Comprehensive Practice Quiz Flashcards
Our Moon…
a. was a separate small planet before it was captured by the Earth’s gravity.
b. spun off the fast-spinning Earth during the early formation of the Solar System.
c. coalesced from gas and dust in its current place next to the Earth.
d. was formed by the collision of the Earth with a Mars-sized protoplanet.
was formed by the collision of Earth with a Mars-sized protoplanet.
Imagine yourself in a universe that is exhibiting a blue shift of light from distant galaxies. This must mean…
- It’s expanding much faster than our Universe.
- it’s expanding, but in a jerky fashion.
- it’s collapsing.
- it’s in a steady state, neither expanding nor collapsing.
- there’s no such thing as a blue shift of light waves.
it’s collapsing
In the subsurface, nonbiogenic natural gas ________.
a. consists of longer carbon chains as compared to oil
b. is denser than oil and thus will float
c. is generated at higher temperatures than oil
d. is generated at higher temperatures than graphite
c. is generated at higher temperatures than oil
Some landslides include a mixture of loose sediment and debris called ________.
- bedrock
- regolith
- sully
- substratum
Regolith
In a region with prominent orthogonal (perpendicular to each other) sets of joints, a ________ drainage network is expected.
a. dendritic
b. rectangular
c. radial
d. trellis
b. Rectangular
There have been at least three or four times in Earth’s history when ________ formed.
a. Himalayan-style mountain ranges
b. supercontinents
c. divergent plate boundaries
d. continental glaciers
b. Supercontinents
T/F: All the baryonic matter (that matter which can form into atomic nuclei) was formed in the first few seconds following the “Big Bang”.
True
Late Paleozoic glacial deposits are NOT found in which of the following places?
- India
- Southern africa
- North america
- South america
North America
A crater in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula may be the result of an impact that brought about the extinction of numerous dinosaur species at the end of the ________ Period.
a. Silurian
b. Cretaceous
c. Jurassic
d. Tertiary
b. Cretaceous
The Earth’s mantle extends almost halfway to the centre of our planet. It is (complete sentence)
comprised almost entirely of silicates and oxides, Mg (magnesium) and Fe (iron).
A relatively impermeable layer of rock or sediment is termed a(n) ________ in hydrogeologic contexts.
a. aquitard
b. confined aquifer
c. unconfined aquifer
d. unsaturated zone
Aquitard
What is our current best estimate for the age of the Universe?
13.798 billion years
Several geologic principles are used to determine ________ ages
a. relative
b. numerical
c. absolute
d. isotopic
a. Relative
Groundwater ________
A. Does not affect the porosity of rock and sediment through which it flows
B. Uniformly increases porosity due to dissolution of grains
C. Uniformly decreases porosity due to deposition of minerals into pores
D. May increase or decrease porosity through dissolution or deposition
D. may increase or decrease porosity through dissolution or deposition
T/F: A rock is a solid organic substance in which atoms are arranged either in an orderly pattern (crystalline) or as irregularly shaped grains; a mineral is an aggregate (mixture) of rocks.
False
In Wegener’s evidence for continental drift, continents were proposed to fit together, such as the east coast of South America with the ________.
a. west coast of Europe
b. west coast of Greenland
c. east coast of Africa
d. lower west coast of Africa
d. Lower west coast of Africa
Ephemeral streams ________
a. consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment
b. have flowing water either episodically or during only a portion of the year
c. have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy)
d. are those that divert flow from streams they have intersected through stream erosion
b. have flowing water either episodically or during only a portion of the year
Slumps typically arrive ________ at the bottom of a slope.
a. vertically stacked
b. flattened
c. intact
d. jumbled
c. Intact
A buried body of rock that is induced by heat to exude oil is termed a ________ rock.
a. reservoir rock
b. seal rock
c. source rock
Source
The removal of detritus from weathered rock at an outcrop is termed ________.
a. deposition
b. erosion
c. weathering
b. Erosion
At the present, glaciers cover about ________ of the surface of the continents.
