IDS Ch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
What is the relationship between continent edges and plate boundaries?
Very few plate boundaries follow the edges of continents.
Which type of plate boundary exists between India and Asia today?
a convergent boundary
Which of the following rocks best represents the typical composition of oceanic crust?
basalt (the most common rock type found in the oceanic crust and is the primary reason it is denser then continental crust, the oceanic crust contains an abundance of mafic minerals)
What are shield volcanoes generally made of?
basalt flows
Which of the following is associated with Hawaiian-type eruptions?
basaltic lava flow
Where do most metamorphic rocks form?
between a few and many kilometers beneath Earth's surface
What is the name for an isolated boulder of unexpected rock type that has been transported by a glacier and stranded after the ice melts?
erratic
_____ are shown in the photo above. They are characterized by _____ sedimentary rock layers.
faults, discontinuous
What type of magma erupts out of dome complexes?
felsic magma
What is the name used for steep-sided inlets of the sea created when a glacial valley was flooded as sea level rose?
fjord
Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called ________
ions
Earth's outer layer is composed of seven dominant plates. What is the name of this rigid outer layer?
lithosphere
Assuming that hot spots remain fixed, in which direction was the Pacific Plate moving as the Hawaiian Islands were forming?
northwest
In the list below, indicate in which of the environments fossilization is likely to occur. Note that fossils contain organic matter.
ocean floor swamp flood plain Sedimentary rocks may contain evidence of past life in the form of fossils. Physical remains of ancient organisms, such as bones and shells, or indirect evidence, such as plant imprints or animal tracks, are preserved as fossils only in very specific conditions. Sedimentary rocks are exposed at the surface more than igneous and metamorphic rocks. Since they contain fossils and other clues about the geologic past, sedimentary rocks are important in the study of Earth's history.
What type of volcanoes are the highest?
shield volcanoes
Which type of fault has no vertical motion of rocks associated with it?
strike-slip fault
The collision of the subcontinent of India and Asia started forming the ________ approximately 50 million years ago.
Himalayan mountains
The Himalayan Mountains (marked with a circle on the map) were created by the northward movement of which tectonic plate?
Indo-Australian plate
Which of the following theories about continents and ocean basins is correct?
Oceanic crust is formed at divergent plate boundaries and consumed at convergent plate boundaries.
Where is Crater Lake?
Oregon, USA
Which of the three types of seismic waves travels through rock with the greatest velocity?
P waves
Name two types of body waves.
P waves and S waves
As the distance between the epicenter of an earthquake and a seismograph station increases, so does the difference in the arrival times of the P and S waves. What causes this?
P waves are faster than S waves
What is the range of dome complex height?
500 to 2,000 meters
Below is a list of some of the major terms used for volcanic features, as well as sentences describing them. Match each term with its correct description.
1. A crater is formed on the volcano summit by explosive eruptions and is composed of accumulated volcanic debris. 2. Depletion of the upper part of a magma chamber during a volcanic eruption can result in gravitational collapse of the volcanic summit to form a caldera. 3. A vent is an opening where volcanic materials erupt at the Earth's surface, and can form on the flanks of a larger volcano in the case of a parasitic cone. 4. The pipelike feature through which magma travels upward from an underground magma chamber is called a conduit. 5. A magma chamber results when magma collects or ponds due to its density being higher than that of overlaying materials.
How much material was removed from the volcano?
2.8 cubic kilometers of rock
Which of the placemarks in the Exfoliation Dome folder is the best example of an exfoliation dome?
A Which of these features appears to be the intrusive igneous rock granite?
How are normal polarity and reverse polarity of Earth's magnetic field different?
A compass points toward the North Pole during normal polarity and to the South Pole during reverse polarity.
According to Kazakh tradition, after a successful fox hunt what part of of the animal does the golden eagle get to eat?
According to Kazakh tradition, the golden eagle gets to eat the fox's lungs.
Which of the following mountain ranges are examples of continental arcs?
Andes and Cascades
Which of the following is a requirement for an artesian system to exist?
Aquitards must be present both above and below the aquifer.
What is the difference between a dike and a sill?
Dikes crosscut sedimentary layers; sills pry between horizontal layers.
Three of the following statements about the May, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens are true. Which one is false?
During the eruptive period, the mountain peak was substantially enlarged by new lava flows and pyroclastic debris.
In general, how often do most cinder cones erupt?
Most cinder cones erupt once.
Which ocean is associated with most tsunamis?
Pacific Ocean
Which among the plates listed below is one of the largest plates on the Earth?
Pacific plate
How do mafic volcanic rocks get to Earth's surface?
Pressure from overlying crust forces mantle magmas through cracks to Earth's surface. These magmas erupt out of volcanoes, cool, and solidify into rock.
Which of the following correctly compares the seismograph readings from Station 1 to Station 2, as shown in the video?
Surface waves show smaller amplitude at Station 2.
When viewed from the air, the Bighorn River cuts across the Sheep Mountain anticline. As Sheep Mountain is a topographic high and barrier to streamflow, how was the river able to establish itself and eventually erode through the anticline?
The Ancestral Bighorn River established a course over the landscape while the anticline was still buried at depth.
What does the wobble of Earth's rotation axis tell us?
The core must be denser than the mantle.
Why are shield volcanoes wider than composite volcanoes?
The lava that flows out of shield volcanoes is more fluid than the lava that flows out of composite volcanoes.
During the late Cretaceous, the Bisti Badlands were home to numerous animals including turtles, crocodiles, and even dinosaurs. What type of environment were they living in?
They were living along rivers and deltas on the edge of an inland sea
Why do ships at sea tend not to notice tsunamis?
Tsunamis in deep water have small wave height and long wavelength.
If you found a line of volcanic peaks a few hundred miles long in which the volcanoes were progressively older toward one end of the line, what probably created them?
a hot spot
A terrane is __________.
a mass of rock that formed elsewhere and was added to a continent
Which of these most directly triggered the main eruption?
a massive landslide
The Great Basin located in the western United States is what type of desert?
a middle-latitude desert
Which type of fossil results from burying a shell in sediment and then dissolving the shell with underground water?
a mold
What was the Tethys Sea?
a piece of the Panthalassa Ocean that existed after the Pangaean supercontinent formed
Which of the following accurately describes the Basin and Range region of the western United States?
a region with alternating mountains and basins that have been produced by normal faulting
Which of the choices below is a feature of the oceanic ridge system?
a rift valley
Which of the following are features of a divergent plate boundary? Choose all that apply.
a rift valley an oceanic ridge
What is necessary to create typical Andean-type mountain belts?
a subduction zone
What type of volcano is Mount St. Helens?
composite
What is the classification of igneous rocks based on?
composition and texture Composition is determined by the minerals in the rock and texture relates to the grain size. This is the basis of the classification of igneous rocks
What best describes the movement of P waves?
compression and expansion
Which type of force is responsible for reverse fault formation?
compressional force
Working in the field, you find a rock that contains rounded fragments that are greater than 2 mm in diameter. What would you call this rock?
conglomerate Conglomerate is a detrital sedimentary rock that is characterized by rounded fragments that are larger than 2 mm in diameter
Which region of Earth is composed of abundant amounts of granite?
continental crust
Both of the samples pictured here are examples of the mineral pyrite. The physical property that sets them apart is ________.
