GEO

Which type of sedimentary feature is typical of carbonate rocks:

ripple marks shelly fossils mudcracks cross-bedding

Which type of rock would be deposited in a high-energy environment closest to the sediment source?

well-rounded, well-sorted conglomerate well-rounded, well-sorted sandstone angular, poorly-sorted conglomerate angular, well-sorted siltstone

Bowen's reaction series

Describes the temperature at which minerals crystallize when cooling Describes the temperature at which minerals melt when heated All of these are true Includes temperatures from ~ 700˚C - ~1250˚C Distinguishes between more mafic and more felsic minerals

Isotopes of the same element must have the different number of:

Electrons Neutrons Electron shells Protons None of the answers

Color is a diagnostic property of quartz. In other words, samples of quartz are almost always the same color.

True False

Continent-continent collision zones, one type of convergent plate boundary, are characterized primarily by large volcanoes.

True False

Mafic minerals generally have more Mg and Fe than felsic minerals

True False

Ocean water temperature affects the precipitation/deposition of carbonate rocks.

True False

The largest earthquakes occur at mid-ocean ridges.

True False

If you have a cookie jar with 60 cookies and you eat the cookies at a rate of 3 per day, what is the residence time of cookies in the jar? Assume this cookie jar is in steady state, meaning the rate at which you eat cookies (output or outflow) is the same as the rate at which you bake them (input or inflow).

20 days 10 days 6.67 days .05 days

Know about the differentiation of Earth. What are its compositional layers called?

?

Which of the following was a major discovery that helped advance and formulate modern plate tectonic theory?

A 10,000 mile long "ridge" in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean Paleomagnetic data showing parallel, alternating "stripes" of normal and reversed polarity rocks at the sea floor, on either side of mid-ocean ridges All of these are true None of these is true Observations of angled zones of shallow to deep earthquakes along some continental margins and island arcs Thinner seafloor sediment deposited atop the crust near mid-ocean ridges compared to farther away

Earth's tectonic plates best relate to which of the following Earth "layers"?

Asthenosphere Crust Core Mantle Lithosphere

Which Earth system are Hadley Cells associated with?

Atmosphere Geosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere

Know how biochemical and chemical sedimentary rocks are formed, and examples of each. Know what a metamorphic rock is, and how we recognize a metamorphic rock when we see one (that is, what has happened to a sedimentary or igneous rock to become a metamorphic rock; how are these changes expressed so that we can visibly see them?). Know what is meant by foliation and how you recognize it. What two factors, which both generally increase with depth, primarily lead to metamorphism? Know what is meant by the term protolith. Know the major types of metamorphic rocks and their protoliths. Know whether a certain type of metamorphic rock represents a low grade/amount of metamorphism or a high grade/amount?

Be able to describe Earth's layers, both compositional and mechanical, including their approximate thicknesses. Why do these different layers exist? What is the relevance of mechanical layering to plate tectonics? What is a tectonic plate? Approximately how many plates are there, especially major plates? Know the different types of plate boundaries, including subtypes. What relative motions occur at each type of boundary?

About how fast do plates move? How can paleomagnetism be used to determine plate velocities? Be able to describe and explain the patterns of the age of oceanic crust across each of the different types of boundary. Similarly, be able to describe and explain the patterns of topography, earthquakes, and volcanoes beside each type of boundary. What process causes melting and volcanism at divergent ridges? How does this differ from the process of melting at convergent boundaries? Know which types of igneous rocks and volcanoes are found at these two boundary types. Why is oceanic lithosphere more easily recycled (i.e., destroyed, subducted) than continental lithosphere?

Be able to provide actual, geographic examples of each type of boundary. Be able to draw an approximate cross section of the lithosphere across each type of boundary. Know what is meant by the Wadati-Benioff zone. Understand the role that paleomagnetism played in the discovery of plate tectonics.

Volcanic arcs form along which type of plate boundary?

Both convergent and divergent Divergent Transform Both transform and convergent Convergent

Understand how these different sedimentary structures can be used, alone or in combination, to help you infer a rock's depositional environment. Know what some of these depositional environments are, from the broad (terrestrial, transitional, marine) to the more specific (e.g., lake/lacustrine, playa, river/fluvial, beach, etc.) and what different rocks and structures you might expect in these.

