Final review Flashcards
A _ is formed when magma intrudes between existing sedimentary layers
dike
sill
stream
inclusion
sill
The loess in western China was derived from windblown, glacial rock flour.
True
False
False
which of the following statements regarding radioactive decay is true?
more daughter products accumulate over time
less daughter products accumulate over time
more daughter products accumulate over time
if one half-life has lapsed, what is the radioactive parent to stable daughter isotope ratio?
50:50
What era are we currently in?
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Precambrian
Paleozoic
cenozoic
Which era of geologic time spans about 88 percent of Earth’s history?
Mesozoic
Cenozoic
Precambrian
Paleozoic
Precambrian
true or false:
The fossil record is biased toward preserving organisms with hard parts.
true
True or false:
the first life on earth developed during the Cambrian Period.
false
Worldwide, the largest percentage of freshwater readily available to humans is stored in?
Pore spaces between rocks and sediment
What percentage of earths liquid freshwater is in the form of groundwater?
94%
What percentage of Earths water is in the form of groundwater?
0.62%
In terms of freshwater storage, groundwater is second only to which of the following sources?
lakes
rivers
glaciers
water table
glaciers
True or false
Groundwater migrates from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure
false
Are records of seismic waves
seismograph
seismogram
time-travel graph
epigraph
Seismograms
A few sections of the San Andreas Fault exhibit a slow, gradual displacement known as_.
fault slump
fault creep
fault creep
True or false:
Tsunamis travel as a single wave across the ocean
False
Sun + Moon =
Spring Tide
Neap Tide
Spring Tide
Sun - Moon =
Spring Tide
Neap Tide
Neap Tide
Extra high tides caused by gravity from the sun and moon are called
Spring Tide
Neap Tide
Spring tides
Extra low tides caused when there is least difference between high tide and low tide are called
Spring Tide
Neap Tide
Neap tides
A scientific theory is a tentative or untested explanation that is proposed to explain scientific observations.
True
False
False
The ________ forms the relatively cool, brittle plates of plate tectonics.
asthenosphere
lithosphere astrosphere eosphere
lithosphere
According to the rock cycle, any type of rock (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) may be transformed into another type of rock, given enough time.
True False
True
In sedimentary rocks, lithification includes ________.
compaction and cementation cementation and weathering compaction and transportation crystallization and cooling
compaction and cementation
Internally, the Earth consists of spherical shells with different compositions and densities.
True False
True
The ________ is not a part of the Earth’s physical environment.
solid Earth
astrosphere hydrosphere atmosphere
astrosphere
The asthenosphere ________.
is a subdivision of the outer core is a zone of strong material exists below a depth of 100 kilometers exists below a depth of 700 kilometers
exists below a depth of 100
The asthenosphere is actually a part of the ________ of the Earth.
outer core
crust
inner core
mantle
mantle
The ________ division of the geologic time scale is an era of the Phanerozoic eon.
Paleocene
Paleozoic
Permian
Proterozoic
Paleozoic
During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, direct observations showed that a glacier in Switzerland flowed forward in the downhill direction while its snout (terminus) was retreating higher up the valley. Which of the following explains these observations in a rational, scientific way?
Cooler temperatures meant slower forward glacier flow resulting in snout retreat.
The glacial hypothesis was finally accepted as a scientific theory.
Rocky debris in the valley downhill from the snout was deposited by Noah
’
s flood.
The melting rate of ice in the glacier exceeded the rate at which new snow and ice were added to the glacier.
The melting rate of ice in the glacier exceeded the rate at which new snow and ice were added to the glacier.
The ________ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in the Earth’s interior.
inner core
lithosphere
mantle
outer core
outer core
All of the following are possible steps of scientific investigation except for
the collection of scientific facts through observation and measurement assumption of conclusions without prior experimentation or observation the development of one or more working hypotheses or models to explain facts development of observations and experiments to test the hypotheses
assumption of conclusions without prior experimentation or observation the development of one or more working hypotheses or models to explain facts development of observations and experiments to test the hypotheses
The proposes that the bodies of our solar system formed at essentially the same time from a rotating cloud of
gases and dust.
Big Bang theory
Plate Tectonics theory
Nebular hypothesis
Heliocentric theory
Nebular hypothesis
The most prominent feature on the ocean floor are the
deep-ocean trenches
oceanic ridges
seamounts
lava plateaus
oceanic ridges
Seafloor spreading rates can be estimated if the geologic ages of the magnetic field reversals are independently
known.
True
False
False
Avery long-lived magma source located deep in the mantle is called a
magma welt
basalt spout
melt well
hot spot
hot spot
Linear, magnetic patterns associated with mid-ocean ridges are configured as
concentric circles about a rising plume of hot mantle rocks and magma
reversed magnetizations along the rift valleys and normal magnetizations along the ridge
normal and reversed magnetized strips roughly parallel to the ridge
normal and reversed magnetized strips roughly perpendicular to the ridge axis
normal and reversed magnetized strips roughly parallel to the ridge
Deep-oceanic trenches are most abundant around the rim of the _____ocean basin.
Atlantic
Indian
Arctic
Pacific
Pacific
Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at
subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries
transform fault zones along divergent plate boundaries
rift zones along mid-ocean ridges
sites of long-lived, hot spot volcanism in the ocean basins
subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries
Which one of the following most accurately describes the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands?
stratovolcanoes associated with subduction and a convergent plate boundary
shield volcanoes fed by a Long-Lived hot spot below the Pacific Lithospheric plate
shield volcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific ridge and spreading center
stratovolcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific transform fault
shield volcanoes fed by a Long-Lived hot spot below the Pacific Lithospheric plate
Which of the following statements apply to the asthenosphere, but not the lithosphere?
zone in the upper mantle that deforms by plastic flowage
cool, rigid Layer of crust and upper mantle that forms the tectonic plates
deforms mainly by brittle fracturing and faulting
partial melting of rising granitic plumes produces huge volumes of basaltic magma
zone in the upper mantle that deforms by plastic flowage
The volcanoes and deep valleys of east Africa are related to a
continental rift along which parts of the African continent are beginning to slowly separate
fault allowing Arabia to slip westward past east Africa and penetrate into Turkey
transform fault aligned with the Red Sea carrying the Arabian and African blocks in opposite directions
continental collision zone between Africa and the Zagros Mountains along the southern margin of Eurasia
continental rift along which parts of the African continent are beginning to slowly separate
Early results of the Deep Sea Drilling Project clearly justified the conclusion that
the oceans have not always contained most of Earth’s water
the ocean basins are relatively young; most ocean basin rocks and sediments are Cretaceous or younger in
age
Proterozoic rocks are found only as seamounts in the deepest parts of the ocean basins
the youngest sediments were deposited directly on the oldest seafloor basalts
the ocean basins are relatively young; most ocean basin rocks and sediments are Cretaceous or younger in
age
The Himalayan Mountains are the tectonic product of a collision between India and Eurasia that began in Eocene time and still continues.
