KSU Geology 100 Final Study Guide

Rate of flow of water

Discharge (expressed as volume per time)

What is the seafloor made of?

Mafic rock (basalt) from the oceanic crust with sediments deposited on top

What is physical weathering increased by?

Presence of preexisting fractures/joints

What are causes of flooding?

Snowmelt, heavy local precipitation, regional precipitation, volcanic eruption, dam failure, urbanization

When do rocks along a fault have the highest amount of stress and stored elastic strain? a. right before an earthquake b. right after an earthquake c. several weeks or months after an earthquake d. none of the above because rocks cannot behave in an elastic manner

a. right before an earthquake

Which of the following factors does NOT control the stability of a slope? a. the angle of repose for intact bedrock b. whether the slope is rock or soil c. the amount of water in the soil d. the orientation of fractures, cleavage, and bedding

a. the angle of repose for intact bedrock

Does this hydrograph show flooding? a. True b. False

a. true

Low-gradient portions of streams often meander. Within a meander, where does sediment deposition occur? a. On the cut bank of the meander. b. On the point bar of the meander. c. Uniformly on either side. d. No answer text provided.

b. On the point bar of the meander

In the Atlantic Ocean, where is the oldest oceanic crust? a. mid-ocean ridges b. abyssal plain next to the continents c. oceanic trenches d. seamounts e. continental shelves close to the shoreline

b. abyssal plain next to the continents

For a rock to be considered an ore, it must: a. contain either quartz or sulfide minerals b. contain enough of a commodity to be mined at a profit c. be shiny or otherwise noteworthy d. be located in a mine e. contain some copper or gold

b. contain enough of a commodity to be mined at a profit

What type of slope failure is shown in this figure? a. creep b. debris flow c. rock fall d. rock slide e. rotational slide

b. debris flow

If a stream delivers sediment to the ocean faster than waves and currents can carry the sediment away, what forms? a. Levee b. Delta c. Channels d. Floodplain

b. delta

What does represent the red line in the hydrograph below? a. Alluvial terrace b. flood stage c. precipitation d. discharge

b. flood stage

Most groundwater pumped in the United States is used for: a. industry b. irrigation c. drinking water d. swimming pools

b. irrigation

What could cause a region to be higher in elevation than an average part of a continent? a. thinner continental crust b. less dense continental crust c. cooler continental crust d. crust that has been horizontally stretched e. a and b only

b. less dense continental crust

Which of the following materials probably has the highest porosity? a. poorly sorted sediment b. sediment composed only of rounded cobbles that rest directly on one another c. a mixture of sand, silt, and clay d. a coarse-grained granite

b. sediment composed only of rounded cobbles that rest directly on one another

Which of the following occurs when mountain belts are eroded? a. erosion is accompanied by isostatic rebound b. the continental crust becomes thinner c. deep metamorphic and plutonic rocks can be uplifted to the surface d. all of the above e. a and b only

d. all of the above

Which of the following controls the rate of groundwater flow? a. the slope of the water table b. the permeability of the rocks c. how fractured the rocks are d. all of these

d. all of these

Which of the following could trigger flooding? a. Urbanization b. Snowmelt c. Regional precipitation d. all the above e. Irrigation

d. all the above

If you were looking for graded beds, where would be a good place to start? a. in a warm and shallow lagoon b. in the center of an atoll c. just offshore of a sediment-poor beach d. in a submarine fan e. none of the above

d. in a submarine fan

If you drilled into an oceanic plateau, what would you most likely find? a. a thin layer of oceanic sediment over continental crust b. andesitic volcanoes buried by turbidity currents c. a normal thickness of oceanic crust overlain by andesitic volcanoes d. large amounts of basalt derived from melting in the mantle

d. large amounts of basalt derived from melting in the mantle

What is the main reason why the age of oldest rocks can vary from one part of a continent to another? a. older rocks are commonly remelted over huge regions b. older rocks have been uplifted and eroded away c. large parts of the continent are subducted deep within the mantle d. parts of the continent have been added by the accretion of tectonic terranes

d. parts of the continent have been added by the accretion of tectonic terranes

Which of the following is NOT a setting in which regional mountain belts form? a. continental collision b. subduction zone c. upwelling of the mantle d. passive margin e. the collision of India with Asia

d. passive margin

How do modern gold placer deposits form? a. hot water circulates around a magma b. hot water flows along the margins of a caldera c. hot water rising through veins encounters buried gravels d. pieces of gold are weathered and eroded from bedrock and carried and deposited by streams.

d. pieces of gold are weathered and eroded from bedrock and carried and deposited by streams

