see pict)
D
Which of the locations indicated on the map below would you predict would have the greatest swelling soil hazard?
D
What is the cause of melting that produces magma at a mid- ocean ridge
Decompression
What is the mechanism of melting at the mid atlantic ridge
Decompression
What is the mechanism of melting at a hot spot
Decompression Heating
Which of these would be the most likely depositional environment for the sedimentary rock pictured below that contains clay-sized clasts?
Deeper ocean away from shore
At which of these plate boundary types is new ocean crust produced?
Divergent boundary between two ocean plates
How has Earth's average temperature changed over the last 2,000 years?
Earth's temperature had been generally decreasing, prior to the recent warming over the past 150 years
Questions 2-4 will use the geologic map of the Boulder - Fort Collins area What type of rock/sediment is at the surface covering much of the eastern part of the map (indicated by the abbreviation Qe)?
Eolium (windblown clay, silt, sand, and granules)
How would you describe the composition of the boulder creek rock
Felsic Intermediate
Which statement best describes the current state of US energy production and/or consumption?
Fossil fuels represent more than 80% of US energy consumption and the US is the world's largest oil producer.
Which material would consistently make the best aquifer?
Gravel
At a subduction zone, what is the cause(s) of melting? (Select all that apply.)
Heating Addition of water
What are the mechanisms of melting at south american subduction zone
Heating Addition of water
Where is most fresh water on Earth held?
Ice sheets and glaciers
Increase the rate of groundwater flow
Increase the permeability
Approximately, how has Earth's average temperature changed since 1850?
Increased by about 1 degree C
Approximately, how has Earth's average temperature changed since 1850?
Increased by about 1 degrees C
Which of these changes would result in more brittle deformation (as opposed to ductile deformation)?
Increased strain rate
Which scale would you use if you wanted to measure the amount of shaking felt by people and damage that occurred as a result of an earthquake?
Intensity scale
Texture of the boulder creek rock
Intrusive (plutonic) Phaneritic (coarsely crystalline)
Intrusive / plutonic
Intrusive / plutonic
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools slowly and as a result these rocks are coarse grained
Intrusive igneous rocks are formed from magma that cools slowly and as a result these rocks are coarse grained
Which of these sectors uses the most water in Colorado?
Irrigation
Interpreting environment where sedimentary rocks formed
Larger grain size = greater energy in environment where sediment is deposited (waves, current) Smaller grain size = less energy in environment where sediment is deposited
Which of these is the comparison and correlation of strata within a region by examining the physical properties of the rock and its sequence with other strata.
Lithospheric correlation
Areas underlain by which of these rock/soil types will have the greatest amplitude of shaking for a given earthquake?
Loose, unconsolidated sediments
Which rocks are older, the lower gray muddy sandstone or the upper reddish sandstone
Lower gray muddy sandstone
Youngest
Mafic intrusion (F)
Mafic minerals melt/ crystallized at higher temperatures than felsic minerals
Mafic minerals melt/ crystallized at higher temperatures than felsic minerals
Mafic rocks melt at higher temperatures than felsic rocks
Mafic rocks melt at higher temperatures than felsic rocks
Mining (particularly from mining for metals) has impacts on the environment and human health. Decisions about when and where to mine are complex, integrating concepts such as ore grade, economics, and impacts
Mining (particularly from mining for metals) has impacts on the environment and human health. Decisions about when and where to mine are complex, integrating concepts such as ore grade, economics, and impacts
If the cost of mining and processing a mineral resource is reduced by the adoption of more efficient technology, which of these will likely occur?
Mining will increase
What type of structure can be observed in this image?
Monocline
Which types of plate boundaries are you likely to find volcanoes
Ocean ocean divergent Ocean continental convergent
ocean and continental crust
Ocean plate (denser) will subduct continental crust
Tectonic setting along west coast of washington
Ocean- continent convergent
The Google Earth image below shows the distribution of earthquakes south of Alaska. Orange dots indicate shallow earthquakes, while green and blue dots indicate deeper earthquakes. Based on the topography, location of continents and the distribution of earthquakes, what type of plate boundary is at the location indicated by the arrow?
Ocean- continent convergent
Which types of plate boundaries are you likely to find earthquakes
Ocean- ocean divergent Ocean - continental convergent Transform Continental collision
Rank these reservoirs of water according to their volume. (1 = greatest volume; 4 = least volume)
Oceans, glaciers and ice sheets, groundwater, rivers and lakes
Which statement best describes recent trends in US coal and oil production?