True
False
True
New oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at
divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of rhyolitic magma
convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of rhyolitic magma
divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of basaltic magma
convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of basaltic magma
divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of basaltic magma
An extensive, late Paleozoic glaciation affected southern India, southern Africa and southeastern South America.
True
False
True
In general, rocks of the continental crust are Less dense than rocks of the oceanic crust.
True
False
True
Which one of the following is an important fundamental assumption underlying the plate tectonic theory?
Earth’s magnetic field originates in the outer core.
Earth’s diameter has been essentially constant over time.
Radioactive decay slows down at the extreme pressures of the inner core.
Earth’s ocean basins are very old and stable features.
Earth’s diameter has been essentially constant over time.
Calcite and halite react with dilute acids to evolve carbon dioxide.
True
False
False
What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?
silicate
native gold
diamond
muscovite
diamond
How do the electrons behave in a mineral with metallic bonding?
They are tightly bound to certain atoms and cannot readily move.
They can move relatively easily from atom to atom inside the mineral.
They react with protons to make neutrons in the outer valence shells.
They move to adjacent negative ions, forming positive ions.
They can move relatively easily from atom to atom inside the mineral.
Which of the following best characterizes ferromagnesian silicates?
They contain iron and magnetite, are black in color, and they have metallic lusters.
They are black to dark-green silicate minerals containing iron and magnesium.
They contain magnetite and ferroite, and they are clear to Light green.
They are mostly clear, colorless, and rich in the elements magnesium and ferrium.
They are black to dark-green silicate minerals containing iron and magnesium.
Nonmetallic minerals like quartz and gypsum have no industrial uses.
True
False
False
Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of rocks.
A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidated aggregate of different rock particles.
In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
Which carbonate mineral reacts readily with cool, dilute hydrochloric acid to produce visible bubbles of carbon dioxide gas?
calcite
quartz
dolomite
plagioclase
calcite
Which one of the following describes a mineral’s response to mechanical impact?
luster
cleavage
streak
crystal form
cleavage
Which of the following minerals is a silicate?
hematite
muscovite
calcite
halite
muscovite
Which of the following is correct for isotopes of the same element?
The atoms have different numbers of protons and the same number of neutrons.
The atoms have the same number of electrons and different numbers of protons.
The atoms have different numbers of neutrons and the same number of protons.
The atoms have different numbers of electrons but the same number of neutrons.
The atoms have different numbers of neutrons and the same number of protons.
In which type of chemical bonding are electrons shared between adjacent atoms?
ionic
subatomic
covalent
isotopic
covalent
Atoms of the same element, zinc for example, have the
same number of electrons in the nucleus
protons in the nucleus
neutrons in the outer nuclear shell
electrons in the valence bond level
protons in the nucleus
All silicate minerals contain which two elements?
iron, silicon
silicon, sodium
oxygen, carbon
silicon, oxygen
silicon, oxygen
Which one of the following is a typical product of weathering?
micas
ferromagnesians
feldspars
clays
clays
Which of the following has the highest specific gravity?
wood
water
gold
quartz
gold
A(n) texture represents a single, Long period of cooling and crystallization.
glassy
pyroclastic
aphanitic
phaneritic
phaneritic
Consider the Bowen’s reaction series. Which mineral would you expect to see as a phenocryst in a porphyritic basalt?
olivine
quartz
orthoclase
sodium-rich plagioclase
olivine
___ is thought to be common in the Earth’s mantle but rare in the crust?
Pumice
Granite
Pegmatite
Peridotite
Peridotite
A is an open cavity in a volcanic rock that was filled by a gas bubble when the Lava was still mainly Liquid.
porphyrocryst
vesicle
phenocryst
xenocryst
vesicle
Bowen’s reaction series predicts the sizes of the different mineral grains that grow from crystallizing magmas.
True
False
False
Peg matites are smaller volume, intrusive bodies with glassy textures.
True
False
False
WITH PICTURE
magma cools and consolidates without growth of mineral grains
Answer: Minerals do grow when magma cools and consolidates.
___ often contain gem-quality crystals of minerals such as beryl and tourmaline and high concentrations of
relatively rare elements such as Lithium, boron, and beryllium?
Welded tuff sheets
Basaltic lavas
Granitic pegmatites
Diorite plutons
Granitic pegmatites
Which of the following minerals crystallize early in Bowen’s reaction series?
biotite
quartz
olivine
muscovite
olivine
The sizes, shapes, and arrangements of mineral grains in an igneous rock are known as
silica content
texture
mineral content
Bowen’s reaction series
texture
Olivine and quartz commonly crystallize together from mafic or basaltic magmas.
True
False
False
___ is named fora prominent, volcanic mountain range in western South America.
Basalt
Andesite
Pegmatite
Peridotite
Andesite
Which of the following best describes an aphanitic texture?
The rock is crystalline; mineral grains are too small to be visible without a magnifying Lens or microscope.
The mineral grains have glassy textures.
The rock consists of broken, volcanic-rock and mineral fragments.
The rock is crystalline; mineral grains are of distinctly different sizes.
The rock is crystalline; mineral grains are too small to be visible without a magnifying Lens or microscope.
The last minerals to crystallize on Bowen’s Reaction Series result in igneous rocks with a___ composition.
felsic
intermediate
mafic
ultramafic
felsic
___ destroyed the city of St. Pierre, Martinique in 1902.
Mudflows
Basaltic Lava flows
Heavy ashfall
A nuee ardente
A nuee ardente
Basaltic Lavas are generally hotter and more viscous than andesite Lavas.
True
False
False
Which kind of volcanism is typical of mid-oceanic ridge systems?
explosive; composite cones
submarine; basaltic lava flows
fissure eruptions; flood basalts fields
explosive; rhyolitic, pyroclastic flows
submarine; basaltic lava flows
Which of the following best describes seamounts and islands of the deep ocean basins?
Huge granite bathoLiths intruded beneath the ocean floor.
Piles of basaltic Lava flows built up from the ocean floor by multiple, summit and flank eruptions.
Andesitic pyroclastic rocks submerged when the mountains sank below sea Level.
Domed gabbro intrusions and massive, submarine, rhyolitic, pyroclastic cones.
Piles of basaltic Lava flows built up from the ocean floor by multiple, summit and flank eruptions.
Which of the following is associated with deep mantle hot spots?
Vesuvius and the other volcanoes of Italy
the volcanoes of Hawaii and Quaternary activity in Yellowstone National Park
the very young cinder cones scattered across the southwestern United States
Mount St. Helens and other volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains
the volcanoes of Hawaii and Quaternary activity in Yellowstone National Park
The Columbia Plateau in Washington and Oregon is
a flood basalt plateau
a thick stack of welded-tuff layers
a caldera filled with rhyolite lava flows
a field of Large stratovolcanoes
a flood basalt plateau
Which of the following statements best describes the big Hawaiian volcanoes?