Which site in the accompanying figure is the most likely setting for an oil field? a. limestone at A b. limestone at B c. shale at C d. sandstone at D e. granite at E

d. sandstone at D

Which of the following sites is the least common place in which oil is trapped? a. the flanks of a salt dome b. the upper part of a lens of permeable rock c. the top of an anticline d. the bottom of a syncline

d. the bottom of a syncline

specific texture of basalt that form at seafloor at contact with water

pillow basalt

proportion of open space

porosity

What are events that could trigger slope failure?

precipitation, volcanic eruptions, sudden shock (as from an EQ), changes in land use, overloading slope, undercutting slope

energy liberated during EQ

seismic waves

processes that form island arc

subduction of oceanic crust, ocean-ocean subduction, release of water within mantle wedge, partial melting, formation of volcanoes at surface

What causes slopes to fail?

undercut cliff, EQ activity, too steep a slope, landslide, undercut slope

How does quartzite respond to weathering?

weathers slowly

Each number on this figure refers to a location with groundwater in a subsurface material that is consistent in character across the entire figure. Of these locations, which would likely have the fastest groundwater flow? a. 1 b. 2 c. 3 d. 4 e. 5

a. 1

Where on this cross section would water at the surface infiltrate to become groundwater? a. 1, 2, and 3 b. 1 and 3 c. 2 and 4 d. 2 only e. 4 only

a. 1, 2, and 3

If it contained oil, which layer would most likely produce an oil seep on the surface? a. A, a permeable sandstone b. B, an impermeable shale c. C, a permeable sandstone d. D, an impermeable shale

a. A, a permeable sandstone

The amount of kinetic energy that stream water has varies directly with its velocity (i.e., higher velocity = higher energy content). When streams transport sediment, they are using some of that energy to do work. In general, how does energy needed to transport sediment change as sediment size increases? a. Energy required for transport increases with sediment size. b. Energy required for transport decreases with sediment size. c. Energy required for transport does not change with sediment size. d. No answer text provided.

a. Energy required for transport increases with sediment size

The percentage or concentration of the valuable commodity in a rock is called the: a. Grade b. Value c. Price d.

a. Grade

What requires more energy, erosion or transport of sediment? a. Erosion b. Transport c. Neither - they require equal amounts of energy. d.

a. erosion

The change in the elevation of two locations on a stream divided by the distance between those locations is the stream ____________. a. gradient b. base level c. thalweg d. floodplain

a. gradient

What is the main way that gold ore forms in association with a caldera? a. hot water flows along the margins of a caldera b. pieces of gold are weathered from the rim of the caldera and deposited in the center c. pyroclastic eruptions throw rock fragments into the air, and the heavier gold pieces settle first d. calderas can form lakes and gold precipitates from the evaporating water

a. hot water flows along the margins of a caldera

Which of the following does NOT physically loosen rocks on the surface? a. water contracting as it freezes b. crystals of salt and other minerals that exert an outward force on fractures c. roots that pry apart fractures as the root grows in size d. joints that form when rock pressures are released e. rodents and other burrowing organisms

a. water contracting as it freezes

large body of porous and permeable material where groundwater is present in the saturated zone

aquifers

How and where do earthquakes form?

at depth from the fault ruptures

Where are EQ mostly located?

at plate boundaries

Which of the following regions below would you predict to have the thickest continental crust? a. the West Coast because it is close to the plate boundary b. the Colorado Rockies and adjacent Great Plains c. the area with thick sediments around the Mississippi River d. the Appalachian Mountains, the dominant range in the eastern U.S. e. the East Coast because it is a passive margin

b. the Colorado Rockies and adjacent Great Plains

Sudden movement on a fault can cause a tsunami when: a. a hurricane or cyclone is occurring b. the fault suddenly uplifts or downdrops the seafloor c. hot water trapped below the seafloor is released d. a fault on land has a large displacement e. none of the above

b. the fault suddenly uplifts or downdrops the seafloor

overall slope of a drainage basin

basin slope

How does feldspar weather?

by hydrolysis to clay minerals

Which numbered area on this geologic map of North America would contain the oldest rocks exposed at the surface a. 1, southern Alaska b. 2, continental platform of west-central Canada c. 3, continental shield of eastern Canada d. 4, coastal plain along the Gulf Coast of the U.S.