a. 1%
b. 5%
c. 10%
d. 25%
c. 10%
Deserts represent ________ of Earth’s surface.
a. 5%
b. 10%
c. 15%
d. 25%
25%
Which of the following would NOT be considered evidence for an orogeny?
a. folded strata
b. disconformities
c. thrust faulting
d. sedimentary basins
b. Disconformities
Earthquakes that occur in a band called the ________ can be used to track the motion of subducted oceanic lithosphere.
a. Wegener belt
b. seismic gap
c. Wadati-Benioff zone
c. Wadati-Benioff zone
The change in organisms over geologic history is known as the ________.
a. biogeochemical cycle
b. biospheric change
c. evolutionary cycle
d. evolution of life
d. Evolution of life
T/F: Roughly 50% of Earth’s surface is covered by oceans and seas
False
T/F: The contemporary explanation of the Big Bang states that early profound changes happened incredibly fast, probably in less than 10-33 seconds following the initial moment at temperatures higher than 1027K.
True
93% of the chemical elements that comprise the Earth could be modelled by the mineral olivine with a 1:1 magnesium-iron ratio. What is the Mg:Fe ratio of the olivine xenoliths that are brought to the surface in basaltic lava flows?
Mg:Fe = 9:1
Material through which water readily flows is termed ________
A. Fluent
B. Porous
C. Permeable
C. Permeable
________ deserts form on the leeward (dry) side of mountain ranges.
a. tropical
b. rain-shadow
c. coastal
d. subtropical
b. Rain-shadow
T/F: In the early Universe, the only two elements in existence were carbon and hydrogen.
False
T/F: The inner core is so hot, it’s liquid, and therefore some seismic waves can’t travel through it.
False
The climate on Earth has changed frequently, with at least ________ times in which Earth experienced icehouse conditions.
a. ten
b. twenty
c. two
d. five
Five
Choose the list that shows rock composition decreasing in silica and increasing in iron and magnesium
A. granite, basalt, peridotite
B. peridotite, basalt, granite
C. basalt, peridotite, granite
D. granite, peridotite, basalt
Granite, basalt, peridotite
A birthdate is an example of a(n) ________ age.
a. relative
b. systematic
c. radiometric
d. isotropic
a. Relative
Which of these simple models best describes Earth’s interior structure?
- A thick solid iron mantle and within it a fluid iron core.
- A hydrogen mantle within which a helium core is growing due to the H → He fusion that maintains the Earth’s internally high temperatures.
- A thick silicate crust underlain by a solid iron mantle.
- A thin rocky crust underlain by a silicate mantle which overlies a fluid iron core with a solid iron core at the centre.
- A very thick (100s of kilometres thick) crust overlying a solid iron core within which exists the convective fluid core that is responsible for Earth’s magnetic field.
A thin rocky crust underlain by a silicate mantle which overlies a fluid iron core with a solid iron core at the centre.
________ provide evidence of past life, and thus help geologists understand how life, and the environments changed throughout Earth’s history.
a. igneous rocks
b. fossils
c. faults
d. strata
b. Fossils
A surface along which rock on opposed sides is offset by an earthquake-induced slip is called a ________.
a. joint
b. fault
c. fold
d. wall
b. Fault
Meandering streams ________
a. consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment
b. have flowing water either episodically or during only a portion of the year
c. have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy)
d. are those that divert flow from streams they have intersected through stream erosion
c. have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy)
In uniform sediments with a relatively constant and gentle slope at the surface, a ________ drainage network is expected.
a. dendritic
b. rectangular
c. radial
d. trellis
a. Dendritic
Which of the following statements about the banded iron formations is true?
a. The BIFs show evidence of an oxygen-poor atmosphere because all of the oxygen was dissolved into the oceans and then precipitated as iron-oxide minerals.
b. The BIFs show evidence of an acidic ocean that forced iron to bond with the oxygen in the water to form iron-oxide minerals.
c. The BIFs show evidence of an oxygen-poor ocean because all the oxygen was trapped in the iron-oxide minerals that make up the formation.
d. The BIFs show evidence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere that forced the oceans to become oxidizing and precipitate iron-oxide minerals.
d. The BIFs show evidence of an oxygen-rich atmosphere that forced the oceans to become oxidizing and precipitate iron-oxide minerals.
