SUG Board Licensure Examination for Geologists (BLEG) Review 2022 Flashcards
A brittle-fracture surface in rocks along which no movement has taken place.
A. Slickensides
B. Shear zone
C. Contact
D. Joints
d. joints
The Deccan Traps, Columbia River Basalts, and Faroe Islands are examples of
__________.
A. Island Arcs
B. Continental Masses
C. Large Igneous Provinces
D. Mountain Ridges
c. large Igneous provinces
This man is known as the Father of Modern Geology.
A. Charles Lyell
B. Charles Darwin
C. James Watson
D. James Hutton
d. James Hutton
The ______ is the line of intersection of a horizontal plane and the inclined plane.
A. Bedding
B. Strike
C. Plunge
D. Dip Direction
b. strike
On a circular stratigraphical structure bending downwards, the youngest rocks are on the
center. What kind of structure is this?
A. Basin
B. Batholith
C. Diatreme
D. Dome
a. Basin
How fast does the Earth spin at the equator?
A. ~1600kph
B. ~5500kph
C. ~1.600kph
D. ~16000kph
a. ~1600 kph
What great change in the Earth’s biology took place around 2300mya?
A. Salinization of water
B. Oxygenation
C. Snowball Earth
D. Occurrence of Water
b. oxygenation
What geomorphic feature separates the Central Luzon Basin from the West Luzon
Platform Basin?
A. Sierra Madre Mountains
B. Central Cordillera Range
C. Zambales Ranges
D. Sicalao Ridge
c. Zambales Ranges
Gshelia sp. is found at the base of Punso Conglomerate overlying which of the following
stratigraphic units?
A. Oreng Formation
B. Balanga Formation
C. Pocanil Formation
D. Famnoan Formation
c. Pocanil Formation
Which area on Earth has not received precipitation for 2 million years?
A. Antarctica
B. Gobi Desert
C. Sahara Desert
D. Arctic Circle
a. Antarctica
What is the other name for Huronian Glaciation?
A. Snowball Earth Glaciation
B. Grenville Glaciation
C. Makganyene Glaciation
D. Andean Glaciation
c. Makganyene Glaciation
Which layer of the Earth produces the earth’s magnetic field?
A. Crust
B. Mantle
C. Mohorovicic Discontinuity
D. Outer Core
d. outer core
The pressure or stress within the Earth resulting from the overlying rocks and is equal in
all directions is known as ____________.
A. Atmospheric Pressure
B. Lithostatic Pressure
C. Lithostatigraphic Pressure
D. Lithologic Pressure
b. Lithostatic pressure
What is the average radius (in km) of the planet Earth?
A. 7000 km
B. 1580 km
C. 2442 km
D. 6370 km
d. 6370 km
Which among these types of eruptions has the highest Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI)?
A. Plinian
B. Vulcanian
C. Strombolian
D. Hawaiian
a. Plinian
These are a fossil group of extinct marine arthropods, roamed the earth’s oceans for
over 270 million years, and wiped out by the end Permian extinction.
A. Stromatolites
B. Radiolarians
C. Graptolites
D. Trilobites
d. trilobites
This tectonic feature is the morphologic expression of the subduction of the South China
Sea Plate under the Luzon Arc.
A. Manila Trench
B. Philippine Trench
C. Cotabato Trench
D. East Luzon Trough
a. Manila Trench
A sheetlike structure that forms when rocks are deformed, a kind of metamorphic
layering
A. Lineation
B. Foliation
C. Boudinage
D. Mélange
b. foliation
This landform arises from rocks which erode at a slower rate than that of the surrounding rocks. It consists of an erosion-resistant rock which protects a softer rock such as limestone. The resistant rock remains isolated as ongoing erosion erodes the less
resistant rock around it.
A. Hogbacks
B. Ventifacts
C. Inselbergs
D. Aretes
c. Inselbergs
The new discovery of Nautilus specimens is determined to be from the __________
period deposits in Batangas.
A. Hypogene
B. Supergene
C. Cenozoic
D. Neogene
d. Neogene
What differentiates a swamp, bog, and a marsh?