Oil production has increased and coal production has decreased.
which of these is a mafic silicate mineral?
Olivine (Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Which of these lists correctly ranks the abundance of the top 5 elements in Earth's continental crust from most abundant to least abundant
Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium
At the plate boundary indicated by the arrow, which plate is being subducted
Pacific plate
In which of these Geologic time intervals did the first animals with shells appear
Paleozoic
Explore this Geologic Timeline created by PBS: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/change/deeptime/ Or this one from UC Berkeley: https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/help/timeform.php During which of these time intervals did modern humans appear?
Pleistocene
How would you describe the texture of this rock? How would you describe the composition of this rock? (hint: this rock contains primarily plagioclase feldspar, biotite and amphibole) What would the name for this rock be? Which of these options is the most likely interpretation of the cooling history of this rock?
Porphyritic Intermediate Andesite slow cooling within a magma chamber followed by rapid extrusive cooling
Using the image shown below, how would you know which rock is older A or G? i.e. which of these relative dating principles would be most useful?
Principle of cross- cutting relationships
Using the image shown below, how would you know which rock is older G and F? i.e. which of these relative dating principles would be most useful?
Principle of superposition
What type of faults would be required for the relative motion of the igneous and metamorphic rocks
Reverse
Stream offset by the san andreas fault
Right lateral strike slip fault
What type of fault created the offset in the road shown in the image below?
Right- lateral strike slip fault
What type of fault created the offset in the road shown in the image below? (can't see image)
Right- lateral strike slip fault
Which type of fault is best matched with the appropriate plate boundary?
Right-lateral strike-slip fault and transform boundary
Which is the best description of an aquifer?
Rock or sediment below ground that accommodates the flow and storage of groundwater
Which is the best description of an aquifer
Rock or sediment below ground that accommodates the flow and storage of groundwater.
What type of foliation does the rock below display?
Schistosity
Schistosity is a textural description of foiliation created by the parallel alignment of platy visible grains
Schistosity is a textural description of foiliation created by the parallel alignment of platy visible grains
Sedimentary rocks record info about the environment in which they are formed
Sedimentary rocks record info about the environment in which they are formed
Which of these could be the parent rock of marble?
Shale
Which formations in the figure is the most likely source rocks for oil and gas Which sites in the accompanying figure is the most likely setting for accumulation of an oil reservoir
Shales at 1, 3, and 5 Both limestone at 2 and sandstone at 4
What type of volcano is this?
Shield volcano
What would be your hypothesis for where the boulder creek rock formed
Slow cooling at depth within the crust
Did the rock pictured below cool rapidly on Earth's surface or cool slowly within the crust?
Slowly within the crust
In an ocean- ocean convergent boundary, what determines which plate will subduct (go under the other one)
The density of the plate
How can you decide which radioactive isotope to use in dating a rock
The isotope needs to be present in the rock The half life needs to be long enough that there is still some left
How is the ore grade of a metal ore and the amount of waste material that is produced during mining and beneficiation related?
The lower the ore grade, the more waste material is created.
What is the cutt-off grade of an ore
The lowest grade of an ore that is profitable to mine
Which of the following statements is a quantitative observation (rather than a qualitative observation) about the Lyons Sandstone
The lyons is 220 feet thick
Which of the following statements is an interpretation about the Lyons Sandstone that we could make based on our interpretations.
The lyons was deposited in a desert sand dune environment
How does the price of a mineral resource usually respond when the supply of the mineral resource is reduced?
The price increases
Viscosity refers to
The resistance to flow of a fluid
Which of these most accurately describes the relationship between China's export quota of REE and REE Price?
The two are inversely related; when the export quota is increased, the price decreases, and vice versa.
The type and characteristics of a metamorphic rock reflect the temperature and pressure conditions that it was exposed to.
The type and characteristics of a metamorphic rock reflect the temperature and pressure conditions that it was exposed to.
The discharge of a river measures
The volume of water flowing through a river
Why is Earth's climate sensitivity difficult to calculate precisely?
There are a variety of feedbacks that operate on different timescales
Which of these events occurred last
Tilting and uplift of both the muddy gray sandstone and the reddish sandstone
On the map below the brown lines indicate surface elevations and the blue lines show the elevations of the water table. In what general direction would you expect the groundwater to flow? On the map below the brown lines indicate surface elevations and the blue lines show the elevations of the water table. What best explains the location of lakes in this region?
