ENVS Chapter 12

What caused so much damage during the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan in 2011? (Select the single best answer.)

A long-wavelength tsunami carried a thick mix of water and debris far inland.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimates the Marcellus/Devonian formation is rich (about 13 trillion m3) in what fuel source?

Methane

The fuel source made recoverable by new methods (most notably hydraulic fracturing) in the Marcellus/Devonian formation is _____.

Methane

Minerals are made up of one or more elements, and rocks are made up of one or more

Minerals

Naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a defined chemical composition and regular internal crystal structure are known as ______.

Minerals

Earth has more types of minerals than the other rocky planets because of plate tectonics and the presence of free ________ created by living, photosynthetic organisms.

Oxygen

Why does earth have a greater diversity of minerals than the other terrestrial planets? (Select all that apply.)

Plate tectonics and the rock cycle concentrate uncommon elements. Free oxygen released by life allowed oxides to form.

Earth's crust is broken into tectonic ________that move in relation to one another.

Plates

Why is aluminum recycled to such a large extent? (Select all that apply.)

The scrap metal price is high. The energy savings of recycling versus raw production is great.

Which statement best describes the natural state of sandy beaches?

They are in a constant state of flux (erosion and deposition).

Which of the following statements best describes the general history of earth's continents?

They have changed in size and shape over time.

Why do jetties and groins cause downstream problems?

They rob locations downstream of sediment.

True or false: Our modern society (2018) runs on fuels from geologic deposits.

True

True or false: Rocks are defined as solid cohesive aggregates of one or more minerals.

True

Global warming will likely result in ______.

an increase in beach erosion as sea level rises

Floodplains near rivers are the ______.

areas that are inundated with water during floods

The long thin stretches of beach that stand between a mainland and the open ocean are called ______.

barrier islands

Mountaintop removal is practiced in Appalachia: forests are cleared and then the tops of mountains are pushed into adjacent valleys in order to reach layers of ______.

coal

Not all mass wasting events occur quickly like landslides do; soil ________ occurs at a measurable rate but doesn't produce signs that one could see on a daily basis.

creep

Humans may contribute to flooding by ______. (Select all that apply.)

destroying natural wetlands causing a warming of global climate that leads to more extreme weather hardening surfaces, which speeds runoff and reduces water infiltration into the ground

Heap-leaching is a process that involves spraying a cyanide solution on a pile of crushed ore in order to ______.

dissolve gold

Sudden movements of crustal rock masses along planes of weakness between them are known as _____

earthquakes

Waste water disposal in deep wells is associated with human-induced ________.

earthquakes

Gypsum, halite, and potash are ______ deposits that we use on a large scale.

evaporite

Large countries such as Russia, China, and Australia tend to have higher amounts of economic deposits of metals because they are more likely to have ______.

experienced the geologic events that created the deposits

Earthquakes are sudden movements that occur along ______, which are planes of weakness between two rock masses.

faults

Level expanses near waterways that periodically are inundated with water are called ________.

floodplains

Among these natural disasters, ______ cause(s) the most damage to human life and property.

floods

The modern society in the United States (2018) runs mainly on the use of ______.

geologic deposits

Sulfur released in volcanic eruptions can lead to many changes in the atmosphere, like the formation of acid rain, and can lead to ______. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 caused this change for a year after it occurred.

global cooling

The use of a leaching solution (typically a cyanide solution) on a pile of low-grade ore to extract metals is known as ______.

heap-leaching

Pumping a mixture of water, sand, and potentially toxic chemicals into rock formations at high pressure, in order to increase natural gas yields, is known as ______.

hydraulic fracturing

The estimated cost to taxpayers of cleaning up streams from mining damage and old mines in the United States is ______.

in the billions of dollars

The estimated worldwide cost to clean up mines and the related environmental damage is ______.

in the trillions of dollars

The metal consumed in the greatest quantity by world industry is ______.

iron

The Mississippi River has been contained by flood-control measures in some areas; the result ______.

is faster and deeper floods occurring downstream

The energy costs associated with recycling aluminum, copper, paper, and steel is ______ the energy costs of producing these materials from raw materials.

less than

The majority of ________ the we use for lightweight batteries in cell phones and computers comes from a single, large evaporite deposit in Bolivia.

lithium

Molten rock that is underground is called

magma or melt

The general downslope movement of earth materials is known as ______.

mass wasting

Most economic minerals are ______.