c. 3, continental shield of eastern Canada

The basin shown in this figure was actively subsiding during the formation of unit: a. A b. B c. C d. D e. E

c. C

Which site would most likely contain oil in the subsurface? a. A, a permeable sandstone b. B, an impermeable shale c. C, a permeable sandstone d. D, an impermeable shale

c. C, a permeable sandstone

This diagram indicates that: a. S-waves are the first wave to arrive at station and then die out into P-waves b. S-waves are the last wave to arrive at the station c. P-waves arrive first, followed by S-waves d. surface waves arrive first, followed by S-waves and then P-waves e. surface waves cause the smallest vibrations

c. P-waves arrive first, followed by S-waves

What is a popular model for the formation of an atoll? a. a moderate-sized meteoroid forms a circular crater on the seafloor b. a volcanic eruption forms a large circular caldera c. a volcanic island forms and subsides d. a barrier reef becomes buried by volcanic eruptions

c. a volcanic island forms and subsides

Which of the following slope failures is least likely to cause casualties? a. rock avalanche b. debris flow c. creep d. rock slide e. rock fall

c. creep

This map shows contours of the water table, the location of four factories (labeled A, B, C, and D), and contaminated (x) and uncontaminated wells (-). Which factory contaminated the groundwater? a. factory A b. factory B c. factory C d. factory D

c. factory C

What can occur during the evolution of a hot spot? a. an initial period of subsidence as magmas rise from the mantle b. formation of a fold and thrust belt c. formation of rifts that radiate out from the hot spot d. thickening of the crust beneath a passive margin e. none of the above

c. formation of rifts that radiate out from the hot spot

What has happened to the Pacific Ocean in the last 200 million years? a. it has become deeper as the rate of seafloor spreading increased b. it became wider because of seafloor spreading c. it became smaller as the Atlantic Ocean opened d. it remained unchanged in size e. none of the above

c. it became smaller as the Atlantic Ocean opened

Where does the quartz in granite typically end up? a. as small clay minerals that are deposited in lakes and the sea b. quartz does not weather and so it keeps the granite from weathering c. it ends up as sand in rivers, dunes, and beaches d. it is converted into feldspar and weathers into clays

c. it ends up as sand in rivers, dunes, and beaches

Which of the following processes generates most earthquakes? a. movement of large waves in the ocean b. landslides c. movement along faults d. large volcanic eruptions e. rising and falling of water due to the gravity of the moon

c. movement along faults

Areas of high earthquake risk are mostly located: a. next to oceans b. in mountainous areas c. near a boundary between tectonic plates d. near volcanoes e. in the center of continents

c. near a boundary between tectonic plates

Which of the following factors favors movement of a rock slide? a. layers that are inclined opposite to the slope of the hill b. solid rock with few preexisting joints or faults c. a massive rock with no bedding or other through-going discontinuities d. a valley or other open space downslope from the rock slide e. all of the above

d. a valley or other open space downslope from the rock slide

What is one way that we determine the depth to the base of the crust? a. drilling very deep wells along the San Andreas fault b. observing the deeper parts of underground mines c. observing whether seismic waves that travel through the crust arrived after those that traveled through the mantle d. using P- and S-waves to locate boundaries between molten and solid rock e. none of the above

c. observing whether seismic waves that travel through the crust arrived after those that traveled through the mantle

How does the character of a rock influence weathering a. fractures and other discontinuities block the entry of water into a rock and so make the rock more resistant to weathering b. minerals that are soluble can be dissolved and deposited and so are resistant to weathering c. rocks that are broken have more surface area and so weather faster d. rocks that are easily weathered and eroded generally form steep cliffs e. none of the above

c. rocks that are broken have more surface area and so weather faster

Which of the following materials would best to drill into for a good supply of groundwater? a. shale b. salt c. sand and gravel d. granite e. all of these

c. sand and gravel

Which of the following factors is typically NOT used to classify slope failures? a. whether the material involved is rock or is unconsolidated b. the rate of movement c. the climate in which the failure occurs d. the mechanism by which material moves

c. the climate in which the failure occurs

Which of the following is true about the water table? a. the shape of the water table does not mimic topography b. the water table generally is highest in elevation beneath lakes c. the water table can slope in opposite directions beneath a hill d. all of the above e. none of the above

c. the water table can slope in opposite directions beneath a hill

How do most oceanic islands and seamounts form? a. they are small pieces rifted apart from continents b. they are places where the seafloor has been buckled upward by convergence c. they are constructed by volcanic eruptions that first occur under water d. they are large fan-shaped mounds deposited by turbidity currents

c. they are constructed by volcanic eruptions that first occur under water

How do we determine the location of a recent earthquake? a. measure the amplitude of surface waves in a single station b. point video cameras at the landscape to record which way the surface moves c. use seismic records from three or more stations d. read old newspaper accounts of how the land moved e. none of the above

c. use seismic records from three or more stations

What is a stream?

carries water from higher area to lower area through single or interconnected channels

How does water move?