Identify the FALSE statement: The Big Bang…
- occurred more than 13 billion years ago.
- cataclysmically exploded matter outward.
- began with all matter and energy concentrated in an infinitesimally small point.
- theory states that at the instant of explosion, everything had so much thermal energy even the smallest atomic pieces couldn’t exist.
- explains how our Solar System developed.
explains how our solar system developed
________ occurs when rocks are pulled apart.
a. tension
b. stress
c. divergence
d. bending
a. Tension
The two most common gases of Earth’s atmosphere and their percentages are
nitrogen (N2), 78%, and oxygen (O2), 21%
T/F: Iron, oxygen, silicon, and potassium make more than 91% of the mass of the whole Earth
False
T/F: The core accounts for most of the volume of Earth.
False
T/F: The Kola Peninsula deep hole is the deepest well ever drilled. It penetrates halfway through the continental crust.
False
Preexisting rock that is subsequently altered to form a metamorphic rock is termed a ________.
a. xenolith
b. protolith
c. source rock
d. phenocryst
b. Protolith
Which of the following types of mass movement often travels as a coherent mass down a curved surface?
a. slump
b. creep
c. rock slide
d. mudflow
a. Slump
________ involves the internal flowing of ice under, generally, solid conditions, via the breaking and reforming of chemical bonds.
a. brittle flowing
b. plastic deformation
c. basal sliding
b. Plastic deformation
Sedimentary rocks can form…
- by the precipitation of minerals from water solution.
- by the cementing together of loose grains of preexisting rock.
- from shell fragments or carbon-rich relics of plants.
- All the possible answers are correct.
All the possible answers are correct.
The geologic time scale is broken into a series of eras, epochs, and periods based mainly on the fossils found in each section. This is an example of ________ dating.
a. radiometric age
b. relative age
c. absolute age
d. paleomagnetic age
b. Relative age
T/F: Basalt and gabbro are fine-grained mafic rocks
False
Important volatiles in magmas include ________.
a. iron- and magnesium-rich minerals, such as olivine
b. potassium and aluminum
c. water and carbon dioxide
d. trinitrotoluene and nitroglycerin
c. Water and carbon dioxide
Geologists distinguish among different types of mass wasting based on factors such as the ________ of the moving material and the rate of movement.
a. weight
b. composition
c. name
d. colour
b. Composition
T/F: Very large atoms, with atomic numbers greater than iron, generally formed in supernoval explosions of large stars
True
Glaciers that move via basal sliding can often undergo surges in which they move at a much faster rate than normal because they ________.
a. are not slowed down by plastic deformation
b. float on a cushion of air like avalanches
c. have minimal frictional contact with bedrock
d. have a larger volume than other glaciers
c. have very low frictional contact with bedrock
The rate of groundwater flow per unit area through a body of rock or sediment depends ________.
a. only on the porosity of the rock or sediment
b. on the slope of the water table and the porosity of the rock or sediment
c. on the slope of the water table and the permeability of the rock or sediment
d. only on the slope of the local water table
b. on the slope of the water table and the porosity of the rock or sediment
Earth is approximately how old?
