Geology Quiz 1 Questions

Which of the following geologic phenomena would be outside the realm of uniformitarianism? SELECT TWO Banded iron formed as oxygen entered the atmosphere Rounded pebbles in conglomerates formed liked rounded pebbles today Landslides typically occur where they have in the past Diamonds come from strange, deep volcanoes that do not erupt any longer Ophiolites are parts of the ocean floor brought to the surface When sea levels are high, marine rocks form on continents

Banded iron formed as oxygen entered the atmosphere Diamonds come from strange, deep volcanoes that do not erupt any longer

Why are the rocky inner planets different than the gaseous outer planets? Gas has more momentum and flies further away naturally Heat from the growing sun allowed rock to mainly form close in The rocky inner planets got rocks from the sun later Solar wind pushing material away had more effect on metals Gases come from further away from the center of the solar system

Heat from the growing sun allowed rock to mainly form close in

The idea that the Sun was the center of the Solar System was first proposed by Nicolaus Copernicus in 1543 and is known as the ______. Geocentric model Divinitycentric model Heliocentric model Suncentric model Solar Orbital model

Heliocentric model

What evidence found on Earth supports the Giant Impact Hypothesis? Lack of craters Impact started plate tectonics Giant crater which makes up the Pacific Ocean Giant Crater which makes up the Atlantic Ocean High density of Earth

High density of Earth

Regarding the Moon's formation, which is evidence for the Giant Impact Hypothesis? SELECT THREE Type of rocks found on Moon Higher density of Earth than Moon Tidal lock between Earth and Moon Number of impact craters on the Moon Similar chemical composition between Earth and Moon

Higher density of Earth than Moon Tidal lock between Earth and Moon Similar chemical composition between Earth and Moon

_____ is the idea that a spinning cloud of dust flattened into a disk, known as the protoplanetary disk, and created a star with orbiting planets in a solar system. Big bang Solar theory Nebular hypothesis Supernova Solar system expansion (SSE)

Nebular hypothesis

Where did carbon and iron come from? The big bang Star fusion Nebulas Supernova Black holes

Star fusion

Why are objective observations so important to science? They produce the numbers used in scientific calculations They can be stated by anyone They are 100% free of bias They are helpful in removing bias They can only be done by trained scientists

They are helpful in removing bias

What is unique about the Late Heavy Bombardment? SELECT TWO It was the highest period of impacts in Earth's history It helped form the first ocean basins and continents It caused the first mass extinction It was a series of impacts that occurred well after the planets formed It may have bought a significant amount of water to Earth's surface It remelted planet Earth into magma again

It was a series of impacts that occurred well after the planets formed It may have bought a significant amount of water to Earth's surface

How do elements like gold and uranium form? The big bang Nebulas Star fusion Black holes A supernova

A supernova

Which of the following best matches the word theory? An infallible truth A well-tested idea An educated guess An untested idea An idea that can be tested

A well-tested idea

What age are most of the Earth's cartoons? Paleozoic Proterozoic Mesozoic Archean Cenozoic

Archean

Photosynthesis is responsible for which climate event(s)? Sugars from cyanobacteria in the global oceans 3.5 billion years ago caused cooling Reactions with Banded Iron Formations drew in energy, causing global cooling about 3 billion years ago Oxygen in the atmosphere blocked sunlight after the formation of Rodinia about 1.1 billion years ago An ice age in the Carboniferous, as plants became so productive they drew down carbon dioxide 3.5 billion years ago, when photosynthesis first started, the lack of sun hitting the surface caused a widespread cooling event

An ice age in the Carboniferous, as plants became so productive they drew down carbon dioxide

This time period is known for: first hard parts, a huge evolutionary explosion of diversification, first chordates. The abundance of fossils starting here is so different from older rocks, that the older rocks are all lumped together. What is the name of this time period? Proterozoic Jurassic Devonian Cambrian Cenozoic