They Lie directly above a transform plate boundary that cuts deeply into the mantle.
They lie directly above an active subduction zone where the Pacific plate is sinking into the mantle.
They Lie along the crest of the East Pacific Rise, a mid-ocean ridge or spreading center.
They are situated in the interior of a Large, Pacific plate above a hot spot deep in the mantle.
They are situated in the interior of a Large, Pacific plate above a hot spot deep in the mantle.
The recent (geologically) volcanic activity in Yellowstone National Park is
related to plate subduction
related to a divergent plate boundary
related to a transform plate boundary
related to intraplate, hot spot volcanism
related to intraplate, hot spot volcanism
Which kind of eruptive activity is most Likely to be highly explosive?
Lava flows from a Large shield volcano on an oceanic island
fissure eruptions feeding Lava to flood basalt accumulations
lava flows from a large cinder cone complex
eruptions of big, continental margin, composite cones or stratovolcanoes
lava flows from a large cinder cone complex
eruptions of big, continental margin, composite cones or stratovolcanoes
Which one of the following best describes volcanism in the Cascade Range, northwestern United States?
related to a mantle hot spot
related to plate subduction
related to a mid-oceanic ridge system
related to deep, transform faults
related to plate subduction
The average composition of rocks comprising a large composite cone or stratovolcano is similar to a(n) magma.
basaltic
ultramafic
andesitic
rhyolitic
andesitic
Which statement about the May, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens is false?
During the eruptive period, the mountain peak was substantially built up by new lava flows and pyrocLastic debris.
Plumes of ash rose high into the atmosphere during the major eruptive events.
Mudflows accompanied the major eruptive events.
The most powerful explosive event was preceded by a massive landslide.
During the eruptive period, the mountain peak was substantially built up by new lava flows and pyrocLastic debris.
Pockets of magmas can be formed by the melting of deep continental crust heated by the intrusion of other magmas. Which of the following correctly describes this process?
Intrusion of basaltic magma causes deep crustal rocks to melt, producing andesitic or rhyoLitic magmas.
Intruded rhyolite magma causes basalt magma to form by melting of granite.
Intrusion of diorite magma causes basalt magma to melt from peridotite.
ALL of these correctly describe the process.
Intrusion of basaltic magma causes deep crustal rocks to melt, producing andesitic or rhyoLitic magmas.
Which region has the greatest concentration of currently active volcanoes?
the coastal plain of western Africa
European Russia and Siberia
the area surrounding the Red Sea
the circum-Pacific area
the circum-Pacific area
What volcanic events formed Crater Lake, Oregon? When did they take place?
A powerful explosion blew away the top of a stratovolcano; 10 million years ago.
The crater of a Large, extinct cinder cone filled with water; 5 million years ago.
Landslides and volcanic mudfLows dammed the Mazama River; 500 years ago.
CaLdera collapse followed major ash and pyroclastic-flow eruptions; 6000 years ago.
CaLdera collapse followed major ash and pyroclastic-flow eruptions; 6000 years ago.
Clay minerals formed from gabbro or diorite bedrock illustrate which kind of weathering?
chemical
proactive
syntropical
mechanical
chemical
What two chemical constituents cannot form by chemical weathering of the feldspar minerals?
soluble sodium and potassium bicarbonates
insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium
bicarbonates
silica and insoluble clay minerals
silica and soluble calcium bicarbonate
insoluble iron oxides and soluble magnesium
bicarbonates
The solum or true soil includes all horizons above the C-horizon.
True
False
True
Which of the following statements concerning humus is not true?
Humus is typically found above the B soil horizon.
Humus consists of decaying and partly decayed leaves and other plant materials.
Humus is readily leached from the B horizon in weakly acidic, soil solutions.
Humus is less abundant in wet, tropical, forested areas than in temperate, forested areas.
Humus is readily leached from the B horizon in weakly acidic, soil solutions.
Like most other liquids, water decreases in volume when it freezes.
True
False
False
What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils?
low temperatures; very dry
low temperatures; very moist
high temperatures; very dry
warm temperatures; very moist
warm temperatures; very moist
Assume that water filling a crack in a rock undergoes cycles of freezing and melting. Which of the following statement is true?
Water expands as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart.
Water shrinks as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be drawn closer together.
Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart.
Water shrinks as it melts, causing the crack walls to be pulled closer together.
Water expands as it freezes, causing the crack walls to be pushed apart.
In the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, north-facing slopes (downhill direction is toward the north) are typically more moist and heavily forested than south-facing slopes. Why?
North-facing slopes receive more sunlight in the summer; snow melts faster and more soil moisture is available for the trees.
South-facing slopes receive more moisture and sunlight; rock weathering is slower.
North-facing slopes receive about the same amount of precipitation as south-facing slopes; less moisture evaporates from north-facing slopes.
South-facing slopes receive less moisture, yet rock weathering is faster.
North-facing slopes receive about the same amount of precipitation as south-facing slopes; less moisture evaporates from north-facing slopes.
Lateritic soils form under what climatic conditions?
warm and moist as in a wet, tropical forest
cool and relatively dry as in the northern Great Plains of the United States
hot and dry as in the desert regions of North Africa and Arabia
moist and temperate as in the northeastern United States
warm and moist as in a wet, tropical forest
Clay minerals, silica (Si02), and dissolved potassium bicarbonate in the soil water are products of which process?
chemical weathering of olivine and plagioclase feldspar
mechanical weathering of granite and rhyolite
chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar
differential mechanical weathering of micas
chemical weathering of orthoclase feldspar
Sheeting fractures and exfoliation domes commonly develop in areas with soft, highly fractured bedrock.
True
False
True
In which area would weathering by frost wedging probably be most effective?
in a moist, tropical forest
in cool high desert areas
where the subsoil is permanently frozen
in moist, temperate climates
in moist, temperate climates
Which term describes a soil formed by weathering of the underlying bedrock?
transformational
residual
relict
transported
residual
What mineral particles are the dominant coloring agents in reddish, brownish, and yellowish soils?
soluble potassium and sodium bicarbonates
humus and calcium carbonate
very fine-sized, silica and calcite particles
dust-sized grains of iron oxides
dust-sized grains of iron oxides
Which one of the following statements best describes erosion?
Erosion is the disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface.
Erosion is the movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope.
Erosion is the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere.
Erosion is the combined processes of Leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting.
Erosion is the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere.
Which of the following sedimentary features can each be used to determine paleocurrent directions?
mud cracks and ripple marks
ripple marks and cross stratification
fossils and mud cracks
grain size sorting and ripple marks
ripple marks and cross stratification
Detrital sedimentary rocks have clastic textures.
True
False
True
Graywacke sandstones are typically better sorted than sandstones lithified from ancient beach sands.
