GEOSCI 100: Free Exam Q's

Approximately when was the formation of the Pangaea supercontinent complete? 1. 1.1 billion years ago 2. 450 million years ago 3. 270 million years ago 4. 200 million years ago

270 million years ago

About how much of Earth's water is freshwater? 1. 0.2% 2. 4% 3. 9% 4. 25%

4%

Which is a likely environment in which a quartz sandstone could have been deposited? 1. A coral reef 2. Deep sea 3. Coastal Beach 4. None of the above

Coastal Beach

The Theory of Plate Tectonics involves which of the following? 1. Continental Drift and Evolution. 2. Seafloor Spreading and the Modern Synthesis. 3. Evolution and the Modern Synthesis. 4. Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading

Continental Drift and Seafloor Spreading

Which kinds of plate-tectonic boundaries are associated with earthquake activity? 1. Transform only 2. Convergent only 3. Transform and convergent only 4. Convergent, divergent and transform

Convergent, divergent and transform

At which kind of plate tectonic boundary is the upper part of the mantle rising? 1. Divergent boundaries 2. Convergent boundaries 3. Transform boundaries

Divergent boundaries

What properties of a geologic material make the best aquifer? 1. Low porosity, low permeability 2. Low porosity, high permeability 3. High porosity, low permeability 4. High porosity, high permeability

High porosity, high permeability

Solar radiation absorbed by the Earth's ground surface is reemitted as __________. 1. Infrared radiation 2. Visible radiation 3. Ultraviolet radiation 4. X-ray radiation

Infrared radiation

46% of the continental crust is oxygen, while only 21% of the atmosphere is oxygen. How could this be? 1. The crust has a lot of holes filled with oxygen gas 2. Volcanoes suck oxygen into the Earth's interior 3. Most of the crust is made up of solid silica tetrahedra (SiO4)

Most of the crust is made up of solid silica tetrahedra (SiO4)

What do all isotopes of any given element have in common? 1. Number of protons 2. Number of neutrons 3. Combined number of protons and neutrons 4. All of the above

Number of protons

The periodic table of elements is arranged in order of the number of ______ in a particular atom. 1. Neutrons 2. Electrons 3. Nuclei 4. Protons

Protons

Which rocks preserve a record of ancient climate conditions and climate change? 1. Metamorphic rocks 2. Sedimentary rocks 3. Igneous rocks 4. None of the above

Sedimentary rocks

What is the simplest definition of life that we discussed in class? 1. Movement 2. Self replication 3. Self regulation 4. Self replication + Self regulation

Self replication + Self regulation

Which of the following geologic materials makes the best aquiclude? 1. Sandstone 2. Shale 3. Limestone 4. Gravel

Shale

Brittle fracture of rocks is mostly likely to occur where in the Earth? 1. In the Core 2. In the Mantle 3. Deep Crust 4. Shallow Crust

Shallow Crust

What is the fundamental building block of the silicate minerals? 1. Silicon-carbon tetrahedron 2. Silicon-carbon octahedron 3. Silicon-oxygen tetrahedron 4. Silicon-oxygen octahedron

Silicon-oxygen tetrahedron

Which list places foliation textures in order of increasing metamorphic grade (low grade to high grade)? 1. Slate, gneiss, phyllite, schist 2. Slate, phyllite, schist, gneiss 3. Gneiss, schist, slate, phyllite 4. Gneiss, phyllite, schist, slate

Slate, phyllite, schist, gneiss

What powers the Earth's climate system? 1. Magnetism 2. Tidal friction 3. Radioactive decay in Earth's interior 4. Solar energy

Solar energy

Through which of the different states of matter can S waves travel? 1. Solid only 2. Liquid only 3. Gas only 4. Solid and liquid only 5. Solid, liquid and gas

Solid only

In which plate-tectonic environment do earthquakes occur at the greatest depths? 1. Transforms 2. Mid-ocean ridges 3. Subduction zones 4. Continent-continent collision zones

Subduction zones

Which list places the different kinds of seismic waves in order of increasing velocity of travel (from slowest to fastest)? 1. S wave, P wave, surface wave 2. P wave, S wave, surface wave 3. Surface wave, S wave, P wave 4. Surface wave, P wave, S wave

Surface wave, S wave, P wave

Considering Bowen's reaction series, how does the process of fractional crystallization affect the composition of a cooling mafic magma? 1. The magma becomes more silica-rich. 2. The magma becomes less silica-rich. 3. The magma becomes ultramafic. 4. None of the above.

The magma becomes more silica-rich.

Which of the following statements about synclines is TRUE? 1. The oldest rocks occur in the center and the limbs dip toward the center. 2. The oldest rocks occur in the center and the limbs dip away from the center. 3. The youngest rocks occur in the center and the limbs dip toward the center. 4. The youngest rocks occur in the center and the limbs dip away from the center

The youngest rocks occur in the center and the limbs dip toward the center.

True or False: On average, the depth of the oceans below sea level is greater than the elevation of the continents above sea level.

