Final- Past Exam/quiz questions Flashcards
Which is NOT one of the major mechanisms that drives tectonic plate movement
mantle plumes
molecular ion that builds silicate minerals as shown in figure below with one silicon atom and four oxygen atom bonded
SIlicon-Oxygen- silica- tetrahedon
tectonic seting- long continuous rift valley within a continent that experiences volcanism and earthquakes
divergence where the continent is rifting apart
What statement is NOT correct about lithosphere
it is outer most compositional layer of earth
When global warming thaws permafrost this leads to decay and oxidation of once frozen organic matter causing carbon dioxide and methane to be released into atmosphere resulting in further global warming. This is an example of
a positive feedback mechanism.
Earth’s atmosphere is warmed up as greenhouse gases trap
only outgoing thermal IR radiating from Earth’s surface.
over time silicate minerals, like granites, will break down intp clay and dissolved components- this example of what weathering process
hydrolysis
a sedimentary rock which contains environment clues such as grey-green mudstones with laminations and freshwater fossils- most likely indicate which depositional environment
lacustrine (lake)
What is the correct interpretation of the cause for seismic S-wave paths abruptly ending at the Mantle-Core boundary which results in an S-wave shadow zone?
S-waves can’t travel through the liquid outer core because they have a searing motion.
when part of eruption column collapses it produces what type of volcanic hazard descriped as hot gass and pyroclastic material which travel down steep volcanoes
pyroclastic flow
Which is incorrect description for given rock type
igneous rock form from alteration of preexisting rocks due to changes in temp and/or pressure
With global warming, changes to the ocean circulation (ocean conveyor belt) can be caused by which of the following
Warming of ocean temperatures
influx of freshwater
which volcano would you expect to produce a more global impacting eruption
stratovolcano
Which of the following is considered a reservoir where elements are stored int he Earth System? Choose all that apply.
Plants
Ocean
what is the correct paring of mineral group and anion complex
silicates- siO4
Carbonate- CO3
Halides- Halogen
shield volcanoes have low/gentle slopes primarily because
low viscosity lava spreads out and downhill for longer distances before cooling
Which statement is INORRECT about radiocarbon dating?
It involves nitrogen -14 isotope decaying to the carbon-14 isotope.
for clasic sedimentary rocks, what is NOT a trend in grain characteristics as it gets transported farther
sediment grain side range gets bigger, so more poorly sorted
What does presence of index mineral, garnet, in schist indicate
rock has experienced a greater degree of metamorphism (high grade metamorphism) with higher pressure and temperatures
Rocks can be made of one or multiple kinds of minerals
true
What is the most abundant component of Earth’s atmosphere?
Nitrogen
what statement about earth’s layers is INCORRECT
outer core is solid while inner core is liquid
Which is NOT one of the common greenhouse gases?
sulfur dioxide
what process is when a molten planet with a uniform distribution of material, like early earth, sepateates into lauyers of different density- desner at bottom and less at top
Differentiation
TRUE of FALSE: Higher air temperatures allow for greater moisture capacity in the atmosphere, increasing the potential for more extreme weather events.
True
magma comp (amount of silica) and temperature controls which of the following?
magma viscosity
Which played a role in the global cooling trend in the Cenozoic starting ~40Ma? Choose all that apply
The opening of Drake’s passage developing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
The continental collision of Indian-Asian forming Himalayan Mountains
Which statement about seismic waves is correct?
Primary waves are the fastest seismic waves and move through rock via compression.
What is NOT a secondary hazard caused by earthquakes?
Volcanic eruptions caused by magma moving in the crust generating shallow earthquakes.
metamorphic rock texture refers to
shape and orientation of mineral grains
what is NOT a process that mineral crystals can form by
decompression
true or false: Normal faults are associated with mountain building at convergent tectonic settings.
False
Which of the following is INCORRECT about Milankovitch Cycles?
It influences the Carbon cycle and other chemical cycles of Earth’s system.
what is NOT direct evidence of direction and rate of tectonic plate movement
fossil distributions and glacial evidene
which volcano has steep symmetric slopes, formed mostly by moderate to high viscosity magma, and reach elevation high enough the tops are often covered in snow
stratovolcano
Which is the primary agent of sediment transport
water
which of following is INCORRECT about batholiths
mostly mafic in composition
The boundary between the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic is defined by which event?
a mass extinction called the Great Dying event
Choose all that are CORRECT about the Cambrian Explosion.
occurred soon after (several 10s of millions of years) a massive increase in oxygen concentration in Earth’s atmosphere
referred to the sudden appearance of a large diversity of hard bodied animals in the fossil record
The _________ is when gasses in Earth’s atmosphere prevents heat from Sun’s energy or Earth’s heat from escaping into space.
greenhouse effect
Which one of the following is indirect evidence in the rocks that has been left behind by an organism indicating its behavior, such as burrows and footprints?