crystal habit
Which type of plate boundary is most closely associated with the formation of new ocean floor?
divergent
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
divergent, convergent, transform
Plates move apart at __________ boundaries, move together at __________ boundaries, and move side by side at __________ boundaries.
divergent/convergent/transform
Plates move apart at __________ boundaries, move together at __________ boundaries, and move side-by-side at __________ boundaries.
divergent/convergent/transform
Which of the following are considered triggers for mass-wasting events? Choose all that apply.
earthquakes oversteepening of the slope oversaturation of the material
If an atom has an equal number of electrons and protons, it would be considered ________
electrically neutral
Which environment of deposition is NOT represented by the rocks in Capitol Reef National Park
glacial None of the sedimentary rock layers in Capitol Reef National Park were deposited during a glacial episode
periodic table
protons: atomic number electrons: atomic number neutrons: atomic mass-atomic number atomic mass: bottom number atomic number: top number
Cinder cones are made of________.
pyroclastic deposits
Which type of volcanic hazard results in a very fast-moving cloud of super-heated ash and toxic gases?
pyroclastic flows
The principal mineral used in making glass is:
quartz The mineral quartz is a primary ingredient in the production of glass
The offset of Wallace Creek is caused by __________.
right-lateral movement along the San Andreas strike-slip fault
An aggregate of one or more minerals is called a(n) ________
rock
How do pieces of rock move under the influence of wind?
rolling, sliding, bouncing, suspension
Most igneous rocks are primarily composed of:
silicate minerals Silicate minerals are the most common minerals in Earth's crust and therefore make up the bulk of most igneous rocks, though minerals from many other important groups may also be present.
What is the primary energy source that drives the hydrologic cycle?
the Sun EXPLANATION: The hydrologic cycle is unending circulation of water through the hydrosphere primarily through evaporation and precipitation.
Of the responses provided, which is the predominant source of energy for most external processes that operate on Earth?
the Sun EXPLANATION: The Sun provides the energy that drives all the external processes on Earth
What is strain?
the amount of deformation that results from an applied force
What is discharge a measurement of? Discharge is a measurement of what?
the amount of water flowing in a river
What caused the formation of the Himalayas?
the collision of India with Asia
What is the relationship between the crust and the lithosphere?
the crust is part of the lithosphere
In calculating the location of the epicenter of an earthquake, which of the following factors is most useful?
the difference in arrival time of P and S waves
Which of the following is a feature of a desert environment?
the ephemeral stream
What are rocks below and above a fault called?
the footwall below and the hanging wall above
What is stress?
the force exerted to cause deformation
What is dust?
the particles carried in suspension by wind
What is the cone of depression?
the shape that the water table takes on near a pumping well
What were the names of the two smaller super continents that formed when Pangaea broke apart?
Laurasia and Gondwanaland
Permeable rock strata that allow for the easy flow of groundwater through pores are called an aquifer. Groundwater moves by twisting and turning through small, interconnected openings. The smaller the pore spaces, the slower the groundwater flow. Porosity, the amount of pore spaces in a rock, and permeability, the ability of a material to transmit fluid, are two important concepts in groundwater movement and the formation of aquifers. Most sedimentary rocks, such as cavernous limestone, have a lot more pore spaces than igneous and metamorphic rocks, and in the case of igneous and metamorphic rocks, fractures must be present to provide voids or pores for an aquifer to develop. Porosity alone cannot measure a rock's capacity to yield groundwater, because rocks or sediments may be very porous, yet still not allow water to easily move through them. For example, clay has a high water storage capacity (porous), but its pore spaces are too small to make it a good aquifer. Hence, a rock or material has to have a high level of porosity and permeability to have the likelihood of being a good aquifer.
Low: Granite (igneous rock) with very few to no cracks, Gneiss (metamorphic rock that used to be granite and underwent intense pressure) High: Unconsolidated gravel and sand, Sandstone (sedimentary rock composed of sand grains), Conglomerate (sedimentary rock composed of various sizes of sediment such as pebbles and sand grains)
Which of the following scenarios best describes how the Hawaiian Islands formed in the Pacific Ocean?
Magma generated from a hot spot burned through the overlying plate to create volcanoes.
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
Prior to 30 million years ago, Tibet was a much thinner landmass than it is today.
What causes the rate of lithosphere destruction to be roughly equivalent to the rate of lithosphere creation?
Older and denser oceanic lithosphere is constantly subducting into the mantle at a rate equal to new lithosphere creation at divergent boundaries.
What role does hot ion-rich water play in the process of metamorphism?
Water migrates into host rock carrying ions to stable minerals in order to facilitate growth of new metamorphic minerals Hot ion-rich fluids enhance metamorphism
Which of the following statements by Alfred Wegener led to the ultimate rejection of continental drift as a hypothesis about continental movement?
Wegener suggested that the continents broke through thinner oceanic crust as they migrated over time.
What is a playa commonly occupied by?
an ephemeral lake
Which of the following is a characteristic of a continental volcanic arc along an oceanic-continental subduction zone, such as the western margin of South America? Choose all that apply.
an explosive eruption pyroclastic material such as volcanic ash
What is the largest type of glacier?
an ice sheet
Which of the following increases the viscosity of magma?
an increase in silica content
Which of the following would produce a LOWER water table?
an increase in the amount of discharge to surface water a decrease in the amount of recharge to groundwater
How do glaciers move? Choose all that apply.
by ice mass sliding along the ground by the plastic flow of ice
Over time, mass wasting causes __________
canyons to widen
Which structure represented in the above diagram moves the tectonic plates?
convection cells
Which type of plate boundary is most closely associated with uplifting continental regions and mountain building?
convergent boundaries
Which tectonic boundary is associated with the addition of terranes to a continent?
convergent boundary
What type of plate boundary are most tsunamis associated with?
convergent plate boundaries
A hoodoo with a cap rock of sandstone and shale below is an example of __________
differential weathering
What is a coarse-grained rock composed of intermediate plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene?
diorite Diorite is a coarse-grained rock with intermediate plagioclase feldspar and pyroxene
Which of the following processes of mechanical weathering is most likely responsible for the appearance of Half Dome?
exfoliation Did you notice the parallel shelves of rock breaking off of Half Dome?
The anticline that makes up Sheep Mountain is rather small and restricted in extent. What other local feature might be present that would constrain this fold to a small geographic area?
faults in the basement rock beneath the anticline.
If a well is drilled into an aquifer where the pressure surface is both above the aquifer and the ground, a __________ is formed
flowing artesian wall
Which of the following is an example of a trace fossil?
fossil dung
What is a fault?
fractures along which rocks move
How do we know the actual dimensions of Earth's core and mantle?
from earthquake waves passing through Earth
Which of the following processes is most likely responsible for the broken rocks found in the Cathedral Lake, Colorado image?
frost wedging Did you notice the frozen precipitation that has occurred at this site?
What kind of metamorphic texture results in the segregation of light and dark mineral bands?
gneissic texture This beautiful banding signifies that these rocks have been subjected to intense heat and pressure, and as a result have developed a course foliation
An igneous rock that contains quartz and potassium feldspar would have a mineralogic content placing it in the range of __________
granitic or felsic rocks
Once weathering begins and particles are produced, which factor is most influential in moving them around Earth's surface?
gravity EXPLANATION: Once particles are produced by weathering, gravity is most influential in moving them from one place to another
Velocity and turbulence are _____ at the __________
greatest; outside of a meander
Which of the following surface openings are best represented by the parallel features seen at the Openings for Weathering placemark?
joints The openings shown here have developed as a result of stress and divide the rock mass into numerous blocks
Which of the following might occur after excessive groundwater withdrawal?
land subsidence Excessive groundwater withdrawal will lower the water table.