A. Rock type
B. Dominant plant type
C. Drainage system
D. Depositional environment
b. Dominant plant type
A site is located on a volcanic island arc adjacent to an oceanic trench. The volcanoes erupt gray volcanic ash and lava flows. There are also some intrusive rocks. What tectonic environment is the site located?
A. Continental Rift
B. Oceanic-Continental convergent
C. Oceanic Hotspot
D. Oceanic-oceanic convergent
d. Oceanic-oceanic convergent
The American geophysicist who proposed the notion of Seafloor Spreading in the 1960s.
A. Harry Hess
B. Alfred Wegener
C. Charles Lyell
D. Graciano Yumul
a. Harry Hess
What structure is responsible for the largest tsunamigenic 1976 Moro Gulf Earthquake?
A. Philippine Trench
B. Philippine Fault
C. Cotabato Trench
D. Cotabato Fault
c. Cotabato Trench
Which of the following is the correct ophiolite sequence?
A. Deep Marine Sediments-Sheeted Dike-Pillow Lavas-Gabbro-Peridotite
B. Deep Marine Sediments-Pillow Lavas-Sheeted Dike-Gabbro-Peridotite
C. Deep Marine Sediments- -Pillow Lavas-Sheeted Dike -Peridotite-Gabbro
D. Deep Marine Sediments-Sheeted Dike-Pillow Lavas-Peridotite-Gabbro
b. Deep Marine Sediments-Pillow Lavas-Sheeted Dike-Gabbro-Peridotite
Which refers to the precession of the Earth?
A. Change from night to day
B. Earth’s motion around the sun
C. Change in orientation of the Earth’s axis
D. Effects of the moon on the Earth’s orbit
c. Change in orientation of the Earth’s axis
The _________ forms the coastal folded belt of Northern Luzon and extends north and south between the high Cordillera Central and South China Sea.
A. Ilocos Basin
B. Cordillera Central
C. Caraballo Mountains
D. None of the above
a. Ilocos Basin
What type of erosion wherein it deepens the valley as the water force grows? It is common in the upper stage when the gradient is steep.
A. Headward Erosion
B. Lateral Erosion
C. Transportation
D. Vertical Erosion
d. Vertical Erosion
It is the steepest angle of slope at which materials such as sediments are stable and
won’t move farther downslope.
A. Angle of Incidence
B. Plunge
C. Angle of Repose
D. Apparent Dip
c. Angle of Repose
At which location does water move the fastest?
A. Subsurface channels
B. Atmosphere
C. On surface drainages
D. In ice caps and glaciers
b. Atmosphere
What type of geochronological technique is dependent on the effects of physical
interactions with atoms in a crystal?
A. Radiation-effect method
B. Radioactive decay method
C. Radiometric method
D. Isotopic method
a. Radiation-effect method
Maximum temperature wherein Diagenesis can occur.
A. 180° C
B. 300° C
C. 200° C
D. 175° C
c. 200° C
A sedimentary rock formed when glacial till becomes lithified.
A. Calcilithite
B. Phyllarenite
C. Smectite
D. Tillite
d. Tillite
A ____________is a siliceous and/or aluminous material that in itself possesses little or no cementitious value but will chemically react with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperatures to form compounds having cementitious properties
A. Calcarenite
B. Pozzolan
C. Tephrite
D. Zircon
b. Pozzolan
This theory suggests that topography is produced by crustal blocks with varying density
which terminates at uniform depth.
A. Airy’s Model of Isostasy
B. Wegener’s Theory of Continental Drift
C. Pratt’s Model of Isostasy
D. Hess’ Theory of Seafloor Spreading
c. Pratt’s Model of Isostasy
The process by which new minerals form in a sediment or sedimentary rock during or
after deposition.
A. Metamorphism
B. Paragenesis
C. Metagenesis
D. Authigenesis
d. Authigenesis
An unconformity in which the upper layers overlie metamorphic or igneous rocks.
A. Nonconformity
B. Paraconformity
C. Angular Conformity
D. Disconformity
a. Nonconformity
Product of extremely high-grade regional metamorphism, resulting into partial melting.
A. Blue Schist
B. Migmatite
C. Zeolite
D. Green Schist
b. Migmatite
Which process does not control weathering?