True
False
False
___ are further concentrated in a residual brine after NaCL is crystallized.
Iron, sodium, and chlorine
Magnesium, calcium, and sulfur
Calcium, sulfur, and titanium
Potassium, magnesium, and bromine
Potassium, magnesium, and bromine
___ cement produces bright-red and yellow colors in some sandstone.
Clay
Calcite
Quartz
Iron oxide
Iron oxide
A feldspar-rich sandstone is called an arkose.
True
False
True
Sedimentary rocks account for about what percentage of the Earth’s outermost 10 kilometers of rock (first percentage). Also, what percentage of the Earth’s continental area is covered by sedimentary rocks (second percentage)?
5% &; 75%
3.5% &; 100%
65% &; 10%
85% &; 100%
5% & 75%
Clay and muddy sediments Lithify to form shales and mudstones.
True
False
True
What is the chemical formula for dolomite, the major mineral in doLostones?
NaCl
ca5o4 42H20
Si02
CaMg(CO3)2
CaMg(CO3)2
Which type of sediment undergoes the most compaction as it lithifies to sedimentary rocks?
marine mud
desert dune sand
reef limestone
coarse gravel
marine mud
Oolitic limestone is most Likely to form in what type of depositional environment?
quiet, muddy, Lagoons and bays
shallow, clear, marine waters with vigorous current activity
deep, marine waters below most wave action
acidic, organic-rich waters in freshwater swamps and bogs
shallow, clear, marine waters with vigorous current activity
Peat is thought to be the original material from which coals are formed.
True
False
True
Flint, chert, and jasper are microcrystalline forms of
quartz; (Si02)
hematite (Fe203)
halite (NaCL)
calcite (CaCO3)
quartz; (Si02)
a common mineral found in igneous rocks, is the most abundant mineral in detrital sedimentary rocks.
Calcite
Orthoclase
Quartz
B iotite
Quartz
___ sandstone contains abundant feldspar, suggesting that the sand was derived by weathering and erosion of
granitic bedrock.
Quartz-rich
Lignitic
Arkosic
Oolitic
Arkosic
Which of the following rocks changes from shale in low-grade metamorphic environments?
fault breccia
migmatite
slate
foliated hornfels
migmatite
According to the chart in the text, which rock has the finest grain size?
slate
gneiss
marbLe
phyllite
slate
High-grade, regional metamorphism produces significant and recognizable changes in the textures and mineral compositions of rocks.
True
False
True
What major change occurs during metamorphism of Limestone to marble?
CaLcite grains grow Larger and increase in size.
CLays crystaLLize to micas, forming a highly foliated, mica-rich rock.
Limestone grains react to form quartz and feldspars.
Calcite grains are dissolved away leaving only marble crystals.
CaLcite grains grow Larger and increase in size.
___ is thought to form by partial melting and in situ crystallization of the melted portion.
Magmatite
Magnetite
Migmatite
Megatite
Migmatite
___ is characterized by the segregation of light- and dark-colored mineraLs into thin layers or bands.
Garnet hornfels
Granitic gneiss
SLate
Quartzite
Granitic gneiss
___ is a strong, parallel alignment of coarse mica flakes and/or of different mineral bands in a metamorphic rock.
Rock cleavage
Foliation
Stress streaking
Marbleizing
Foliation
Which of the following is not necessary for the formation of metamorphic rock?
pressure
heat
calcium-rich or liquids
chemically active Liquids
calcium-rich or liquids
Calcite is the main mineral constituent of the sedimentary rock limestone and of the metamorphic rock marble.
True
False
True
Three major factors involved in metamorphism are elevated temperature, elevated pressure, and the chemical action of hot fluids.
True
False
True
What foliated, metamorphic rock is texturally intermediate between slate and schist?
fault breccia
phyllite
quartzite
gneiss
phyllite
Hornfels are metamorphic rocks produced at great depths and high temperatures associated with regional metamorphism.
True
False
False
___ forms from the metamorphism of limestone or
dolostone.
Migmatite
Amphibolite
Marble
Quartzite
Marble
Partial melting is an important process in the formation of migmatites.
True
False
True
Which of the following would exhibit sheared and mechanically fragmented rocks?
fault movements at shallow depths
intense compression in a deep-seated, regional
metamorphic zone
heating of shales and mudstones near a pluton
regional metamorphism of pyroclastic volcanic rocks
fault movements at shallow depths
When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to as the
inertial point
epicenter
focus
seismic zone
focus
The distance between a seismological recording station and the earthquake source is determined from the
earthquake magnitude
intensity of the earthquake
length of the seismic record
arrival times of P and S waves
arrival times of P and S waves
The asthenosphere is Located
within the crust
in the upper mantle
between the mantle and outer core
within the outer core
in the upper mantle
Which one of the following best characterizes tsunamis?
They cause the land to ripple and oscillate.
They are faster than seismic surface waves.
They have relatively small amplitudes compared to their very Long wavelengths.
They are easily seen at sea but are Lost in the swell and breaking waves along a coast.
They have relatively small amplitudes compared to their very Long wavelengths.
The elastic rebound theory for the origin of earthquakes was first proposed by___following the ___ earthquake.
Reid; 1906, San Francisco
Giuseppe; 1925, Pizza Lake
Richter; 1989, Loma Prieta
Mohorovicic; 1964, Anchorage
Reid; 1906, San Francisco
The record of an earthquake obtained from a seismic instrument is a(n)
seismograph
seismogram
time-travel graph
epigraph
seismogram
The average composition of the oceanic crust is thought to approximate that of
granite
basalt
peridotite
iron
basalt
Earthquakes result from the sudden release of elastic strain energy previously stored in rocks surrounding a zone of fault movement.
True
False
True
The___ earthquake was accompanied by extensive fire damage.
Anchorage, 1964
San Francisco, 1906
Mexico City, 1985
Yerevan, Armenia, 1988
San Francisco, 1906
The position on Earth’s surface directly above the earthquake source is called the
epicenter
inertial point
focus
seismic zone
epicenter
The Richter earthquake magnitude scale is based on the total amount of energy released by the earthquake.
True
False
True
Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as
aftershocks
foreshocks
tremors
hyposhocks
aftershocks
Oceanic crust is mainly basaltic in composition; the mantle is more like the igneous rock peridotite in chemical composition.
True
False
True
___ refers to the tendency for a foundation material to Lose its internal cohesion and fail mechanically during
earthquake shaking.
Slurrying
Liquefaction
Motion slip
Seismoflowage
Liquefaction
The magnitude scale is a measure of the energy reLeased. It does not directly measure the extent of building damage.
Gutenberg
Reid
Mercalli
Richter
Richter
Geologically, ___ are actually submerged parts of the continents.
coastal guyots
continental shelves
continental trenches
abyssal plains
continental shelves
Where in the oceans are biological communities thriving without sunlight?
in shallow water, coral reefs
in muds of deep-ocean trenches
around seafloor, hot spring vents
around fissure vents for flood basalts
around seafloor, hot spring vents
Oceans cover approximately of Earth’s surface area?