metal-bearing ores

Naturally occurring, inorganic solids with a defined chemical composition and regular internal crystal structure are known as ______.

minerals

Smaller and cheaper than traditional mills, _______ remelt and reshape scrap iron and steel. These mills use less than half the energy of traditional mills.

minimills

Magma is ______.

molten rock that is under the surface of the earth

Minimills produce half of all U.S. steel and do so using less than half of the energy of traditional integrated mills. Minimills are focused on ______.

remelting and reshaping scrap iron and steel

Common in the construction and road-building trades, _______ and ________ are the leading nonmetal resources in terms of both volume and economic value.

sand and Gravel

Roasting ore to release the metals is known as ______.

smelthing

The process of ______ occurs when oceanic crust is pulled underneath another plate. This boundary is marked by a trench, and earthquakes and volcanoes are common.

subduction

The major difference between soil creep and landslides is ______.

the amount of time they take to occur

Major epochs of human history are commonly divided by ______.

the metal-bearing ores commonly used/mined during that period

A 100-year flood frequency means that if a 100-year flood occurs this year ______.

the odds of another 100-year flood happening next year remain the same

Mass _______is the general term used for the downslope movement of earth materials.

wasting

The extraction of gold and other metals from ores commonly leads to ______ as sulfuric acid, arsenic, and other heavy materials remain behind.

water pollution

Rocks and minerals exposed to air, water, weather, chemical agents, and other environmental conditions tend to break down. This process is known as ______.

weathering

True or false: Tsunamis can be caused by the tides.

Flase

The method of forcing pressurized mixtures of sand and fluids into rock formations to induce the release of petroleum is called hydraulic fracturing, or ______.

Fracking

Select all the characteristics that help to define the word mineral.

Solid element or compound with a defined chemical composition Inorganic Naturally occurring Regular internal structure

Match the geologic time unit with the time it began in years before present. 1. 65 million 2. 245 million 3. 545 million 4. 545 million

1. Cen 2. Meso 3. Paelo 4. Preca

Put the following geologic time units in order with the most recent on top.

1. Cen 2. Meso 3. Paelo 4. Preca

Match the traditional mineral or metal with the new material or technology that is starting to replace it. 1. Metal engine insulation 2. Copper and aluminum in electronics and communication 3. Metal pipes

1. Ceramics 2. Ultra-high-purity glass 3. Plastics

Match the mining technique with the main hazard or environmental impact that results. 1. Placer mining with water cannons 2. Underground mining 3. Open-pit mines

1. Chokes streams with sediment 2. Risks of explosions and collapse 3. Uses vast qualities of land, results in contaminated groundwater and lakes, can choke streams with sediment

Match the rock type with its description. 1. Igneous 2. Sedimentary 3. Metamorphic

1. Forms from cooling magma or lava 2. Forms from the consolidation of deposited particles or from minerals that precipitate out of solution 3. Forms from the recrystallization of preexisting rocks (due to heat, pressure, and/or chemical agents)

Classify each rock. 1. Basalt 2. Marble 3. Sandstone

1. Igneous 2. Metamorphic 3. Sedimentary

Rank the following metals from the greatest quantity consumed by industry worldwide to the least. Place the greatest quantity at the top.

1. Iron 2. ALum 3. Copper 4. Nickel

Rank the four most common elements in the entire earth, putting the most abundant at the top.

1. Iron 2. Oxygen 3. Silicon 4. Maga

1. Crust 2. Mantle 3. Core

1. There are two types of this solid, brittle layer. 2. This layer is the largest of all and is very hot yet remains mostly solid. 3.The inner portion is solid and the outer portion is liquid.

1. Upwelling magma forms new oceanic crust. 2. Deep-ocean trenches are formed by subduction.

1. This occurs at mid-oceanic ridges where plates are moving apart (diverging). 2. This occurs where an ocean plate is pushed down into the mantle underneath an overriding continental plate.

Which of the following geographic areas is not a major source of metal ore? (Select only one.)

AFrica

Smelting, the roasting of ores, can lead directly to a great deal of ______ pollution which ends up acidifying soils and causing widespread ecological destruction.

Air

The commonly recycled metals are those that are economical to recycle and come at a lower cost in terms of energy as compared to originally produced metal. Select all the commonly recycled metals from the list below.

Aluminum Copper Steel Platinum

A town experiences a 10-year flood on a given day in April. When will the next 10-year flood occur?