Cambrian

What is a leading hypothesis for the formation of life on Earth? SELECT THREE Mineral processes around magma cooling Chemical processes around hydrothermal vents Atmospheric processes around lightning Brought to Earth from comets Evaporation around seawater

Chemical processes around hydrothermal vents Atmospheric processes around lightning Brought to Earth from comets

Which if the following are possible sources of Earth's water? SELECT THREE Comets Moon Meteorites Volcanism Sun Empty space

Comets Meteorites Volcanism

What simple scientific technique did geologists like Hutton, Steno, and Lyell use to draw fundamental geologic conclusions? Performing experiments to replicate the rock record Analyzing the chemistry of the rock record Digging underground to observe three-dimensional structures Comparing ancient rocks/fossils to modern counterparts Using gems and metal deposits to understand geology

Comparing ancient rocks/fossils to modern counterparts

What distinguishes science from pseudoscience? Concepts must be falsifiable to be considered science. Pseudoscience uses experimentation to objectively reach conclusions. Measurements can prove a concept to be correct and scientific. In science, we just know that things are the way they are. Science deals with the mainstream ideas, pseudoscience does not.

Concepts must be falsifiable to be considered science.

Which event most likely occurred first? Oxygen started to accumulate in the atmosphere Dense material sank to form the core The first crust was formed Plate tectonics started Continents formed

Dense material sank to form the core

Why are older rocks from the Archean and Proterozoic harder to determine an age and history? SELECT THREE All volcanoes were different that long ago Erosion destroyed most older rocks Faulting was much more common at that time Little or no fossils to use as age indication Plate tectonics destroyed most older rocks Radioactive decay does not go back that far

Erosion destroyed most older rocks Little or no fossils to use as age indication Plate tectonics destroyed most older rocks

Which of the following is the advantage of inductive reasoning, in contrast with deductive (Aristotelian) reasoning? Use of replication Focus on observation Reasoning is more sound Focus on conclusions Focus on evidence

Focus on evidence

Which of the following are objective statements? SELECT THREE Geology is my major Geology is an important science The blue cupcakes taste better I observed that it rained yesterday The Earth is 4 1/2 billion years old

Geology is my major I observed that it rained yesterday The Earth is 4 1/2 billion years old

What contributed to the heat that made the Earth molten at the beginning of its creation? SELECT THREE Solar radiation Gravity Impacts Gravitational influence of Jupiter Radioactive decay

Gravity Impacts Radioactive decay

Why did Aristotelian empiricism fall out of favor as science advanced? It stated only scholars could progress science It was made illegal by dictators It was based outside the moral fabric of the church It relied on evidence observable by human senses It did not allow theories to change

It relied on evidence observable by human senses

In the scientific method, which step would normally follow observation? Testing/experimentation Theory development Peer review Analysis Hypothesis development

Hypothesis development

As metamorphism progresses and intensifies in the rock cycle, what event or process is likely to take place next? Crystallization Melting Lithification Igneous rock Weathering

Melting

What evidence was found by Galileo that proved the Earth could not be the center of the universe? Moons orbiting around Jupiter Craters on the moon Orbit of Saturn Comet return time Asteroid belt

Moons orbiting around Jupiter

Which layer of the Earth is liquid? Asthenosphere Inner core Outer core Mantle Lithosphere

Outer core

In the scientific method, which of these steps would normally follow experimentation and sharing of results? Hypothesis creation Theory development Hypothesis development Observation Peer review

Peer review

What paradigm shift in geology most changed the way geologists look at the world? Evolution Plate tectonics Extinction Deep time Uniformitarianism

Plate tectonics

Which large chunk of geologic time is characterized by the lack of easy-to-find fossils? Paleozoic Hadean Archean Precambrian Phanerozoic

Precambrian

Which of these assumptions is required for uniformitarianism to hold true? Geologic time is vast and all processes must have occurred slowly. Every geologic process that operated on Earth in the past has to still operate today. Volcanoes and floods and similar landscape-shaping forces must have had the same intensity in the past as they do now. Processes have been following the same set of rules of nature since the beginning of time. The geologic features and layers that we see today were formed by a series of brief catastrophic events

Processes have been following the same set of rules of nature since the beginning of time.

