Quiz 2, Part 2

Which of the following is the fuel for continental drift and plate tectonics? a. nuclear fusion b. radioactive decay c. solar energy d. chemical reactions in Earth's core

b. radioactive decay

A guiding principle of modern science is the principle of uniformitarianism-as opposed to catastrophism. a. True b. False

a. True

Earth's magnetic field has reversed nine times in the last four million years. a. True b. False

a. True

Ocean floor is created along midocean ridges. a. True b. False

a. True

Which of the following is not true of geothermal energy? a. It could be used everywhere. b. It's in use in Iceland, Japan, and California. c. Loss of aquifer pressure and groundwater drawdown can reduce production over time. d. It can be used to produce both heat and electricity.

a. It could be used everywhere.

Endogenic processes cause warping, folding, faulting, and uplift of Earth's surface. a. True b. False

a. True

The oldest rocks on Earth are between 3.96 and 4.3 billion years old. a. True b. False

a. True

What type of rock is derived from the bits and pieces of former rocks? a. sedimentary b. metamorphic c. igneous d. hydrothermal

a. sedimentary

If you were driving down the highway and saw mountains composed of layered strata, you could be confident that you were looking at a. sedimentary rocks. b. extrusive igneous rock. c. a shield volcano. d. batholiths or laccoliths.

a. sedimentary rocks.

According to currently accepted scientific theories, Earth is never affected by catastrophes. a. True b. False

b. False

Earth's magnetic field is generated from within the entire planet, rather than in a specific region of Earth's interior. a. True b. False

b. False

Ocean floor is continuously destroyed in rift zones. a. True b. False

b. False

The deepest places in the ocean are those in which rifting occurs. a. True b. False

b. False

Uniformitarianism holds that all geologic change affecting Earth's surface requires immense amounts of time to occur. a. True b. False

b. False

25. The ancient roots of mountains are usually composed of __________ rocks. a. sedimentary b. metamorphic c. igneous

b. metamorphic

Coal is a fossil fuel formed from a. dead marine organisms. b. plant remains c. metamorphosed mafic minerals. d. blue-green algae.

b. plant remains

Which of the following is true? a. The age of the sea floor is the same in most areas of the ocean. b. The age of the sea floor does not follow a discernable pattern. c. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge. d. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a trench. e. The oldest sea floor material is several billion years in age.

c. The age of the sea floor increases with increasing distance from a midocean ridge.

Which of the following supports the continental drift concept? a. magnetic field patterns preserved in the rocks b. plant and animal fossil records c. radiometric dating of rocks on either side of a spreading center d. All of these support the theory. e. None of these is valid evidence of continental drift.

d. All of these support the theory.

The presence of 180-million-year-old salt domes in the Gulf Coast region of the United States indicates that a. the area was once volcanically active. b. the area was subjected to plate collisions which caused metamorphism to occur. c. subsidence is now occurring due to the withdrawal of magma from the region. d. a sea used to cover the area but subsequently evaporated. e. None of these

d. a sea used to cover the area but subsequently evaporated.

The magma, which fuels and produces the volcanic activity around the Pacific Ring of Fire, is derived from the a. magma extruded from rift zones, which are developing along the Pacific Rim. b. rise of material that was melted in subduction zones along the Pacific margins. c. rise of magma from hot spots, such as those which formed the Hawaiian Islands. d. rise of magma along transform faults.

b. rise of material that was melted in subduction zones along the Pacific margins.