A flood plain is the flat area around the river extending from its channel to the edge of the wide valley
left to right: point bar scroll bar cut bank floodplain
Complete this statement: Divergence is to moving away as convergence is to _______.
moving toward
What surface feature provides evidence for the location of hot spots?
volcanoes within tectonic plates
Late Paleozoic sedimentary rocks often contain extensive coal seams that were used to support the existence of Pangaea. What would the climate have been at that time and at the location where the coal deposits were formed, and what would it indicate about the continent's past latitude?
warm, humid climate near the equator
The names primary and secondary refer to ___________.
wave speed
All modification of Earth's outer surface is initiated by which of the following processes?
weathering EXPLANATION: Weathering is the process that begins the modification of Earth's outer surface by attacking exposed rocks and breaking them down into smaller particles
When do new oceans form?
when a continent is broken apart by a divergent
When will a cone of depression stop enlarging?
when the amount of water flowing toward the well equals the amount of water being pumped out of the well
When might a well, Well A, go dry?
when the cone of depression of a second well intersects the deepest part of Well A
When will magma rise to Earth's surface?
when the magma is less dense than adjacent rock
When will a hot-spot volcano become extinct?
when the volcano is carried away from the hot spot by the tectonic plate
Which of the following properties would be least useful for identifying a sample of calcite? hardness of 3 on the Mohs scale three planes of cleavage white color reaction to hydrochloric acidty
white color
Most of the erosion that took place during the "Dust Bowl" years of the 1930s in the Great Plains of North America was the result of which of the following processes?
wind
What does the term aeolian mean?
wind-borne origin
Where do most divergent boundaries originate?
within continents
What is the name used for random boulders left behind by a glacier?
erratics
What was Panthalassa?
the single ocean that existed after the Pangaean supercontinent formed
The volcanic islands in the above figure were created as the tectonic plate passed over a hot spot in the mantle. Based on the ages of the volcanic islands, in what direction was the tectonic plate moving toward?
toward the west
Which plate boundary type is not associated with volcanic eruptions?
transform
Which of the following is a characteristic of an S wave?
"shaking" particle motion at right angles to the direction of wave travel
Look at the accompanying map showing the locations of the 15 largest earthquakes in the world since 1900. Imagine an earthquake occurs at location 2 on the map (southern Alaska) that could generate a tsunami. Which of the following statements are most accurate?
- All locations (except 9) could benefit from an alert that an earthquake occurred at location 2, as they are near the ocean and might experience a resultant tsunami. - All islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean should also receive warnings.
mineral groups
1. Ice: a mineral made of oxidized hydrogen. 2. Dinner plate: an item that is solid like a mineral, has definite chemical composition, and shows distinctive physical properties, but is not naturally occurring. 3. Quartz: silicate mineral consisting solely of silicon and oxygen, with silicon-oxygen tetrahedra bonded in a complex three-dimensional network. 4. Glass: an item that is solid like a mineral, has definite chemical composition, and shows distinctive physical properties, but does not have an orderly crystalline structure. 5. Halite: a mineral consisting of a poisonous gas ionically bonded to an extremely reactive metal. 6. Coal: a rock composed of nonmineral matter. 7. Calcite: a mineral in the carbonate family; showing three planes of cleavage and a fizzing reaction to hydrochloric acid. 8. Pyroxene: a silicate mineral which has silicon-oxygen tetrahedra bonded in single-chained formation along with iron or magnesium atoms.
Human impacts on drought Complete the sentences below that describe the relationships between climate change causes and effects.
1. Increased in the rate of evaporation due to climate change can lead to drought. 2. Although there was low precipitation during the 1930s Dust Bowl, it was the farming methods, rather than low precipitation, that caused the extreme drought. 3. Changes in the land, such as deforestation through "slash and burn" practices and wildfires following overgrazing, cause the ground to dry and lead to drought. 4. Decreased rate of precipitation due to climate change can lead to drought. 5. Changes in the land surface, such as more asphalt, can increase heat absorption, which can increase the rate of evaporation.
igneous rock textures
1. Obsidian: glassy texture 2. Granite: course-grained, felsic composition 3. Basalt: fine-grained, mafic composition 4. Pumice: vesicular texture 5. Peridotite: ultramafic composition 6. Rhyolite: fine-grained, felsic composition 7. Diorite: intermediate composition 8. Gabbro: course-grained, mafic composition
A Richter magnitude 8 earthquake is ________ times greater than a Richter magnitude of 7.
10
After three half-lives, ________ of an original, radioactive, parent isotope remains and the rest has decayed into the daughter isotope.
12.5% or one-eighth (1/8) (Start with 100 then continually divide the quotient by 2 until you reach 3 half lives. It starts counting at the first quotient which would be 50%)
How far apart are points A and B in meters? If the fault has been moving at 3.4 cm/yr, how long ago were the two points together?
200 m; 5900 years
What is the range of shield volcano height?
300 to 10,000 meters
Select the Ruler tool and set it to Path. What is the distance along the San Andreas Fault between the two locations in kilometers, and what has been the rate of movement on the fault in cm/yr over the past 23 million years?
310 km; 1.35 cm/yr
Approximately how much more energy is released in an earthquake of Richter magnitude 6.5 than in a magnitude 5.5 earthquake?
32
What is the natural angle of repose for sand?
34 degrees
In the seismograph shown above, what is the estimated time interval between points A and C?
5 minutes
Which of the following is a characteristic of a conglomerate?
A conglomerate is made up of course grains that are poorly sorted
The following photo shows a typical cut bank on the Missouri River (iPhone for scale). Note the steep profile with fine-grained sediments above coarser sands and gravels.
A cut bank is located on the outside of a meander bend. EXPLANATION: Cut banks are located on the outside of meanders and are dominated by erosive processes. Look at the unstable overhanging portion of the bank in both photos. With continued undercutting by the stream during flood stage, this part of the cut bank will eventually collapse and be carried away by the stream.
Which of the following statements is most accurate?
A moving India collided with a stationary Asia about 30 million years ago
In general, what is our best evidence that the orientation of Earth's magnetic field has changed over time?
A record of Earth's magnetic field is recorded in oceanic rocks, which show a clear pattern of changes in Earth's magnetic polarity.
How do we know that the radius of Earth's core has to be at least 3100 km?
A smaller core would require material with an unnatural density.
2012 U.S. drought conditions Study the map below, and determine which statements about the map are true.
About half the states in the continental United States experienced drier-than-normal conditions. If 2012 is a guide, then the center of the country is more prone to dry conditions than most of the coastal areas.
What does a successful hunt with his golden eagle mean for 16-year-old Berik?
After a successful hunt with his golden eagle, 16-year-old Berik is considered to be a Kazakh hunter and a man of his people.
In the early part of the twentieth century, ________ argued forcefully for the idea of continental drift.
Alfred Wegener
What is the relationship between the crust and the lithosphere?