Carbonates are born, not made. What combination of processes are involved in making carbonate rocks? What are the primary minerals? What is meant by clastic maturity? Which properties help one tell a rock's maturity? How does it relate to distance from the source (proximal vs. distal)? How does maturity relate to flow energy? Be able to describe a rock that is mature vs. immature. What is a sedimentary structure?

Which type of volcanoes typically have lower viscosity, more mafic magmas?

Cinder cones Stratovolcanoes Lava domes Shield volcanoes

The Andes mountain range of South America lies atop which type of plate margin?

Continent-continent collision Ocean-continent subduction None of these is true Ocean-ocean subduction

One of the primary mechanisms that drives plate tectonic motion is:

Convection in the mantle Volcanism at mid-ocean ridges Hot spots such as Yellowstone Conduction in the lower crust

Which of the following is NOT a criteria for a mineral?

Defined chemical composition Solid Naturally occurring Organic Regular crystal structure or lattice

Which one is NOT a characteristic of sedimentary rocks?

Foliation Grain Shape (Rounding) Sorting Grain Size

Match each intrusive igneous rock with its extrusive pair.

Granite Gabbro Diorite Basalt Andesite Rhyolite

Which statement about the sedimentary rock cycle is false?

Gravity drives sediment transport. Most sedimentary rocks are formed at high elevation. The cycle begins with exposure of existing rocks. Both chemical and physical processes cause weathering of rock.

What is the most common mineral formed by organisms?

Halite Calcite Dolomite Feldspar Quartz

Know the factors that determine what pairs of parent/daughter isotopes you'd choose to use in a dating application. Know, for example, whether you'd use carbon-14 to date a million year old sedimentary rock or a 10,000 year old igneous rock. Why or why not? What assumptions are made when dating rocks radiometrically.

How does one use radiometric (absolute) ages to constrain the absolute ages of sedimentary rocks? Be able to determine the age (range) of a sedimentary rock based on some radiometric dates. Why is a radiometric date extracted from a clastic grain within a sedimentary rock generally not reflect the age of the sedimentary rock?

What type of information could you glean from finding an asymmetric ripple in a sandstone?

How quickly microorganism shells or tests accumulated at the bottom of the ocean The direction that mud settled out of suspension in an ocean Which way waves were moving back and forth in an ocean Which one direction water or wind was flowing anciently

Mid-ocean ridges are characterized by:

Hydrothermal "black smoker" vents Linear mountain ranges along the sea floor All of these are true Basaltic magmatism Shallow earthquakes

A negative feedback loop _________.

Increases the effect of perturbations over time and causes disequilibrium. Is found only in complex systems. Reduces the effect of perturbations over time and leads the system back to equilibrium.

The most common element in earth's crust is:

Iron Silica Oxygen Aluminum Potassium

Which is NOT true about our Moon?

It is a twin of Earth (same isotopic chemical composition) It is moving towards us (getting closer) through time Its gravitational pull causes tides It was produced when a small planet collided with Earth It is the brightest object in our night sky

Know some examples of systems, specifically including the characteristics above. Understand how we can think of a simple system describing the Earth (a black body) and how its temperature would evolve from the balance of input and output radiation (the planetary energy balance). Does this idealized model of the Earth system fully or accurately explain the temperature of Earth's surface? Is this useful for appreciating that role of other variables or factors (e.g., carbon dioxide and the carbon cycle)? Be able to describe the Daisy World model and the role of feedbacks it describes in regulating planetary temperature. Why is water important to the Earth system?

Know about the origin and general composition of the atmosphere. How has it changed through time? Know the layers of the atmosphere. Be able to explain how heat and energy are transferred through the atmosphere through convection. Where does most energy at Earth's surface come from? What is the Coriolis effect and why does it occur? How does this affect wind patterns and ocean currents? What direction does air and water bend in each hemisphere?

Understand how we use the principle of uniformitarianism to draw interpretations (e.g., of past depositional environments) from observations. Know what unconformities are and how they form. What are the different types of unconformities, how do they differ from each other, and how do we recognize them? Know what is meant by relative ages in a rock. Know how to use the stratigraphic principles to determine relative ages. Know how the principle of fossil succession can be used to establish relative ages and correlate rocks. How does biostratigraphic correlation differ from lithostratigraphic correlation?

