Chapter 11 Quiz #1
The fact that Earth's interior is sorted into layers indicates that
Earth was once in a molten state, during which materials became sorted based on density.
The heat from ________ is the energy that drives plate tectonics.
Earth's extremely hot interior
The most recent epoch in the geologic time scale is the ________, though numerous scientists agree we have entered a new epoch called the ________.
Holocene; Anthropocene
________ are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries.
Hot spots
Which of the following is an example of the principle of uniformitarianism?
The processes by which streams carve valleys at present are the same as those that carved valleys 500 million years ago.
Which of the following is correct regarding continental drift?
The term "continental drift" is now called plate tectonics.
Areas of upwelling material from the mantle to form new seafloor occur along
divergent boundaries.
Transform faults along plate boundaries are typically associated with
earthquake activity
What type of rock forms from the solidification of molten material?
igneous
The percentage of oxygen in the Earth's crust is ________, whereas that in the atmosphere is ________.
46%; 21%
Which of the following is correct regarding the geologic time scale?
C) The bulk of Earth's history has occurred during the Precambrian eon
Which of the following is notcorrect regarding geothermal energy?
It is the product of exogenic processes.
How does the ocean floor preserve evidence of past magnetic reversals?
Magnetic particles in basalt orient with the magnetic field in force at the time the oceanic lava cooled and hardened.
The transition zone from the upper mantle to the crust is known as the ________ discontinuity.
Mohorovičić
Which of the following is correct?
Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust and dominated by silica and magnesium.
_______ is the theory that describes the motion of the Earth's lithosphere.
Plate tectonics
Which of the following is an example of an age-relationship based on relative dating?
The Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon is younger than the Hermit Shale.
Which of the following is not an example of an age-relationship based on absolute dating?
The Coconino formation in the Grand Canyon is older than the Kaibab formation.
Which of the following is correct?
The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a mid-ocean ridge.
Scientists have direct evidence of the Earth's structure to
about 12 km (7.6 mi) from the surface
Earth's magnetic poles
are migrating approx. 60 km per year
Which is the correct order of geologic time spans, from largest to smallest?
eon - era - period - epoch
The principal cycles composing the geologic cycle include:
hydrologic cycle, rock cycle, and tectonic cycle
Which rock type makes up approximately 90% of the Earth's crust?
igneous
The temperature of Earth's interior
increases with depth so the hottest temperatures are found within Earth's core.
Knowledge of Earth's interior is mostly derived from
indirect evidence involving the analysis of seismic waves.
In terms of human-environment interaction, which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic endogenic process contributing to the geologic cycle?
injection wells contributing to earthquake activity
Which of the following is notsupporting evidence of plate tectonics?
lack of oceanic ridges that would indicate sea floor spreading
The rigid crust and uppermost mantle are known collectively as the
lithosphere.
Boundaries between intervals of the geological time scale are determined by
major events in the Earth's history, such as major extinctions.
The majority of the Earth's volume is within the
mantle.
A rock transformed from any other rock through extreme heat and or pressure is referred to as
metamorphic.
An element or combination of elements that forms an inorganic, natural compound is called a
mineral.
The ________ is liquid and is responsible for producing Earth's magnetic field.
outer core
The three most abundant elements in Earth's crust are
oxygen, silicon, and aluminum.
Which of the following can occur when seismic waves encounter a layer in Earth's interior?
reflection, refraction, absorption, and change in speed
The continuous alteration of Earth materials from one rock type to another is known as the
rock cycle.
f you were driving down the highway and saw mountains composed of layered strata, you could be confident that you were looking at
sedimentary rocks.
The three basic rock types are
sedimentary, metamorphic, igneous
The scientific study of rock strata (layers) is known as ________ and based on the principle of ________.
stratigraphy; superposition
The ________ drives the endogenic processes of the rock cycle.
tectonic cycle
In terms of dating of specific rocks, structures, or landscapes, relative age refers to
the age of one feature with respect to another within a sequence of events and deduced from the positions of rock strata above and below one another.
The principle that the same physical processes currently active in the environment were operating throughout Earth's history is known as
uniformitarianism.
1) Which of the following is an endogenic process?
volcanism
Which of the following are located along the mid-ocean ridges?
volcanoes
Which of the following is an exogenic process?
weathering
The geologic cycle is fueled by
both solar energy and the Earth's internal heat.
Sedimentary rock formed from the combined processes of weathering, erosion, transportation, deposition, lithification, and compaction of rock fragments of other rocks are
clastic.
At which of the following locations does subduction occur?
convergent plate boundaries
Which of the following gives the correct sequence of layers in Earth, from the surface to the center?
crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