All of the crust is contained within a larger layer called the lithosphere.
Look again at the map. An earthquake at which of the following locations could cause a tsunami?
All of the locations except 9 could produce tsunamis, because all are subduction zones involving at least one oceanic plate.
How was the fossil record of ancient life used to support Wegener's hypothesis about Pangaea?
Fossils of identical organisms were found on several continents, indicating the continents were once joined.
Which of the following statements characterize the activity of glaciers and their impact on the landscape?
All of the responses are valid Glacial activity can change the position of sea level relative to present conditions. Glaciers are capable of oversteepening slopes. Glaciers can impact the hydrologic cycle. Glaciers are capable of moving large amounts of sediment.
Describe basic flood-control strategies
Artificial levees are earthen mounds built on the banks of a river to increase the volume of water the channel can hold. Channelization involves altering a stream channel to speed the flow of water to prevent it from reaching flood height. Flood-control dams are built to store floodwater and then let it out slowly.
What causes an earthquake such as the one that occurred in San Francisco in 1906?
As plates move, stress builds up at the boundary. When the boundary eventually snaps, energy is released as an earthquake.
How did the Mississippi River delta form?
As the Mississippi River enters the Gulf of Mexico, its velocity decreases and it begins to drop its sediment load
During the last glacial maximum, the position of sea level occurred at what elevation relative to its position today?
At the last glacial maximum, sea level was about 100 meters (~300 feet) lower than it is today.
Why are the dikes and sills so easily distinguished in Sinbad Country?
Basalt and the hardened, baked zones are more resistant to erosion than the sedimentary rocks.
What are composite volcanoes made of?
Basalt flows Pyroclastic deposits
Why do the Kazakhs of the Altai Mountains use golden eagles to assist with hunting?
Because golden eagles have superior eyesight, the Kazakhs use them for hunting animals in the remote and barren Altai Mountains.
Which of the following responses best describes why the lithospheric plates are able to move around on the surface of Earth?
Because the asthenosphere is composed of weak, hot, and dense rock, the cold, rigid, less dense lithospheric plates are capable of moving on it.
Where do body waves and surface waves travel?
Body waves travel within Earth and surface waves travel along Earth's surface.
What do freeze-thaw and salt weathering have in common?
Both freeze-thaw and salt weathering require rain and force rocks apart physically
Imagine two rocks. Under enough stress, rock A will experience plastic strain, whereas rock B will experience brittle strain. Which of the following statements about rocks A and B is true?
Both rock A and rock B will experience elastic strain before plastic or brittle strain sets in.
What do vertical and horizontal surface waves have in common?
Both waves travel along Earth's surface and decrease in amplitude with depth below the surface.
Which of the following scenarios best describes the deformation that will occur in different parts of the crust?
Brittle deformation is dominant in the shallow crust; ductile deformation is dominant in the deep crust.
Areas of a glacier section are shown in the block diagram below. Characterize the style and velocity of ice movement at the indicated areas of this glacier. When answering this question, you should consider how pressure influences the brittle or plastic nature of ice, and how friction with bedrock affects ice movement.
Brittle ice is toward the top, and the ice moves slower closer to the sides and faster the further away Plastic ice is on the bottom and same thing. slower on the sides and faster in the center
How do calderas form?
Calderas form when the summit of a volcano collapses.
On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit with a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. Which tectonic plate is nearest Haiti (marked with a star on the map)?
Caribbean plate
Which of the following are types of volcanoes?
Cinder cone Shield volcano Composite volcano
Why are garnets used in sandpaper?
Garnets have a value of 8 or 9 on the Mohs Hardness Scale, making them very abrasive
Which of the following statements best describes Wegener's idea of continental drift?
Continents were formerly in different positions on the Earth and have shifted to their present locations over time.
Which of the following statements about the global water supply is true?
Decreased precipitation could impact water supply available for humans. EXPLANATION: Groundwater, lake and river levels all depend on precipitation in the area Review the proportions of water found in different locations. Think of what type of water is drinkable and easily accessible to humans
Earth's surface is subjected to unusually high rates of weathering. The Moon and some of the inner planets of our solar system are also subject to surface weathering, but at much slower rates. Which of the following statements most reasonably explains Earth's uniquely rapid weathering rates?
Earth has running water at the surface Water, in combination with an atmosphere, can lead to very rapid weathering of surface rocks
What would happen to Earth if ocean floor were created at divergent boundaries at a faster rate than it is destroyed at convergent boundaries?
Earth would increase in volume.
Where is the heat that activates the convection cells generated?
Earth's core
In general, why does Earth's crust sit on top of the mantle?
Earth's crust is less dense than the mantle.
Which two observations help constrain the dimensions of Earth's core and mantle?
Earth's density and the wobble of Earth's rotation axis
Which of the following statements about Earth's magnetic field is most accurate?
Earth's magnetic field switches polarity at irregular time intervals.
Why does groundwater discharge to Earth's surface?
Earth's surface is irregular, and permeability decreases with depth within Earth
Which of the following statements about earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.0 is correct?
Earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.0 occur in a pattern than correlates closely with plate boundaries.
Which of the following statements characterizes ephemeral streams?
Ephemeral streams flow only at certain times of the year.
Which of the following statements regarding weathering and erosion is NOT true?
Erosion and weathering have the same definition and can be used interchangeably EXPLANATION TO THE ANSWER: The terms weathering and erosion are not the same. Weathering breaks down rock and erosion carries grains away
Which of the following statements is true about erosion?
Erosion varies from place to place
What has caused the hypoxic "dead zone" to form off the coast of the Gulf states?
Fertilizers promote the growth of algae. When they die and decompose, oxygen is depleted in the Gulf of Mexico
Why isn't the Precambrian more finely divided into sub-divisions like periods and epochs?
Fewer and less diverse fossils exist in Precambrian rocks.
How do regional floods and flash floods differ? How are regional floods different from flash floods?
Flash floods are more limited in geographical extent than regional floods. Flash floods generally cause more loss of human life. In contrast with regional floods that can usually be predicted, flash floods occur so suddenly that they cannot be predicted.
In general, what are the Himalayan mountains composed of?
Folded and faulted rock
In order to carve out valleys, glaciers have to be strong enough to drag rocks and boulders down the mountainside, but what else has to happen for glaciers to create glacial valleys?
Glaciers have to be soft enough to move, and it is this movement that drags the rocks and boulders responsible for carving Earth's surface.
Why glass is not considered a mineral?
Glass has a disorderly atomic structure
Which of the following is evidence of continental drift? Choose all that apply.
Glossopteris fossils have been found on Antarctica and Australia. Coal deposits have been found in North America. Matching rock units are found in Brazil and Africa.
Which supercontinent contained Africa and South America?
Gondwanaland
How does gypsum form?
Gypsum forms from evaporation of shallow seas by a chemical process
How are felsic magmas formed?
Heat from the mantle melts part of the lower crust.
Which of the following provides the best explanation for the abundance of desert areas in the low latitudes?
High-pressure systems in these regions prevent the formation of clouds that could carry water.
The map in Figure 2 is a cross-section of the North American continent 600 million years ago and after the break-up of Pangaea approximately 200 million years ago. Which material(s) had been accreted to North America as terranes?
Iapetus Ocean Island Arc and sediments, the Avalon Terrane, and a remnant of Africa
How do we know that the radius of Earth's mantle has to be at least 1771 km?