Toward the bottom right of the map Lakes occur where the water table intersects the land surface
Which general direction would groundwater flow
Toward the southeast
This Google Earth image shows the plate boundaries surrounding the Nazca Plate. In what general direction is the Nazca Plate moving?
Towards the East
In this Google Earth image the plate boundaries surrounding the Cocos Plate are shown. What is the general direction the Cocos Plate is moving?
Towards the northeast
What is the term used for a boundary between two plates where the relative motion is horizontal, with the two plates sliding past one another?
Transform
Concentrated deposits of Uranium ore are created by
Transport and precipitation of uranium by ground water
Trenches that form at subduction zones are the deepest parts of the ocean
Trenches that form at subduction zones are the deepest parts of the ocean
What type of cleavage would you expect to find in proxene
Two directions
What type of structures can be seen in the image below?
Two normal faults
Areas at the greatest risk of collapsible soils tend to be
Underlain by dry, loose sediments that accumulate in valleys
Which of these is not a necessary step in the formation of oil and natural gas
Uplift and erosion of organic rich rocks
Use (demand) affects the supply and price of these minerals and also affects the amount of exploration and mining
Use (demand) affects the supply and price of these minerals and also affects the amount of exploration and mining
Uranium 238 has a half life of 4.5 billion years. It would be most useful to date
Volcanic rocks that formed 1 billion years ago
Volcano 1 is cone shaped and composed of a composite of andesite, ash layers, mudflow layers, and volcanic debris layers. Volcano 2 is broad and low-slope and composed of basalt. Which volcano would you be most concerned about low-viscosity lava flows?
Volcano 2
Read this article about a swarm of earthquakes at Yellowstone in 2017 https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/article_home.html?vaid=124 What was the most likely cause of this seismic swarm?
Water is diffusing through small cracks in the subsurface
We can determine the numerical age of certain geologic features and events using the decay of radioactive isotopes
We can determine the numerical age of certain geologic features and events using the decay of radioactive isotopes
We can work out the relative ages of geologic features and events by examining the relationships between them.
We can work out the relative ages of geologic features and events by examining the relationships between them.
Which of the following would likely have the highest porosity?
Well-sorted gravel
When rocks are subjected to high heat and stress they may become altered and deformed.
When rocks are subjected to high heat and stress they may become altered and deformed.
When rocks are subjected to high heat and/or stress they may become altered and deformed.
When rocks are subjected to high heat and/or stress they may become altered and deformed.
What is the level of precision of GPS stations positioned on a volcano?
Within a centimeter
Are rare earth elements (REE) currently being mined in the United States?
Yes, there is one operational mine in California.
Are rare earth elements currently being mined in the United States?
Yes, there is one operational mine in California.
Which of these measurements will vary for a given earthquake depending on how far away from the epicenter you are
`intensity
What is the initial cause of melting at a subduction zone
a Sedimentary rocks made from products of chemical and physical weathering (the break down of other rocks)
What type of structure can be seen in the image below?
anticline
The rock pictured below contains crystals of the mineral halite. It formed in a shallow evaporative sea. Which type of sedimentary rock would it be classified as?
chemical
Which of the following would likely have the lowest permeability?
clay
Which energy source currently produces the most electricity in Colorado
coal
Which energy source currently produces the most electricity in Colorado?
coal
which statement is most accurate?
coal forms from decayed vegetation and oil and gas from microscopic marine organisms
A composite (stratovolcano) volcano has steep flanks, symmetrical cone shapes, distinct craters, and a silica-rich magma that results in an explosive eruption style.
composite (stratovolcano)
What type of stress would have caused the deformation that we see in the rockies
compression
The sedimentary rock in the image below contains sand, pebbles and cobbles that are partially rounded. What would this rock be called?
conglomerate
Contact metamorphism takes place where a body of magma intrudes into the upper part of the crust.
contact
At which type of plate boundary would you predict most folding to occur
convergent
Extrusive igneous rocks
cools quickly and as a result these rocks are fine grained or has lack of crystal growth
3 ways minerals form
crystallization from magma, precipitation form aqueous solution
The three main way that minerals form are
crystallization from magma, precipitation from aqueous solution, and precipitation from organisms
Sand, gravel, and larger fragments that flows rapidly would be classified as a debris flow
debris flow
At a mid-ocean ridge, what is the primary mechanism of melting?
