phys106 FINAL

According to most estimates, Earth is approximately

4.5 billion years old

_ denotes a basaltic lava flow covered with angular, congealed lava rubble

AA

The theory of continental drift is attributed to

Alfred Wegner

Bowen's Reaction Series

Discontinuous Branch 1. Olivine 2. Pyroxene 3. Amphibole 4. Biotite Continuous Branch 1. Calcium-rich plagioclase 2. Sodium-rich orthoclase 3. Muscovite 4. Quartz (800-1600 degrees) (least stable to most stable) (mafic-felsic)

What are glacial striations, and how did Wegener use them to support his theory of continental drift? *

Marks left behind by glaciers. As glaciers move they drag fragments and these fragments lave striations that can trace the path of the glacier and that is how Wegener used them to support continental drift. The striations showed that the glaciers had moved and supported the fragmentation and drift of the continents. *

Some politicians take pride in maintaining a particular point of view. They think that a change of mind would be seen as a sign of weakness. How is a change of mind viewed differently in science?

Science deals with facts that are confirmed by experiments. A "change of mind" in science, therefore, is usually the result of new experimental evidence obtained from experiments.

To a scientist a "fact" is

a phenomenon about which competent observers, who have made a series of observations or measurements, are in agreement

How might the demand for reproducibility in science have the long-term effect of compelling honesty?

all of the above are true

A composite volcano is formed by _ *

alternating layers of lava, ash, and mud flow debris *

What kind of unconformity is produced when tilted, older strata are eroded and buried by younger strata?

angular unconformity

What is the smallest particle of matter that exhibits and defines the distinctive chemical characteristics of the individual elements?

atoms

In science, facts _ a) mean very little b) may change c) are absolute d) are more important than theories

b) may change

What is the first step in the scientific process? a) develop a test b) observe a natural phenomenon c) make a prediction about what may be happening d) check results by repeating work e) generate a scientific hypothesis

b) observe a natural phenomenon

What statement most accurately describes what students do? a) scientists find the truth b) scientists falsify hypotheses c) scientists provide answers to problems d) scientists develop new products

b) scientists falsify hypotheses

The most common igneous rock is _ *

basalt *

Shield volcanoes are composed of _

basaltic magma

Science and technology are _ a) responsible for all the bad in the world b) responsible for all the good in the world c) fundamentally different from each other d) really one in the same

c) fundamentally different from each other

Which of the following is/are most susceptible to chemical weathering by dissolution?

calcite

Large, volcanic depressions formed by subsidence and collapse are known as _

calderas

What is the most abundant, naturally produced, weak acid involved in chemical weathering and soil formation?

carbonic acid

Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering?

chemical

Clay minerals, silica (siO2), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process?

chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar

What is the general name for microcrystalline quartz in sedimentary rocks?

chert

The property of a mineral to break along planes of weakness is referred to as _

cleavage

Which of the properties most clearly reflects the internal arrangement of atoms in a crystalline mineral?

cleavage

What two major characteristics differentiate minerals from natural glasses?

composition/ texture

Most glasses and some minerals exhibit a type of fracture characterized by nested and curved, crack surfaces. What term describes this property?

conchoidal

Which type of metamorphism occurs specifically in the heated zone around a pluton or other body of magma?

contact meamorphism

What process involves identifying and matching rocks of similar ages in different areas?

correlation

What term describes the complex, original stratification pattern seen in sandstones deposited in ancient sand dunes?

cross-bedding

The thin, outer layer of Earth, from 7 to 40 km in thickness, is called the _

crust

_ refers to the removal and isolation of early-formed mineral grains that can cause the composition of remaining magma to change

crystal settling

All minerals are _

crystalline solids

Why do scientists run control experiments and repeat their tests several times? a) because chemistry is about doing experiments b) to improve the chance of success c) because they get paid by the hour d) to minimize the number of conclusions and limit potential flaws in the experiment e) to maximize the number of possible conclusions that can be obtained

d) to minimize the number of conclusions and limit potential flaws in the experiment

As the process of crystallization continues (from molten liquid to solid crystal) the composition of the molten liquid becomes _

depleted in the minerals that have already crystalized and enriched in the minerals that have yet to crystalize

Pyroxene, hornblende, and biotite are all minerals found on the _ series of Bowen's Reaction Series

discontinuous

The process of crystallization acts to _

enrich the molten magma in silica

A spinning cloud of interstellar gas tends to _

flatten

Which one of the following is an important, mechanical weathering process for enlarging fractures and extending them deeper into large boulders and bedrock?

frost wedging

Which metamorphic rock or rocks exhibit alternating layers or bands of different light- and dark-colored minerals?

gneiss

Most minerals can be identified by easily observable physical properties. In order of most useful to least useful, the identifiable physical properties are _

hardness, cleavage, density, crystal form, and color

What term describes the layer of partly decayed plant matter at the top of the soil profile in most forested areas?