A. Weather
B. Climate
C. Rock type
D. Relief
a. Weather
______ are features within caves that are created by the removal of bedrock, rather than
as secondary deposits like stalactites and stalagmites
A. Dripstones
B. Speleogens
C. Speleothems
D. Flowstone
b. Speleogens
The ore-forming intrusion of the Atlas Porphyry Au-Cu deposit.
A. Diwata Diorite
B. Lepanto Metavolcanics
C. Lutopan Diorite
D. Dalupirip Schist
c. Lutopan Diorite
_________ uses a three-dimensional spherical surface to define locations on Earth.
A. Meridian
B. Geographic Coordinate System
C. Universal Transverse Mercator
D. Plate Caree Projection
b. Geographic Coordinate System
What type of metamorphism forms metamorphic rocks beneath mountain ranges (10km
or more) and are affected by movements of the Earth’s crust?
A. Contact Metamorphism
B. Dynamic Metamorphism
C. Prograde Metamorphism
D. Regional Metamorphism
d. Regional Metamorphism
Which of the following statements regarding the scientific methods is true?
A. A hypothesis must be agreed upon by more than one scientist
B. A theory is a hypothesis that has withstood many scientific tests
C. A theory is proven to be true, and therefore may not be discarded
D. A hypothesis cannot predict the outcome of scientific experiments
b. A theory is a hypothesis that has withstood many scientific tests
Which of the following is part of the Philippine stratigraphic groupings?
A. Southwest Luzon Uplands
B. Southwest Luzon Basin
C. Southwest Luzon Arc
D. Southwest Luzon Block
a. Southwest Luzon Uplands
Which of the following aquifers would be a best candidate for cleansing groundwater by
passing through it without halting groundwater flow?
A. Highly fractured crystalline rock
B. Coarse Gravel rock
C. Clay
D. Sand
d. Sand
The maximum angle of a slope which is perpendicular to the horizontal.
A. Plunge
B. Apparent Strike
C. Dip
D. Dip Direction
c. Dip
Who among the following proposed extrusion tectonics to explain the formation of the
South China Sea?
A. Rangin
B. Taponnier
C. Hall
D. Pubelier
b. Taponnier
If the sedimentary beds in a mountainside are dipping down to the west, which side of
the canyon is most likely to have a rockslide?
A. North
B. East
C. West
D. South
c. West
What famous fossil was found in Germany?
A. Archeopteryx
B. Megalodon
C. Giganotosaurus
D. Spinosaurus
a. Archeopteryx
This shows the arrangement of rock units in the proper chronological order from youngest to oldest.
A. Columnar Basalt
B. Dendrochronological Column
C. Bouma Sequence
D. Geologic Column
d. Geologic Column
A type of sedimentary rock composed of layered particles that grade upward from
coarser to finer sizes and are thought to have originated from ancient turbidity currents
in the oceans.
A. Tillites
B. Turbidites
C. Oolites
D. Stromatolites
b. Turbidites
Which of the following describes the pressure and temperature of a Blueschist facies?
A. High Pressure/Low Temp
B. High Temp/Low Pressure
C. Low Pressure/Low Temp
D. High Pressure/High Temp
a. High Pressure/Low Temp
You are an independent geological consultant whose client needs preliminary results in
not more than one week on the potential for limestone to make portland cement. You
must evaluate a 2000-acre tract in a carbonate terrane. A preferred sequence of work
elements should include:
A. Prepare a detailed geologic map, drill holes on one-acre spacing, obtain
analyses from selected samples, and write a report
B. Conduct a literature search, analyze available assay results from samples
taken from area limestone quarries, conduct field reconnaissance of the
client’s tract, and write a report
C. Conduct field reconnaissance, prepare a detailed geologic map, and obtain
analyses from limestone outcrop samples in the area, and write a report
D. Drill holes on one-acre spacing, obtain analyses from all limestone drill hole
samples, construct cross-sections and write a report
b. Conduct a literature search, analyze available assay results from samples taken from area limestone quarries, conduct field reconnaissance of the client’s tract, and write a report.
What was the name of the typhoon to have a landfall over the Mindanao Island in December 2012 and the name was retired due to its high casualty and damages?