True

Evolution can be described by the following conceptual equation: 1. Genetics + Natural Selection 2. Genetics + Variability 3. Variability + Natural Selection 4. The Modern Synthesis + Genetics

Variability + Natural Selection

From where does the calcium in seawater come? 1. Weathering of continental rocks 2. Marine biologic activity 3. Volcanic eruptions at mid-ocean ridges 4. Precipitation onto the sea surface

Weathering of continental rocks

Absolute ages obtained from igneous rocks samples recovered from mid-ocean ridges reveal that: 1. rocks ages get older with greater distance from the axis of the spreading ridge 2. the pattern of rock ages is mirrored on each side of the spreading ridge 3. all of the above 4. None of these

all of the above

Which of the following is critical to the growth of coral reefs? 1. Sunlight 2. warm ocean waters 3. relatively calm seas 4. all of these

all of these

Which of the following locations would you expect to find water saturated sediments being transported down to the upper mantle? 1. along the San Andreas Fault 2. along the mid-Atlantic Ridge 3. along the Andean Trench 4. within the Hawaiian Hot Spot

along the Andean Trench

Positive feedbacks tend to _____changes in the system and negative feedbacks tend to _____the system against change. 1. stabilize, amplify 2. amplify, stabilize 3. stabilize, protect 4. amplify, destabilize

amplify, stabilize

The epicenter of an earthquake is always located: 1. at the Earth's surface, directly above the focus 2. in the mantle 3. along the fault plane 4. on the fault scarp

at the Earth's surface, directly above the focus

Why is molten magma rising to the surface at divergent plate boundaries? 1. because it is more dense than the hotter rock around it 2. because it is affected by anti-gravity 3. because it is less dense than the cooler rock surrounding it

because it is less dense than the cooler rock surrounding it

Which of the following timescales seem most appropriate for the completion of a Wilson Cycle? 1. tens of years 2. thousands of years 3. millions of years 4. billions of years

millions of years

Which of the following is a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide? 1. volcanism 2. rust (iron oxide) formation 3. metamorphism 4. silicate weathering

silicate weathering

Normal faults are caused by _________, and reverse faults are caused by _________. 1. compressive forces, tensional forces 2. tensional forces, compressive forces 3. compressional forces, horizontal shearing forces 4. horizontal shearing forces, compressional forces

tensional forces, compressive forces

The oldest portion of the North American continent is: 1. the shield 2. the Phanerozoic orogenic belt 3. the coastal plain 4. the ocean crust

the shield

By the time sediments reach the ocean basins, they have become 1. angular and poorly sorted 2. very coarse grained 3. well rounded and well sorted 4. all of these 5. none of these

well rounded and well sorted

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks where do the oldest rock strata occur? 1. At the top of the sequence 2. At the bottom of the sequence 3. It depends on the depositional environment

At the bottom of the sequence

The following picture illustrates which type of geologic feature, highlighted by the yellow lines? 1. Angular unconformity 2. Disconformity 3. Nonconformity

Angular unconformity

According to the reconstructed history of continental movements, about when did the modern-day Atlantic Ocean first begin to form? 1. About 750 million years ago 2. About 390 million years ago 3. About 150 million years ago 4. About 50 million years ago

About 150 million years ago

What is the approximate amount of elevation change (relief) between the highest (Mt. Everest) and lowest (Marianas Trench) points on the surface of the Earth? 1. About 2 km 2. About 5 km 3. About 20 km 4. About 50 km

About 20 km

Continental crust differs from oceanic crust in which of the following characteristics: 1. Thickness 2. Density 3. Composition 4. All of the above

All of the above

Which kind of plate boundary is associated with Earthquake activity? 1. Divergent Boundary 2. Convergent Boundary 3. Transform-fault Boundary 4. All of the above

All of the above

How do crystal size and foliation change with increasing intensity of Metamorphism? 1. Grain size increases and foliation becomes less coarse. 2. Grain size decreases and foliation becomes coarser. 3. Both grain size and foliation coarseness decrease. 4. Both grain size and foliation coarseness increase.

Both grain size and foliation coarseness increase.

To which class of minerals do calcite and aragonite, the most common minerals that form the rock limestone, belong? 1. Silicates 2. Sulfides 3. Carbonates 4. Oxides

Carbonates

What triggers the mantle melting that occurs beneath mid-ocean ridges? 1. Addition of water 2. Frictional heating 3. Increase in pressure 4. Decrease in pressure

Decrease in pressure

True for false: The image below displays "graded bedding". To generate this sedimentary structure, the velocity of water flow must have increased from bottom to top.

False

True or False: All minerals exhibit cleavage?

False

True or False: Current surface temperatures are the highest they have been in Earth's history. A. True B. False

False

True or False: The igneous rocks that form sills are considered extrusive igneous rocks.

False

Select the principle of relative dating that is most useful in correlating rock strata among widely separated areas (regionally). 1. Superposition 2. Faunal (fossil) succession 3. Cross-cutting relationships 4. Original horizontality

Faunal (fossil) succession