question

What is the hardest mineral? A. Calcite B. Corundum C. Diamond D. Quartz

answer

C. Diamond

question

Which of the following processes occurs during lithification? A. recrystallization of unstable minerals B. compaction C. cementation D. All of these may occur during lithification.

answer

D. All of these may occur during lithification

question

True or False: Ultimately, any rock type (igneous, sedimentary or metamorphic) can be turned into any other rock type via the processes of the rock cycle. A. True B. False

answer

A. True

question

Intrusive igneous rocks form: A. Inside the Earth's crust B. At the surface of the Earth C. In the Earth's core D. In all of the above scenarios

answer

A. Inside the Earth's crust

question

What type of rock makes up most of the Hawaiian Islands? A. andesite B. basalt C. granite D. peridotite

answer

B. Basalt

question

Where would you expect to find the largest crystals in a lava flow? A. near the top surface of the flow. B. in the center of the flow. C. near the bottom surface of the flow. D. the crystals would be the same size throughout.

answer

B. In the center of the flow

question

Which of the following igneous rocks has the lowest silica content? A. felsic B. intermediate C. mafic D. ultramafic

answer

D. ultramafic

question

The presence of water will ________ the melting temperature of a rock A. Increase B. Raise C. Decrease D. None of the above

answer

C. decrease

question

Burial of sediments results in __________. A. decreasing pressure and decreasing temperature B. decreasing pressure and increasing temperature C. increasing pressure and decreasing temperature D. increasing pressure and increasing temperature

answer

D. Increasing pressure and increasing temperature

question

What type of sediments are accumulations of solid fragments produced by weathering? A. biochemical sediments B. clastic sediments C. chemical sediments D. all of the above

answer

B. Clastic sediments

question

Which of the following environments is an example of a shoreline environment? A. Alluvial B. Continental shelf C. Deltaic D. Organic reef

answer

C.Deltaic

question

Sedimentary processes take place ________ A. Within the Earth's interior B. Within the Earth's atmosphere C. At or near the Earth's surface D. All of the above

answer

C. At or near the Earth's surface

question

By the time sediments reach the ocean basins, they have become: A. angular and poorly sorted B. very coarse grained C. well rounded and well sorted D. all of these

answer

C. Well rounded and well sorted

question

Which mineral is commonly used to determine a metamorphic P-T path? A. Calcite B. Garnet C. Muscovite D. Quartz

answer

B. Garnet

question

Which of the following tectonic settings will be coolest at 30-km depth? A. Regions of continental extension B. Stable continental lithosphere C. Volcanic arcs D. The temperature in all three tectonic settings above will be the same at 30-km depth

answer

B. Stable continental lithosphere

question

Which of the following rocks represents the highest metamorphic grade? A. Gneiss B. Phyllite C. Schist D. Slate

answer

A. Gneiss

question

Which is the type of metamorphism with the highest pressure and lowest temperature from the choices below: A. Shock B. Burial C. Regional D. Contact

answer

A. Shock

question

Phylite is a rock of which type of metamorphism: A. Low grade B. Intermediate grade C. High grade metamorphism D. None of the above

answer

A. Low-grade

question

The dip of a unit represents the: A. angle at which the bed inclines from the horizontal B. direction of intersection of the rock layer and a horizontal surface C. part of the unit that has been eroded D. tilt of the rock unit before deformation

answer

A. Angle of which the bed inclines from the horizontal

question

What type of material undergoes smooth, continuous plastic deformation? A. brittle B. cataclastic C. ductile D. all of the above

answer

C. Ductile

question

An anticline is a sequence of folded rocks with the youngest rocks on the inside of the fold A. True B. False

answer

B. False

question

The difference between a fault and a joint is that _________. A. faults cut through more than one layer of rock, whereas joints cut through only one layer. B. faults cut through bedrock, whereas joints cut only the upper sedimentary layers C. rocks on either side of a fault have moved, whereas rocks on either side of a joint have remained stationary D. faults form straight lines in map view, whereas joints form zigzag lines

answer

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

question

Which of the following statements about rock deformation is false? A. Deep crustal rocks are more likely to deform ductilely than shallow crustal rocks. B. Hotter rocks are more likely to deform ductilely than cooler rocks. C. Rocks under low surrounding pressure are more likely to deform ductilely than rocks under high surrounding pressure. D. Sedimentary rocks are more deformable than igneous rocks.

