Earth Midterm 2 ch.7-10
What percentage of Earth's atmosphere is carbon dioxide? Select one: 10.2% 1.2% 2.0% 0.2% 0.1%
0.2%
As sediment is buried in the crust, it is subjected to heat and pressure, which produce physical and chemical changes. On average, pressure increases by the equivalent of ____ atmosphere (the pressure of the atmosphere pressing down on Earth's surface at sea level) for every 4.4 meters of depth. Select one: 1 10 5 100 4
1
How many seismic locations are needed to locate an epicenter? Select one: 1 3 It depends on the magnitude of the earthquake. 4 It depends on the geology of the region.
3
The temperatures within the Earth's crust can be over ____ degrees Celsius. Select one: 600,00 6,000 600 10,000 6,000,000
600
How do burrowing organisms aid in the biological weathering process? Select one: They produce carbon dioxide. They overturn and mix soil particles. They increase porosity. They increase soil moisture content. All of these are aided by burrowing organisms in the weathering process.
All of these are aided by burrowing organisms in the weathering process.
Features that develop in the active environment as a result of wind or water shaping loose sediments are known as _______. Select one: stratified structures bedforms alluvial fans graded beds barrier islands
Bedforms
Which minerals formed at high temperatures and pressures, are the first to crystallize in a cooling magma chamber, and among the least stable on Earth's surface, where the environment differs most from their environment of crystallization. Select one: Mafic Ultramafic Both of these. Neither of these.
Both of these.
Carbon dioxide increases the acidity of water to create ______, which is an effective chemical weathering agent that causes hydrolysis, dissolution, and oxidation. Select one: hydrochloric acid bicarbonate carbon monoxide carbonic acid carbon phosphate
Carbonic Acid
Earth's crust is extremely rigid. This rigidity means it cannot be pulled or bent. Select one: True False
False
Tectonic divergence must generally be required for fold-and-thrust mountains to form. Select one: True False
False
The average geothermal gradient is an increase of about 300ºC per kilometer of depth, but the actual increase varies in tectonic settings. Select one: True False
False
The presence of feldspar in sandstone indicates either that the climate was cold and wet and chemical weathering was not intense, or erosion rates were slow. Select one: True False
False
What happens when a material stretches just beyond its limit of ductile deformation? Select one: It fractures. It changes into a different material entirely. It continues to stretch, but becomes thin. It retains its elasticity. The temperature of the material increases.
It fractures.
Which surface wave is usually the first to be recorded by a seismograph? Select one: P wave S save Love wave Rayleigh wave Richter wave
Love wave
What feature does abrasion produce on sediments? Select one: fracturing erosion sorting foliation rounding
Rounding
A reverse fault is formed when: Select one: a. The footwall moves upward relative to the hanging wall block. b. The fault plane shifts along the line of strike. c. The hanging wall is displaced upward along the fault plane. d. Tensional stress causes brittle strain. e. All of the above.
The hanging wall is displaced upward along the fault plane.
Why does seismic activity tend to be of low to moderate energy? Select one: The earthquake belt is too narrow for seismic activity to be of high energy. Low to moderate energy is characteristic of strike-slip faulting along transform boundaries. The lithosphere is too thick for seismic activity to reach a high level of energy. The lithosphere is thin and weak at divergent boundaries, which prevents large amounts of strain from accumulating. The asthenosphere is thin, allowing large amounts of strain to accumulate.
The lithosphere is thin and weak at divergent boundaries, which prevents large amounts of strain from accumulating.
Different locations in the crust experience different levels of heating and stress. Select one: True False
True
Greenschist, amphibolite, and granulite metamorphic facies develop across the broad geographic band between the subduction zone and the interior region of the overriding plate. Select one: True False
True
Metamorphic rocks in which there is no visible orientation of mineral crystals have a nonfoliated texture. Select one: True False
True
Most chemical weathering is the result of water interacting with minerals in a rock. Select one: True False
True
The Himalayan mountains were formed as a result of large compressional stresses in the crust at convergent margins. Select one: True False
True
The greatest collection of sedimentary rock comes from the seafloor, where fossil plankton collects to form biogenic ooze and clay accumulates to form abyssal clay. Select one: True False
True
What causes the differences in arrival times at seismometer stations? Select one: Waves travel at different velocities. Different compositions of the Earth's interior vary the speed at which waves travel. Differences in technologies at seismometer stations cause the differences. Seismometer stations are strategically placed in earthquake-prone locations. The difference between the P and S waves decreases with distance traveled.
Waves travel at different velocities.
