Earth Science Exam 1 Study Guide
The slope of a stream channel expressed as the vertical drop of a stream over a specific distance
gradient
Detrital sedimentary rocks are classified and named principally on the basis of___
grain size
Course-grained felsic composition
granite
Course-grained rock containing plagioclase, quartz, potassium feldspar, and hornblende
granite
Consult Bowen's reaction series. What can be said of the temperature at which a granite crystallizes?
granite crystallizes at temperatures of about 750 degrees celcius
The river depicted in this drawing shows prominent ____. The river is really bendy
meandering
The breaking of rock into smaller pieces
mechanical weathering
Measure of a material's ability to transmit water
permeability
area of deposition along a river
point bar
Volume of open spaces in rock or soil
porosity
______ is a measure of the volume of open space in rocks and unconsolidated, geologic materials like alluvium and soils
porosity
Which igneous texture is characterized by two distinctively different crystal sizes?
porphyritic
Pebbles caught in swirling eddies of water best describe___
potholes
Which of the following are positively charged particles in an atom's nucleus?
protons
all of the atoms making up any given element have the same number of
protons in the nucleus
Vesicular texture
pumice
Which of the following is a silicate mineral with a single-chained structure?
pyroxene
a silicate mineral which has silicon-oxygen tetrahedra bonded in single-chained formation along with iron or magnesium atoms
pyroxene
Imagine you are handed a mineral sample. It breaks with a conchoidal fracture but displays no cleavage. It does not react with hydrochloric acid, is a light pink color, and has a nonmetallic luster. It is harder than a streak plate and has a specific gravity of 2.65. What mineral is it?
quartz
Which common mineral is composed entirely of silicon and oxygen?
quartz
___ exhibits a conchoidal fracture
quartz
silicate mineral consisting solely of silicon and oxygen, with silicon-oxygen tetrahedra bonded in a complex three-dimensional network
quartz
You are handed a sample of an unknown silicate mineral. Which two elements MUST it contain?
silicon and oxygen
Which one of the following is a metamorphic rock?
slate
An igneous rock that cools rapidly is likely to have ___ crystals
small
pyroclastic rock with particles less than 4 mm in diameter
tuff
The physical breakdown (disintegration) and chemical alteration (decomposition) of rock at or near Earth's surface
weathering
To transform an igneous rock into a sedimentary rock, which of the following processes must take place?
weathering, transport, deposition, and lithification
interwoven stream channels
braided channel
A complex network of converging and diverging channels that thread their way among numerous islands or gravel bars
braided channels
A detrital sedimentary rock with large angular fragments is called a(n)___
breccia
Course-grained rock with large angular particles cemented with mud
breccia
Confining pressure results from the ___ of rocks
burial
Limestone is dominated by the mineral___
calcite
Limestone is dominated by the mineral____
calcite
Limestone is most similar to the mineral___
calcite
When in contact with hydrochloric acid, which mineral gives off bubbles of carbon dioxide gas?
calcite
cleavage in three directions not at 90 degree angles
calcite
___ is the maximum load of solid particles of a stream can transport in a unit of time
capacity
The___mineral group reacts to hydrochloric acid
carbonate
A substance that forms when carbon dioxide in the air combines with water. It is an important agent of chemical weathering
carbonic acid
___ is a weak acid that reacts to the mineral calcite
carbonic acid
___ is formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in rainwater, and this mildly reactive substance aids chemical weathering
carbonic acid
_____ are formed when groundwater dissolves cavities into limestone
caverns
The skeletal remains of plankton make up the sedimentary rock
chalk
rock, sediment, or soil through which groundwater moves easily
aquifer
Impermeable bed that hinders or prevents groundwater movement
aquitard
Impermeable layers such as clay that hinders or prevent water movement are called____
aquitards
The rock___ is a description of how one rock may be transformed into another kind of rock through various internal and external processes
cycle
Which of the following minerals comprises just one element?
diamond
Old faithful, a ______ in Yellowstone National Park, erupts steam and hot water
geyser
an item that is solid like a mineral, has a definite chemical composition, and shows distinctive physical properties, but does not have an orderly crystalline structure
glass
Obsidian is characterized by its___ texture
glassy
Foliage rock exhibiting bending
gneiss
Which of the following rock types represents the highest grade of metamorphism
gneiss
Which of the following rock types represents the highest grade of metamorphism?