Trace fossils
Fossils occur in strata in a definite, determinable order because what is a linear process?
Evolution
What is correct explanation for why the ocean’s crust contains alternating strong and weak magnetic stripes
strong and weak magnetic signals reflect the fliping of Earth’s magnetic field direction, sometimes pointing north and sometimes pointing south throughout earth’s history
Which statement about carbonate minerals is false
carbonate minerals are composed of cations bonded with the carbonate ion which is a silicon atom bonded with four oxygen atoms
when two atoms have same electronegativity, they will share electrons forming which type of bond
covalent
Who determined the age of the Earth to be 4.55 billion years using uranium/lead dating technique from meteorite samples with a mass spectrometer?
Clair Patterson
what would you NOT expect to precede volcanic eruption
decrease in heat flow from volcano
Initial melting associaed with subduction zones is result opf
flux melting due to addition of water in minerals of the subducting plate to mantle
Which of following is NOT a common metamorphic process
complete remelting of rock
true or false: Faults are the places in the crust where ductile deformation occurs as two blocks of rocks move relative to one another.
False
comparing metamorphic and deformation for varois setting, what is LEAST likely to occur along mid-ocean spreading center
shearing along deep faults
what is NOT a rule that defines a true mineral
must be human-made
what is a theory
well-tested and generally accepted explanation for some observed natural phenomena
what does progression from slaty cleavage to bandage indicate
metamorphic grade increasing
Which of these is most likely to be a biochemical sedimentary rock
limestone
When a section of a fault is determined to have a seismic gap, this means
That section of the fault has a higher chance of an earthquake to occur because it is locked and building stress.
Which is NOT part of the geological carbon cycle?
Living organisms consume carbon dioxide from atmosphere through photosynthesis and take that carbon to make their tissues and substances.
What best describes tranform boundaries
tectonic plates move horizontally sliding past each other in opposite directions
Which statement is the correct description of a dome?
It is a symmetrical to semi-symmetrical upwarping of rock beds. The rock layers tilt downwards away from the feature’s center, and the rocks get older towards the center.
which type of rock is formed from loose sediments
clastic sedimentary rocks
According to the Elastic Rebound Theory of the earthquake cycle, when do rocks along a fault have the highest amount of stored elastic energy?
right before an earthquake
What was NOT evidence which Alfred Wegener has used to support his continental drift hypothesis
seafloor spreading
What would you examine on a seismogram to help you calculate the distance of the seismic station and the earthquake’s epicenter?
The P-wave and S-wave arrival time
this volcanic feature is formed when magma evolves to highest viscosity and piles up at volcano central vent acting like plug
lava dome
Isostasy and crust
higher the elevation, thicker crust
What are the factor(s) that increase the chance of an organism getting preserved as a fossil? Choose all that apply.
if the organism had hard parts, like bones
how fast it was buried
which of following is INCORRECT protolith to metamorphic rock pair
Basalt metamorphoses to Gabbro
Choose which statement about strike-slip faults is NOT correct.
The structures that form from transpression or trenstension are known as plant structures.
The development of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the continental collision of Indian-Asian forming Himalayan Mountains, and subduction-related volcanism forming the Isthmus of Panama resulting in reduced heat transfer from the tropics to the poles all played a role in what climate event?
Global cooling in the Cenozoic to the present
Which tectonic setting is more likely to produce the largest magnitude earthquakes, the deepest earthquakes, and where earthquakes along the plate boundary can generate tsunamis?
Subduction zones
which type of metamorphism that has high temp and low pres. conditions and produce non-foliated metamorphic rocks
contact metamorphism
Nicholas steno proposed concept that undistrubed layers of rock, oldest layers at bottom and youngest on top- what law is this
law of superposition
which is an INCORRECT statement about subduction
the tectonic plate with continental crust is always subducted because it is denser than oceanic crust
which of following describes the complete series of processes in clastic sedimentary rock formation in correct order
Weathering- erosion- transport- deposition- lithifcation- diagenesis
what type of metamorphism occurs over wide range of temp and pres. over wide geographic area, associated with convergent setting where mountain building, produce foliated rock
regional metamorphism
cyclical process of continents breaking apart and reassembling throughtout Earth’s history due to plate tectonic processes
WIlson cyc;e
which is CORRECT about decompression melting
it is when melt forms from decrease in pressure of rising hot mantle
The boundary between the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras is defined by which event?