10%
90%
50%
70%
70%
The continental rise is located
at the top of a mid-ocean ridge
at the top of the continental slope
between an abyssal plain and continental slope
at the seaward edge of a deep ocean trench
at the seaward edge of a deep ocean trench
The Lies at the base of the continental slope.
offshore shelf
off-slope reef
continental rift
continental rise
continental rise
___ is (are) not part of an ophiolite complex.
Basaltic Lavas and pillow Lavas
Residual, unmelted, crustal lithosphere
Intrusive, coarse-grained gabbro
Steeply inclined, basaltic dikes
Residual, unmelted, crustal lithosphere
The average height of the continents above sea Level is greater than the average depth of the ocean basins below sea level.
true
false
false
Which of the following is not true of deep ocean trenches?
They are Long and narrow depressions.
They are sites where plates plunge back into the mantle.
They are geologically very stable.
They may act as sediment traps.
They are geologically very stable.
Geologically, what is the best way to explain the thousands of feet of coral limestone beneath most atolls?
Sea level has fallen thousands of feet since the reef began to grow.
An eroded volcanic seamount rose thousands of feet after the limestone formed.
The eroded volcano slowly sank as sea level remained steady or rose gradually.
The volcano never reached the surface, allowing a very thick cap of coral Limestones to accumulate.
The volcano never reached the surface, allowing a very thick cap of coral Limestones to accumulate.
The west coast of South America and the east coast of North America have very different continental margins.
True
False
True
_____proposed a correct theory of how atolls formed.
Isaac Newton
Charles Darwin
James Hutton
Charles Lyell
Charles Darwin
Submarine canyons form the deepest parts of the ocean basins.
True
False
False
An atoll is a low, coral reef island typically surrounding an interior lagoon.
True
False
True
Submarine canyons found on the continental slope and rise are believed to have been created
by rivers during the ice age
by faulting
because of a plate plunging into the mantle
none of these
none of these
___ is the oceanward edge of a continental shelf.
The deepest portion of a deep-ocean trench
The top of the abyssal plain
The base of the continental rise
The top of the continental slope
The top of the continental slope
The are a geologically old mountain range folded and deformed during the Paleozoic.
Cascades in the northwestern United States
Rockies in the western United States
Appalachians in the eastern United States
Alps in Europe
Appalachians in the eastern United States
The mountains and valleys of the Basin and Range Province of the western United States formed in response to
strike-slip faulting and hanging wall block uplifts
reverse faults and large displacement, thrust faulting
tensional stresses and normal-fault movements
normal faulting and horizontal compression
tensional stresses and normal-fault movements
A graben is characterized by
a hanging wall block that has moved up between two reverse faults
a footwall block that has moved up between two normal faults
a hanging wall block that has moved down between two normal faults
a footwalL block that has moved down between two reverse faults
a hanging wall block that has moved down between two normal faults
The Himalayan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau are still rising today as Eurasia slides beneath the Indian subcontinent.
True
False
False
Fractures in rock that have not involved any fault slippage are called joints.
True
False
True
In a normal fault
the hanging wall block below an inclined fault plane moves downward relative to the other block
the footwaLL block below an inclined fault plane moves downward relative to the other block
the hanging wall block above an inclined fault plane moves downward relative to the other block
the footwall block above an inclined fault plane moves upward relative to the other block
the hanging wall block above an inclined fault plane moves downward relative to the other block
In thrust faulting,
grabens develop on the footwall block
the crust is shortened and thickened
horizontal, tensional stresses drive the deformation
the hanging wall block slips downward along the thrust fault
the crust is shortened and thickened
Folded limestones that occur high in the Himalayas were originally deposited as sediments in a
marine basin between India and Eurasia
Cenozoic fault basin between Africa and Arabia
deep ocean trench along the southern margin of India
Late Paleozoic syncline north of the Tibetan Plateau
marine basin between India and Eurasia
The Black Hills of South Dakota are a good example of a(n)
anticline
syncline
basin
dome
dome
A(n)___ fault has little or no vertical movements of the two blocks.
stick slip
oblique slip
strike slip
dip slip
strike slip
Accretionary wedges develop along subduction zones where sediments and other rocks are scraped off a descending plate and piled against the leading edge of the overriding plate.
True
False
True
Which one of the following is an example of an isostatic movement?
stream downcutting following a drop in sea Level
arching of strata at the center of a dome
numerous aftershocks associated with deep-focus earthquakes
uplift of areas recently covered by thick, continental ice sheets
uplift of areas recently covered by thick, continental ice sheets
Large circular downwarped structures are called
anticlines
synclines
basins
domes
basins
A thrust fault is best described as
a steeply inclined, oblique-slip fault
a low-angle, reverse fault
a vertical, normal fault
a near vertical, strike-slip fault
a low-angle, reverse fault
Tensional forces normally cause which one of the following?
strike-slip faults
reverse faults
normal faults
thrust faults
normal faults
Which one of the following materials has the maximum, sustainable, slope angle, as determined by the angle of
repose?
dry silt
moist, sandy soil with a clay-rich matrix
dry sand
moist, clay-rich shale layers
dry sand
Earthflows and slumps generally involve movement of unconsolidated or weakly consolidated soil and regolith.
True
False
True
A scarp is the exposed portion of the rupture surface beneath a slump block.
True
False
True
Which of the following statements concerning mudflows is not true?
Mudflows may be caused by heavy rains or melting snow.
In hilly areas, mudflows move down the canyons and stream valleys.
Mudflows deposit talus slopes.
Mudflows can move and carry very Large boulders and other coarse debris.
Mudflows deposit talus slopes.
How do freezing, thawing, wetting, and drying contribute to soil creep?
The soil becomes much weaker when dry and frozen.
Gravity exerts a much stronger force when the soil is wet and thawed.
The soil expands and contracts, Lifting particles and dropping them a slight distance downslope.
Eventually, these cause the soil and regolith to suddenly slide down the slope.
The soil expands and contracts, Lifting particles and dropping them a slight distance downslope.
___denotes the exposed, crescent-shaped rupture surface at the head of a slump.
Scoop
Sole
Toe
Scarp
Scarp
Consider a steep highway cut made by removing slightly weathered to fresh, fractured, granite bedrock. Which of the following situations is most stable against rocksLides?
one set of widely spaced, sub-horizontal fractures
two sets of fractures, one inclined toward the road cut and the other away
A two sets of fractures, one widely spaced and sub-horizontal, the other inclined away from the highway cut
one set of widely spaced fractures inclined towards the road cut
one set of widely spaced, sub-horizontal fractures
A triggering mechanism, such as heavy rains or an earthquake, are necessary for mass wasting to occur.