A. Typhoon Pablo
B. Typhoon Sendong
C. Typhoon Haiyan
D. Typhoon Basyang
a. Typhoon Pablo
Basing on the Mohs Scale of Hardness, which of the following is true?
A. Amethyst is softer than Fluorite.
B. Selenite has a relative hardness of 3.
C. Quartz has a relative hardness of 6.
D. Sapphire is harder than Topaz
d. Sapphire is harder than Topaz
Rocks of the continental crust have an average density of about ___ g/cm3 and are ____
compared to rocks of the oceanic crust that have an average density of ___ g/cm3 and
are ____.
A. 2.7 g/cm3, older; 3.0 g/cm3, younger and denser
B. 3.0 g/cm3, older; 2.7 g/cm3, younger
C. 2.7 g/cm3, younger; 3.0 g/cm3, older and denser
D. 3.0 g/cm3, younger; 2.7 g/cm3, older
a. 2.7 g/cm3, older; 3.0 g/cm3, younger and denser
A plutonic rock occurring as a sheet injected along the principal structural planes (e.g.,
bedding planes, cleavage planes) of the country rocks:
A. Dike
B. Stock
C. Sill
D. Batholith
c. Sill
Kind of melting in magma formation without the addition of heat.
A. Single-phase
B. Decompression
C. Partial
D. Voltaic
b. Decompression
In what environment will most graphite form?
A. Any environment
B. Igneous environment
C. Sedimentary environment
D. Metamorphic environment
d. Metamorphic environment
What is formed when very viscous, rubbly lava (usually andesite, dacite or rhyolite) is
squeezed out of a vent without exploding?
A. Maar
B. Lava dome
C. Fissure
D. Diatreme
b. Lava dome
This occurs when a change in a system sets in motion a sequence of changes that
eventually neutralize the effects of the original change, so stabilizing the system.
A. Zero feedback
B. Equilibrial feedback
C. Positive feedback
D. Negative feedback
d. Negative feedback
What do you call the process where more soluble elements are leached from the upper
portions of the regolith and accumulated toward the bottom of the soil profile?
A. Eluviation
B. Illuviation
C. Mottling
D. Duricrusting
a. Eluviation
What is represented by the equation Q = KA (dh/dl)?
A. Steady-state flow
B. Capillarity
C. Darcy’s law
D. Storativity
c. Darcy’s Law
You want to record the field location of pebble samples taken for determining the regional size distribution of gravelly beds within a 10,000-square mile area in the Great Plains Province. What is the most useful method for locating the sample sites so you can plot them for a preliminary report?
A. Global Positioning System
B. Theodolite And Tape Survey
C. Plane Table and Alidade Mapping
D. 1:250,00 Scale Topographic Mapping
a. Global Positioning System
In this process, changes in the rate of uplift cause compensational changes in the rate of erosion, or vice versa. Which landform development theory follows the above description?
A. Equilibrium theory
B. Geomorphic cycle theory
C. Theory of syn-orogenic events
D. Theory of crustal change and slope development
d. Theory of crustal change and slope development
Mineral of higher temperature of formation than pyroxene according to Bowen’s reaction series:
A. Na-plagioclase
B. Olivine
C. Mica
D. Amphibole
b. Olivine
A linear trough of subsidence of the Earth’s crust within which vast amounts of sediment
accumulate.
A. Geosyncline
B. Flood Plain
C. Steppe
D. Craton
a. Geosyncline
There were 4 main mobile belts that formed in the Paleozoic, namely, Franklin,
Cordilleran, Appalachian, and _____________.
A. Huronian
B. Yucatan
C. Pangea
D. Ouachita
d. Ouachita
In 2011, bones of an extinct animal species that lived about 20 million years ago have been discovered in a cave in the St. Paul Limestone Formation in Palawan, Philippines. What order under class
Mammalia does these animals belong to?
A. Manidae (pangolins)
B. Primates (primates)
C. Sirenia (dugongs and manatees)
D. Dermoptera (flying lemurs
c. Sirenia (Dugongs and manatees)
Conglomerate-sandstone-siltstone-shale from older to younger. The beds are perfectly parallel and deposited normally that you only observed that there are limestone inclusions at the lower part of siltstone. What is the unconformity?