Know how relative dating and biostratigraphy was used to construct the geologic timescale. Know that the timescale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs— which of these represent longer durations of time and which are shorter? How, in general, how these time divisions are biostratigraphically derived. What are absolute or numerical ages? How do these differ from relative ages? How are absolute ages important in geology?

Understand the difference between observations and interpretations. Be able to give examples of each. Know what is meant by uniformitarianism and catastrophism. Know the scientific method.

Know the general progression of when/how matter, energy, stars, and galaxies formed at the beginning of the Universe. What were the first elements? What is the evidence for an expanding Universe and for the age of the Universe? How old is the Universe? Be able to describe an analog for the expanding Universe. What is meant by red shift?

Understand why sedimentary rocks are important. Recall and review the main types of sedimentary rock; the basic sedimentary processes of weathering, erosion, transport, deposition, and lithification; the position and pathways of sedimentary rocks in the rock cycle.

Know the lines of evidence that Wegener used to support his theory of continental drift. Be able to explain what hot spots are and how they form as well as how they are expressed on the surfaces of plates. How are hot spots used as plate speedometers?

Know the basic structure of the atom and what an isotope is. Know the principles of radiometric dating and radioactive decay. What does the decay constant represent? What is meant by half-life? How, qualitatively, does the decay constant relate to the half-life? Know how to calculate a radiometric (absolute) age using half-lives, given a certain number of parent and daughter atoms.

Know what is meant by a sedimentary facies, and how these relate to depositional environments. Be able to explain Walther's Law and use it to predict the different vertical successions of facies that would arise from sea level rise and sea level fall.

What is meant by weathering and erosion? Be able to describe and explain the main types of physical and chemical weathering. How are these mechanisms dependent on temperature and rainfall? How do these temperature and rainfall dependencies determine global patterns of weathering as they relate to elevation and climate? Be able to describe the Goldich dissolution series and relate it to what types of minerals, and thus rocks, are most/least susceptible to chemical weathering (mineral stability).

Know what is meant by differential weathering and how we recognize it in the landscape. Know how clastic rocks are classified, including which properties are primary for this classification and which are secondary (i.e., modifiers).

Know how minerals form. Know the main types or families of minerals. Be able to explain what is meant by the Bowen's reaction series and how this is useful for understanding the formation and occurrence of minerals. Know what is meant by mafic and felsic.

Know what physical properties can be used to identify the most common mineral types. Know how you might identify or distinguish a few common minerals. Know the three types of rock. Know what is meant by the rock cycle. Know the pathways within it. Given a rock such as a conglomerate, be able to describe the pathway (history) of a given gravel clast in that conglomerate (such as an igneous clast or a sedimentary clast or a metamorphic clast) through the rock cycle.

Match each description with the correct rock.

Mafic igneous rock (with or without vesicles) that forms from erupting lava Felsic igneous rock composed of mainly quartz, plagioclase, potassium feldspar, and biotite Sedimentary rock that forms from small grains eroded and weathered from another rock Sedimentary rock made of calcite or aragonite, for example from sea shells or a cave. Metamorphic rock that has a banded appearance of light and dark minerals Sedimentary rock made up of large clasts (>2 mm, such as gravel or cobbles) Sandstone Gneiss Conglomerate Limestone Granite Basalt

The Coriolis effect leads to the apparent deflection of air and water masses toward the right in which hemisphere?

Neither North Both South

The Himalaya mountain range lies atop of which type of plate margin?

None of these is true Continent-continent collision Ocean-ocean subduction Ocean-continent subduction

Why is it that most minerals found in rocks do not have perfectly formed crystal 'habits' or shapes?

None of these is true They mostly form in confined spaces where the crystals cannot develop into their ideal shape Crystals of a given mineral type do not typically share the same crystal structure Changes that happen after the mineral forms will destroy its original habit/shape Minor amounts of trace elements can change a crystal's shape

Which is the most common gas in Earth's atmosphere?

Oxygen Nitrogen Methane Carbon Dioxide

Which of the following is an example of a mineral that is relatively soft (i.e. can be scratched with a fingernail)?

Pyroxene Quartz Gypsum Amphibole

Match each definition with the correct rock type.