The North American Cordillera is an example of: Select one: a mountain a mountain range a mountain belt an active volcano a famous fracture in Earth's surface
a mountain belt
What is a failed rift? Select one: a weakened zone of normal faults in the crust a rift that begins to separate but comes to a halt a minor rift that causes no destruction a weakened zone of abnormal faults in the crust the collision of abnormal horsts and grabens
a weakened zone of normal faults in the crust
Biogenous ooze typically accumulates in which marine environment? Select one: continental margins abyssal plains reefs continental shelves shoreline
abyssal plains
Quartzite and metaconglomerate are distinguished from their sedimentary parent rocks by the fact that they break______the quartz grains, not around them. Select one: across perpendicular to horizontally vertically parallel to
across
Which of the following is not a type of dip-slip fault? Select one: normal faults adjacent faults reverse faults These are all examples of dip-slip faults.
adjacent faults
What are the important biological weathering processes? Select one: movement and mixing of materials simple breaking of particles production of carbon dioxide by animal respiration or organic decay changes in moisture content of soils all of the above
all of the above
How does seismic tomography use seismic data to analyze Earth's interior? Select one: by using changes in P-wave velocity to make cross-sectional slices by using changes in S-wave velocity to make cross-sectional slices by revealing differences in rock density within the mantle by borrowing CAT-scan techniques to construct cross-sections all of these
all of these
Physical weathering: Select one: increases the surface area of rocks increases a rock's vulnerability to chemical deterioration changes the appearance of Earth's surface is a result of pressure release all of these
all of these
What causes the velocity of seismic waves to change? Select one: changes in pressure changes in temperature changes in composition all of these none of these
all of these
What does the elastic rebound theory describe? Select one: seismic waves caused by the vibration of rocks as they return to their original shape strained rock that elastically snaps back into position the mechanism by which earthquakes are generated all of these none of these
all of these
What is sediment composed of? Select one: particles of mineral broken rock organic debris weathered and eroded remains of other rock all of these
all of these
Which of the following states does the Basin and Range Province encompass? Select one: Nevada Utah Idaho New Mexico all of these
all of these
Which stable minerals are found in clastic sediments? Select one: orthoclase feldspar muscovite garnet lithic fragments all of these
all of these
When torrential rain falls in arid environments and massive discharges of sediment emerge from steep valleys, it forms fan-shape deposits of mud, sand, and gravel. What are these formations called? Select one: braided streams alluvial fans wetlands fjords plains
alluvial fans
Rock joints will form at a point of weakness such as: Select one: around a fossil between minerals along bedding planes around a fossil and between minerals around a fossil, between minerals, and along bedding planes
around a fossil, between minerals, and along bedding planes
What type of rock did geologist Pentti Eskola study to develop the concept of metamorphic facies? Select one: rhyolite sandstone quartzite marble basalt
basalt
Which of the following is a reddish soil that is an important source of aluminum? Select one: bauxite muskeg halite kaolinite calcite
bauxite
What types of features do geologists look for that provide evidence of faulting? Select one: fault gouge fault breccia fault slip both fault gouge and fault breccia none of these
both fault gouge and fault breccia
Hawaiian quakes are the result of ________________________. Select one: the crust rupturing as a result of the immense weight of a shield volcano tsunamis, which agitates the lava and activates eruptions magma moving through the crust and breaking rock as it intrudes both the crust rupturing as a result of the immense weight of a shield volcano AND magma moving through the crust and breaking rock as it intrudes failed rifts
both the crust rupturing as a result of the immense weight of a shield volcano AND magma moving through the crust and breaking rock as it intrudes
Which of the following is not one of the processes of the sedimentary cycle? Select one: tectonic uplift weathering erosion and transportation deposition calcification
calcification
What causes wave refraction? Select one: changes in wave velocity due to rock density differences changes in the direction of the wave due to loss of energy strong, opposing forces that shift the wave's direction changes in velocity due to differences in wavelengths none of the above
changes in wave velocity due to rock density differences
What type of metamorphism is found at hotspots? Select one: contact direct regional basalt none
contact
Where does large-scale regional metamorphism take place? Select one: hotspots subduction zone divergent margins core of the overriding plate all of the above
core of the overriding plate
Sediments move from source areas to: Select one: resource areas depositional environments process environments clastic areas none of these
depositional environments
Which of the following form in arid environments with little vegetation? Select one: deserts and dunes braided channels sediment basins mountains creeks
deserts and dunes
