Exam 2 Flashcards

1
Q

By the time sediments reach the ocean basins, they have become:

A

well rounded and well sorted

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2
Q

which mineral is commonly used to determine a metamorphic P-T path?

A

garnet

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3
Q

Which of the following tectonic settings will be coolest at 30-KM depth?

A

stable continental lithosphere

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4
Q

Which of the following rocks represents the highest metamorphic grade?

A

Gneiss

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5
Q

Which is the type of metamorphism with the highest pressure and lowest temperature from these choices…

A

shock

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6
Q

Reverse faults form in response to _____ forces

A

compressive

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7
Q

The study of the layers in sedimentary rocks is known as:

A

stratigraphy

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8
Q

Phyllite is a rock of which type of metamorphism:

A

low grade

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9
Q

The dip of a unit represents the:

A

angle at which the bed inclines from the horizontal

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10
Q

What type of material undergoes smooth, continuous plastic deformation?

A

Ductile

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11
Q

An anticline is a sequence of folded rocks with the youngest rocks on the inside of the fold

A

False

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12
Q

The difference between a fault and a joint is that _________.

A

Rocks on either side of a fault have moved, whereas rocks on either side of a joint have remained stationary

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13
Q

Which of the following statements about rock deformation is false?

A

Rocks under low surrounding pressure are more likely to deform ductilely than rocks under high surrounding pressure.

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14
Q

The Principle of Superposition states that ______

A

undisturbed sedimentary layers get progressively younger

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15
Q

The half life of a radioactive isotope is _______

A

the time it takes of half atoms to decay

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16
Q

Radiometric dating is possible if a rock contains a measurable amount of ________

A

both parent and daughter atoms

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17
Q

Which of the following is the largest division of geologic time?

A

Eon

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18
Q

Under intense pressure and high temperature, hydrogen atoms combine to form helium. This process is called:

A

nuclear fusion

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19
Q

The hypothesis that explains the formation of the solar system is referred to as_______

A

nebular hypothesis

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20
Q

What caused dust and condensing material to accrete into planetesimals?

A

gravitational attractions

21
Q

The 4 inner planets are

A

small, rocky, and relatively lacking in volatile elements

22
Q

What mountain chain runs along the eastern margin of North America?

A

The Appalachians

23
Q

What are the five Tectonic Ages?

A

Archaean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

24
Q

What is meant by the tectonic age of a region?

A

The youngest major deformation event in the region

25
Describe the Wilson cycle order
Continental rifting, continent-continent collision, subduction, rifting
26
Cratonic keels are ______
thicker under continents
27
What is metasomatism?
A change in the bulk composition of a rock during metamorphism
28
What type of metamorphism is caused by igneous intrusions?
Contact Metamorphism
29
Which of the following processes will cause metamorphism?
Increase in temperature and pressure plus an interaction with hydrothermal fluids
30
At what type of plate tectonic boundary would you expect shearing forces to occur?
Transform
31
What determines whether a rock deforms in a brittle fashion versus a ductile fashion?
Temperature, rate of deformation, rock type
32
Which of the following is used by geologists to determine the relative ages in a rock sequence?
cross-cutting relationships, fossils, stratigraphy
33
Which is the most likely parent rock of marble?
Limestone
34
Purely tensional stresses associated with a _________ plate boundary will generate a _______ fault.
Divergent; normal
35
When considering the effects of faulting on the lithosphere, it is clear that normal faults serve to effectively:
Thin and extend the crust
36
When did the Mesozoic era begin?
250 million years ago
37
Which planet is closest in size to earth?
Venus
38
Current evidence indicates that the Moon was produced by:
The collision of a Mars-sized body with Earth
39
Which list places the four inner planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun?
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
40
Cratons are made up of
platforms and shields
41
The study of geobiology is defined as _________.
The study of how organisms influence and are influenced by Earth's environment.
42
The radiation of life at the beginning of the Phanerozoic is known as the _______
Cambrian Explosion
43
Organisms that gain energy from feeding directly or indirectly on "producers" are referred to as ___________.
heterotrophs
44
The pathway through which a chemical element or molecule moves between the biologic and environmental components of an ecosystem is called the _______.
biogeochemical cycle
45
In which geologic environment would you expect to find thermophiles?
mid-ocean ridge
46
Sedimentary features that form from the interaction of microbes with their environment are called __________.
Stromatolites
47
Photosynthesis arose in a group of bacteria knows as __________.
cyanobacteria
48
Which is older, the intrusion or fault?
intrusion
49
which principle do you use to identify the oldest rocks unit?
superposition