Which three of the following makes a source more credible? Made by scientists who have never been wrong before Produced by an institution with a long history of being trustworthy Inferences clearly distinguished from data in report Made by scientists who have been working for a long time Research was reviewed by peers who have expertise in the field

Produced by an institution with a long history of being trustworthy Inferences clearly distinguished from data in report Research was reviewed by peers who have expertise in the field

Which of the following are the main evidences for the Big Bang Theory? SELECT TWO Distance to other galaxies Redshift in galaxies Number of galaxies Blueshift in galaxies Cosmic background radiation

Redshift in galaxies Cosmic background radiation

Why do scientists prefer quantitative data? The data last longer and can be stored better Easier to look at and think about More aesthetically pleasing Give a higher degree of certainty Reveal trends and used in calculations

Reveal trends and used in calculations

In comparison with other parts of the Earth's crust, cratons are known for their... Thinness Young age High elevation High density Strength

Strength

Where is most of the evidence for the Late Heavy Bombardment found? Ocean floors The Moon Continental shelves Volcanic belts Continental interiors

The Moon

What process made hydrogen? The big bang Black holes Star fusion A supernova Nebulas

The big bang

Science deniers commonly use what three rhetorical arguments? Present alternative scientific data to disprove scientific conclusions The scientific methods are flawed Demand equal time for "balanced" view Attack the scientists personally

The scientific methods are flawed Demand equal time for "balanced" view Attack the scientists personally

Why are rocky planets smaller than gas planets? The sun keeps almost all rock and metal in its core Chemical reactions convert rock to gas in the cold of outer space The pressure of space sucked gas away from the rocky planets Gas near the sun was not allowed to leave the center There was less rock and metal in the nebula that formed the solar system

There was less rock and metal in the nebula that formed the solar system

Which of these is consistent with uniformitarianism? SELECT FOUR A single enormous eruption created the island, caused by an unprecedented type of lava. Today certain clams and corals only live in shallow tropical marine environments. Ancient rocks with coral fossils also must have formed in tropical marine environments. A large asteroid hit the Earth and caused devastation which killed many species, like the dinosaurs. An earthquake moved the ground upward 6 inches. In the previous million years, these earthquakes have made the mountain grow taller. Erosion occurs in the valley every spring when the rains come. By this logic, the valley will be getting deeper every year. Each year, a layer of sediment is laid down. Eventually, a large thickness is made.

Today certain clams and corals only live in shallow tropical marine environments. Ancient rocks with coral fossils also must have formed in tropical marine environments. An earthquake moved the ground upward 6 inches. In the previous million years, these earthquakes have made the mountain grow taller. Erosion occurs in the valley every spring when the rains come. By this logic, the valley will be getting deeper every year. Each year, a layer of sediment is laid down. Eventually, a large thickness is made.

What makes Pluto NOT a planet? Too many other objects nearby in its orbital path It is too small to be a planet It is not round enough Other large objects are even further out It does not have a moon

Too many other objects nearby in its orbital path

Western North America has been tectonically active hundreds of millions of years. When was the last time Eastern North America was active? When Rodinia was formed When Rodinia broke up When Pangea was formed In between Rodinia and Pangea When Pangea broke up

When Pangea broke up

Igneous rocks form by ___________. crystallization erosion lithification melting heat and pressure

crystallization

Deductive reasoning focuses on ____________, while inductive reasoning deals with _____________. observation; intelligence intelligence; inference inference; observation intelligence; observation observation; inference

observation; inference

The observation that "23% of the sandstone is composed of the mineral quartz" is best characterized as a ________ observation. qualitative and objective quantitative and subjective qualitative and deductive qualitative and objective quantitative and deductive quantitative and objective

quantitative and objective