A wave passing into rock in which its velocity will decrease will be refracted in which direction? Select one: upward downward side to side first upward, and then downward first horizontally, then vertically
downward
Which type of deformation is reversible? Select one: elastic deformation ductile deformation fracture deformation brittle deformation plastic deformation
elastic deformation
What is the process that causes the flat horizontal slabs (sheeted joints) to shift and uncover underlying rock? Select one: abrasion erosion exfoliation ice wedging hydraulic action
exfoliation
Because grains fall through water or air under the influence of gravity, most sedimentary environments produce vertical strata, with older sediment on the bottom, and younger sediment on top. Select one: True False
false
Ripple marks form in still water. Select one: True False
false
What mineral does hydrolysis break down to make clay? Select one: calcite quartz feldspar talc aluminum
feldspar
The Rocky Mountains are an example of what type of tectonic belt? Select one: fault-block mountains volcanic mountains slip-and-thrust mountains fold-and-thrust mountains none of these
fold-and-thrust mountains
What textural impact does directed stress have on metamorphic minerals growing with their long axis extending in the direction perpendicular to the stress? Select one: foliation stratification burial breakage across the grain none of these
foliation
Which description best explains stagnant slabs? Select one: inactive plates located in the upper crust former plates located in the mantle that are now mostly inactive plates that remain in position during earthquakes plates that resist movement due to their firm placement in the Earth's mantle former plates located in active volcanoes
former plates located in the mantle that are now mostly inactive
What type of sedimentary particle includes any grain more than 2 mm across in its largest dimension? Select one: gravel sand silt clay pebble
gravel
Which of the following has the moment magnitude scale been devised to study? Select one: great earthquakes vibrations micro-earthquakes epicenter of earthquakes minor quakes
great earthquakes
Metamorphism associated with volcanic arcs progresses from the zeolite facies into the _________ facies. As metamorphism continues, the rock passes through the __________ facies and into the ________ facies. Select one: hornfels; amphibolite; granulite greenschist; hornfels; amphibolite hornfels; granulite; greenschist granulite; amphibolite; greenschist greenschist; amphibolite; granulite
greenschist; amphibolite; granulite
Because of negligible rainfall, little organic matter, and low biological activity, arid climate soils are composed of all of the following, except: Select one: sand halite calcite desert pavement humus
humus
What is the most common chemical weathering process? Select one: oxidation karstification dissolution crystallization hydrolysis
hydrolysis
What is the most important weathering process from the standpoint of reducing carbon dioxide levels? Select one: dissolution of continental silicate minerals oxidation of continental silicate minerals abrasion of continental silicate minerals hydrolysis of continental silicate minerals erosion of continental silicate minerals
hydrolysis of continental silicate minerals
What is the major weathering process affecting the crust in cold climates? Select one: freezing ice wedging thawing snow accumulation none of the above
ice wedging
What are minerals that serve as metamorphic guideposts (geothermometers/geobarometers) called? Select one: gauge minerals index minerals gradient minerals conditional minerals hotspot minerals
index minerals
Soils in humid tropical climates are subject to intense chemical weathering, and are largely composed of: Select one: insoluble residues soluble residues insoluble rock soluble vegetation all of these
insoluble residues
In what four settings do earthquakes occur? Select one: intraplate regions, divergent settings, convergent margins, and transform settings intraplate regions, subduction zones, convergent margins, and transform settings failed rifts, divergent settings, convergent margins, and transform settings hotspots, subduction zones, failed rifts, and convergent margins intraplate regions, subduction zones, failed rifts, and transform settings
intraplate regions, divergent settings, convergent margins, and transform settings
When overlying pressure is released by tectonic forces or by erosion, it causes rock to break. This pressure release leads to: Select one: less fracturing joints metamorphism abrasion deformation of the crust
joints
Marble is both the high and low grade product of which protolith? Select one: sandstone basalt conglomerate limestone siltstone
limestone
What is the name for the process of sediments becoming solid rock? Select one: compaction cementation sedimentation lithification evaporation
lithification
Which of the following is an example of a nonfoliated rock? Select one: shale slate marble granite blueschist
marble
What type of earthquakes occur at ocean-ocean or ocean-continent convergent margins where the shallow dip of a subducting plate causes large sections to get "stuck"? Select one: tsunami intraplate failed rift intraplate volcanism megathrust
megathrust
What is the term for chemical alteration in the presence of hydrothermal fluids? Select one: paleomagnetism volcanism metasomatism uniformitarianism seismicity
metasomatism
Lime mud is dense, dull-looking sediment composed of clay-size crystals of calcite. What is another name for this sediment? Select one: travertine micrite dolostone dolomite rock gypsum
micrite
What is the building of mountain ranges by continental collision called? Select one: metamorphism tectonics hydrolysis orogenesis evolution