answer

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

question

Reverse faults form in response to ______ forces. A. Compressive B. Shearing C. Tensional D. Torsional

answer

A. Compressive

question

The study of the layers in sedimentary rock is known as _________. A. Stratigraphy B. Paleontology C. Sedimentation D. Geochronology

answer

A. Stratigraphy

question

The principle of superposition states that __________. A. a fault is younger than the rocks it cuts B. sediments are deposited as essentially horizontal layers C. the present is the key to the past D. undisturbed sedimentary layers get progressively younger from bottom to top

answer

D. Undisturbed sedimentary layers get progressively younger from bottom to top

question

The half-life of a radioactive isotope is ______________. A. half the time it takes all the radioactive atoms to decay B. the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay C. half of the radioactive atom's "full-life" D. the average life-span of a stable atom

answer

B. The time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms to decay

question

Radiometric dating is possible if a rock contains a measurable amount of ___________. A. daughter atoms B. parent atoms C. both daughter and parent atoms D. either daughter or parent atoms

answer

C. Both daughter and parent atoms

question

Which of the following is the largest division of geologic time? A. Eon B. Epoch C. Era D. Period

answer

A. Eon

question

Under intense pressure and high temperature, hydrogen atoms combine to form helium. This process is called _____________. A. convection B. metamorphism C. nuclear fission D. nuclear fusion

answer

D. Nuclear Fusion

question

The hypothesis that explains the formation of the solar system is referred to as _____. A. Big Bang hypothesis B. origin hypothesis C. nebular hypothesis D. planetesimal hypothesis

answer

C. Nebular hypothesis

question

What caused dust and condensing material to accrete into planetesimals? A. gravitational attraction and collisions B. heating of gases C. nuclear fusion D. rotation of the proto-sun

answer

A. Gravitational attraction and collisions

question

The four inner planets are ________________. A. mostly hot, with heavy, dense atmospheres. B. all similar to the Earth in size, atmosphere, and density. C. larger and less dense than the outer planets. D. small, rocky, and relatively lacking in volatile elements.

answer

D. Small, rocky, and relatively lacking in volatile elements.

question

What mountain chain runs along the eastern margin of North America? A. the Andes B. the Appalachians C. the Caledonides D. the Cordillera

answer

B. The Appalachians

question

What is meant by the tectonic age of a region? A. the oldest rocks in the region B. the oldest major deformation event in the region C. the youngest rocks in the region D. the youngest major deformation event in the region

answer

D. The youngest major deformation event in the region

question

Which of the following sequences describes the Wilson cycle? I. continent-continent collision II. continental rifting III. sea-floor spreading IV. subduction A. I - IV -II -III B. II - III - IV - I C. II - I - IV - II D. IV - II - III - IV

answer

C. II-I-IV-II

question

Cratonic keels are __________. A. thinner under continents than oceans B. of even thickness everywhere C. thinnest under cratons D. thicker under continents than oceans

answer

D. Thicker under continents than oceans

question

What is metasomatism? A. a change in the bulk composition of a rock during metamorphism B. metamorphism caused by nearby magmatic intrusions C. metamorphism caused by tectonic movements along faults D. the parallel alignment of minerals in a metamorphic rock

answer

A. A change in the bulk composition of a rock during metamorphism

question

What type of metamorphism is caused by igneous intrusions? A.burial metamorphism B. regional metamorphism C. contact metamorphism D. shock metamorphism

answer

C. Contact Metamorphism

question

Which of the following processes will cause metamorphism? A. an increase in pressure B. an increase in temperature C. interaction with hydrothermal fluids D. all of the above

answer

D. All of the above

question

At what type of plate tectonic boundary would you expect shearing forces to occur? A. Divergent B. Convergent C. Transform D. None

answer

C. Transform

question

What determines whether a rock deforms in a brittle fashion versus a ductile fashion? A. Temperature B. Rock type C. Rate of deformation D. Temperature, rate of deformation, and rock type

answer

D. Temperature, rate of deformation, and rock type

question

Which of the following is used by geologists to determine the relative ages in a rock sequence? A. Cross-cutting relations B. Fossils C. Stratigraphy D. all of the above

answer

D.All of the above

question

Which is the most likely parent rock of marble? A. sandstone B. shale C. limestone D. granite

answer

C. Limestone

question

Purely tensional stresses associated with a _________ plate boundary will generate a _______ fault. A. convergent; strike-slip B. convergent; normal C. divergent; reverse D. divergent; normal

answer

C. Divergent; normal

question

When considering the effects of faulting on the lithosphere, it is clear that normal faults serve to effectively: A. shorten and thicken the crust. B. thin and shorten the crust. C. thin and extend the crust. D. shorten and thin the crust.

