MES7: Geology and Geologic Hazards

Fossil fuels are formed when organic materials are buried for a long time by thick layers of sediments deposited on top of them. This process of sediment accumulation over time leads to the __________ of sediments

Compaction

Once the carbon dioxide is captured from the fumes of a coal-burning power plant, something must be done with it. The option with the least environmental impact involves releasing the carbon dioxide into ________________

Deep underground caverns

Which of the following is least likely to fully support the U.S Clean Power Plan?

World Coal Association

Which of the following can help humans mitigate the negative impact of floods?

Zoning laws

Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park in the United States acquires its energy from a ______________________

hot spot

During peak usage, what happens to the cost of electricity

it always increases

Which of the following U.S states would be least likely to be affected by a tsunami

Kansas

The slowly increasing distance between South America and Africa is due to __________________

Seafloor spreading

Layered_____________ exposed by erosion can be seen when looking at the Grand Canyon in the United States

Sedimentary rock

What color smoke coming from a coal-fired power plant would indicate wasted fuel?

black

The extremely deep ocean Marianas Trench is a result of___________________

subduction

Earthquakes, volcanoes, and landslides can displace large volumes of water ad trigger which of the following natural disasters?

tsunamis

What percentage of Earth's surface is ocean?

71%

Which of the following areas would experience the most devastation after an earthquake?

A marshlike environment that was filled with landfill in order to build a city

What forces generate tsunamis?

Earthquakes trigger tsunamis by displacing large amounts of rock and sediment on the ocean floor along the fault line

How have volcanoes formed the Hawaiian islands with no subduction zones nearby?

Hawai'ian volcanoes are situated above a hot spot

Continental rifting formed which of the following?

North Atlantic Ocean

Which of the following happened first?

The Appalachian Mountains begin to form

Which of the following occurred about 21,000 years ago?

The formation of ice age glaciers

The formation of rock through compaction and cementation is called___________

lithification

Which of the following is least likely to be increasingly used to generate electricity as coal-fired power plants are phased out

oil

________________ found in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe is composed of dense and relatively young rock

seafloor crust

All fossil fuels, including coal, are considered an indirect form of _________ energy

solar

What did government Japan do after the Fukushima disaster?

The government immediately shut down and ordered the rein spection of all 48 of its nuclear power plants

What environmental problem that contributes to global warming is addressed by using amine solutions to treat the fumes of a coal-burning power plant?

The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

Which of the following appears most likely in the next decade?

Use of coal will decreased in developed countries and increase in developing countries

If a significant amount of extrusive igneous rock is found in an area, one would expect to also find __________ nearby.

Volcanoes

What specifically triggered a meltdown in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant?

The earthquake-triggered tsunami breached a nearby seawall; its waters directly impacted the power plant by seeping into the plant, resulting in a nuclear meltdown

One-quarter of Scotland's electricity is generated by the third-largest coal-fired power station in Europe. In just three minutes, this power plant uses __________ of coal

one train car (wagon)

If trends since 2012 continue, which of the following countries will use the most coal?

China

Australia is composed of relatively old and thick ____________

Continental crust

Which of the following tectonic plate boundaries are responsible for the formation of some of the world's highest mountains?

Convergent plate boundaries

Several times a year volcanoes erupt along the Aleutian island chain in souther Alaska. What geologic feature is responsible for these hazardous events?

Convergent plate boundary

Which of the following correctly represents the compositional layers of the Earth from the innermost to the outermost layer?

Core, mantle, crust

How does a coal-fired power plant use the energy in coal to produce electricity

Burning coal heats water and creates steam that turns the blades of a turbine and generates electricity

When generating equal amounts of energy, which of the following is true?

Burning coal produces more carbon dioxide than burning natural gas

Many pollutants from coal-fired power plants are properly managed today. Which of the following is currently considered to be the biggest threat to the environment

carbon dioxide

The earthquakes that occur in Southern California generally occur above a ____________

fault

Where is electricity made at a coal-fired power plant?

generator