A. Paraconformity
B. Disconformity
C. Nonconformity
D. Angular Conformity
b. Disconformity
On question no. 71, a limestone unit is also found at the upper part of shale. Which statement is correct?
A. The two limestone inclusions are of different units.
B. The two limestone inclusions are of the same unit.
C. The limestones are of the same age.
D. The limestone on siltstone is younger than the limestone in shale.
a. The two limestone inclusions are of different units.
It is the direct implication of the opening of the China Sea.
A. Formation of the Sulu Trench on the southern portion of the archipelago.
B. Movement of the Palawan microcontinental block from mainland China.
C. Development of the Sulu Sea – Cagayan Ridge – Sulu-Zamboanga Arc –
Celebes Sea System.
D. Eastward stress causing the Manila Trench to form.
b. Movement of the Palawan microcontinental block from mainland China.
How many stratigraphic groupings are there according to Pena?
A. 32
B. 33
C. 34
D. 35
a. 32
What does GEODYSSEA mean?
A. The science of accurately measuring and understanding three fundamental properties of the Earth: its geometric shape, its orientation in space, and its gravity field— as well as the changes of these properties with time.
B. Geodynamics of South China Sea
C. Geodynamics of Southeast Asia
D. Geodynamics of South and Southeast Asia
d. Geodynamics of South and Southeast Asia
Which minerals always go together?
A. Azurite and Malachite
B. Olivine and Quartz
C. Dolomite and Calcite
D. Hematite and Chert
a. Azurite and Malachite
A type of landslide wherein the rupture surface is extending to the direction of movement.
A. Aggressive
B. Retrogressive
C. Advancing
D. Widening
c. Advancing
Wells which pump too much groundwater is generally frowned upon because:
A. Very large cone of depressions result
B. It promotes saltwater intrusions
C. Contamination may result from the change in flow direction of groundwater
D. All of the above
d. All of the above
The global sum of all ecosystems.
A. Hydrosphere
B. Cryosphere
C. Biosphere
D. Atmosphere
c. Biosphere
The melting or removal of thick glaciers would lead to _____ of the lithosphere.
A. Isostatic rebound
B. Isostatic adjustment
C. Sudden upheaval
D. A and B
d. a and b
A classification of trace fossil which refers to the resting traces of the organisms.
A. Domichnia
B. Cubichnia
C. Passichnia
D. Repichnia
b. Cubichnia
It forms where the glacier separates the cirque wall and is commonly filled with rock fall debris
A. Bergschrund
B. Crevasse
C. Truncated Spurs
a. Bergschrund
There are three active collision zones in the Philippines. The Taiwan collision zone is
characterized as:
A. arc-arc
B. arc-continent
C. continent-arc
D. continent-continent
c. continent-arc
In the Bouma sequence, _____ layer is deposited under upper flow regime conditions
where energy is high enough to carry sand grains by traction, wherein they slide and roll
across the surface beneath the flow.
A. E
B. D
C. C
D. B
d. B
In soil temperature regimes, the Philippine Islands most likely belong to what category?
A. isothermic
B. isohyperthermic
C. thermic
D. hyperthermic
b. isohyperthermic
A guiding law for relative dating, or the process of placing events in their proper sequence without knowing their age in years.
A. Law of Uniformitarianism
B. Law of Catastrophism
C. Law of Superposition
D. Law of Extinction
c. Law of Superposition
The heat that caused melting in the Earth’s early history was supplied from which of the following events or causes?
A. volcanic activity and radioactivity
B. solar heating and volcanic activity
C. large impact events and solar heating
D. large impact events and radioactivity
d. large impact events and radioactivity
These are sea currents that move sediments along a coastal area, but which is dependent on prevailing wind direction, swash and backwash
A. Longitudinal currents
B. Longshore drifts
C. Waves
D. Tides
b. Longshore drifts
The average density of the earth is 5.52 g/cm3 and the average density of the oceanic crust is 3.0 g/cm3. This statement implies that
A. The density of the rocks below the crust is greater than that of the oceanic crust
B. The density of the rocks below the crust is lower than that of the oceanic crust
C. The density of the rocks below the crust is less than 5.52 g/cm3
D. The Earth is homogenous
a. The density of the rocks below the crust is greater than that of the oceanic crust
Convex-down fold structure with the oldest rocks at the center.