decompression
If the amount of incoming solar radiation that the Earth absorbs is less than the amount of outgoing radiation the Earth emits to space, Earth's temperature will
decrease
If the size of ice sheets on land decreases (less water locked up as ice), the 18O/16O ratio of seawater should decrease
decrease
In a contact metamorphic setting, the grade of metamorphism should decrease as you move away from the magma chamber
decrease
A and B represent locations on two separate plates. The curved black line represents the plate boundary. The arrows show the directions of plate motion and the rates of motion are indicated. What type of plate boundary is this?
divergent
What type of plate boundary is at the location indicated by the arrow, between the Nazca plate and the pacific plate
divergent
Folds are an example of DUCTILE deformation that occur at DEEP depths in the crust.
ductile and deep
Which sector of the economy produces the most anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions?
electricity and heat production
Increase the density of the block
elevation will decrease
Increase the block thickness
elevation will increase
Is the atlantic ocean currently expanding or shrinking
expanding
extrusive/ volcanic
extrusive/ volcanic
Recent changes in atmospheric CO2 and temperature are faster than previous changes that we know about in the geologic record
faster
Volcanoes with which magma composition tend to have the most explosive eruptions?
felsic
Alignment of minerals or other features in the direction perpendicular to the main stress is called foiliation.
foliation
Which of these surfaces would you predict has the highest albedo
fresh snow
Adding water to materials on a slope can reduce friction and cause mass movements to occur.
friction
The map below show contours of the elevation of the water table in the Merced Groundwater Basin in California. What general direction would you expect the groundwater to flow under Merced, CA?
from east to west
The map below show contours of the elevation of the water table in the Merced Groundwater Basin in California. What general direction would you expect the groundwater to flow under Merced, CA? (can't see)
from east to west
The contour lines on the map below show the elevations of the water table for a section of the High Plains Aquifer. In what general direction would you expect the groundwater to flow
from northwest to southeast
Mass wasting occurs when the shear force is greater than the normal force.
greater than
Mass wasting occurs when the shear force is greater than the shear strength.
greater than
Increase regional elevation
heat the crust/ mantle, shorten/ thicken crust, add surface material, add magma at depth
The three agents of metamorphism are heat, pressure, and fluids
heat, pressure, and fluids
Melting of rocks
heating, release of pressure, addition of water, or some combination of the 3
If a region has extensive normal faulting, would you expect that region to have high regional elevation, high relief, or both?
high relief
Larger clast sizes in a sedimentary rock generally indicate higher energy levels in the environment in which the sediment was deposited
higher
Which of these rocks pictured below is metamorphosed to the highest metamorphic grade? Which of these rocks pictured below is metamorphosed to the least metamorphic grade?
highest = A least = c
If you wanted to reconstruct atmospheric temperatures on long timescales (hundreds of thousands of years), which of these archives would be the best target?
ice cores
If you wanted to reconstruct temperatures in the atmosphere on timescales of thousands of years on land, which of these archives would you target
ice cores
How are rock types related in elevation in co
igneous and metamorphic rocks are located at high elevation
Earth's energy balance refers to the balance between incoming radiation from the sun and radiation emitted by the Earth to space
incoming radiation radiation emitted by the earth to space
A decrease in Earth's average albedo would lead to a increase in Earth's average temperature.
increase
An increase in the amount of sea ice that covers the ocean would lead to a increase in albedo.
increase
Large volcanic eruptions send tiny particles (aerosols) into the upper atmosphere. These aerosols cause a(n) increase in Earth's albedo, leading to less incoming solar radiation being absorbed by the Earth and a decrease in Earth's temperature
increase less decrease
The shear force acting on materials on a slope
increases as the slope angle increases.
Organisms that lived for relatively short time periods are particularly useful for dating rocks, especially if they were distributed over a wide geographic area and so can be used to compare rocks from different regions. These organisms are known as Index fossils
index fossils
Which of these sectors uses the most water in Colorado?
irrigation
Felsic (non-ferromagnesian)
light in color
The rock pictured below, which can be found near Fort Collins, fizzes when hydrochloric acid is dropped on it and contains clam fossils. What would this sedimentary rock be called?
limestone
Which of these is generally not a clastic sedimentary rock
limestone
In the diagram to the right, which layer is the lithosphere? In the diagram to the right, which layer is the Mantle?
lithospheric = D Mantle = A
Which of these is the comparison and correlation of strata within a region by examining the physical properties of the rock and its sequence with other strata.
lithostratigraphic correlation
Gases escape more easily from a low viscosity magma; that is why eruptions are more violent from volcanoes that are supplied by high viscosity magma.