Anytime

The homes that have been damaged by a hurricane, as shown in this photo, are built on an impermanent narrow stretch of sand called a ______ ______

Barrier Islands

In the construction of vehicles, steel is being replaced by --------and some engine parts are now made of ------which are good insulators.

Blank 1: polymers Blank 2: ceramics

Trenches, mid-ocean ridges, and mountain belts are features located at tectonic plate ________

Boundaries

Of the two primary types of weathering, which involves the alteration or replacement of minerals?

Chemical weathering

Environmental impacts and hazards of coal mining can include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Collapse of tunnels Dissolution of toxic metals into the groundwater Mountaintop removal

Select all the possible causes of a tsunami.

Earthquakes Underwater landslides

The study of resources that are valuable for manufacturing and trade is ____________--- mineralogy.

Economic

True or false: Earthquakes only occur along plate boundaries.

FAlse

What are some of the dangers posed by volcanic activity? (Choose all that apply.)

Global cooling Nuee ardentes Mudslides

Which of the following is the least important factor in causing mass-wasting events?

Ground vegetation

The development of deep trenches on relatively flat ground through erosion is called

Gullying

What human activities contribute to mass wasting?

House construction Road construction Logging

Why can the hardening of natural surfaces lead to flooding?

It increases surface-water runoff and decreases the rate at which water is absorbed by the ground.

After the floods of 1927 along the Mississippi, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was ordered to control the river. Select the best summary of the results of those flood-control measures.

Major and exacerbated flooding still occurs. Flooding problems got pushed downstream.

The physical breaking of rocks into smaller pieces without a change in chemical composition is called _________ weathering, whereas a change in the chemical composition of a rock is called ___________ weathering.

Mechanical, CHemical

What geologic process occurs when two tectonic plates come together?

Mountains are built.

In order to reach the coal seams below, the mining process of ________ _______ is used in Appalachia and has resulted in widespread water pollution.

Mountaintop Removal

Which of the following features are found along plate boundaries? (Choose all that apply.)

Ocean trenches Mid-ocean ridges Mountain ranges

_______crust is thinner, more dense, and younger than________crust

Oceanic, Continental

______ mines can create huge chasms at the ground surface and are used to extract metal ores, while ______ mines are used commonly to access coal that is found in horizontal layers.

Open-pit; strip

How have volcanoes helped to positively shape earth? (Select all that apply.)

Producing gaseous emissions that contributed to the development of the early oceans and atmosphere Providing good raw materials for great farming soils Producing much of earth's crust

The advantages to conserving geologic resources are many and varied. Select all the advantages that apply.

Reduced waste Reduced consumption of energy Reduced land lost to mining Reduced consumption of water

The ______ _______summarizes how rocks are created, destroyed, changed, and recycled through a variety of processes.

Rock Cycle

Which of the following is the most economically valuable nonmetal mineral resource?

Sand and gravel

Identify the common environmental effects of resource extraction and processing. (Select all that apply.)

Sediment runoff Air pollution Water pollution Removal of land surfaces

________________ is the deposition of earth materials (e.g., rock pieces) that are liberated (eroded) from other locations by weathering and carried (transported) to a new location by a force (e.g., wind, water, gravity).

Sedimentation

Which three elements are the most common in earth's crust?

Silicon Oxygen Aluminum

Heating ore to temperatures high enough to release the metals is known as ______.

Smelting

______ leads to the creation of dense clouds of sulfur dioxide. Those sulfur-rich clouds can cause acid rain and the poisoning of large areas of soil and vegetation (An example is notable around Ducktown, Tennessee.)

Smelting

The ------- dioxide compounds emitted by volcanoes can lead to a cooling climate; the eruption of Mount Pinatubo is a recent example.

Sulfur

Select all the statements that apply to natural sandy beaches.

The beach is in constant motion as waves redistribute sediments. Single storms can create and remove inlets and islands.

Which layer of earth is broken into moving tectonic plates?

The crust

Which of the following correctly describe the relationship between continental and oceanic crust?

The oceanic crust is younger. The continental crust is thicker.

Earthquakes and ________ are common tectonic processes that occur along subduction zones, as one plate is being pulled underneath another plate as the two converge

Volcanoes

The physical and chemical breakdown of rocks and minerals is known as ______

WEathering

Select all the statements that describe the rock cycle.

Weathering, sedimentation, and lithification can form sedimentary rocks. When melting and crystallization occur, igneous rocks are formed.

The majority of earthquakes occur ______.

along plate boundaries