geo midterm review questions

The Paleozoic Era starts at ______ million years ago, and the Mesozoic Era starts at _______ million years ago.

540,250

About how long ago did the Yellowstone volcano last have a cataclysmic, major eruption?

600,000 yrs

What differentiates a braided stream from a meander stream?

A braided stream flows down a higher slope and has higher energy

In relation to groundwater systems, land subsidence is the result of:

A high degree of compaction

A tributary is:

A smaller, subsidiary channel

What is the main cause of mantle melting at subduction zones? Put another way, why are there volcanoes at subduction zones?

Addition of volatiles like water, lowering the mantle's melting temperature

In the Central Valley of California, very high rates of water withdrawal have led to extreme land subsidence. What is this water primarily being used for? (Hint: this is from the documentary)

Agriculture

A layer of shale is made of very small particles tightly packed together. It is most likely a:

Aquitard

An artesian well releases a stream of pressurized water from an aquifer below. This water is pressurized because it is:

Below the potentiometric surface

Which of the following statements is true?

Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust

Which of the following is good evidence that fracking can cause earthquakes?

Earthquakes in Oklahoma have increased exponentially since the 1990s

A geyser is a conduit for hot groundwater to continuously reach the surface, without interruption.

False

In science, a theory is a guess based on observations.

False

T/F: A watershed must be at least 100 miles across to be defined as such.

False

T/F: Melting of continental crust results in basaltic (mafic) lava.

False

T/F: The addition of Phosphate to the Flint River water would have made it just as safe as Detroit water.

False

T/F: Water moves slower on the outside of a meander bend, causing erosion.

False

T/F: We can accurately predict when, where, and how strong a future earthquake will be.

False

T/F: the lead causing poisoning in Flint largely came from the Flint River water itself.

False

The epicenter is the point of rupture of an earthquake. That is, the point on a fault where the fault slips.

False

True or False: Alfred Wegner was celebrated for his development of the theory of plate tectonics within his lifetime

False

True or False: In science, a theory is a guess based on some observations

False

True or False: PFAS chemicals are no longer permitted in consumer products

False

Choose ALL of the following ingredients that are REQUIRED for hydrothermal activity

Groundwater in abundance

The Hawaiian island chain is the result of a:

Hotspot

Which of the following is most likely to pose a danger to a visitor to Yellowstone?

Hydrothermal eruption

What is tomography?

Imaging by sections or sectioning, through the use of any kind of penetrating wave.

Which of the following is TRUE about salt water intrusion?

It is a common, natural occurrence in coastal regions.

Earthquakes are the result of built-up stress in the _________________, the outer, brittle portion of the Earth.

Lithosphere

Which of following is a DIRECT effect of urbanization on groundwater systems? (only one answer)

Loss of recharge area

What is one way that we can currently mitigate earthquake hazards?

Mapping of earthquake probabilities (risk mapping) based on historical earthquake data.

Put the five elements of the scientific method in order.

Observation Hypothesis Test & gather data Formulate theory Reevaluate old ideas

Select ALL of the following that are types of seismic waves.

P Raleigh Love S

The name of the most recent supercontinent, when all continents were joined as one, is: (spelling counts!)

Pangaea

Given ALL options, the best solution to groundwater contamination and pollution is:

Prevent pollution from happening

Which two types of lava can be found in significant amounts at Yellowstone?

Rhyolite and basalt

Which of the following volcano types typically covers the widest area? (i.e., is the widest at its base)

Shield

Which of the following is NOT a common precursor to volcanic eruptions?

Small lava flows

The most destructive seismic waves generated by an earthquake are:

Surface waves

Past eruptions of the Yellowstone Hotspot track have created a flat area called:

The Snake River Plain

The lithosphere includes:

The crust and uppermost mantle

Base level is:

The lowest level to which a stream can erode

What does the concept of uniformitarianism mean?

The present is the key to the past

Why can the Legionnaires disease outbreak in Flint not be directly, officially connected to the water supply?

The water was never tested for the disease during the outbreak

T or F: A tsunami results from an earthquake that suddenly lifts OR drops the sea floor.

True

T or F: An unconformity is when two rock units of different ages come into contact.

True

T/F: Ash from a past eruption at Yellowstone can be found in the Gulf of Mexico

True

When a fault is moving via fault creep, it will not cause significant earthquakes.

True

The rock type formed from least viscous lava, with the least silica, is:

basalt (mafic)

In a large river system (like the Grand River), when does a precipitation event occur, relative to a flood?

before the flood

Yellowstone erupts mostly rhyolite, very explosively. Its volcano type is:

caldera

Which one of the following is NOT one of the 6 major hazards associated with volcanoes?

earthquakes

Which of the following emits primarily steam?

fumarole

For groundwater to be stored in, and flow through, an aquifer, you need:

high porosity and high permeability

Igneous rocks formed from magma are _____, and igneous rocks formed from lava are _____.

intrusive, extrusive

What is the term for the equilibrium that exists between parts of the Earth's crust, which behaves as if it consists of blocks floating on the underlying mantle?

isostasy

What is the term for the equilibrium that exists between parts of the earth's crust, which behaves as if it consists of blocks floating on the underlying mantle?

isostasy

Which of the following is made of volcanic ash and mud?

lahar

Which of the following is an example of a divergent tectonic boundary?

mid-Atlantic ridge

Which of the following is a former portion of a stream channel that is no longer connected, due to erosion and channel movement?

oxbow lake

What lava type has the most explosive eruptions?

rhyolite

The rock type formed from the coolest lava, with the most viscosity, is:

rhyolite (felsic)

Mauna Loa, on Hawaii, erupts basalt. Its volcano type is:

shield

Volcanoes form at all of the following EXCEPT:

transform boundaries