4.57 billion years
________ deserts occur due to the drying out of air masses over the equatorial rain forests.
a. subtropical
b. rain-shadow
c. polar
d. continental-interior
a. Subtropical
________ commonly serves as a protolith in the formation of slate.
a. limestone
b. sandstone
c. shale
d. slate
c. Shale
Earth’s core is known to be dense and thought to be mostly composed of iron, nickel with small quantities of oxygen, sulphur, silicon and carbon. About what proportion of Earth’s mass is contained within the core?
a. 1/2
b. 1/3
c. 1/4
d. 1/5
b. 1/3
Broadly, metamorphism involves ________.
a. changes in mineralogy and texture in response to heat and stress
b. the settling of crystals in a melt as it cools
c. the cementation of loose grains and the precipitation of new minerals into pore spaces
a. changes in mineralogy and texture in response to heat and stress
Of the three primary forms of subaerial volcanoes, ________ consist of alternating layers of tephra and solidified lava.
a. stratovolcanoes
b. cinder cones
c. shield volcanoes
a. Stratovolcanoes
Life on Earth has changed drastically over time, including the occurrence of ________, which paved the way for the evolution of new species to fill old niches.
a. supercontinents
b. mass extinctions
c. photosynthetic organisms
d. glaciation
b. Mass extinctions
Which of the following is caused by the interaction of the solar wind with magnetic lines of force and gases in polar regions?
a. the Van Allen belts
b. the heliosphere
c. a dipole
d. the aurorae
d. The aurorae
The breakdown of exposed rock into small fragments and dissolved ions is termed ________
a. deposition
b. erosion
c. weathering
d. Weathering
_______ glaciers cover vast areas of land, whereas ________ glaciers are restricted to mountains
a. Alpine; continental
b. Piedmont; cirque
c. Continental; alpine
d. Piedmont; valley
c. Continental; alpine
Lithification, the process by which sediments are turned into sedimentary rocks, includes ________
a. erosion and transportation
b. erosion and deposition
c. transportation and cementation
d. compaction and cementation
d. compaction and cementation
_______ ages are used to set the beginning and end points of eras, epochs, and periods on the geologic time scale
a. radiometric
b. relative
c. isotopic
d. absolute
a. radiometric
Evidence that glaciers once covered an area might include ________
a. till and striations
b. till and grabens
c. backwash and striations
d. backwash and grabens
Till and striations
T/F: Silicon is by far the most abundant element of Earth’s crust by mass proportion; iron is the second most abundant
False
Which of the following features indicates the top of a sedimentary bed, or bed-surface, marker?
- Scour marks
- Fossil footprints
- Graded bedding
- Mud cracks
- All the possible answers are correct
All the possible answers are correct
Which of the following types of mass movement takes place most gradually?
a. slump
b. creep
c. rock sldie
d. mudflow
b. Creep
________ commonly serves as a protolith in the formation of quartzite.
a. limestone
b. sandstone
c. shale
d. slate
b. Sandstone
According to the textbook, the highest recorded temperature on Earth was in a ________.
a. tropical rain forest in Brazil
b. low-latitude, high-elevation desert in Mexico
c. high-latitude, high-elevation desert in Mongolia
d. low-latitude, low-elevation desert in Libya
d. Low-latitude, low-elevation desert in Libya
Rock chalk contains many tiny algae shells and shrimp feces. This is evidence of which depositional environment?
a. lake
b. forest
c. ocean
d. river
c. Ocean
The textural term for a basaltic lava flow that has a smooth, ropy appearance is ________.
a. pahoehoe
b. pumice
c. a’a’
d. ignimbrite
a. Pahoehoe
Identify the FALSE statement:
- Continental crust is less mafic than ocean crust.
- Continental crust can be four times as thick as ocean crust.
- Ocean crust consists of basalt and gabbro; continental crust consists of a great variety of rock types.
- The Moho marks the boundary between the mantle and the core.
- Ocean crust is denser than continental crust
The Moho marks the boundary between the mantle and the core.
Rates of groundwater flow are ________ than stream flow because the water ________.
a. higher; can flow through large caverns
b. higher; does not have any obstacles to overcome
c. lower; contains dissolved ions that slow it down
d. lower; must make its way through tiny pore spaces
Lower; must make its way through tiny pore spaces
What was Edwin Hubble’s important contribution to understanding the evolution of the Universe?