K-T extinction event where dinosaurs died off
silicate mienrals are the most common rock forming mineral becausw
oxygen and silicon are the most abundant elements of the crust
what is reason why amber is not a true mineral
amber is organic because it began as tree sap
large or long-lasting volcanic eruptions, like flood basalts or supervolcanic eruptions, can cause climate change from
gasses and ash/dust which are put into the atmosphere during an eruption
as magma cools minerals crystallize out causing a change in remaining magma comp. what is it called
fractional crystallization
If mineral has no cleavage, what would you expect how the mineral will break
mineral will fracture, sometime conchoidally
in hot spot volcanic island chain, such as hawaiian islands, what is true
ages of and distance between volcanoes can be used to calcuate plae velocities
which of following are most likely to preserve conditions of ancient environments of earth
sedimentary rocks
One proxy indicator of climate involves analyses of ancient atmosphere’s chemistry in tiny trapped air bubbles from which of the following?
ice core
Permineralization
when an organism is buries and then elements in groundwater completely impregnate all spaces within the body, even cells and replacing the orignal material
Which would you need to determine the location of an earthquake’s epicenter by triangulation? choose all that apply.
The arrival times of S-waves and P-waves recorded by seismometers.
Seismic records from at least three seismic stations.
carbonization
fossils occur when organisms are compressed and only the carbon remains and providing a carbon silhouette of organism
A geologist comes across an outcrop with a large unconformity. What can be interpreted by this observation?
There was an erosional event that formed the unconformity.
The rise in sea level, due to global warming, is largely a result of which? choose all that apply.
Melting of glaciers.
Thermal expansion of sea water.
Why did the Great Oxygenation event have a significantly smaller increase in oxygen concentrations in the atmosphere compared to the Second Oxygenation event?
A lot of oxygen was being drawn out of the atmosphere due to chemical reactions of mass oxidation of terrestrial rocks and deposits of banded Iron formations.
What evidence do we have that proves anthropogenic fossil fuel burning rather than changes in rock weathering or volcanic activity are responsible for major CO2 changes in the atmosphere in the last two centuries?
The ratios of carbon isotopes in the atmosphere indicate the source
lower amounts of silica and a greater abundance of Fe, Mg, and Ca-rich silicates define what kind of igneous rock
Mafic
which of following is involved in turning some sediment into lithified sedimentary rock
cementation and compaction
How fast do plates move relative to one another
centimeters per year
what is NOT considered a test that help identify a mineral
euhedral or anhedral
Which of the following are causes for Carbon cycle imbalance that can lead to climate change? There may be more than one answer.
Periods of significant mountain-building events causing an increase in rock weathering
Long periods of above average volcanic activity
what tectonic setting is- broad high topographic region within continent that contains broad mountaing with no volcanism- but earthquakes do
convergence where crust is thickening due to continental collision
Which is not a factor that determine the amount of shaking a place will experience from an earthquake?
Resonance: when seismic wave frequency matches a building’s natural shaking frequency which will increase the shaking intensity.
Halite like other halide and sulfate salts form when water evaporates. What can you conclude from this statement?
Halide and sulfate salts can form in arid (dryer desert) environment
Oxygen isotope records (18O/16O) data from corals, microorganisms, and ice cores are used as a proxy for
Past global temperature
What are the physical expressions of the energy released create when rocks slip along a fault generating an earthquake?
seismic waves
Gas concentration measurements collected on volcanoes are what type of data
Quantitative
the present is the key to the past - what concept does this refer to
law of uniformitarianism
compared with low grade metamorphic rocks, high grade rocks are
produced at greater temp and rpes.
which of following statements about metamorphism is FALSE
metamorphism involves melting of existing rocks to form new minerals
true or false: The Modified Mercalli Intensity scale is a qualitative rating based on observations and people’s perceptions of structural damage and ground-shaking unlike the magnitude of an earthquake which is a quantitative measurement of the energy released.
true
what mienral property is considered a special property
acid test
flourescence
which is correct order from weakest to strongest of atomic bonds
intermolecular, metallic, ionic, covalent
molds and casts
when original material of organism dissolves and leaves a cavity in the surrounding rock
actual preservation (unaltered remains)
a rare form of fossilization where the original materials or hard parts of organisms are preserved
