Geology test 1

Which element is the minerals diamond and graphite made of?

carbon

Which best explains why identical Mesosaurus fossils are found on different sides of the Atlantic Ocean?

continental drift

In which layer of Earth does the convection necessary for plate motion occur?

mantle

The Hawaiian Islands are thought to have been formed at a ____________.

mantle plume or hotspot

______________________________ describes the formation of new minerals directly from the elements within existing minerals under conditions of elevated temperature and pressure.

metamorphism

Rocks having same magnetism as the present magnetic field exhibit _______________________________.

normal polarity

What is the definition of the asthenosphere?

Solid, but "plastic" region of the upper mantle

The number of protons in the nucleus, which is characteristic for a particular element, is that element's

atomic number

The formation of a mineral (e.g. calcite) via biologically-induced precipitation is the result of which process?

biomineralization

The age of Earth, as measured by radiometric methods, is approximately

4.6 billion

What property of the crust allowed it to form as the exterior of Earth?

Materials that make up the crust are less dense and rose to the top

If the temperature in the Earth generally increases with depth, how is it possible that the inner core is a solid?

The pressures in the core are immense and keep it in a solid state in spite of the high temperature

Is opal a mineral?

no

Why is there an elevated intraplate earthquake risk for portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois?

site of ancient continental rift

When magma/lava cools and solidifies, minerals form. This is the process of ______________________________

solidification

The age of the Universe is approximately

13.8 billion years

Approximately how old is the oldest oceanic crust?

180,000,000 years

When did geologists develop the theory of plate tectonics?

1960s

What was Marie Tharp's contribution to geology?

She mapped the ocean floor and discovered a huge (rift) valley in the center of the (previously discovered) mid ocean ridge

What was the main reason the Continental Drift hypothesis was rejected?

The scientist who proposed it could not provide a mechanism for the movement of the continents ("the how?")

continental crust

________________ is thick (30 - 75 km), old (up to 4,400,000,000 years), composed of felsic (granitic) silicates, light (~2.7 g/cm3), and is highly deformed by folding.

Which scientist developed the Continental Drift hypothesis?

alfred wegner

The kind of bonding characterized by the sharing of electrons is _____________________________

covalent

The lithosphere is made up of the upper-most mantle and the ____________________________

crust

What are the layers of the Earth in terms of differing chemical composition (outermost to inner-most)

crust, mantle, core

Seafloor spreading occurs along mid ocean ridges and is associated with __________________________________ plate boundaries.

divergent

What provides us with the most information about the interior of the Earth?

earthquake vibratios (sesemic waves)

The Red Sea is an example of:

initial rifting of a continent

The ________________________________ is Earth's strong, rigid outer layer.

lithosphere

Which is the thinnest physical (mechanical) layer of the Earth?

lithosphere

Basaltic rocks contain ___________________ (Fe3O4), an iron-rich mineral influenced by Earth's magnetic field.

magnetite

Ocean floor sediments become ________________________________________ as you move further away from a mid ocean ridge.

older and thicker

The ________ is a layer of liquid nickel and iron believed to be responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field

outer core

The only layer of the Earth that is a liquid is the

outer core

What statement best describes the difference between a rock and a mineral?

rocks are aggregates of minerals

Harry Hess' theory of __________ explained how ocean crust is generated and destroyed

seafloor spreading

__________________ are scratches or gouges cut into bedrock by glacial abrasion.

striations