low high
Smaller clast sizes in a sedimentary rock generally indicate lower energy levels in the environment in which the sediment was deposited
lower
Smaller clast sizes in a sedimentary rock generally indicate lower energy levels in the environment in which the sediment was deposited?
lower
Water vapor will have a lower 18O/16O ratio than the seawater it evaporated from.
lower
Pyroxene has the chemical formula, (NaCa)(Mg,Fe,Al)(Al,Si)2O6. Is pyroxene a felsic or mafic silicate mineral?
mafic
Which of these magma compositions would you expect to flow most quickly?
mafic
Which of these layers melts to produce the first magma in a subduction zone?
mantle
Chemical sedimentary rocks are composed of
material that has been transported as ions in solution
The degree or intensity of metamorphism is known as
metamorphic grade
Which list of materials is in order from lowest viscosity to highest viscosity?
milk, olive oil, honey, peanut butter
What type of structure
monocline
As Earth's temperature increases, the Earth emits more radiation
more
As sediment is transported it usually becomes more rounded, better sorted, and smaller grain size
more better smaller
If you partially melt a rock, the magma that is produces will be more felsic in composition than the original rock
more felsic
A decrease in Earth's average albedo would lead to more incoming solar radiation being absorbed by Earth
more incoming solar radiation being absorbed by Earth
What might an increasing number of shallow earthquakes under a volcano indicate?
movement of magma towards the surface
Which of these fossil fuels are produced at a greater depth of burial?
natural gas
Which of these fossil fuels produces the least amount of carbon dioxide emissions and other air pollutants for a given amount of energy produced?
natural gas
Over the past decade, use of NATURAL GAS to generate electricity has been increasing in Colorado, and use of COAL has been decreasing.
natural gas coal
What generally happens when two continental plates converge?
neither subducts, they slam together in a collision
Isotopes are atoms of the same element but have different numbers of NEUTRONS
neutrons
When an increase in global temperature is caused by increased greenhouse gas concentrations, would you expect daytime temperatures or nighttime temperatures to increase faster?
nighttime
Is this metamorphic rock foliated?
no
The numbers on this figure represent the elevation of the water table in feet above sea level. If you lived in the house depicted on the map, would contamination from a leaking gas tank a the gas station flow towards your house?
no
Precipitation that falls as snow in cold regions, should have a no answer text provided 18O/16O ratio than seawater.
no answer text provided
Go to the USGS Volcano Hazards Page: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/index.html What is the current Alert Level of the Kilauea Volcano?
normal
Go to the USGS Volcano Hazards Page: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/index.html What is the current Alert Level of the Yellowstone Volcano?
normal
What type of fault would occur as a result of tension stress?
normal
What type of fault would you predict to find at a divergent plate boundary
normal
Sangre de cristo fault san luis valley
normal fault
Death Valley is a region that has very low elevation but has mountains with high relief. What type of faults would you predict created the relief in Death Valley?
normal faults
What is the orientation of the stress (what direction did it come from)
north south
Nuclear energy
not a fossil fuel and not renewable
As you move away from a mid-ocean ridge on either side the age of the ocean crust should get ?
older
Magnetite has the chemical formula, Fe3O4. Which class of minerals would magnetite be placed
oxides
Which of these seismic waves travel through compression (like the compression of the coils of a spring, similar to the way sound travels)?
p waves
Which of these seismic waves would you expect to arrive at a seismic station first?
p waves
Albedo is defined as the percentage of incoming solar radiation that is reflected back to space
percentage of incoming solar radiation that is reflected back to space
Hydraulic fracturing is used to increase the PERMEABILITY of an oil or gas-bearing rock.
permeability
PERMEABILITY describes how well connected the pore spaces in a rock or sediment are.
permeability
Permeability describes how well connected the pore spaces in a rock or sediment are.
permeability
Which of these terms would best describe the texture of the igneous rock pictured right? The rock pictured to the right contains biotite, amphibole and plagioclase feldspar. How would you classify its composition? What would the rock pictured to right be called?
phaneritic Intermediate Diorite
How would you describe the texture of this rock? How would you describe the composition of this rock? What would the name for this rock be?
phaneritic felsic Granite
Coal was formed through the burial and heating of PLANTS
plants
The Google Earth image below shows the distribution of earthquakes near Japan. Orange dots indicate shallow earthquakes, while green and blue dots indicate deeper earthquakes. Based on the topography, location of continents and the distribution of earthquakes, which plate (A or B) is subducting?