condensation, precipitation, infiltration, groundwater flows, runoff, transpiration, evaporation, air currents

Elevation is directly linked with what?

crust thickness

If a stream channel has a cross-sectional area of 5 m^2 and the water flows through the channel with an average velocity of 3 m/sec, what is the stream's discharge? (Note - your units must be correct. m^2 is meters squared.) a. 15 m/sec b. 8 m/sec c. 8 m^3/sec d. 15 m^3/sec e. 15 m^2/sec f. 8 m^2/sec

d. 15 m^3/sec

Which of the following has the lowest potential for landslides? a. Pacific Northwest b. southern California c. bluffs along rivers in the central U.S. d. Florida e. Appalachian Mountains

d. Florida

Using the diagram below, which of the following statement is true with a river velocity of 10 cm/s? a. Gravels are transported by suspension b. Silts are deposited c. Silt are transported by bedload d. None of the above

d. None of the above

What are some uses of magnetic reversals? a. matching the patterns of reversals in a rock sequence to the magnetic time scale b. studying magnetic stripes on the seafloor c. calculating rates of seafloor spreading d. all of the above e. a and b only

d. all of the above

How does limestone respond to weathering?

dissolves

surface where runoff drain into the same stream, river, or ocean

drainage basin

What causes the seafloor to deepen across a typical continental slope? a. thinning of continental crust because of normal faults b. a transition from continental crust to oceanic crust c. down flexing of oceanic crust because of subduction d. deposition of sediment from turbidity currents e. a and b only

e. a and b only

What processes can occur in front of or behind some island arcs? a. Trench rollback b. back-arc rifting c. fold and thrust belts in the mountains d. formation of an oceanic plateau e. a and b only

e. a and b only

Which of the following processes forms basins in an ocean-continent convergent boundary? a. flexing and bending of the oceanic plate into the subduction zone b. flexing of the continent by weight of the thrust sheets c. thinning of the lithosphere above the subduction zone d. thickening of the crust by magmas from the subduction zone e. a and b only

e. a and b only

If an area has shallow, intermediate, and deep earthquakes, what can you infer about the area? a. it is near a subduction zone b. the shallow earthquakes will be closer to the trench than deeper ones c. the depth pattern of earthquakes can be used to determine which way the slab is inclined d. this area has the potential for large earthquakes e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Shaking during an earthquake can: a. liquefy unconsolidated sediments, causing destruction of buildings on top of them b. generate a tsunami c. trigger landslides d. cause rigid buildings to collapse e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Some rocks and minerals are not stable at the surface because they: a. are exposed to water b. formed in high-temperature environments c. formed in high-pressure environments d. are exposed to oxygen e. all of the above

e. all of the above

Once oil and gas are formed, they: a. rise toward the surface b. are lighter than water c. flow most easily through permeable rocks, such as sandstone d. can be prevented from reaching the surface if they are trapped by impermeable layers e. all of these

e. all of these

Regional elevation can be increased by: a. thrust faulting that thickens the crust b. constructing huge volcanic fields c. adding a significant amount of magma at depth d. heating a region's crust and mantle e. all of these

e. all of these

Which of the following processes CANNOT form a mineral deposit? a. igneous crystallization b. metamorphism c. precipitation at low temperatures d. weathering e. all of these processes can form a mineral deposit

e. all of these processes can form a mineral deposit

Why are the patterns showing the age of the seafloor symmetrical in the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific Ocean? a. spreading along the Atlantic ridge added seafloor to plates on both sides b. subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the Pacific c. subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the Atlantic d. none of the above e. both a and b

e. both a and b

The characteristics of S-waves include: a. they can travel through liquids b. they shear rock from side to side or up and down c. they displace the rock in a direction that is perpendicular to their travel direction d. both a and b e. both b and c

e. both b and c

Under what conditions is it possible for a material to have both high porosity and low permeability? a. it is not possible to have both high porosity and low permeability b. it is possible only if the rock is a sandstone c. it is possible if the void spaces are not well connected d. it is possible if the void spaces are small enough e. both c and d

e. both c and d

This cross section shows the location of 5 wells and the water table (dashed line). Which well is most likely to be an artesian well? a. well A b. well B c. well C d. well D e. well E

e. well E

the closest point at surface

epicenter

What could EQ be generated by?

eruption, slope failure, magma movement, landslide, meteoroid impact, nuclear test...

How does coal form?

evolution of organic matter with burial depth

Where can oil and gas be trapped?

faults, thrust fault and associated folds, unconformities

the location at depth where the EQ occurs

hypocenter

What are activities that threaten soil?

overgrazing, erosion, removing vegetation, soil contamination