gniess
Which of the following has the highest specific gravity?
gold
A cubic centimeter each of quartz, olivine, and native gold weighs 2.5, 3.0, and 19.8 grams, respectively. These weights indicate that___
gold has a higher density and specific gravity than quartz and olivine
Most karst topography forms in _____
limestone
Which of the following is the parent rock of marble?
limestone
Which one of the following is a sedimentary rock?
limestone
The ion at the center of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron is surrounded by
4 oxygen ions
The Amazon River has ____ times as much discharge as the Mississippi River
12
How many cleavage directions does this mineral specimen display? It looks like a big cube that has smaller cubes coming out of it
3
If a mineral has a specific gravity of 3, it must be ___times as dense as water
3
An atom's mass number is 13 and its atomic number is 6. How many neutrons are in its nucleus?
7
The Mississippi River Delta system contains a series of ___ coalescing subdeltas
7
The average number of storm-related deaths attributed to flooding from 1985 to 2014 was______
83
Examine the sketch of a bend in a river. The arrows show the water flow direction. In which of the four lettered locations will erosion take place? A is the left lane, B is the left middle lane, C is the right middle, and D is the far right
A
Examine the sketch of a bend in a river. The arrows show the water flow direction. In which of the four lettered locations will the water be moving at the highest velocity? A is the left lane, B is the left middle lane, C is the right middle, and D is the far right
A
Which of the drainage patterns shown here might develop on relatively uniform surface materials? A. Snowflake B. Cactus C. Branch D. Christmas Tree
C
Examine the sketch of a bend in a river. The arrows show the water flow direction. In which of the four lettered locations is deposition most likely to occur? A is the left lane, B is the left middle lane, C is the right middle, and D is the far right
D
Which of the following best describes the relationship between minerals and rocks?
In a mineral, atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure: a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of mineral grains
Three of the following are true for minerals. Which one of the following is not true for minerals?
They can be a liquid, solid, or gas
new channel segment occurring between meanders due to erosion
cutoff
A tributary stream that flows parallel to the main stream because a natural levee is present is called ______
a yahoo tributary
Magma that might have cooled slowly to produce a diorite is instead erupted at Earth's surface. It would chill rapidly and produce a(n) ____
andesite
Magma that might have cooled slowly to produce a diorite is instead erupted at Earth's surface. It would chill rapidly and produce a(n)___
andesite
Ephe real streams typically flow after heavy rainstorms in ____climates
arid
_____ are earthen mounds built on the banks of rivers to increase the volume of water the channel can hold
artificial levees
Which of the following silicate minerals is the most abundant in Earth's crust?
feldspars
Building a dam on a stream raises its______, causing it to cease erosion and begin to deposit sentiment
base level
Fine-grained Mafic composition
bassalt
Gravel would most likely exist in the ___ of a river
bed load
Sand, gravel, and large boulders that are too large to be carried in suspension and, instead, move along the bottom of a stream channel
bed load
Layers in sedimentary rocks are called___
beds
Use the accompanying figure of the Mohs scale of hardness to answer this question. If you have a mineral sample that is capable of scratching a penny but is scratched by a wire nail, its hardness must be___(Mohs scale is shown in the real question. Google Mohs Scale)
between 3.5 and 4.5
Dredging a stream or river is an example of
channelization
Rock salt and rock gypsum are examples of____sedimentary rocks
chemical
Reactions that take place, often facilitated by water, to create new products, mainly clay minerals, which are stable at Earth's surface
chemical weathering
Due to the arrangement of weaker bonds in their crystal lattice, the tendency of certain minerals to break along smooth, parallel planes is known as
cleavage
Biotite has which of the following types of cleavage?
cleavage in one direction
a rock composed of nomineral matter
coal
Which of the following rivers flows inside the Grand Canyon?
