Dynamic Earth Exam
Which statement accurately describes a P wave?
A P wave can travel through liquids.
Which of the following is an example of an epeirogenic process?
A large plateau forms in the interior of a continental plate when a large section of the plate rises evenly due to an even expansion of the underlying mantle.
How often does Earth's magnetic field change direction?
About every two million years
Where are subduction zones likely to form?
Between converging oceanic and continental plates
How are sills and lapoliths similar?
Both form the cores of mountains.
Which type of volcano is formed from alternating layers of lava and ash?
Composite volcano
Which hypothesis explains why continental plates have higher elevations than oceanic plates?
Continental plates are less dense than oceanic plates.
Where does stress build up and eventually release within a fault?
Epicenter
Block mountains form along which type of geological landform?
Fault blocks
Which force is responsible for pulling a plate downward into the asthenosphere?
Gravity
Mafic lava tends to have low silica content. Based on this, which of the following statements about mafic lava is most likely true?
It contains fewer volatile gases.
The photograph shows hexagonal basalt columns on a mountain that formed from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. Which of the following is mostly likely true of the lava that formed these columns?
It solidified underground.
What can you conclude about the oceanic crust in the image?
It's denser than the continental crust.
Which type of stress is a uniform stress that doesn't lead to earthquakes?
Lithostatic pressure
What geological feature is located below an active volcano?
Magma chamber
What phenomenon is responsible for hot spot volcanism?
Mantle plumes
Which type of seismic wave is highlighted in the image?
Rayleigh wave
Which type of seismic waves result from interference between S waves and P waves?
Rayleigh waves
Which type of seismic waves are confined at the surface?
Rayleigh waves and Love waves
Which natural process is responsible for ridge push?
Seafloor spreading
What causes potential energy that accumulates in a fault to transfer to the surface during an earthquake?
Seismic waves
Which type of stress is shown in the image?
Shear stress
Which type of volcano has gentle slopes and forms at a divergent plate boundary?
Shield volcano
_______ stress of a fault occurs when slabs of rock are being pulled apart from each other.
Tension
According to the theory of isostasy, which statement must be true?
The asthenosphere is denser than the lithosphere.
When two plates form a subduction zone, which plate will subduct?
The denser plate
Which of the following must be balanced for a portion of the lithosphere to reach isostatic equilibrium?
The isostatic uplift and the crustal rebound
Earth's crust is part of which of Earth's layers?
The lithosphere
Which process is used to locate the epicenter of an earthquake?
Triangulation
Which of the following geological features can form at a subduction zone?
Volcanism and mountain ranges
What can cause the eruption from a shield volcano to become explosive?
Water accumulated in the vent
Orogenic
_______ processes form mountains due to deformation at a plate boundary.
The image shows that landmasses now separated by oceans fit together like puzzle pieces and have fossils of the same organisms. These clues are evidence of
continental drift.
Which type of volcano is shown in the image?
fissure
Which of the following is not one of the three principal types of faults?
lateral
The theory of plate tectonics suggests that about 200 million years ago, all of Earth's land was confined to a single continent called
pangaea
Plate divergence is best described as a/an _______ process.
taphrogenic
At a fault block, one portion of the block moves upward while the adjacent portion moves downward.What is the upper portion called?
the horst
A person lives in a new structure that complies with modern building codes with regard to earthquake safety. What is the best place for this person to take cover during an earthquake?
under a table
Mountain ranges that form close to a subduction zone are likely to experience
volcanic activity.