A. Anticline
B. Syncline
C. Synformal anticline
D. Antiformal syncline
c. Synformal anticline
The Principle of Inclusion states that any rock fragments included in rock is older than
the enclosing rock. This was first described by _____________.
A. James Hutton
B. Nicholas Steno
C. John Smith
D. Charles Lyell
d. Charles Lyell
A sample from the core of an anticlinal structure you found along the road has been tested and verified as a phaneritic, silica-saturated rock composed dominantly of quartz, plagioclase and alkali feldspar. What rock is this?
A. Basalt
B. Granite
C. Diorite
D. Andesite
b. Granite
Metamorphic rocks are changed rocks. Which of the following rock types could be the “parent” of a metamorphic rock?
A. Sedimentary
B. Igneous
C. Metamorphic
D. All of the above
d. All of the above
Lycopsid trees are important coal-forming plants abundant in what period?
A. Silurian
B. Devonian
C. Carboniferous
D. Permian
c. Carboniferous
What does “Proglacial” means?
A. In front of the glacier
B. At the surface of the glacier
C. Beneath the glacier
D. Around the glacier
a. in front of the glacier
The layer of the atmosphere considered to be our global “sunscreen” from UV rays:
A. Stratosphere
B. Troposphere
C. Mesosphere
D. Thermosphere
a. Stratosphere
Measure of the maximum particle size a stream can carry is referred to as:
A. Competence
B. Capacity
C. Sorting
D. Capability
a. Competence
The Big Bang Theory was first proposed by __________ in the 1920’s:
A. Georges Lemaitre
B. Edwin Hubble
C. Pierre Simon de Laplace
D. Immanuel Kant
a. Georges Lemaitre
Within a mature soil profile, _____ is the horizon composed of slightly broken-up
bedrock.
A. C horizon
B. E horizon
C. B horizon
D. A horizon
a. C horizon
Geology is traditionally subdivided into two broad areas:
A. Environmental and Historical Geology
B. Physical and Environmental Geology
C. Historical and Contemporary Geology
D. Physical and Historical Geology
d. Physical and Historical Geology
A sandstone consisting mostly of quartz and feldspar is termed:
a. graywacke
b. arkose
c. calc-arenite
d. quartz sandstone
b. arkose
The optical property of exhibiting different colors as a function of the vibration directions is called:
a. retardation
b. birefringence
c. pleochroism
d. spectrum
c. pleochroism
The property of some chemical elements to exist in two or more different forms, in the same physical state is:
a. allotropy
b. enthalpy
c. isotropy
d. polymorphism
a. allotropy
An amorphous white volcanic glass that has a relatively high-water content, typically
high water formed by the hydration of obsidian
a. hyaloclastite
b. perlite
c. kaolinite
d. sinter
b. perlite
A diorite may be called “quartz diorite” if the volume percentage of
a. alkali feldspar is at least 2/3 of the total feldspar
b. quartz is at least 10%
c. quartz is at least 30%
d. plagioclase feldspar is at least 1/3 of the total feldspar
b. quartz is at least 10%
What foliated rock is characterized by the presence of coarse-grained banding of predominant quartz and feldspar over micaceous minerals?
a. amphibolite
b. schist
c. granulite
d. gneiss
d. gneiss
The Clarke of gold (Au) in the earth’s crust is 0.0000005 %, and this equates in ppb (parts
per billion) to
a. 5000 ppb
b. 5 ppb
c. 50 ppb
d. 500 ppb
b. 5 pbb
In describing an igneous rock, the term ___________ is used when most in the grains in
the rock are anhedral.
a. idiomorphic
b. hypidiomorphic
c. allotriomorphic
d. porphyritic
c. allotriomorphic
In petrology, a mixture of 2 or more minerals which have simultaneously crystallized from the magma melt
a. eutectic
b. polymorph
c. polytectic
d. eumorphic
a. eutectic