humus

Young Earth developed a layered structure under the influence of _

impact heating, gravitational contraction heating, radioactive decay heating

What term denotes blocks of older rock enclosed in a body of younger igneous rock?

inclusion

Minerals are composed of _

inorganic solids

_ meteorites are thought to be analogous in composition to Earth's core

iron

The ecliptic _

is the plane of Earth's orbit

Another term for a volcanic mudflow is a _

lahar

Isotopes of what element are the stable, end products of both uranium decay series?

lead (Pb)

Which is the most common, chemical, sedimentary rock?

limestone

The melting point of silicate minerals is strongly dependent on the amount of silica it contains. The first minerals to melt are those with _

lowest melting point and highest silica content

_ is the name given to molten rock below the Earth's surface

magma

Alfred Wegener supported his theory of continental drift by _ *

making a connection between rocks, rock structures, and plant and animal fossils found in both Africa and South America *

the _ is the solid, rocky shell between the crust and outer core

mantle

Which term best describes those processes that move weathered rock materials and soils downslope?

mass wasting

What are the mass and charge of an alpha particle?

mass= 4, charge= +2

What kind of weathering involves only a reduction in the sizes of bedrock, regolith, and mineral particles?

mechanical

The Earth's temperature increases with depth. Pressure also increases with depth from the weight of the rock above. As pressure increases the _

melting point of the rock (at depth) also increases

Foliation in metamorphic rocks is mainly evident in the parallel alignment of certain mineral grains. What are they?

micas

Igneous rocks are classified on the basis of what two main characteristics?

mineral composition/ texture

Name two igneous rocks with glassy textures. *

obsidian *

What ferromagneisan silicate mineral is named for its green color?

olivine

Which variety of limestone consists mainly of sand-sized, mostly spherical grains of calcium carbonate precipitated in shallow, marine water?

oolitic

Which form of chemical weathering specifically affects the iron contained in ferromagnesian, rock-forming, silicate minerals?

oxidation

Which basaltic lava flow has a relatively smooth surface?

pahoehoe

What evidence did Wegener use to support his hypothesis of continental drift?

paleoclimatic data

What term denotes the larger mineral grains in a porphyritic igneous rock?

phenocryst

What is the chemical composition of graphite and diamond?

polymorphism

Minerals that have the same combination of elements but have different atomic arrangements are called _

polymorphs

The finely divided, red, brown, and yellow soil-coloring minerals originate by what process?

precipitation of iron oxides during the chemical weathering process

What term describes fragmental volcanic material?

pyroclastic

Under most weathering conditions, which mineral component pf granites and rhyolites would be most resistant to decomposition?

quartz

What is the most abundant mineral in detrital sedimentary rocks?

quartz

What type of sedimentary rock is typically metamorphosed to form slates or phyllites?

shale

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park, California, and Stone Mountain Georgia, are shaped mainly by what mechanical weathering process?

sheeting

The largest volcano on Earth is a _

shield volcano

What kind of volcanoes are Kilauea and the other big Hawaiian volcanoes?

shield volcanoes

The word _ is used to describe movement on faults.

slip

Which property of sediment describes the range of different grain sizes in a detrital sedimentary rock?

sorting

What is the most characteristic, original, depositional feature preserved in sedimentary rocks?

stratification

Composite volcanoes are also known as _

stratovolcano

What physical property denotes the color of a powdered mineral?

streak

A mineral's hardness is dependent on the _

strength of its chemical bonds

Parallel, straight, linear imperfections visible on the cleavage surfaces of plagioclase feldspar are called what?

striations

Which term best describes an accumulation of angular rock fragments at the base of a steep, bedrock slope or cliff?

talus slope

Frost wedging is the major weathering process contributing to the formation of which regolith material?

talus slopes

A rock's initial melting temperature is primarily determined by _

the rocks mineralogy

Why is the process of science not restricted to any one particular method?

the scientist needs to be open to all possibilities and different ways of doing science in order to gain as much knowledge as possible from his or her research

Nebular theory pertains to the formation of _

the solar system

A synthesis of a large collection of information that contains well-tested and verified hypotheses about certain aspects of the world is known as a scientific

theory

What general term denotes a buried, erosional surface where rock layers are missing?

unconformity

The laws of physics, chemistry, and geology have operated unchanged through time to shape Earth as we know it today. This statement can be summed up by the idea of _

uniformitarianism

Pegmatites consist of what size mineral grains?

very coarse

What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils?

warm temperatures; very moist

Wegener's theory of continental drift _

was not accepted by the scientific community of the early 1900s

_ is the most abundant gaseous component dissolved in most magmas

water vapor

As rock is heated, the first minerals to melt are those _

with the lowest melting point

A scientific hypothesis may turn out to be right or it may turn out to be wrong. If it is a valid hypothesis, there must be a test for proving it _

wrong