Chapter 11 Quiz #1

The fact that Earth's interior is sorted into layers indicates that

Earth was once in a molten state, during which materials became sorted based on density.

The heat from ________ is the energy that drives plate tectonics.

Earth's extremely hot interior

The most recent epoch in the geologic time scale is the ________, though numerous scientists agree we have entered a new epoch called the ________.

Holocene; Anthropocene

________ are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries.

Hot spots

Which of the following is an example of the principle of uniformitarianism?

The processes by which streams carve valleys at present are the same as those that carved valleys 500 million years ago.

Which of the following is correct regarding continental drift?

The term "continental drift" is now called plate tectonics.

Areas of upwelling material from the mantle to form new seafloor occur along

divergent boundaries.

Transform faults along plate boundaries are typically associated with

earthquake activity

What type of rock forms from the solidification of molten material?

igneous

The percentage of oxygen in the Earth's crust is ________, whereas that in the atmosphere is ________.

46%; 21%

Which of the following is correct regarding the geologic time scale?

C) The bulk of Earth's history has occurred during the Precambrian eon

Which of the following is notcorrect regarding geothermal energy?

It is the product of exogenic processes.

How does the ocean floor preserve evidence of past magnetic reversals?

Magnetic particles in basalt orient with the magnetic field in force at the time the oceanic lava cooled and hardened.

The transition zone from the upper mantle to the crust is known as the ________ discontinuity.

Mohorovičić

Which of the following is correct?

Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust and dominated by silica and magnesium.

_______ is the theory that describes the motion of the Earth's lithosphere.

Plate tectonics

Which of the following is an example of an age-relationship based on relative dating?

The Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon is younger than the Hermit Shale.

Which of the following is not an example of an age-relationship based on absolute dating?

The Coconino formation in the Grand Canyon is older than the Kaibab formation.

Which of the following is correct?

The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge.

Scientists have direct evidence of the Earth's structure to

about 12 km (7.6 mi) from the surface

Earth's magnetic poles

are migrating approx. 60 km per year

Which is the correct order of geologic time spans, from largest to smallest?

eon - era - period - epoch

The principal cycles composing the geologic cycle include:

hydrologic cycle, rock cycle, and tectonic cycle

Which rock type makes up approximately 90% of the Earth's crust?

igneous

The temperature of Earth's interior

increases with depth so the hottest temperatures are found within Earth's core.

Knowledge of Earth's interior is mostly derived from

indirect evidence involving the analysis of seismic waves.

In terms of human-environment interaction, which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic endogenic process contributing to the geologic cycle?

injection wells contributing to earthquake activity

Which of the following is notsupporting evidence of plate tectonics?

lack of oceanic ridges that would indicate sea floor spreading

The rigid crust and uppermost mantle are known collectively as the

lithosphere.

Boundaries between intervals of the geological time scale are determined by

major events in the Earth's history, such as major extinctions.

The majority of the Earth's volume is within the

mantle.

A rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as

metamorphic.

An element or combination of elements that forms an inorganic, natural compound is called a

mineral.

The ________ is liquid and is responsible for producing Earth's magnetic field.

outer core

The three most abundant elements in Earth's crust are

oxygen, silicon, and aluminum.

Which of the following can occur when seismic waves encounter a layer in Earth's interior?

reflection, refraction, absorption, and change in speed

The continuous alteration of Earth materials from one rock type to another is known as the

rock cycle.

f you were driving down the highway and saw mountains composed of layered strata, you could be confident that you were looking at

sedimentary rocks.

The three basic rock types are

sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous

The scientific study of rock strata (layers) is known as ________ and based on the principle of ________.

stratigraphy; superposition

The ________ drives the endogenic processes of the rock cycle.

tectonic cycle

In terms of dating of specific rocks, structures, or landscapes, relative age refers to

the age of one feature with respect to another within a sequence of events and deduced from the positions of rock strata above and below one another.

The principle that the same physical processes currently active in the environment were operating throughout Earth's history is known as

uniformitarianism.

1) Which of the following is an endogenic process?

volcanism

Which of the following are located along the mid-ocean ridges?

volcanoes

Which of the following is an exogenic process?

weathering

The geologic cycle is fueled by

both solar energy and the Earth's internal heat.

Sedimentary rock formed from the combined processes of weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, lithification, and compaction of rock fragments of other rocks are

clastic.

At which of the following locations does subduction occur?

convergent plate boundaries

Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in Earth, from the surface to the center?

crust, mantle, outer core, inner core