Rocks that crystallize as magma beneath Earth's surface Rocks that crystallize as magma at Earth's surface Rocks that form due to physical processes of weathering and erosion, transportation, and deposition Rocks that form due to biologic and/or chemical processes Rocks that form by transformation of previous rocks under high pressure and temperature conditions without melting Metamorphic Biochemical Sedimentary Intrusive Igneous Extrusive Igneous Clastic Sedimentary

Which type of volcanoes are known to have highly explosive eruptions, steep sided cone shapes, and intermediate to felsic magma compositions?

Shield volcanoes Hot spot volcanoes Cinder cones Stratovolcanoes

The redshift:

Shows that the wavelength of visible light from receding objects is shifted towards the red (longer wavelength) end of the spectrum. Is analogous to the Doppler effect of sound. All of these are true Supports the Big Bang Theory. Is a discovery largely attributed to a scientist named Hubble.

Which one of these is NOT evidence for the age of the Earth?

Some of the oldest minerals, zircon grains in some of Australia's oldest sandstones show dates of ~4.4 billion (Ga). Oldest rocks on Earth show ages of ~4 billion years (Ga) Meteorite lead isotopes showing values from 4.53 to 4.58 billion years (Ga). The back calculation observing the redshift yields some values of ~13.77 billion years.

Which mineral property involves observing the powdered color of a mineral?

Streak Luster Hardness Color Cleavage

Why are more carbonates found at the equator and not the poles?

The colder temperatures at the poles cause less CO2 in solution in seawater, resulting in more carbonic acid in ocean water and less carbonates. The colder temperatures at the poles cause less CO2 in solution in seawater, resulting in less carbonic acid in ocean water and less carbonates. The colder temperatures at the poles cause more CO2 in solution in seawater, resulting in less carbonic acid in ocean water and less carbonates. The colder temperatures at the poles cause more CO2 in solution in seawater, resulting in more carbonic acid in seawater and less carbonates.

The Principle of Uniformitarianism is:

The idea that Earth's evolution is mainly characterized by major, catastrophic events. The idea that most geologic processes we observe in the present are likely very similar to the geologic processes that operated in the past. 100% true and a foundation of modern earth science. The opposite of the Theory of Relativity.

Which of the following is NOT used as evidence for determining the age of the universe?

The observation that other galaxies are moving away from us, and the farthest galaxies are moving the fastest Rock samples dated to 13.77 Ga Luminosity measurements of galaxies to measure distance Redshift to measure velocity of galaxies We do not have any rock samples of this age. All the other answer choices factor into the calculation of the age of the universe (13.77 billion years old)

In general, the size of crystals in igneous rocks tells you something about:

The presence of fluids just below the earth's surface High pressure and temperature conditions in mountain belts The rate at which a magma cooled Plate tectonic settings How minerals break down into smaller pieces due to weathering

You pick up a rock with sharp edges. Which one of these is an interpretation:

The rock was deposited as a limestone in a deep ocean. The rock has fossils because I see little broken shells in it. There are little holes (vugs) inside the rock. The rock splits along layers when hit with a hammer. The rock is a gray color.

You pick up a smooth rock from a river bed. Which of these is an observation:

The rock was deposited in a beach environment. The rock is about 1 million years old. The rock has no sharp edges and is heavy. The rock traveled a long way to get this smooth. The rock probably came from up the canyon.

To what depth of the ocean does the wind drive circulation?

The upper 10 kilometers Just the surface, only a meter or so The wind doesn't force circulation in the oceans, only temperature and salinity do The upper 100 m to a kilometer

What happens when air masses are warmed at Earth's surface?

They sink, and become hot and dry They spin in a clockwise fashion They rise, then cool and precipitate water They diverge

Which of the following is true about silicate minerals?

They will react (fizz) in an acid solution such as HCl All of these are true They are primarily formed by precipitation from an aqueous solution They all contain SiO4 (the silicon-oxygen tetrahedron) in their crystal structures A good example of this family of minerals is magnetite

The most distinctive property of the mineral family called 'micas' is:

They will react (fizz) in an acid solution such as HCl The fact that they are created via biomineralization Flat, thin cleavage planes that 'flake' into sheets They are made of NaCl and thus taste like salt None of these is true

Which of these is NOT a region of Earth's atmosphere?

Troposphere Thermosphere Stratosphere Lithosphere

Most of the heat at Earth's surface comes from Earth's interior.

True False

According to the rock cycle, any rock type can turn into any other rock type.

True False

Color is a diagnostic property of olivine. It almost always ranges from green to black.