colorado river
___and___ are the most common forms of lithification
compaction, cementation
Drawdown of groundwater due to heavy pumping from a well may result in a(n) ____, a "dimple" in the water table
cone of depression
Pressure that is equal in every direction, such as results from the burial of sediments
confining pressure
Which rock type is most likely to have been deposited in a high-energy environment (such as a very turbulent stream)?
conglomerate
An igneous rock that shows a vesicular texture___
contains many small holes, like swiss cheese
Biochemical rock comprising shells made from calcite
coquina
Rocks that contain crystals that are roughly equal in size and can be identified with the unaided eye are said to exhibit a ___ texture
course-grained
Granite is___
course-grained and dominated by quartz and feldspar crystals
Granite and gabbro have a similar ___
course-grained texture
_____bonding is the sharing of valence atoms between a pair of atoms
covalent
sharing of one or more valence electrons between a pair of atoms
covalent bond
Both of the samples pictured here are examples of the mineral pyrite. The physical property that sets them apart is____(shows two gol rocks but one is shinier and has Normal cracks and the other one is duller and has line cracks)
crystal habit
The terms bladed, fibrous, cubic, and platy describe___
crystal habit
area of active erosion in a river
cut bank
Pressure that is unequal in different directions, such as results from the convergence of tectonic plates (mountain-building)
differential stress
an item that is solid like a mineral, has a definite chemical composition, and shows distinctive physical properties, but is not naturally occurring
dinner plate
Intermediate composition
diorite
The volume of water flowing past a certain point in a given unit of time
discharge
Which of the following is NOT an agent of metamorphism?
dissolution
Calcium and sodium ions make up the ____ of streams
dissolved load
One drainage basin is separated from a neighboring drainage basin by a ____
divide
The tongue-like flow of water-saturated clay-rich soil on a hillside that break away and moves downslope is called___
earthflow
If an atom has an equal number of electrons and protons, it would be considered
electrically neutral
External processes include weathering, mass wasting, and ______
erosion
The physical removal of material by a mobile agent such as flowing water, waves, wind, or ice
erosion
____ is the process by which liquid water changes into water vapor
evaporation
Cleavage in two directions at 90 degree angles
feldspar
Which of the following minerals is a silicate (a mineral containing a silicon-bearing ion)?
feldspar
The flat area on either side of a stream's natural levee, where alluvium is deposited, is called the _____
floodplain
___ can form when the pressure surface is above the land surface
flowing artesian wells
cleavage in four directions
fluorite
Groundwater is the largest reservoir of ____
freshwater that is readily available to humans
when water freezes, it expands in volume. Water-filled cracks can be enlarged when this new ice exerts outward pressure on the walls of the fracture
frost wedging
Course-grained mafic composition
gabbro
Which of the following minerals has a metallic luster?
galena
______ is located in tiny pore spaces between grains of soi9l and sediment, underground
groundwater
water in the saturated zone
groundwater
a mineral consisting of a poisonous gas ionically bonded to an extremely reactive metal
halite
cleavage in three directions at 90 degree angles
halite
The resistance of a mineral to scratching or abrasions is known as
hardness
Groundwater tends to flow through bodies of rock or sediment that___
have high permeability
In contact metamorphism, ___ is the dominant agent of change
heat
Which of the following minerals would best be utilized for extracted iron to make steel?
hematite
Cleavage in two directions not at 90 degree angles
hornblende
Before sedimentary rock can be formed, sediment must be produced (weathered from preexisting rocks), transported, deposited, and ___
lithified
a mineral made of oxidized hydrogen
ice
Chemical weathering would be most effective___
in a warm, wet climate
Streams that exhibit flow only during wet periods are called____
intermittent streams
one atom gives up one or more valence electrons to another atom to form ions
ionic bond
Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called
ions
A crystal of potassium feldspar (KAISi3O8) will produce a variety of weathering products after it is weathered. Which of the following is NOT a product that results from the weathering of potassium feldspar?
iron oxides
Examine the rock sample here. Did it form at or below Earth's surface? How do you know? (Shows grainy rock)
it formed below the surface, because of its texture (grain size)
The San Joaquin Valley experienced a phenomenon called ___ due to excessive groundwater pumping
land subsidence
One potential source of groundwater contamination would be _____
leaking septic tank
A cross-sectional view of a stream from its headwaters to its mouth is called a____
longitudinal profile
The appearance or quality of light reflected from the surface of a mineral is known as
luster
Nonfoliated rock with large calcite crystals
marble
Which of the following is a nonfoliated metamorphic rock?