- nothing
- not much
- He showed that galaxies are retreating from Earth and our own Galaxy at a speed that is almost proportional to their distance from us.
- he didn’t do anything
He showed that galaxies are retreating from Earth and our own Galaxy at a speed that is almost proportional to their distance from us.
Nonviolent eruptions characterized by extensive flows of basaltic lava are termed ________.
a. pyroclastic
b. explosive
c. effusive
d. plinian
c. Effusive
Choose the proper listing of detritus terms, grading from smallest to largest
a. silt, pebbles, cobbles, sand, mud
b. mud, silt, sand, pebbles, cobbles
c. cobbles, pebbles, sand, silt, mud
d. sand, silt, mud, cobbles, pebbles
b. mud, silt, sand, pebbles, cobbles
Braided streams ________
a. consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment
b. have flowing water either episodically or during only a portion of the year
c. have a channel that is highly sinuous (curvy)
d. are those that divert flow from streams they have intersected through stream capture
a. consist of a series of intertwined channels that are overloaded with sediment
T/F: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus are the Jovian planets.
False
The point within Earth where an earthquake takes place is termed the ________.
a. epicenter
b. vertex
c. eye of the fault
d. hypocenter (focus)
d. hypocenter (focus)
________ melting occurs at subduction zones because the down-going plate ________.
a. Heat transfer; is extremely hot
b. Heat transfer; creates abundant friction
c. Flux; contains abundant water
d. Decompression; rises toward the surface
c. Flux; contains abundant water
If oil shale is buried deep enough to attain a temperature of 200°C, what is formed?
a. gas
b. oil
c. diamond
d. sedimentary rock
a. Gas
T/F: Sudden fracture of rocks and rapid movements along faults cause earthquakes
True
In 79 C.E., the citizens of Pompeii in the Roman Empire were buried by pyroclastic debris derived from an eruption of ________
a. Mt Olympus
b. Mt Vesuvius
c. Mt St Helens
c. Mt Pelee
Mount Vesuvius
_______ occurs when rocks bend, break, or flow during mountain building
a. stress
b. divergence
c. deforming
d. folding
c. Deforming
An intermediate product in the transformation of snow to glacial ice is ________.
a. flakes
b. crystals
c. firn
d. elsa
Firn
Which organic substance is produced by black organic shale at temperatures below (cooler than) the oil window?
a. natural gas
b. kerogen
c. coal
d. keratin
b. Kerogen
Which of the answers below accurately reflects the following statement? Rock A is older than rock B but is younger than rock C.
Rock C is the oldest, followed by rock A, and then rock B.
T/F: Galileo was the first person to propose the “heliocentric” model of the Solar System.
False
Our Solar System…
- is centrally positioned in the Milky Way Galaxy.
- is held together by the gravitational pulls of Jupiter and Saturn.
- currently consists of nine planets.
- completes one rotation around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years.
completes one rotation around the center of the Milky Way every 250 million years.
Chemically, oil and gas are both ________.
a. pure forms of carbon
b. carbohydrates
c. hydrocarbons
d. carbonates
c. Hydrocarbons
Deserts do not need to be in hot regions; they only need to be ________, for example, deserts can form in cold, dry, ________ regions.
a. humid; polar
b. arid; polar
c. dry; tropical
d. humid; subtropical
b. Arid; polar
What is our current best estimate of the age of the formation of Earth?
4.567 billion years
Force-per-unit area is termed ________.
a. pressure
b. stress
c. force
d. mass
b. Stress
Identify the TRUE statement:
- gypsum and halite are evaporite minerals
- both chert and limestone may have either chemical or biochemical origin
- flint, jasper, agate, and petrified wood are all varieties of the siliceous rock chert
- chemical sedimentary rocks are crystalline in texture
- all the possible answers are correct
all the possible answers are correct
T/F: Roughly 80% of the earthquake energy released on Earth comes in the continental collision zone where the Himalayas are still growing; the remaining 20% is scattered at random locations worldwide
False
