Landforms Ch. 2

The heat that drives the tectonic cycle is derived from

Radioactive Decay

T/F Endogenic processes cause warping, folding, faulting, and uplift of Earth's surface

True

T/F Ocean floor is created along midocean ridges

True

Coal is a fossil fuel formed from

plant remains

When geologists or archaeologists dig downward into a unit of rock or sediment, they are digging "back in time." This fact is based on the principle of __________.

Superposition

Crustal formation occurs in which part of the Geologic Cycle

Tectonic Cycle

The most recent 1.8 million years of Earth's history are referred to as

The Quaternary period

20. Which of the following is matched correctly? A. granite - metamorphic B. basalt - sedimentary C. marble - metamorphic D. sandstone - igneous

C. marble - metamorphic

Which of the following lists is in the correct sequence from younger to older? A. Holocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Miocene B. Holocene, Precambrian, Cenozoic C. Paleozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic D. Tertiary, Quaternary, Cretaceous

A. Holocene, Pleistocene, Pliocene, Miocene

The scientist who first proposed continental drift was

Wegener

Continental crust

is less dense than oceanic crust

Which of the following is not true of geothermal energy? A. It could be used everywhere. B. It's in use in Iceland, Japan, and California. C. Loss of aquifer pressure and groundwater drawdown can reduce production over time. D. It can be used to produce both heat and electricity.

A. It could be used everywhere.

Which of the following is matched correctly? A. 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter - granitic crust B. 4.7 grams per cubic centimeter - upper mantle C. 3.3 grams per cubic centimeter - asthenosphere D. 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter - oceanic crust

D. 3.0 grams per cubic centimeter - oceanic crust

T/F A guiding principle of modern science is the principle of uniformitarianism-as opposed to catastrophism.

True

T/F Earth's magnetic field has reversed nine times in the last four million years.

True

T/F Earth's magnetic field is generated from within the entire planet, rather than in a specific region of Earth's interior.

True

The layer within Earth that lies directly below the lithosphere, but above the upper mantle, is best described as

a plastic-like layer that flows in response to heat and pressure

Mafic minerals are __________ minerals.

dark colored, high density

The density of material below the Moho is __________ that above it.

greater than

Rocks formed from slowly cooling magma

intrusive igneous rocks

The principles of buoyancy and balance, when applied to Earth's crust, helps us to explain fluctuations in Earth's outer crust, a property known as

isostasy.

Which of the Earths structural layers is the thinnest

lithosphere

The ancient roots of mountains are usually composed of __________ rocks.

metamorphic

A Rock transformed by heat and/or pressure is referred to as a

metamorphic rock

The Most common element in the Earth's crust is

oxygen

The three most abundant elements in Earth's crust are

oxygen, silicon, and aluminum.

Which of the following is not a felsic mineral?

peridotite

During the past ice age, landmasses were generally

pressed down into the asthenosphere by the load of ice.

Which of the following is the fuel for continental drift and plate tectonics?

radioactive decay

The magma, which fuels and produces the volcanic activity around the Pacific Ring of Fire, is derived from the

rise of material that was melted in subduction zones along the Pacific margins.

Shale is an example of a

sedimentary rock

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

sedimentary rocks

T/F Ocean floor is continuously destroyed in rift zones.

False

Who first proposed the theory of uniformitarianism?

James Hutton

Pangaea began rifting apart

225 million years ago

Which of the following is true? A. The age of the sea floor is the same in most areas of the ocean. B. The age of the sea floor does not follow a discernable pattern. C. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge. D. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a trench. E. The oldest sea floor material is several billion years in age.

C. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge.

Which of the following is not true regarding Earth's magnetic field? A. It causes magnetic particles in cooling magma to align with magnetic field lines. B. Transition periods, during which reversals occur, last an average of about 4000 to 8000 years. C. Earth's magnetic field will probably reverse in the next few thousand years. D. A given field orientation can last billions of years.

D. A given field orientation can last billions of years.

Which of the following plays a role in the shaping of Earth's surface? A. gravity. B. the action of wind, water, and ice. C. the radioactive decay of atoms. D. All of these E. the action of wind, water, and ice and the radioactive decay of atoms only

D. All of these

10. Which of the following is true of the aesthenosphere? A. It contains pockets of increased heat. B. It flows. C. It carries the lithospheric plates. D. All of these are true. E. None of these are true.

D. All of these are true.

The Earth is approximately how old

4.6 billion years

The thickness of Earth's crust ranges from

5 km to 60 km (3 mi. to 37 mi.).

The average length of a period during which a given magnetic field polarity exists is about

500,000 years

Which of the following supports the continental drift concept? A. magnetic field patterns preserved in the rocks B. plant and animal fossil records C. radiometric dating of rocks on either side of a spreading center D. All of these support the theory. E. None of these is valid evidence of continental drift.

D. All of these support the theory.

T/F According to currently accepted scientific theories, Earth is never affected by catastrophes.

False

T/F The deepest places in the ocean are those in which rifting occurs.

False

T/F Uniformitarianism holds that all geologic change affecting Earth's surface requires immense amounts of time to occur.

False

T/F The oldest rocks on Earth are between 3.96 and 4.3 billion years old.

True

he presence of 180-million-year-old salt domes in the Gulf Coast region of the United States indicates that

a sea used to cover the area but subsequently evaporated.

Which of the following is incorrect regarding Earth's inner core? a. It has a density of 13.5 grams per cm3. b. It is solid iron in composition. c. It is the source of Earth's magnetic field. d. It is about 1230 km (760 mi.) thick.

c. It is the source of Earth's magnetic field.

Which of the following is not a member of the silicate family of minerals?

calcite

What type of rock is derived from the bits and pieces of former rocks?

sedimentary