marble
The downslope movement of rock or soil due to the influence of gravity is ____
mass wasting
The transfer of rock and soil downslope, under the influence of gravity
mass wasting
curvy bends in a river
meander
valence electrons are free to move from one atom to another so all atoms share the available valence electrons
metallic bond
Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?
micas
___ is he study of minerals
mineralogy
Most silicate minerals form from ___
molten rock
Regional metamorphism occurs during___
mountain building
Cleavage in one direction
muscovite
The most common group of minerals in Earth's crust are the___
native metals
Between a river and its floodplain, you might find ___
natural levees
glassy texture
obsidian
Which of the following silicate minerals form forms from single tetrahedra
olivine
Coal primarily comprises___
organic matter
meander that has been separated from main part of river
oxbow lake
The reaction of a substance (often a metal ion) with oxygen. Rust is an example
oxidization
What element is the most abundant in Earth's crust by weight?
oxygen
Which of the following elements has the most valence electrons in its outermost shell?
oxygen
Ultramafic composition
peridotite
Which of the following drainage patterns forms on a highly fractured bedrock?
rectangular
Fine-grained felsic composition
rhyolite
Which one of the following is an igneous rock?
rhyolite
An aggregate of one or more minerals is called a(n)______
rock
Blocks of bedrock that break loose and slide downslope are often called a(n)___
rockslide
What is the specific form of mass wasting illustrated here? There is a rectangle of rock that broke Into pieces and fell off
rockslide
Shows image of rock with tree in it and the root is exposed. What form of physical weathering is shown in this image?
root wedging
The expansion of rocks that formed under high confining pressure, once they are uplifted and exposed at Earth's surface produce fractures that are broadly curved and parallel to the land surface
sheeting
A detrital sedimentary rock dominated by sand is a___
sandstone
Most rock outcrops (about 75% of the total) are___
sedimentary
Which kind of rocks may contain fossils?
sedimentary
Mud cracks and ripple marks are common features of___
sedimentary rocks
Exfoliation domes are formed from which of the following processes?
sheeting
The process by which solid particles of various sizes are separated and deposited in different locations
sorting
Where the water table intersects Earth's surface, a(n) ___ results
spring
The reason we see so much mud and sand along the shore of the land is that clay minerals and quarts are ___ at Earth's surface
stable
____ hang from the ceiling in caves
stalactites
If you were to examine the longitudinal profile of a typical river, you would probably find that the gradient is ___
steepest near the headwaters
___ is the powdered form of the mineral
streak
Feldspar minerals can look very similar to each other, what would you look for to differentiate plagioclase feldspar from potassium feldspar
striations on plagioclase feldspar
___is the softest mineral and___is the hardest mineral on Mohs scale
talc, diamond
A mineral's resistance to breaking, bending, or cutting is defined as
tenacity
The steepest angel at which unconsolidated granular material remains stable is ___
the angle of repose
In general, which of the statements below best describes what happens in terms of composition as crystallization proceeds down the Bowen's reaction series
the early-formed silicates are enriched in iron and magnesium, resulting in such rocks as periodite and basalt. As crystallization proceeds, the later-formed silicates are enriched in sodium, potassium, and silicon, resulting in andesite and granite
Internal processes that occur at or near Earth's surface and are powered by___
the sun
Streams erode downward until they reach ___
their base level
The ability of a mineral to transmit both light and an image in the mineral is described as___
transparent
Plants consume water during photosynthesis. They also release it to the atmosphere during___
transpiration
Which of the following is a chemical sedimentary rock?
travertine
Area above water table where openings between sediment, soil, and rock are filled with air
unsaturated zone
Uppermost layer of the saturated zone
water table
V-shaped valleys would most likely contain ___
waterfalls
Which of the following properties would be least useful for identifying a samples of calcite?
white color
The Mississippi Delta is an example of which of the following?
zone of deposition
areas within sediment where all open spaces are completely filled with water
zone of saturation
