Geology 101 Quiz 1

Question 1

what is often the only way we know countries have developed nuclear capabilities?

Answer 1

geophysicists can tell the difference between seismic waves caused by earthquakes vs caused by nuclear blasts

Question 2

geological engineers often determine

Answer 2

how stable a slope is

Question 3

in places like ?, space is so limited that people build on unstable slopes

Answer 3

Hong Kong

Question 4

petroleum geologists

Answer 4

find the best places to drill for oil or natural gas

Question 5

hydrogeologists/geochemists

Answer 5

determine where groundwater contaminants come from, where and how far they are likely to travel, and how best to clean (this is the professor’s interest)

Question 6

paleoclimatologists

Answer 6

primary scientists involved in what ancient climate looked like on Earth and why climate changes; info gathered is used to predict how the present climate may be influenced by things

Question 7

volcanologists

Answer 7

predict if a volcano will erupt and whether it is likely to be a simple lava flow (like Hawaii) or an explosive eruption (like Mt. St. Helens)

Question 8

what gives different types of rocks their unique qualities?

Answer 8

they are made of very different materials and by different processes

Question 9

which stone is more concerning for a sinkhole? (granite/limestone)

Answer 9

limestone

Question 10

when making sandpaper, mining for (corundum/gypsum) will be more profitable

Answer 10

corundum

Question 11

oil is more likely to be found in (sandstone/basalt)

Answer 11

sandstone

Question 12

cosmology

Answer 12

the study of the origin and makeup of the universe

Question 13

in the early 1900s, most thought the universe was

Answer 13

static and infinite; motions such as orbits were recognized, but the relative positions of distant galaxies was thought to be fixed (static) and the extent of the universe was thought to be without limit (infinite)

Question 14

? developed an elegant mathematical model that allowed accurate prediction of everything from orbital paths to the ability of gravity to bend space (and thus radiation traveling through space)

Answer 14

Albert Einstein

Question 15

Albert Einstein’s mathematical model indicated an

Answer 15

expanding universe

Question 16

Einstein inserted the cosmological constant into the equation because

Answer 16

the idea of the universe having a beginning was unsettling; seemed to require a non-scientific explanation

later called this constant the biggest mistake of his career

Question 17

over the next 15 years, data from astronomers such as ? showed that distant galaxies were moving ?

Answer 17

Edwin Hubble; away from us very fast in every direction

Question 18

singularity

Answer 18

the universe in a dimensionless point - some debate over nature of initial starting point

Question 19

during the first million years of the universe,

Answer 19

subatomic particles combine to make Hydrogen

Question 20

during the first billion years of the universe,

Answer 20

gravitational attraction separates matter into galaxies

Question 21

in stars, heat is high enough to initiate

Answer 21

nuclear ignition

Question 22

3 types of heat generation

Answer 22

collisions, compression, radioactive decay

Question 23

nuclear ignition

Answer 23

NOT like igniting a fire; intense pressure and heat results in two atoms combining into a singular new atom (fusion); part of the mass of the combining atoms is converted into energy (radiation/heat)

Question 24

collisions

Answer 24

particles striking each other increase the kinetic energy which generates heat

Question 25

compression

Answer 25

air compressors get hot as the air is compressed; aerosol cans get cold as the gas inside expands

Question 26

radioactive decay

Answer 26

planets cool slower than otherwise expected because radioactive elements release heat as they decay

Question 27

supernova

Answer 27

collapse and explosion of large stars; heaviest elements produced

Question 28

our solar system is thought to be a second generation system because (2 reasons)

Answer 28

1. lots of elements present are heavier than iron (Fe)

2. the age of the oldest rocks (~4.6 billion yrs) is younger than the calculated age of the universe (~13.8 billion yrs)

Question 29

according to modern cosmology, the universe originated from a

Answer 29

void

Question 30

differentiation

Answer 30

refers to a separation into layers with unique properties

Question 31

differentiation happens because

Answer 31

materials that are more dense will tend to sink toward the core, and materials that are less dense will rise toward the surface

Question 32

Earth’s layers (from outer to inner)

Answer 32

continental crust, oceanic crust, mantle, outer core, inner core

Question 33

Earth’s layers - lowest density, solid, rigid

Answer 33

continental crust

Question 34

Earth’s layers - high density, solid Fe and Ni

Answer 34

inner core

Question 35

Earth’s layers - intermediate density, semi-fluid

Answer 35

mantle

Question 36

Earth’s layers - high density, liquid Fe and Ni

Answer 36

outer core

Question 37

Earth’s layers - lower density mantle minerals, solid, rigid

Answer 37

oceanic crust

Question 38

minerals found in the earth’s crust are grouped into two categories

Answer 38

felsic and mafic

Question 39

felsic

Answer 39

lower density, lighter in color; continental crust

Question 40

mafic

Answer 40

higher density, darker in color; oceanic crust

Question 41

why does the oceanic crust sit lower?

Answer 41

its more dense and thinner

Question 42

water is thought to have come from 3 sources:

Answer 42

1. condensation of water vapor as earth cooled (goes to surface during differentiation)
2. comet collisions with earth (b/c comets contain a lot of water)
3. volcanism (gas from eruptions is mostly water because water vapor is dissolved into magma)

Question 43

condensed water will accumulate in lowest areas, which is mostly over ?

Answer 43

oceanic crust (although oceanic crust is NOT defined by having water over it; water covers edges of continental crust as well, and oceanic continues underneath continental)

Question 44

the ? and ? form a somewhat rigid layer that moves laterally over the rest of the mantle, which is more plastic

Answer 44

crust and uppermost portion of the mantle

Question 45

lithosphere

Answer 45

the rigid layer that moves as a unit (crust and uppermost mantle)

Question 46

asthenosphere

Answer 46

the region of the upper mantle below the lithosphere

Question 47

variances in heat in the mantle cause ? within the asthenosphere

Answer 47

convection currents

Question 48

convection refers to

Answer 48

the movement of material in response to some force; in this case, movement is caused by the rise of hotter regions of the mantle and falling of cooler regions

Question 49

the crust is solid, so if any portion of the crust moves, it will run into other solid crust, which results in

Answer 49

breaks in crust

Question 50

plates

Answer 50

portions of unbroken crust

Question 51

plate tectonics (AKA continental drift)

Answer 51

the study of the movement of these plates

Question 52

individual plates can be made up of

Answer 52

just oceanic crust, just continental crust, or a combination of both

Question 53

there are currently about ? large plates

Answer 53

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