If the mantle were smaller, the rock making up the mantle would have a density that is too low.
If previous eruptions had left Mount St. Helens with a different shape, what differences might have influenced the timing of the eruption?
If the northern slopes had been less steep initially (same height), the eruption would likely have happened later. If the volcano had been significantly shorter initially (same steepness), the eruption would likely have happened sooner.
Although both caused by climate change, temperature and precipitation changes are separate effects of a changing climate. Note that the focus here is precipitation. Sort the following impacts based on whether they are expected in wet or dry climates or are a feature of other effects related to climate change.
Impacts due to lower precipitation: decreased crop yields increased risk of forest fire Impacts due to higher precipitation: increased avalanche damage increase potential for landslides Impacts due to other effects of climate change: better farming at high latitudes increased risk of heat stroke
Why does the wave height of a tsunami increase as the tsunami enters shallow water?
In shallow water, the energy of the tsunami must be contained within a smaller water column.
The figure shows a 5-centimeter long rock consisting of black and white sand-sized grains. Examine the rock sample here. Did it form at the surface or below the surface, and how do you know?
It formed below the surface, because of its texture (grain size)
Double-click the Fault Trace placemark. Which of the following statements about the San Andreas Fault is correct?
It is a right-lateral strike-slip fault caused by shear stress.
What makes Erta Ale so unique among other active volcanoes in the world?
It is one of only a few volcanoes that have permanent lakes of molten lava in their craters.
Which of the following pairs of countries is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire?
Japan and the United States
Based on what you learned in the video, which of the following statements regarding joints is true?
Joints are fractures in rocks where very little to no movement has occurred.
Traditionally, Kazakh hunters pair up with their golden eagles for how many years before they are set free?
Kazakh hunters pair up with their golden eagles for approximately seven years.
Which of Hawaii's five volcanoes are still considered to be active?
Kilauea Mauna Loa
How do rocks differ from minerals?
Minerals aggregate to form rocks, but rocks do not aggregate to form minerals
Which of the following statements about tectonic plates is true?
Most tectonic plates contain both oceanic and continental lithosphere.
How do glaciers carve out valleys?
Moving glaciers engulf large boulders and rocks, which act as tools that scrape and chip away at solid rock.
There had been many earthquakes in the area prior to this eruption. Why did this last earthquake trigger a massive landslide?
Moving magma had over-steepened the mountain slopes.
Which of the following volcanoes is associated with the Ring of Fire?
Mt. Pinatubo
If you were traveling in a straight line, between which of these cities would you experience the least elevation change during the length of the entire journey?
New Orleans and Winnipeg (Manitoba)
Could metamorphic rocks reach the surface of a planet without rock-uplifting processes?
No, metamorphic rocks must be uplifted and exposed by erosion
Do fracture zones near transform boundaries play a role in plate motion?
No; fracture zones play no role in plate motion.
Continental rifting formed which of the following?
North Atlantic Ocean
Where are the headwaters of the Mississippi River?
Northern Minnesota begins to trickle out of Lake Itasca
Rank the following sources of water from largest to smallest in terms of percentage of the world's total supply.
Oceans Glaciers Groundwater Non-glacial ice and snow Lakes Rivers
Which of the below statements accurately describes the components of an atom?
Protons, which have a positive charge, and neutrons, which have no charge, occupy the nucleus. Negatively charged electrons orbit the nucleus in shells
Precipitation between 30-60 inches and a subtropical climate that is wet all year round are prerequisites for a long growing season. Which of these states are likely to have a longer growing season than other states?
South Carolina
limiting and promoting weathering
Review When a rock undergoes weathering, it breaks into smaller fragments. The two types of weathering are chemical and mechanical weathering. Biological beings play a major role in the breakdown of rocks through both physical (mechanical) and chemical means. Biological activities (through humans, plants, and animals) therefore can either promote or limit physical and chemical weathering. Activities that remove vegetation, such as grazing and forest fires, can expose the surface rock to various weathering processes and hence promote the breakdown of rocks. Contrarily, activities that increase vegation, such as tree planting, will limit weathering processes since the vegetation serves as a shield to the rocks and soil underneath. Plant roots in search of nutrients grow into fractures in rocks, which could facilitate rock breakdown. Acidic deposits from some organisms, such as lichens, could also facilitate chemical breakdown of rocks.
Which of the following examples best illustrates the effects of ductile deformation?
Rocks along a convergent plate boundary are subjected to compressive force for millions of years and are permanently folded.
How does rock within Earth change as S waves pass?
Rocks within Earth are displaced up and down as S waves pass.
How do rocks within Earth change as P waves pass?
Rocks within Earth both expand and contract as P waves pass.
Which of the following types of seismic body waves travels only through solids?
S waves
How are S waves and vertical surface waves different?
S waves are body waves, while vertical surface waves are surface waves. The amplitude of S waves does not decrease with depth, while the amplitude of vertical surface waves does decrease with depth.
Three of the following statements are wrong. One is correct. Which of the following statements is correct?
S waves travel through solids, but only P waves travel through liquids.
What does saltating mean?
Sand grains are lifted by the wind, leap a short distance, and then fall back to the ground.
Which of the following best describes how scientists help the public prepare for an earthquake event?
Scientists cannot predict when exactly an earthquake will occur, but they can identify tectonically active areas that are likely to produce earthquake activity and let the public know they are in an earthquake-prone area.
What were two aspects of Wegener's continental drift hypothesis that were objectionable to most Earth scientists?
Scientists objected to the driving force behind plate tectonics, which Wegener claimed to be the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon, and his claim that continents traveled by plowing through oceanic crust.
What information do geologists use to classify volcanoes?
Shape and type of deposits
Why are sills only located fairly close to the Earth's surface?
Sills form as magma intrudes with enough force to overcome the weight of the rocks above.
What does the volcano's name, Erta Ale, mean in the local Afar language?
Smoking Mountain
Which of the following happened first? The mountains of Southern Asia and Europe begin to form. The Appalachian Mountains begin to form. The formation of Pangaea. The North Atlantic Ocean begins to form.
The Appalachian Mountains begin to form.
Which of the following correctly states the role of rivers and mass wasting in the formation of the Grand Canyon?
The Colorado River erodes downward, then mass-wasting processes move material from high to low areas, then the Colorado River transports material downstream. EXPLANATION: First think about the effects of stream action and mass wasting separately. Then imagine how these processes work together.
Which of the following statements is the best explanation for the occurrence of the Great Basin Desert in the western United States?
The Great Basin Desert exists because it is a rain shadow desert.
Why are the sedimentary layers at Capitol Reef tilted?
The Laramide Orogeny is responsible for tipping the strata on their sides
In the video, the narrator compares the grinding of surface rocks by the Nigardsbreen Glacier to what?
The advancing and retreating motion of the Nigardsbreen Glacier has been grinding down surface rocks like an enormous piece of sandpaper.
*snowline info* Drag the appropriate items into their respective bins.
The climate is warming: The zone of wastage is growing The elevation of the snowline increases The climate is cooling: The zone of accumulation is growing The climate is stable: The snowline remains at the same position
When matching up once-joined continents such as South America and Africa, the coastlines do not fit together as nicely as the continental shelves. Why might this be the case?