True False

True/False: The Cascade mountain range in the Pacific NW, USA, has active volcanoes sitting above a subduction zone?

True False

Know the circulation patterns in the atmosphere. What layer does this circulation occur in? Be able to draw a cross section of Earth showing the convection cells and associated areas of high/low pressure and climate zones (wet/ dry). How does the pattern of precipitation arising from atmospheric circulation relate to rocks that form on the ground, or help us interpret the paleolatitude of rocks? Know the origins of the oceans. Know the basic layers of the ocean, and understand that there are different ways of defining ocean layers. Know the main types of ocean currents and be able to explain the drivers of ocean circulation Know the difference between conservative and non-conservative elements in the oceans, and examples of each. Why do non-conservative elements vary in concentration?

Understand the role of circulation on the availability of nutrients in the ocean Know the definition of a mineral. What is meant by mineral evolution? Know the most abundant elements in Earth's crust and how these relate to the compositions of common minerals. Know how minerals are internally structured in general terms, including types of bonds.

Know which sedimentary structures are formed by flowing water or wind, and how these can be used to tell flow direction and/or velocity. Know how to recognize and draw these in plan or profile view. What types of sedimentary structures can tell you which direction in a rock is stratigraphically up (i.e., the "up" direction when the rock was deposited)? Know how to recognize and draw these in profile view. What sorts of sedimentary structures form after deposition has taken place (i.e., are modifications)? Know how to recognize and draw these in plan or profile view.

Understand why there are more carbonates formed in warm, equatorial regions of the world and less in cold, polar regions? What are the chemical processes behind these relationships, including the solubility of gas and its relationship to temperature? Know what the carbonate compensation depth represents and how it relates to the geographic (and depth) distribution of carbonates in the ocean. What conditions encourage/inhibit carbonate precipitation? Know what grain types and textures describe carbonate rocks. Know how to classify or name a carbonate rock using the Dunham classification system.

Which of the following is a positive feedback loop?

Warmer temperatures cause ice to melt which decreases albedo which increases temperatures Increased temperatures cause an increase in cloud cover which reduces solar insolation and lowers temperatures These are all negative feedback loops Increased CO2 in the atmosphere increases weathering which causes CO2 to be taken out of the atmosphere

How did Earth and the Moon form? What did early Earth look like? How old is Earth? Know the lines of evidence for this. What is a system?

What are Earth's systems? Know the characteristics of systems, including boundaries, inputs/outputs, states, reservoirs, residence times, couplings, and feedback loops. Know how boundaries and inputs/outputs determine the type of system. Be able to draw a simple system diagram, such as for a feedback loop.

About how old is the Atlantic Ocean? In other words, when was the earliest time the Atlantic started forming or started rifting along its length? (Hint: refer to your age of bedrock map and associated legend from the Discovering Plate Boundaries assignment).

approximately 1 million years ago approximately 50 million years ago approximately 1 billion years ago approximately 150 million years ago

When taking the broadest view possible, global atmosphere and ocean circulation are driven by?

differences in heat between the equator and poles ocean depth the shape of Earth's orbit around the sun the arrangement of continents

Match each description with the correct plate boundary type.

divergent plate boundary where new crust is made convergent plate boundary where old crust is recycled boundary with horizontal movement where crust is not created or destroyed Transform boundary Midocean ridge Subduction zone

Which of the following is NOT a key feature or characteristic of an oceanic-oceanic subduction zone?

earthquakes a volcanic island arc formed on the subducted plate an oceanic trench a volcanic island arc formed on the overriding plate

Know how igneous rocks form, how they are classified by chemistry (be able to relate to Bowen's reaction series) and by texture. Know how texture relates to cooling history and thus where in Earth's crust these rocks form, and the terms for rocks formed within vs. on top of the crust. Know the names for the main types of igneous rock. Why are certain minerals found together in igneous rocks whereas others are not? Know the main different types of volcanoes. Know how their shapes relate to their chemistry and why. Know how their shapes and chemistry relate to their hazards,

including explosivity. Be able to recognize or provide a few examples of each type of volcano. Know how sedimentary rocks form. Know the main types of sedimentary rocks and how these types or classes are related to their formation. Know the stages and processes in the formation of a clastic sedimentary rock. Know the main types of clastic rocks and the primary property used to define them.