True
False
False
A geologist wants to Locate a horizontal coal bed on a soil-covered slope where soil creep is active. A distinctive sandstone bed underlies the coal bed. On the basis of weathered sandstone fragments in the soil, where is the coal bed?
just below the lowest piece of sandstone seen in the soil
just above the highest piece of sandstone seen in the soil
just below the highest piece of sandstone seen in the soil
just above the lowest piece of sandstone seen in the soil
just above the highest piece of sandstone seen in the soil
The steepest, stable, slope angle possible in unconsolidated, granular materials like sand and gravel is called the angle of retention.
True
False
False
As an erosional process, how is mass wasting unique from wind, water, and ice?
Mass wasting affects particles of aLL sizes whereas the others affect only smaller particles.
Mass wasting does not require a transporting medium.
Mass wasting affects much Larger geographic areas than does wind, water, and ice.
All of these make mass wasting unique compared to wind, water, and ice.
Mass wasting does not require a transporting medium.
Slump describes the very sLow, downhiLL movement of soil and regoLith.
True
False
False
___ involves movement on a zone of compressed air.
A slump
A mudflow
A rock avalanche
Soil creep
A rock avalanche
How do the strength and cohesion of clay-rich regolith or soil change with the addition of water?
Water does not affect the cohesion but Lowers the strength.
Water reduces the strength of cLays but raises the cohesion of the soil.
Water increases the strength and cohesion.
Water lowers the strength and cohesion.
Water lowers the strength and cohesion.
Lahars are essentially mudflows associated with volcanoes and volcanism.
True
False
True
___ are components of the hydrologic cycle that release water vapor directly to the atmosphere.
Runoff and infiltration
Evaporation and transpiration
Precipitation and runoff
Discharge and transportation
Evaporation and transpiration
With the passage of time, deposition and erosion gradually shorten the channel length of a meander loop.
True
false
false
The lowest base level for most streams is sea Level.
True
False
True
In the absence of cutoff, how does a river meander Loop behave over time?
The gradient is raised as the loop lengthens, and the channel migrates toward the cut or inner bank of the Loop.
The gradient is raised as the loop shortens, and the channel migrates away from the cut or outer bank of the loop.
The gradient is Lowered as the channel Lengthens and migrates toward the cut or outer bank of the Loop.
The gradient is lowered as the Loop shortens, and the channel migrates toward the cut or inner bank of the loop.
The gradient is Lowered as the channel Lengthens and migrates toward the cut or outer bank of the Loop.
Which one of the following does not apply to stream turbulence and average velocity?
channel shape; bed roughness
Laminar flow; dissolved load
discharge; stream gradient
stream gradient; channel roughness
Laminar flow; dissolved load
___ are characteristics of downcutting streams and a youthful stage of vaLLey evolution.
Rapids and lots of whitewater
Wide floodplains
U-shaped, cross-vaLLey profiles
Meandering channels and natural levees
Rapids and lots of whitewater
A___ drainage pattern is common in the Appalachian Valley and Ridge Province.
dendritic
polygonal
circular
trellis
trellis
___make up the suspended loads of most rivers and streams.
Dissolved ions and sand
Dissolved salts
Silt and clay-sized, detrital grains
Sand and gravel that move during floods
Silt and clay-sized, detrital grains
What is the drop in water surface elevation divided by the distance the water flows?
stream discharge
hydraulic capacity
hydrologic resistance
stream gradient
stream gradient
Foreset beds are part of a deltaic, depositional sequence.
True
False
True
___ are characteristics found in all good aquifers.
High porosity and high permeability
Low permeability and high potability
High potability and high portability
Low porosity and low permeability
High porosity and high permeability
Permeability is the physical force that pushes water below the water table through a porous, rock material.
True
False
False
The aerated zone
Lies above the water table
pore spaces are filled with water
is a well-oxygenated, shallow aquifer
lies below the capillary fringe zone
lies below the capillary fringe zone
The water table is a surface separating the saturated and unsaturated zones.
True
False
True
For unconfined aquifers, what hydrologic factor is approximated by the slope of the water table?
porosity head
hydro competency
affluent decline
hydraulic gradient
hydraulic gradient
___ are specific features of karst topography.
Streams flowing into depressions and continuing underground
Perched water table springs on hillsides
Numerous artesian wells in a given area Perennial,
influent streams fed by Large springs
Streams flowing into depressions and continuing underground
___ is the volume of voids or open space in a rock or unconsolidated material.
Permeability
Space yield
Porosity
Saturation index
Porosity
In general, contaminated groundwater will be naturally cleaned faster by circulation through porous and permeable sands than by circulation through fractured, crystalline igneous and metamorphic rocks.
True
False
True
Which of the following best describes how geysers erupt?
Water suddenly boils in disconnected voids and cracks above the water table, causing the aquifer to explosively fragment.
Water sLowLy boils in a network of vertical cracks above the water table, sending up a plume of steam and hot water.
Water below the water table sLowLy boils in a vertical crack or natural conduit, causing a plume of condensed water vapor to rise above the vent.
With a slight reduction in pressure, water in a saturated, natural conduit suddenly boils, sending a plume of steam and hot water into the air above the vent.
With a slight reduction in pressure, water in a saturated, natural conduit suddenly boils, sending a plume of steam and hot water into the air above the vent.
A disappearing (sinking) creek is
an influent stream in a karst area
a stream that downcuts below the water table
a creek that originates as a large spring flowing from a cave
a small creek flowing downslope to the top of a perched water table
an influent stream in a karst area
After ice sheets and glaciers,___ contain(s) the next highest percentage of Earth’s freshwater.
the atmosphere
lakes and rivers
groundwater
rocks and minerals
groundwater
_____controls the ease (or difficulty) of groundwater transmission through a porous material.
Potability
Portability
Pernneosity
Permeability
Permeability
Speleothems generally form below the water table by water dripping from the roofs of caverns.
True
False
False
Lowering of the water table around a pumping well results in a cone of infiltration.
True
False
False
Which of the following describes the configuration of an unconfined water table around a pumping well?
depressional withdrawal
upside-down siphon
cone of depression
inverted cone head
cone of depression
Which one of the following could not have significantly affected climatic variations and advances and retreats of ice sheets during the Pleistocene epoch?
movements of Earth’s tectonic plates
variations in the Sun’s energy output
precession of Earth’s orbit
wobbling of Earth’s rotational axis
movements of Earth’s tectonic plates
Melting and evaporation are two forms of ablative calving.
True
False
False
Rapid surge movements of the Earth’s tectonic plates offer a convincing explanation for the advances and retreats of the Pleistocene ice sheets.
True
False
False
Eccentricity, obliquity, and precession are three factors involved in the Milankovitch astronomical explanation of why the Pleistocene continental ice sheets alternately grew and shrank in size.
True
False
True
The recessional moraine is the Largest of many terminal moraines Laid down by a retreating glacier.
True
False
False
Surges in glacial movement are probably related to unusually fast rates of basal sliding.