orogenesis
Aside from geothermal, what is a second source of heat that causes metamorphism of rocks? Select one: plutonic intrusions geothermal intrusion metamorphic intrusions volcanic intrusions igneous intrusions
plutonic intrusions
Which of the following describes the motion of a Rayleigh wave? Select one: moves the ground from side to side rolls along the ground just as a wave rolls across a lake passes through the ground in one straight movement pushes and pulls the ground moves the fastest through solid and liquid
rolls along the ground just as a wave rolls across a lake
Clays are phyllosilicates, meaning their crystalline structure consist of layers of _______ organized in sheets. Select one: illite silica tetrahedra calcite quadrahedra quartz tetrahedral kaolinite septrahedra
silica tetrahedra
What are most clastic sediments composed of? Select one: carbonate minerals calcite minerals silicate minerals clastic minerals igneous minerals
silicate minerals
What are the changes that occur in rocks without melting them? Select one: crystallization reactions lithic reactions contract metamorphism solid-state reactions chemically active reactions
solid-state reactions
What is the most basic sedimentary structure? Select one: sedimentation recrystallization foliation stratification lithification
stratification
What are many intraplate earthquakes likely to be linked to? Select one: fault ruptures stresses transmitted into plate interiors aseismic conditions slippage at plate boundaries deep foci related to new faults
stresses transmitted into plate interiors
Although sedimentary rocks can be formed through several different processes, they generally take on characteristics that reflect specific conditions of what part of Earth? Select one: surface mantle core ocean floor atmosphere
surface
What type of boundaries are characterized by strike-slip faulting, whereby two plates slip past each other at a transform margin? Select one: divergent intraplate tectonic modern plate convergent
tectonic
Each whole-number increase in magnitude on the Richter scale represents an increase of how much in the amplitude of a measured wave? Select one: twofold fourfold fivefold tenfold one-hundredfold
tenfold
In each tectonic environment below, is the dominant stress compressive, shearing, or tensional?
tensional, shearing, compressive, tensional
What is the most active volcanic range in the conterminous United States? Select one: the Rocky Mountains the Ruby Mountains the Adirondack Mountains the Appalachian Mountains the Cascade Mountains
the Cascade Mountains
What is the name of the now extinct plate that was subducted beneath the North American Plate about 30 million years ago along the central California coastline? Select one: the Timor Plate the Banda Sea Plate the Farallon Plate the Sunda Plate the Okhotsk Plate
the Farallon Plate
What was the name of the ocean that preceded the Atlantic Ocean? Select one: the Pangeael Ocean the Boreal Ocean the Tethys Ocean the Iapetus Ocean none of these
the Iapetus Ocean
The magma of the Cascades is generated by partial melting of which plate? Select one: the Juan de Fuca Plate the Cocos Plate the Scotia Plate the Nazca Plate the North American Plate
the North American Plate
Which Appalachian province extends from Alabama to New York and forms the easternmost portion of the mountainous topography? Select one: the Appalachian Plateau the Piedmont the Blue Ridge the Valley and Ridge the Coastal Plain
the Piedmont
Hot regions below mid-ocean ridges suggest what type of activity in the mantle? Select one: P-waves transmitting in the hot, solid region of the inner core plumes supplying magma to the asthenosphere lava that is preparing for an eruption thermally buoyant plumes supplying new rock to the lithosphere descending slabs of oceanic lithosphere
thermally buoyant plumes supplying new rock to the lithosphere
Why are members of the clay mineral group abundant in soils and sedimentary rocks? Select one: they are the last to break down chemically at Earth's surface they are first to break down chemically at Earth's surface they never break down chemically at Earth's surface they are the first to break down physically at Earth's surface they are the last to break down physically at Earth's surface
they are the last to break down chemically at Earth's surface
What metamorphic pathway is associated with collisional mountain building during the process of orogenesis? Select one: third first fourth fifth second
third
The San Andreas Fault zone in California is an example of what kind of boundary? Select one: continental rift zone transform plate boundary convergent plate boundary divergent plate boundary all of these
transform plate boundary
Metamorphism requires that minerals remain solid as they evolve. If a rock melts, it becomes igneous. Select one: True False
true
Rocks with unusual shapes and "fluted" or flat faces may have been abraded by wind-blown sediment. Such rocks are called: Select one: sand blasters metamorphic rocks ventifacts physically weathered rocks exfoliated rocks
ventifacts
Which type of mountains usually forms above subduction zones, at divergent boundaries, or at hotspots? Select one: fault-block mountains volcanic mountains fold-and-thrust mountains coastal mountains none of these
volcanic mountains
The chemical reaction that occurs when silicate-rich pluton contacts impure limestone country rock produces: Select one: marble and oxygen wollastonite and silicone diopside and carbon dioxide wollastonite and calcium carbonate wollastonite and carbon dioxide
wollastonite and carbon dioxide