GEL2 Exam 2 (part 1)

Chemical sediment consists of broken rock and mineral particles.

False

Conformities are breaks in the stratigraphic record.

False

Fractional crystallization does not contribute to the diversification of igneous rock types.

False

Granite is an extrusive igneous rock.

False

Igneous rocks form in the solid state under extreme heat and pressure.

False

Metamorphic rocks are named on the basis of sediment size

False

Regolith is sediment that has undergone erosional transport and deposition.

False

Stratigraphy is based on the principle of absolute dating.

False

The rock cycle is a process solely involving the movement of sedimentary rock from a mountain to a river.

False

Volcanic rock is characterized by large grain sized crystals.

False

__________ has pronounced foliation and a very distinctive green color.

Greenschist

Denudation begins as soon as a mountain range is uplifted, and continues long after active tectonic uplift has ceased.

True

Landslides can be triggered by human activities that oversteepen or destabilize slopes.

True

Limestone is the most important rock that forms from the lithification of biogenic sediment

True

Mechanical deformation includes grinding, crushing, and the development of foliation.

True

Metamorphic rock is igneous or sedimentary rock that has been changed in mineralogy and/or texture in the solid state

True

Rock is transformed into regolith through physical and chemical weathering, which work together.

True

The first stage of lithification is burial and compaction

True

The geologic column summarizes, in chronological order, the succession of known rock units

True

The locations where clastic sediment is deposited are largely controlled by plate tectonics.

True

The metamorphic conditions characteristic of greenschist occur where the crust is thickened by continental collision or heated by rising magma

True

The principle variables of metamorphism are a) Conformities and unconformities. b) The size and shape of the parent rock. c) Heat and pressure. d) Heat and chemical composition.

c) Heat and pressure

What is the geologic time scale generally based upon? a) The solar cycle. b) The age of ocean water. c) Major geological and/or biological events. d) Dendrochronology.

c) Major geological and/or biological events.

Rocks formed at the Earth's surface from the breakup of other rocks are: a) Metamorphic rocks. b) Igneous rocks. c) Sedimentary rocks

c) Sedimentary rocks

Which of the following areas has the highest sediment yields? a) North Africa. b) Central Australia. c) Southeast Asia. d) Northern Canada.

c) Southeast Asia.

Imagine you go hiking in the desert and happen upon large slabs of granite rock. All around you the ground is a flat, desert floor, except for these few, large slabs of granite. What does that tell you about the geologic history of the area? a) The area used to be geologically active, complete with volcanic activity. b) The area used to be geologically inactive. The granite rock is a result of mass movement due to wind and/or water. c) The area used to be active with intrusive igneous processes. Over time, differential erosion led to the exposure of the once-underground granite rock. d) Need more information.

c) The area used to be active with intrusive igneous processes. Over time, differential erosion led to the exposure of the once-underground granite rock.

Which of the following factors can stabilize a slope and prevent mass wasting? a) High density rocks on the mountain slope. b) Water content in the rock. c) Vegetation. d) None of these.

c) Vegetation.

In which environment would chemical weathering be most effective? a) Cold and dry. b) Warm and dry. c) Warm and humid

c) Warm and humid

If you have an original sediment that is cube in shape with a length, width, and height of 1 unit each, then its overall exposed surface area will be 6 square units (1 square unit x 6 sides). If you were to break this sediment into 8 equal cubes by physical weathering, how much surface area would now be exposed? a) 12 square units. b) 15 square units. c) 20 square units. d) 30 square units

a) 12 square units.

The dinosaurs became extinct at the end of what Period? a) Cretaceous.b) Jurassic. c) Triassic. d) Paleogene

a) Cretaceous

Chemical sedimentary rocks are formed a) From various solutions. b) Only in wet or dry environments. c) From weathered remains of igneous and/or metamorphic rocks. d) Only in rivers and seas.

a) From various solutions

Which rock is composed of alternating bands of light and dark minerals? a) Gneiss. b) Marble. c) Phyllite. d) Muscovite mica

a) Gneiss.

The class of rocks formed by subjecting existing rock to extreme heat and pressure (but not to the point of melt) is called: a) Metamorphic rocks. b) Sedimentary rocks. c) Igneous rocks.

a) Metamorphic rocks

Gabbro is coarser than basalt because a) The magma that formed the gabbro cooled slower than the basalt magma. b) Gabbro has contact metamorphism whereas basalt does not. c) Gabbro contains much more silica than basalt. d) Higher pressure formed the gabbro

a) The magma that formed the gabbro cooled slower than the basalt magma.

Why do small sediments weather faster than larger sediments? a) The small sediments have more surface area for chemical reactions. b) The small sediments can be broken down quicker by bacteria in the soil. c) The small sediments generally contain smaller minerals that are easier to break down. d) All of these

a) The small sediments have more surface area for chemical reactions.

If one has an absolute age date for an intrusive igneous rock body that is intruding into a sedimentary rock, what does that reveal about the sedimentary rock? a) You know the youngest possible age of the sedimentary rock. b) You know the oldest possible age of the sedimentary rock. c) You know the age of the next overlying stratum. d) You know the absolute age of the sedimentary rock.

a) You know the youngest possible age of the sedimentary rock.