True
False
True
The great, Southern Hemisphere glaciation that affected parts of Africa, South America, India, Australia, and Antarctica occurred
in late Paleozoic time
in Late Proterozoic time
in early Cenozoic time
in middle Mesozoic time
in late Paleozoic time
The downstream end or snout of a glacier advances over periods of time during which ablation exceeds accumulation.
True
False
False
A(n) is likely to host a waterfall or steep rapids today.
outwash plain
Hanging Valley
striated drumlin
horn peak
Hanging Valley
Which one of the following prominent Landforms, Located from the Wasatch Range, Utah, westward to the Sierra Nevada, California, formed during the Pleistocene glacial episodes?
terminal moraines of continental ice sheets that moved south from Canada
old shorelines of large, pluvial lakes
erosional features produced by continental glaciation
subaerial deltas submerged by the post-glacial rise in sea level
old shorelines of large, pluvial lakes
What type of moraine is formed by the merging of two Lateral moraines at a junction of two valley glaciers?
medial
recessional
ground
kettle
medial
A drumlin is a
smooth, tapering ridge of till; formed and shaped beneath a continental ice sheet
bowl-shaped depression eroded Largely by frost action and glacial plucking
till mound of outwash deposited by meltwater streams at the snout of a glacier
smooth, striated, bedrock ridge shaped and polished by a glacier
smooth, tapering ridge of till; formed and shaped beneath a continental ice sheet
___ are both deposited by meltwater streams.
Terminal moraines and cirques
Outwash plains and valley trains
Valley moraines and ice sheet trains
Recessional kettles and erratics
Outwash plains and valley trains
A is a glacier-cut valley that partly flooded as sea level rose.
till crevasse
fiord
hanging cirque
kettle trough
fiord
Which is the only continent without glaciers?
Africa
Australia
South America
Europe
Australia
Which one of the following statements is correct?
Alluvial fans typically rim desert valleys; playas form in the lowest, interior parts of the valleys.
Inselbergs are low, circular depressions on gently sloping pediments and bajadas.
Playas are typically covered with gravel-sized desert pavement and loess deposits.
Saline sediments and evaporites are common in inselbergs and pediments of desert landscapes.
Alluvial fans typically rim desert valleys; playas form in the lowest, interior parts of the valleys.
Which one of the following statements is true?
Desert landscapes are monotonous, relatively flat areas covered to various depths with sand.
Deserts and dry lands are concentrated in areas of ascending air masses and relatively low atmospheric pressures.
Despite infrequent rainfalls, erosional and depositional features of running water are important in desert landscapes.
Rainshadow deserts occur where air masses descend after first having risen to cross a mountain range.
Despite infrequent rainfalls, erosional and depositional features of running water are important in desert landscapes.
Which one of the following is a low-latitude desert characterized by high atmospheric pressures and descending air masses (not rain shadow deserts).
Sahara Desert; northern Africa
Atacama Desert in Chile, South America
Gobi Desert, China and Mongolia
desert valleys of the Great Basin, United States
Sahara Desert; northern Africa
Which one of the following statements about sand dunes is correct?
A dune migrates in the direction of inclination of the slip face.
The more gently sloping surface is the leeward slope of the dune.
Sand is blown up the slip face and rolls down the more gently sloping flank of the dune.
In a sand dune, the more gently inclined strata lie parallel to the slip face.
A dune migrates in the direction of inclination of the slip face.
Loess deposits in the central United States ________.
blew in from the dry areas in the Great Plains and southwestern desert areas
originated as rock flour in Pleistocene glacial streams and rivers
accumulated from flooding of the Mississippi River
were originally deposited as barchanoid dunes and later redeposited by glaciers
originated as rock flour in Pleistocene glacial streams and rivers
Bajadas develop from coalescence of alluvial fans along fronts of mountain ranges in arid lands.
True False
True
Desertification has been particularly well documented over the past 50 years in ________.
the Empty Quarter of the Arabian Peninsula
the Sahel along the southern margin of the Sahara Desert
the Dust Bowl states of the Great Plains
the steppe lands of southern Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan
the Sahel along the southern margin of the Sahara Desert
What mature, desert landscape feature consists of coalesced alluvial fans?
balda
bajada
bahia
baja
bajada
Loess consists mainly of silt-sized particles.
True
False
True
How are sand grains transported by the wind?
high in the moving air column as suspended load
by saltation in the first few meters above the land surface
by deflation of abraded desert pavement
by being picked up in swirling dust clouds and carried to distant blowouts
by saltation in the first few meters above the land surface
How is desert pavement formed?
Deflation and sheet wash remove fine-sized materials leaving coarse, weathered, rock fragments concentrated at the surface.
Blowing wind removes fine-size soil particles; coarser particles abrades to sand size.
Running water deposits gravel and sand over the finer-sized soil particles.
Intense chemical weathering removes the sand- and silt-sized particles, leaving coarse rock debris covering the land surface.
Deflation and sheet wash remove fine-sized materials leaving coarse, weathered, rock fragments concentrated at the surface.
Windblown loess, like sand, typically accumulates as mound-like dunes.
True
False
False
Tidal flats are submerged during ebb tide.
True
False
False
Fetch refers to ________.
the beachfront area where rapid erosion is taking place
a large expanse of open water over which the wind blows and generates waves
the rotational movements of water particles beneath a passing surface wave
ocean currents moving parallel to the beach
a large expanse of open water over which the wind blows and generates waves
A baymouth bar is a manmade feature designed to control wave erosion.
True
False
False
The Gulf Coast lacks barrier islands.
True
False
False
The zigzag movement of sand grains along a beach is ________.
caused by obliquely breaking waves
called beach drift
very unusual and seldom occurs
both caused by obliquely breaking waves and called beach drift
both caused by obliquely breaking waves and called beach drift
Groins are constructed for the purpose of maintaining or widening beaches that are losing sand.
True
False
True
Fetch is ________.
a method of shoreline erosion control
the distance between the trough of a wave and the still water level
the circular pattern made by water particles when a wave passes
none of these
none of these
Which one of the following is a landform created by wave erosion? spit estuary tombolo sea arch
sea arch
Which of the following is designed to prevent or retard shoreline erosion?
groin
beach nourishment
seawall
all of theseall of these
When waves reach shallow water, they are often bent and tend to become parallel to the shore. This process is termed \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. oscillation refraction translation reflection
refraction
Longshore sand transport and longshore currents depend on waves impinging parallel to a shoreline.
True
False
False
Which one of the following structures is built to protect boats from large breaking waves? jetty groin breakwater seawall
breakwater
A poleward-moving ocean current is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. warm cold warm only in the Northern Hemisphere warm only in the Southern Hemisphere
warm
A sandbar that completely crosses a bay, sealing it off from the open ocean is a \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. sea stack tombolo coastal barrier none of these
none of these
The movement of sand parallel to the shore ________.
is created by waves approaching at an oblique angle
may create spits
is achieved by longshore currents
All of these
All of these
Phanerozoic, marine, sedimentary strata of the same age on different continents can usually be correlated by their fossil assemblages.