The continental shelves are the edges of the continent. The shoreline simply shows where the sea level is in relation to topography.
What is the relationship between the crust and lithosphere?
The crust is part of the lithosphere.
What gives the lake adjacent to the Nigardsbreen Glacier its deep blue color?
The deep blue color is the result of minerals found in dust that has washed into the lake.
If a stream flows over a layer of resistant rock that serves as a temporary base level, what will occur as the stream adjusts to the true base level?
The distance between the resistant rock and the headwaters will decrease through time, as resistant rock is eventually eroded. EXPLANATION: Erosion starts at the mouth of a stream, where the rock is weaker, and migrates upstream until the stream reaches a balance with the base level, which is the downward limit of stream erosion.
Define mass wasting
The downslope movement of sediment and rock under the direct influence of gravity EXPLANATION: Mudflows, rock avalanches, and debris flows are all mass-wasting events
In general, which of the statements below best describe what happens in terms of composition as crystallization proceeds down the Bowen's reaction series (shown in the figure)?
The early-formed silicates are enriched in iron and magnesium, resulting in such rocks as peridotite and basalt. As crystallization proceeds, the later-formed silicates are enriched in sodium, potassium, and silicon, resulting in andesite and granite.
What would happen to Earth if ocean floor were created at divergent boundaries at a faster rate than it is destroyed at convergent boundaries?
The earth would increase in volume
In addition to rock deposits, what evidence do we have that the eruption that preceded the formation of Crater Lake was very large?
The eruption was so large that the magma chamber under Crater Lake partially emptied, causing the volcano to become unstable and collapse.
What is salt weathering?
The formation of minerals in rock cracks during the evaporation of salty water, forcing rock apart
Which of the following occurred about 21,000 years ago?
The formation of the ice age glaciers.
By what process did the gabbro turn into amphibolite?
The gabbro was heated to 500 °C and buried a few miles below the Earth's surface Heat and pressure are key components to the metamorphic process
Why is it difficult to reconstruct the glacial episodes of the Pleistocene Ice Age from the glacial record on land?
The glacial record on land is punctuated by many erosional gaps.
What role do transform boundaries play?
Transform boundaries connect other segments of plate boundaries.
What is the relationship between transform boundaries and mid-ocean ridges?
Transform boundaries connect segments of mid-ocean ridges.
What type of rocks would you expect to find in a playa lake depositional environment?
evaporites and claystone
Which of the following accurately describes the motion of lava in Erta Ale's crater?
The lava wells up on one side of the crater and forms a dark crust. As the crust cools, it flows across the lake driven by the churning lava below. Once it flows across the lake, the crust sinks down and the process begins again.
Approximately how long did it take for the magma that fed each dike in Sinbad Country to be injected?
The magma was injected in a matter of hours to days.
Which of the following responses best describes the epicenter of an earthquake?
The point on Earth's surface directly above the focus of an earthquake.
What causes streams that emerge from glaciers to be milk-colored?
The presence of finely ground sediment called rock flour in the meltwater.
Which of the following statements provides the best description of the chemical weathering seen in the Newspaper Rock photo?
The rock face has desert varnish.
What happens when stress exceeds a plastic rock's yield strength?
The rock will experience flow
What happens when stress exceeds a brittle rock's yield strength?
The rock will experience fracture
Which of these descriptions best fits the climate of North America?
The southeastern portion of North America is moist all year round with a subtropical climate.
Which of the following is the best example of biological weathering evident in the Lassen NP image?
The trees that are wedging their roots into joints in the rocks. EXPLANATION FOR ANSWER: Biological weathering requires a living organism.
Why does Crater Lake have an island in it?
The volcano is still active, and a new volcanic peak has formed.
Which of the following is not an example of biological weathering evident in the Snake River image?
The water interacting with the minerals in the rock. EXPLANATION FOR ANSWER: Is hydrolysis a process of biological weathering? NO
How does the water table change around a pumping water well?
The water table elevation decreases
How would the water table be affected if Earth were made up of uniform, permeable material?
The water table would not exist.
When desert pavement is produced in a desert, why do the larger particles accumulate on the surface?
The wind can move particles of only a very specific size and it takes away these small particles, concentrating the larger ones.
Imagine two rocks. Rock A is weaker than rock B. Which of the following statements about rocks A and B is true?
The yield strength of rock A is lower than that of rock B.
What happens during the retreat of a glacier? Choose all that apply.
The zone of wastage decreases. The ice within the glacier flows forward.
What observations would contradict the hypothesis that desert pavement forms through deflation? Choose all that apply.
There are few or no pebbles found in the sediment beneath the desert pavement. Windblown silt can accumulate and infiltrate through the pebbles.
The Afar region is one of the most environmentally challenging areas on the planet. The geopolitics of Afar are equally challenging. Why?
There are many bandits in the region, who contribute to the instability and danger of the region.
After World War II, what was discovered about the ocean floor?
There is no oceanic crust older than 180 million years old.
Why don't the baked zones along the edges of the dikes and sills show evidence of metamorphism?
They weren't under enough pressure and didn't remain hot for a long enough period of time.
Will Sumatra experience another tsunami like the destructive one of December 2004?
This is likely, because Sumatra is near many ocean trenches.
What shape is a glacial trough?
U-shaped
What are the differences between laminar flow and turbulent flow? PLEASE SELECT ALL THAT APPLY.
Unlike a laminar glow, a turbulent flow erodes by lifting sediment from the streambed. A laminar flow moves in nearly straight-line paths parallel to the stream channel, whereas a turbulent flow moves in an erratic fashion with horizontal and vertical swirling motions
How does the use of water by humans affect the water table?
Use of water by humans increases discharge, resulting in lowered water tables
Where do valleys tend to form in a landscape?
Valleys form where rock layers are easily erodible (soft).
In the desert environment, how are ventifacts created?
Ventifacts are produced on the surface of a rock by the continued impact of very small particles carried by the wind.
Why does water frozen in the cracks of a rock help to break down the rock?
Water expands when frozen and physically forces the rock apart
Which of the following statements about deserts is true?
Water is the most significant agent of erosion in deserts.
What causes a crevasse to form?
When ice flows around a bend or over an obstacle, it is stretched and torn, causing large cracks to form.
Did any subduction occur during the collision of India and Asia?
Yes; ocean basin between these two continents subducted under Asia.
You are working in a field area that you think at one time contained valley glaciers. What evidence would you look for to determine this?
You would look for rounded, U-shaped valleys.
Using the map in Figure 1, determine which of the named terranes accreted earliest to North America.
Yukon-Tanana
From the following choices, identify those that describe the zone of erosion, the zone of transportation, and the zone of deposition within a stream
Zone of erosion: headwaters, mountains, steep gradient, big boulders on the bed, small channel size, small volume of water Zone of transportation: trunk stream, moderate volume, moderate channel size, meander Zone of deposition: mouth, large volume of water, gentle slope, large channel size EXPLANATION: You have correctly identified which characteristics go with the zone of erosion (the headwaters), the zone of transportation (the main trunk of a stream), and the zone of deposition (the mouth)
When alluvial fans enlarge and coalesce in the desert environment in the Basin and Range region, what feature do they form?
a bajada
What kind of aquifer might produce a flowing artesian well?
a confined aquifer EXPLANATION: Water is able to flow from an artesian well when the well extends below the groundwater pressure surface of the groundwater trapped underground.