An __________ unconformity implies that the older strata were deformed, uplifted, and partially removed by erosion

angular

If the rock pressure is about 1200 MPa, at about what temperature will high-grade metamorphism begin to occur? a) 100 degrees Centigrade. b) 200 degrees Centigrade. c) 50 degrees Centigrade. d) 400 degrees Centigrade.

b) 200 degrees Centigrade.

What is obsidian? a) An intrusive (plutonic) igneous rock. b) An extrusive (volcanic) igneous rock c) A piece of glass resulting from the melt of sediments. d) A metamorphic form of shale.

b) An extrusive (volcanic) igneous rock

The process where dissolved minerals (such as quartz) precipitate within the pore spaces of sediment creating a gluey material leading to the binding of the sediment is called a) Compaction. b) Cementation. c) Weathering. d) Recrystallization

b) Cementation.

Intrusive igneous rocks are generally a) Fine-grained. b) Coarse-grained. c) Vesicular. d) None of these

b) Coarse-grained.

What are the three most important kinds of metamorphism? a) Contact, heat, pressure. b) Contact, burial, and regional. c) Burial, gravitational, contact. d) Regional, gravitational, contact

b) Contact, burial, and regional.

For igneous rock formation, as the rate of cooling increases, the size of the crystals that form a) Increases. b) Decreases. c) Stays the same

b) Decreases.

Mass wasting is material moved primarily due to a) Ice. b) Gravity. c) Wind. d) Running water

b) Gravity.

You will find fossil remains in what type of rock? a) Igneous. b) Sedimentary. c) Metamorphic. d) All of these.

b) Sedimentary.

The era that covers the longest time span is a) The Paleozoic. b) The Precambrian. c) The Cenozoic. d) The Mesozoic.

b) The Precambrian.

What are the major attributes of "superposition"? a). The assignment of relative age to the strata. b) Younger rocks overlay older rocks. c) Both of these

c) Both of these

Along what type of plate boundary is metamorphism the most common? a) Transform. b) Divergent. c) Convergent

c) Convergent

A metamorphic rock formed from granite is a) Slate. b) Marble. c) Gneiss. d) Quartzite.

c) Gneiss.

_______________ sediment is formed when substances that have been dissolved are transported in solution and then precipitated

chemical

________________ weathering is the decomposition of rocks and minerals as chemical reactions transform them into new chemical compounds.

chemical

________________ sediment is bits of broken rock and minerals that are moved as solid particles.

clastic

To be classified as __________ , sedimentary rock must have clasts that are rounded and larger than 2 mm in diameter.

conglomerate

Stratigraphic __________ is the determination of equivalence in age of the succession of strata found in two or more different areas

correlation

Sedimentary rocks provide clues about a) Geologic activity at the time of deposition. b) Past climates. c) Surface conditions at the time of deposition. d) All of these.

d) All of these

Clastic sedimentary rocks are classified based upon a) Smell. b) Composition. c) Color. d) Grain size.

d) Grain size.

Which rock is the intrusive equivalent of rhyollite? a) Basalt. b) Diorite. c) Gabbro. d) Granite.

d) Granite.

List the following sediments from largest to smallest: a) Gravel, silty mud, sand. b) Sand, gravel, silty mud. c) Silty mud, gravel, sand. d) Gravel, sand, silty mud

d) Gravel, sand, silty mud

Which of the following metamorphic rocks is non-foliated? a) Schist. b) Gneiss. c) Slate. d) Marble.

d) Marble.

Stratification in a sedimentary rock a) Is always horizontal. b) Is generally vertical. c) Is due to internal stresses from inside Earth. d) Represents geologic, climatic, and biological conditions during the time of deposition

d) Represents geologic, climatic, and biological conditions during the time of deposition

Which of the following properly lists low to medium to high grade metamorphic rocks? a) Gneiss, Phyllite, Slate. b) Phyllite, Slate, Gneiss. c) Gneiss, Slate, Phyllite. d) Slate, Phyllite, Gneiss.

d) Slate, Phyllite, Gneiss.

At the mouth of a rapidly flowing river, what type of sediment would you expect to see along the bed of the mouth of the river? a) Moderately sorted. b) Poorly sorted. c) Well sorted, with only the smallest clasts. d) Well sorted, with only the largest clasts.

d) Well sorted, with only the largest clasts.

One important factor that influences denudation rates is __________ activity, especially the clearing of forests, development of cultivated land, damming of streams, and construction of cities.

human

An unusual but important kind of chemical sedimentary rock is called banded __________ formation.

iron

The process by which sediment or regolith becomes rock is called ______________

lithification

__________________ weathering is the disintegration of rock as a result of physical breakup.

physical

__________ rock is transitional between igneous and sedimentary.

pyroclastic

Another way that lithification can occur is through _________________, in which mineral grains that were once separate can grow to become interlocked.

recrystalization

The end result of weathering on a global scale is the formation of ____________, the irregular blanket of loose, uncemented rock particles that covers the Earth's surface.

regolith

The ______________ involves the cycling of material through the geosphere as a result of the formation, breakdown, rearrangement, and reformation of rock.

rock cycle

Regolith that has undergone erosional transport is called __________________.

sediment

The study of sedimentary strata is called __________ .

stratigraphy

When discussing metamorphic rock, scientists use the term __________ instead of pressure

stress