Geol Final Study Guide
Geologists classify minerals into groups like silicates based on their
chemical composition
The place where two plates collide or compress together is known as a
convergent boundary
In the plate tectonic model, large-scale compressional stress is found at
convergent plate boundaries
What is the correct order of the Earth's layers (starting at the surface)
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
___________________ occurs at ocean ridges, whereas __________ occurs at subduction zones
decompression melting; flux melting
Which of the following map elements is not shown on an aerial photograph?
elevations and slope steepness
The magnitude of an Earthquake is the measure of
how much energy was released during the fault that produced the earthquake
Contour lines on a map connect points
of equal elevation.
In an anticline, the _______________ rocks are exposed in the axial region of the fold, and beds typically dip _____________ one another.
oldest; away from
A map scale of 1:24,000 means that
one inch on the map corresponds to 2,000 feet on the ground.
The geological theory that states that a piece of the Earth's lithosphere are in constant, slow motion is the theory of
plate tectonics
To show topography in a rugged, mountainous area, the most appropriate contour interval would be
100 feet
The Public Land Survey System is used in all except
Massachusetts.
The type of seismic waves that occur first are called
P waves
Isotherms on weather maps differ from contour lines in that they
can go uphill
Contour lines on a topographic map
cannot cross.
Igneous rock forms by
solidification of magma at the surface or within the Earth
If the water table in an area drops below the level of stream channels
stream levels will drop a water leaks from streams into the ground
Which of the following mineral properties is chemical rather than physical
taste
You have been asked to draw a map of a part of your campus on a piece of 8 1/2 x 11" paper. You first try a scale of 1:1,000 but the paper is not large enough. Which of the following scales might work?
1:5,000
The topography of a landscape can be shown by
a contour map. a Landsat satellite image a digital elevation model
The asthenosphere is
a layer of low rigidity that separates the rigid lithosphere from the rigid mantle
Shear stress is what is generated when we use which of the following tools?
a pair of scissors
During sea-floor spreading, molten material rises from the mantle and erupts
along mid-ocean ridges
Where can most earthquake epicenters and volcanoes be found?
at the plate boundary
When chemical bonds in a mineral are stronger in some directions than in others, the result is
cleavage
Reverse dip slip produces
compression
Mohs hardness scale describe the relative hardness of ten minerals, not their absolute hardness. This means that
diamond is harder than talc, but how much harder is not indicated
In the plate tectonic model, large-scale tensional stress is found at
divergent plate boundaries.
Circular ridges and valleys
domes and basins
Grain size typically increases with metamorphic intensity in all except
dynamic metamorphism
The release of oxygen by green plants during photosynthesis is an example of
flux involving biosphere and atmosphere
Sedimentary rocks are
formed from already existing rocks that are weathered and eroded
Mid-Ocean ridges are
found in all of Earth's oceans
Sinkholes typically have steep-walled sides because
gravity causes the roof of an area hollowed by solution to collapse
The __________ of a stream are where it begins and it's _________ is where it flows into another body of water
headwaters; mouth
The major source of energy to melt rock within the Earth and to cause earthquakes is
heat enery generated inside the Earth
Properties required for a material to be an aquifier include
high porosity and high permeability
Dendritic stream pattern
horizontal strata
This type of rock is formed by the solidification of molten magma
igneous
Glassy and porous textures are characteristics of
igneous rocks
Processes in the rock cycle can change
igneous rocks into sedimentary rocks metamorphic rocks into sedimentary rocks sedimentary rocks into different sedimentary rocks
Vertical exaggeration is often used on maps and map profiles in order to
make topographic features like hills and valleys more visible.
Every mineral has a preferred crystal shape (habit), but most grains do not display that shape because
many grains interfere with one another when they grow
Porphyroblasts are
metamorphic minerals that have grown larger than the rest of the minerals
In identifying a rock, a geologist must consider its
mineral content and texture
A collision between two pieces of continental crust at a convergent boundary forms
mountains
parallel ridges and valleys
non-plunging
Well rounded grains in a clastic sedimentary rock indicate ________
numerous collisions between particles during extensive transportation
Zig-zag ridges and valleys
plunging antic
The datum on which all longitude is based is the
prime meridian
Collision of two continental plates would cause
regional metamorphism
Most fossils are found in sedimentary rocks because
sedimentary rocks form in the same environment where plants and animals lived and died
Strike-slip produces
shear stress
The difference between sills and dikes is that
sills are parallel to layering in surrounding rocks while dikes cut across the layering
The texture of a rock includes the _______________ of its constituent grains
size, shape, and orientation
On a map with a scale of 1:48,000, a distance of 1 mile would be represented by __________ inch(es).
slightly more than one
Dendritic, trellis and rectangular drainage patterns are the result of the
structure and erodibility of the rocks underlying the region
The process by which the ocean floor sinks beneath a deep-ocean trench and back into the mantle is known as
subduction
Normal dip slip produces
tension
The eastern edge of the North American continent is
the Mid-Atlantic Ridge because that is where sea-floor spreading is taking place
The term metamorphic grade refers to
the degree to which it has changed from its original state
The difference between a plunging and non-plunging fold is that
the hinge of a plunging fold is not horizontal
During chemical weathering
the mineralogy of previously existing rocks changes
Strike and dip refer to
the orientation of a bed or fault
The presence of tropical plants and animals hundreds of millions of years old near the North Pole suggests that
the plate on which those organisms are found has moved from a different climate zone to its current Arctic position
The epicenter of an earthquake is
the point at Earth's surface closest to where the rock broke
The principle of uniformitarianism states that
the present is the key to the past
A time-travel curve shows graphically
the velocities of the different kinds of seismic waves
A vertical exaggeration of 1.00 on a topographic profile means
the vertical scale of the profile is the same as the map scale.
The agents that cause metamorphism include all except
time
"Base line" and "principal meridian" are reference lines in the
township and range (Public Land Survey) system.
A place where two plates slide past each other, moving in opposite directions, is known as a
transform boundary
The only type of plate boundary at which there is no vertical transfer material between the lithosphere and asthenosphere is a
transform fault
In the plate tectonic model, large-scale shear stress is found at
transform faults
During transmission of an S-wave, particles in a rock _________ as the energy passes through the rock
vibrate perpendicular to the direction the wave is travelling
Liquefaction occurs during earthquakes when
vibrations cause water to coat sediment grains, greatly lessening friction
Volcanic arcs form above subduction zones
wherever oceanic lithosphere is subducted
In a syncline, the _______________ rocks are exposed in the axial region of the fold, and beds typically dip _____________ one another.
youngest; toward
A hypothesis is
a tentative explanation for a natural phenomenon or Earth material