Exam 1 Geology- Geology final
The EPA action level for radon gas is
4 picocuries/liter
What major environmental concern is associated with the mineral pyrite?
Acid mine drainage
Which of the following is the most dangerous form of asbestos
Blue asbestos
All of the following are possible or plausible earthquakes precursors except
Changes in air temperature
At convergent plate boundaries, oceanic crust is subducted beneath continental crust because
Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust
Besides active faulting how else can earthquakes occur?
Deep waste water injection
Which of the following is not true concerning earthquake hazards?
Earthquakes are always preceded by precursor phenomena
Earthquakes have never occurred in western Colorado
False
People cannot be harmed by radon levels as low as 2 picouries/liter
False
Seismologists can routinely predict earthquakes
False
Plate tectonic boundaries are where
Geologic processes are ESPECIALLY active
Sedimentary basins contain
Ground water, oil, gas
A critical problem with Alfred Wagner theory of continental drift was that
He lacked a mechanism to explain how the continents moved through the oceans
Vanadium from the uravan mineral belt is used for
Helping to harden steel
Long term earthquake forecasting involves analyses of
Historic earthquake records and prehistoric earthquake records
Pyrite consists of
Iron and sulfur
Which of the following is not a typical property of asbestos?
It is a gas
Which of the following statements concerning concerning radon gas is true?
It is highly mobile in water and air
Asbestos is controversial because
It is widespread but not all forms are equally dangerous and it's expensive to remove
Earthquake activity near Salt Lake City is related to
It's location near the wasatch fault system(basin and range)
Sedimentary basins are
Large depressions filled with very thick quantities of sediments
Which of the following geologic features are typically associated with convergent plate boundaries?
Large earthquakes
The plates of plate tectonics are represented by the
Lithosphere
S waves
Move from side to side
The largest earthquake that we know about in the lower 48 states of the US occurred in
New Madrid
Historical records of earthquakes in the US show that regions with potential significant earthquake hazards include
Parts of the Midwest such as the new Madrid seismic zone
The first mining boom in the Grand junction area involving radium. Why was this element important?
Radium was useful for combating certain types of cancer
The magnetic field of the earth has done which of the following?
Reserved polarity numerous times in the past
How could you recognize a river that has been affected by acid mine drainage?
River water has a low pH and a yellowish color to the water and iron stains on steam gravels
What key evidence was discovered in the 1960s that led to the modern concept of plate tectonics?
Seafloor spreading
Evidence supporting the theory of plate tectonics includes
Seafloor stripes, fossils on continents, geologic deposits of different continents, presence of mountains along margins of different continents
Radon is the
Second leading cause of lung cancer in the US
Of the following types of waves which causes the most damage
Surface waves
An earthquake epicenter is
The point on the earth surface that directly overlies the earthquake origin
The Seattle area is prone to large earthquakes because
There is a subduction zone along the northwest coast of the US
How does radon gas originate?
Through radioactive decay of U-238
Tsunamis are
Typically caused by earthquakes when the seafloor shifts
Which of the following elements played a critical role in the mining industry near grand junction?
Uranium
A natural way to clean acid mine drainage is to
Use wetlands as an organic rich filter
Assuming they were all located the same distance from the epicenter, which of the following types of geological materials would most likely liquefy during a major earthquake?
Wet mud