The distinctive lava flow pattern in Erta Ale's crater is important because it is similar to the processes occurring deep inside the earth. The repetitive process whereby magma rises from the mantle, cools and solidifies, and then sinks and liquefies is called __________.
a convection current
If you found a line of volcanic peaks a few hundred miles long in which the volcanoes were of mixed ages in no particular order, what probably created them?
a convergent boundary
The bend in the stone walls in the town of Hollister, California are a result of __________.
a fault creep along the Calaveras Fault
What is a volcanic arc?
a row of volcanoes that forms on the overriding plate near a subduction zone
What is a tsunami?
a series of water waves that travel away from a fault in all directions at high speed
What surface feature would you expect to form if both a hot spot and a tectonic plate are stationary?
a single volcano
What was Pangaea?
a supercontinent that began to break apart about 200 million years ago
What is the name of the process by which terranes are added to continents?
accretion
What is the term for the boundary between a layer of sedimentary rocks overlying folded sedimentary layers?
an angular conformity
How often does the Earth's magnetic field switch polarity?
every 100,000 to several million years
A(n) __________ is a cone-shaped deposit of sediment that is deposited when a stream exits the mouth of a canyon.
alluvial fan
In general, when will melted rock in the mantle rise?
almost always
Where is the youngest ocean floor found?
along the crest of mid-ocean ridges
A geologist sends you a sample that was collected in the field. You find that it is a gray-colored igneous rock containing amphibole and intermediate plagioclase feldspar. Using Bowen's Reaction Series as a guide, how would you describe its composition?
andesitic Amphibole and intermediate plagioclase feldspar occur in the andesitic temperature regime
Compared with the amount of ice that existed during the last glacial maximum, how much exists today?
approximately 1/3 as much
As shown by the South Dakota example, artesian systems __________
are able to transmit water great distances from recharge to discharge areas
Where are tectonic plates located?
at Earth's surface
Where are most modern divergent plate boundaries found?
at mid-ocean ridges
Minerals must be solid, have an orderly atomic structure, have a recognized chemical composition, be naturally occurring, and __________
be generally inorganic in origin
Among the following radioactive parent isotopes, which has the shortest half-life?
carbon-14
________ is formed when carbon dioxide dissolves in rainwater, and this mildly reactive substance aids chemical weathering
carbonic acid
What preservation process often fossilizes leaves?
carbonization
The geologic laboratory where you work received a sample for analysis that is composed of calcite that includes many microscopic fossils of marine organisms and reacts with acid. What name would identify this rock?
chalk
The skeletal remains of plankton make up the sedimentary rock ________
chalk
Rock salt and rock gypsum are examples of ________ sedimentary rocks
chemical chemical sedimentary rocks called evaporites
ionic bond
chemical bond between two oppositely charged ions formed by the transfer of valence electrons from one atom to the other one atom gives up one or more valence electrons to another atom to form ions
covalent bond
chemical bond produced by the sharing of electrons chemical bond formed by the sharing of one or more valance electrons between a pair of atoms
Which two minerals are most common in detrital sedimentary rocks? quartz and muscovite muscovite and biotite clay minerals and quartz olivine and pyroxene amphibole and quartz
clay minerals and quartz Clay minerals are the resistant by-product of chemical weathering and quartz is the most resistant common mineral in Earth's crust. They are common in detrital sedimentary rocks.
What is the name used for cracks in the upper portion of a glacier?
crevasses
Water erodes the outside of a river bend to form a __________
cut bank
What causes melting of material under divergent plate boundaries?
decompression of rock
If the velocity of a stream decreases, competence __________ and sediment is _____
decreases; deposits
Below is a photo from the meandering channels at Missouri Headwaters State Park, in southwest Montana. At this location, the Missouri River is formed at the confluence of the Gallatin, Madison, and Jefferson Rivers. This river flows 2,341 miles before joining the Mississippi River, and is considered the longest river in the United States Different processes influence the lateral migration of a meandering channel in its valley. Erosion, transport, and deposition all play significant roles in shaping a river through time. Focus on the locations in the channel where velocity is fast and slow, where along the channel erosion and deposition is occurring, and which direction the channel will migrate through time
erosion faster water velocity <<<<---------- slower water velocity deposition EXPLANATION: You can see the steep eroded cut bank on the left side of the photo and the gently-sloping point bar on the right. The velocity of the water is faster along the cut bank, leading to erosion of this feature. The opposite is true for the point bar. As erosion and deposition continue through time, this meandering channel will migrate toward the left.
Which one of the following is an evaporite mineral?
gypsum
The resistance of a mineral to scratching or abrasion is known as ________
hardness
Amongst all seismic waves, surface waves __________.
have the slowest velocity
What is the name used for pyramid-like peaks sculpted by valley glaciers?
horns
What is a mantle plume?
hot mantle rock rising from deep within the Earth Structures that originate at great depth and, upon reaching the crust, spread laterally, creating a localized volcanic zone called a hot spot. A mantle plume is a source of some intraplate basaltic magma
Which phenomenon can explain the presence of volcanoes in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?
hot spots
Which of the following is a mineral? Plastic Charcoal Granite Water Ice
ice Ice meets the five requirements to classify a material as a mineral
Where is the focal point of a glacier's growth?
in a cirque
Where is the largest liquid freshwater reservoir in the hydrosphere?
in groundwater EXPLANATION: All of the water on Earth is part of the hydrosphere, but it is separated into several different reservoirs based on location.
Where is continental rifting currently taking place?
in the East African Rift Valley
Where within streams are pebbles transported by currents?
in the bed load EXPLANATIONS: Streams transport several different types of sediment loads based on the size of the sediment. Streams transport their load of sediment in three ways: (1) in solution (dissolved load), (2) in suspension (suspended load), and (3) by sliding, skipping, or rolling along the bottom (bed load).
Which of the following is the primary step that allows water to enter the groundwater system?
infiltration EXPLANATION: Water infiltrates through the soil into the groundwater system
An isolated, heavily eroded hill or mountain that rises abruptly from a plain is a(n) __________.
inselberg
What element is principally responsible for making olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, and biotite dark?
iron Iron is common in mafic rocks and minerals; in fact, "mafic" refers to the high iron and magnesium content of these materials
Which materials in Hawaii's lava help to keep it fluid for longer at the surface (as opposed to cooling and solidifying quickly), thus allowing extensive lava flows to develop?
iron magnesium
The water table _______.
is at the surface in swamps EXPLANATION: The water table is the upper limit of the saturated zone.
All of the following criteria define a mineral except: It is inorganic. It is organic. It is naturally occurring. It has an orderly internal structure. It has a well-defined chemical composition
it is organic For any substance to be considered a mineral, it must be inorganic
What is the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock in Earth's crust?
limestone Limestone is composed of calcite and is the most abundant chemical sedimentary rock in Earth's crust.