True
False
True
Who is credited with formulating the doctrine of uniformitarianism? Aristotle Lyell Hutton Playfair
Hutton
Catastrophism ________.
was a philosophy that was first expounded by the early Greeks
was based upon the belief that Earth was millions of years old
helped man understand the true nature of the forces that shaped the Grand Canyon
is a modern term used to describe earthquakes and volcanic activity
was a philosophy that was first expounded by the early Greeks
Consider the names of the eras in the geologic time scale. What is meant by "zoic"?
ife; living things
rocks; lithified strata
time; recording of events
places; geographic referenceslife; living things
The term Paleozoic describes the era of ancient life forms.
True
False
True
All of geologic time prior to the beginning of the Paleozoic era is termed the Phanerozoic eon.
True
False
False
What of the following refers to the investigative process by which geologists identify and match sedimentary strata and other rocks of the same ages in different areas? super matching correlation strata indexing cross-access dating
correlation
A disconformity is an erosional unconformity with parallel beds or strata above and below.
True
False
True
The ratio of parent to daughter isotopes in a radioactive decay process is 0.40. How many half-lives have elapsed since the material was 100% parent atoms? less than l more than 3 between l and 2 between 2 and 3
between l and 2
The term Mesozoic refers to life forms intermediate in complexity between early and much later, more modern-looking life forms.
True
False
True
Rapid burial and possession of hard parts are necessary conditions for the preservation of plant or animal remains as fossils.
True
False
True
The era known as the "age of mammals" is the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. Precambrian Paleozoic Mesozoic Cenozoic
Cenozoic
Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?
Tilted strata lie below the unconformity, and bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity.
Horizontal lava flows lie below the unconformity, and horizontal, sedimentary strata lie above.
It is the discordant boundary between older strata and an intrusive body of granite.
Tilted strata lie below the unconformity with loose, unconsolidated soil above.
Tilted strata lie below the unconformity, and bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity.
When a beta particle is emitted, the mass number of the isotope remains unchanged.
True
False
True
An unconformity is a buried ________.
fault or fracture with older rocks above and younger rocks below
surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below
fault or fracture with younger strata above and older strata below
surface of erosion with older strata above and younger strata below
surface of erosion separating younger strata above from older strata below
Evidence of an extensive glaciation places western Africa near the South Pole during the early Paleozoic Era.
True
False
True
\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ means "planets in the making." Jovian Asteroids Terrestrial Protoplanets None of these
Protoplanets
During the early Paleozoic Era, the continent of Gondwanaland included North and South America.
True
False
False
As they formed, due to their high temperatures and comparatively weak gravitational fields, which planets were unable to retain appreciable amounts of hydrogen, helium, and ammonia? Jupiter and Neptune Mercury and Earth Uranus and Pluto Jupiter and Uranus Neptune and Uranus
Mercury and Earth
Which era is sometimes called the "age of dinosaurs"? Pleistocene Cenozoic Cretaceous Mesozoic None of these
Mesozoic
Following the reptilian extinctions at the close of the Mesozoic, two groups of mammals, the marsupials and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, evolved.
eukaryotes
cephalopods
trilobites
placentals
stromatolitesplacentals
The Precambrian rock record indicates that much of Earth's first free oxygen combined with \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ dissolved in water. potassium silicon iron carbon None of these
iron
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ period is sometimes called the "golden age of trilobites." Cambrian Silurian Pennsylvanian Devonian Triassic
Cambrian
The fossil record supports the hypothesis that the hard parts of organisms evolved for survival.
True
False
False
Earth’s original atmosphere, several billion years ago, was similar to the present atmosphere.
True
False
False
The Cenozoic Era is the age of mammals.
True
False
True
Earth's primitive atmosphere evolved from gases \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. produced by radioactive decay collected from the nebula escaping from water from the sun expelled from within
expelled from within
During the Cenozoic Era, the eastern and western margins of North America experienced similar geologic events.
True
False
False
The first true terrestrial animals were the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. mammals reptiles lobe-finned fish trilobites marsupials
reptiles
The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ means "the sun in the making."
solar disk
presun
nebular sun
sol
protosunprotosun
The natural cause(s) of climate change is(are) ________.
variability in Earth’s orbit
movement of lithospheric plates farther/closer to the equator
volcanic activity
variability in Earth’s orbit and volcanic activity
All of these
All of these
Ozone, another important component of the atmosphere is concentrated in the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. thermosphere mesosphere troposphere stratosphere
stratosphere
The goal of paleoclimatology is to understand the climate of the past in order to ________.
assess the current and potential future climate in the context of natural climate variability
discover the changes in climate through geologic time and correlate it with gas composition changes in the atmosphere
positively identify why some species died out and others remain on Earth
All of these
assess the current and potential future climate in the context of natural climate variability
Climate is a description of the ________.
state of the atmosphere at a given time and place
aggregate weather conditions, “average weather”
central component of the complex, connected global environmental system on which all life depends
exchange of energy and moisture
aggregate weather conditions, “average weather”
Hotter objects radiate more total energy per unit area than do colder objects.
True
False
True
Ozone is a major component in a noxious mixture of gases and particles called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. aerosols trace gases photochemical smog water vapor chloroflurocarbons
photochemical smog
Oxygen isotope analysis is the measurement between the ratio of the two isotopes of hydrogen. The lighter isotope, 16O, ________.
evaporates more readily from the oceans
is more prevalent in precipitation
is more prevalent in glaciers
All of these
All of these
Earth’s atmosphere is divided vertically into four layers on the basis of temperature. The layers, in order from bottom to top, are ________.
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
stratosphere, troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
mesosphere, thermosphere, stratosphere, troposphere
troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
What percent of the solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere passes through the atmosphere and is absorbed at Earth's surface? 20 percent 30 percent 40 percent 50 percent
50 percent
The trace gas(es) that are most important are \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. methane nitrous oxide chlorofluorocarbons methane and nitrous oxide All of these
All of these
Clean, dry air is composed almost entirely of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. nitrogen oxygen carbon dioxide nitrogen and oxygen oxygen and carbon dioxide
nitrogen and oxygen
One half of the atmosphere lies below an altitude of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. 16 kilometers 100 kilometers 5.6 kilometers 3.7 kilometers
5.6 kilometers
Seafloor sediments are very important in discovering paleoclimate because they ________.
contain the remains of organisms, which change with changing climate
contain meteorites, which show when climate had a drastic fluctuation
show a record of temperature in the oceans, which can then be correlated to the temperature of the atmosphere
All of these
contain the remains of organisms, which change with changing climate
Proxy data for climate change detection comes from \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. seafloor sediments glacial ice fossil pollen tree growth rings All of these
All of these
The use of coal and other fuels is the most prominent means by which humans add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
True
False
True