plate A is subducting
The Google Earth image below shows the distribution of earthquakes south of Alaska. Orange dots indicate shallow earthquakes, while green and blue dots indicate deeper earthquakes. Based on the topography, location of continents and the distribution of earthquakes, which Plate A or B is subducting?
plate B is subjecting
Porosity describes the percentage of open space within sediment or rock
porosity
The loss of sea ice in the Arctic is an example of a positive feedback, where an initial warming will cause there to be less sea ice which will decrease the albedo and lead to additional warming.
positive feedback additional warming
Using the image shown below, how would you know which rock is older B or F? i.e. which of these relative dating principles would be most useful?
principle of superposition
Which of these is considered the biggest hurdle in the path of REE production?
processing REE ore
Which of these minerals is most resistant to weathering (it breaks down the slowest at the surface)?
quartz
The metamorphic rock shown below started as sandstone before it was metamorphosed. It is very hard and does not fizz under hydrochloric acid. What is this rock?
quartzite
What type of structure
reverse
What type of fault would you predict to find at a convergent plate boundary
reverse fault
The hanging wall is on the RIGHT side of this fault.
right
The hanging wall is on the right side of this fault. What type of fault is shown What type of stress would cause the fault>
right normal tension
Which type of mass wasting moves rapidly and can be deadly? (choose all that apply)
rock fall flows
Isotope
same element, different number of neutrons
Which site on the cross section below is the most likely setting for an oil field (large accumulation of oil)?
sandstone at D
If you wanted to reconstruct ocean temperatures on long timescales (hundreds of thousands of years), which of these archives would be the best target?
sediment cores
Which of the following settings would be most favorable for fossil fuels?
sedimentary rocks that contain folds and faults
The rock pictured below contains clay-sized clasts of clay minerals. What would this rock be called?
shale
Which of these sedimentary rocks contains clasts that are clay-sized?
shale
The rock pictured to the right contains clay- sized clasts, what would this rock be called? Which of these would be the most likely depositional environment for the rock pictured to the right?
shale deeper ocean away from shore
It is thought that the formation of the Rocky Mountains was caused by the subduction of an ocean plate at a SHALLOWER angle than typical subduction.
shallower
A thick deposit of unconsolidated sediment that slowly move as a unit along a curved surface would be classified as a slump
slump
Stres is the force exerted per unit area and strain is the physical change that results in response to that force.
stress and strain
Which type of fault would you expect to find at a transform boundary?
strike slip fault
Decrease regional elevation
structurally thin crust, erode material, cool crust or mantle
High Pressure/Low Temperature metamorphism is typically found at which tectonic environment?
subduction zone
In which of these environments would you expect to have high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphism?
subduction zone
Molybdenite has the chemical formula, MoS2. Which class of minerals would molybdenite be placed?
sulfides
The largest mines, producing the most ore, are generally
surfacce mining
In the figure, which of the following shows an angular unconformity?
surface B
The largest mines, producing the most ore, are generally SURFACE MINES
surface mines
Which of these types of mining typically produces a greater disturbance of the land and a larger amount of waste rock?
surface mining
What is the geological structure shown in this image called?
syncline
What type of fold is this
syncline
What type of stress would cause the fault pictured below?
tension
Half-life
the lifetime of half the radioactive isotopes in a system
How does the price of a mineral resource usually respond when the supply of the mineral resource is reduced?
the price increases
Cleavage describes the way a mineral breaks along preferred directions
the way a mineral breaks along preferred directions
An earthquake occurs when
there is a rupture and movement along a fault
Reverse faulting will tend to THICKEN the crust
thicken
A greenhouse gas is an atmospheric gas that traps heat radiating from the surface of Earth
traps heat radiating from the surface of Earth
The hanging wall block moves up relative to the footwall block in reverse dip-slip faults.
true
How is nuclear energy produced to generate electricity?
uranium is split into two smaller particles, releasing heat in the process
Volcanoes occur on the overriding (subducting plate)
volcanoes- overriding
Soils develop faster under warmer conditions
warmer
Liquefaction occurs when water- saturated sediments are shaken
water- saturated sediments are shaken
Which of these energy sources is currently the least expensive source of electricity in Larimer County (the county containing Fort Collins) according to the levelized cost of energy?
wind
Which of these energy sources is currently the least expensive source of electricity in Larimer County (the county containing Fort Collins)?
wind
Which of these fuel sources are currently the least expensive to build and operate in Larimer County, according to the "levelized cost of energy (LCOE)"?
wind
What is the Principle of Superposition?
younger sedimentary rock layers are deposited on top of older sedimentary rock layers