Which of the following statements is true?
low gradient is associated with deposition EXPLANATION: Deposition occurs at the mouth of a stream, the place with the lowest gradient
Which layer of Earth possesses the greatest thickness?
mantle (contains 82% of the Earth's volume)
metamorphic rock types
marble: nonfoliated rock with large calcite crystals breccia: coarse-grained rock with large angular particles cemented with mud tuff: pyroclastic rock with particles less than 4 mm in diameter granite: coarse-grained rock containing plagioclase, quartz, potassium feldspar, and hornblende coquina: biochemical rock comprising shells made from calcite gneiss: foliated rock exhibiting banding
Which two rock types would you expect to see sitting next to each other after a very long period characterized by only uplift and erosion?
metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
Which geologic features are associated with divergent boundaries?
mid-ocean ridges and continental rift valleys
Regardless of their size, most rocks are made up of __________
minerals All rocks are an assemblage of mineral crystals
A scientist creates diamonds using high-pressure laboratory experiments. These diamonds are not considered minerals because which of the following requirements has been violated?
minerals must occur naturally
A __________ is located where the pressure surface is above the aquifer, but below the ground.
nonflowing artesian wall
Which of the following methods of flood control is the cheapest and most effective?
nonstructural floodplain management EXPLANATION: Of the various strategies developed to lessen the catastrophic impact of floods, artificial alterations of the landscape are costly and usually cannot withstand extreme flooding.
Which type of faulting is associated with the development of new ocean floor?
normal faulting
A series of synclines and anticlines is oriented with the hinge lines of the folds trending east-west. From which directions did the force come to create these folds?
north-south
Which of the following sketches best represents the longitudinal profile of the slope of a streambed?
slope decreases downstream
Which of the following deserts is not considered a low-latitude or subtropical desert?
the Patagonian Desert
Which geologic features are associated with convergent boundaries?
ocean trenches and volcanoes
Which of the following silicate minerals forms from single tetrahedra?
olivine
Where would you expect to see alternating bands of rock with different magnetic polarities?
on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge
The magnetic field of Earth is thought to originate in which of the following layers?
outer core
Which of the following processes would best explain the green patina seen on the Statue of Liberty?
oxidation
Which of the following elements has the most valence electrons in its outermost shell?
oxygen
What are the eight most common elements found in Earth's crust, listed from most common to least common (by percent)?
oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium
The scientific study of fossils is called ________.
paleontology
A __________ is formed when vertical incision by a stream is the primary process, with relatively minimal mass wasting.
slot canyon EXPLANATION: Think about the Virgin River of Zion National Park, and the sandstone it cuts to produce this feature
What type of plate interaction produces the San Andreas Fault?
plates sliding past one another
Basalt is an igneous rock that can be identified by its small crystals. What are they composed of?
pyroxene and calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar Basalt is a mafic fine-grained igneous rock that contains pyroxene and calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar
Basaltic igneous rocks contain which of the following minerals:
pyroxene and calcium-rich plagioclase feldspar Pyroxene and calcium-rich plagioclase feldspars reflect a basaltic composition
Which of the following substances is a mineral? granite pearl amber petroleum quartz
quartz Quartz is a naturally occurring inorganic compound with an orderly internal structure and a chemical composition of SiO2
Most igneous rocks can be dated directly by ________ methods.
radiometric
Which one of the following is NOT an example of a mechanical weathering process?
reactions that occur when rain mixes with carbon dioxide to form carbonic acid EXPLANATION TO THE ANSWER: The formation of acid promotes chemical weathering
Most modern glaciers are __________.
retreating
Which of the following is an example of how rocks will respond to compressional stress? (Note: there may be more than one correct answer.)
reverse faulting, folding
What is a fine-grained igneous rock composed primarily of very small crystals of potassium feldspar and a few large crystals of quartz?
rhyolite porphyry This rock is of a felsic (rhyolitic) composition with a porphyritic texture
Which of the following results from a mantle plume as the source of the lava? Choose all that apply.
the Deccan Plateau (a flood basalt) Kilauea (a shield volcano)
Which mountain belt lies to the north of India?
the Himalayas
Other than the landforms you learned about in the video, what is another landform present in the Basin and Range Province?
sand dunes
Mud cracks and ripple marks are common features of
sedimentary rocks
Which of the following motions best describes the movement of S waves as they travel through rocks following the release of energy during an earthquake?
shaking particles at right angles to the direction of travel
What rock type is the easiest for a river to cut through?
shale
Which type of force is responsible for normal strike-slip formation?
shear force
The most common group of minerals in Earth's crust are the ________
silicates oxygen and silicon are by far the most common elements in Earth's crust. Furthermore, these two elements readily combine to form the basic "building block" for the most common mineral group, the silicates
Which of the choices below is an erosional karst feature?
sinkhole EXPLANATIONS: A sinkhole forms from the slow dissolution of underground bedrock or from the collapse of an underground cavern Groundwater dissolves rocks and then precipitates minerals and rock formations.
What property of a piece of material will most directly determine how it is carried by wind?
size
Which one of the following is a metamorphic rock? slate rhyolite limestone quartz
slate
The reason we see so much mud and sand along the shore of the land is that clay minerals and quartz are ________ at Earth's surface
stable
What evidence supports that the glaciers on the southern continents were once part of a single, massive ice sheet?
striations
Transform boundaries are classified under what type of fault?
strike-slip
Alfred Wegener included all of the following lines of evidence as supporting his "continental drift" hypothesis except one. Which was NOT part of Wegener's evidence?
stripes of reverse magnetism on either side of oceanic rides
Which of the following processes resulted in the deformation of sedimentary units in the American West during the Jurassic Period?
subduction of the Farallon plate beneath the North American plate
What do we call seismic waves that are transmitted along the outside of Earth?
surface waves
Which type of seismic waves generally cause the most structural damage as they travel through Earth?
surface waves
What are the two primary types of waves generated by earthquakes?
surface waves and body waves
Which of the following has the single most immediate effect on lava's ability to solidify?
temperature
Which tectonic stress will result in a lengthening of the crust?
tension
Which type of force is responsible for normal fault formation?
tensional force
Which glacial feature indicates the maximum extent of a glacier?
terminal end moraine
Which of the following can wind transport across large areas?
the suspended load
What is the water table?
the top of the saturated zone beneath Earth's surface
Why didn't India subduct under Asia?
the two continents have similar densities
Which of the following images best describes how a rock in the deep crust would be deformed as a result of shear stress?
they distort but don't fracture
In addition to a travel-time graph, at least how many seismograph stations are needed to determine the location of the epicenter of an earthquake?
three
How are tsunamis generated?
through displacement of the seafloor under water
Part B Part complete How do metamorphic rocks reach Earth's surface?
through removal of overlying rocks
Which glacier deposit are drumlins mainly composed of?
till
Would NOT be found at a divergent boundary
volcanoes producing andesitic lavas thrusts faults
What are index fossils used for?
to match rock layers of the same age across different geographic locations
Which of the following helps to locate an earthquake epicenter? Choose all that apply.
triangulation between at least three seismic stations the distance between the first P wave arrival and the first S wave arrival
At divergent plate boundaries,
two plates move away from each other.
An artesian system is present when groundwater ______
under pressure rises above the aquifer level
Would be found at a divergent boundary
volcanoes producing mafic lavas normal faults
Alaska's Aleutian Islands formed as part of a ________ along a ________ boundary.
volcanic island art; convergent
What geologic process is related to caldera formation?
volcanism
Of the following, which is not an example of Earth's external processes and/or external process-driven phenomena?
volcanoes EXPLANATION: While volcanoes do occur on the surface of Earth, the igneous material that forms them is the result of internal processes.