answer

C. Thin and extend the crust

question

When did the Mesozoic era begin? A. 65 million years ago B. 543 million years ago C. 250 million years ago D. 2.5 billion years ago

answer

C. 250 million years ago

question

Which planet is closest in size to the Earth? A. Mars B. Venus C. Mercury D. Jupiter

answer

B. Venus

question

Current evidence indicates that the Moon was produced by: A. simultaneous accretion. B. the eruption of magma into space. C. Earth capturing an asteroid. D. The collision of a Mars-sized body with Earth.

answer

D. The collision of a Mars-sized body with Earth

question

Which list places the four inner planets in order of increasing distance from the Sun? A. Mars, Mercury, Earth, Venus B. Venus, Mercury, Earth, Mars C. Mercury, Mars, Venus, Earth D. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

answer

D. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

question

Cratons are made up of: A. orogens and platforms B. platforms and shields C. orogens and shields D. orogens, platforms, and shields

answer

B. Platforms and shields

question

The study of geobiology is defined as _________. A. the study of ancient life forms on Earth B. the study of how organisms influence and are influenced by Earth's environment C. the study of the Earth's environmental changes throughout time D. the study of the organisms lost during mass extinction events

answer

B. the study of how organisms influence and are influenced by Earth's environment

question

The radiation of life at the beginning of the Phanerozoic is known as the _______. A. Cambrian adaptation B. Cambrian explosion C. Precambrian radiation D. Precambrian adaptation

answer

B. Cambrian Explosion

question

Organisms that gain energy from feeding directly or indirectly on "producers" are referred to as ___________. A. autotrophs B. chemotrophs C. phototrophs D. heterotrophs

answer

D. Heterotrophs

question

The pathway through which a chemical element or molecule moves between the biologic and environmental components of an ecosystem is called the _______. A. biogeochemical cycle B. biomicrobial cycle C. geometabolic cycle D. geosynthesis cycle

answer

A. Biogeochemical cycle

question

In which geologic environment would you expect to find thermophiles? A. a mid-ocean ridge B. a continental shelf C. an abyssal plain D. a river

answer

A. Mid-ocean ridge

question

Sedimentary features that form from the interaction of microbes with their environment are called __________. A. nodules B. stromatolites C. branching columns D. laminations

answer

B. Stromatolites

question

Photosynthesis arose in a group of bacteria knows as __________. A. cyanobacteria B. heterobacteria C. photobacteria D. chemobacteria

answer

A. Cyanobacteria

question

Which is older, the intrusion or fault?

answer

intrusion

question

which of the following is used to determine the relative ages in rocks? A. Cross-cutting relations B. Fossils C. Stratigraphy D. all of the above

answer

D. all of the above

question

which principle do you use to identify the oldest rocks unit?

answer

Superposition

question

greater pressure = more

answer

dense

question

divergent plate boundary

answer

moving apart from each other

question

Mineral changes due to an increase in temperature

answer

Prograde

question

convergent plate boundary

answer

moving toward each other

question

Mineral changes due to a decrease in temperature

answer

Retrograde

question

Transform plate boundary

answer

moving side to side, no lithosphere is created or destroyed

question

force applied to a rock per unit area

answer

stress

question

change in shape and/or volume of a rock because of applied stress

answer

strain

question

ability of an object to resist deformation

answer

strength

question

stress that pushes together

answer

compression

question

stress that pulls apart

answer

tension

question

stress that moves sideways

answer

shearing

question

area below a fault

answer

footwall

question

area above a fault

answer

hanging wall

question

epochs

answer

shortest subdivision

question

what type of fault results because of tensional forces

answer

normal

question

what type of fault results because of compressional forces

answer

reverse

question

Sedimentary layers deposited on older igneous and metamorphic rocks

answer

Nonconformity

question

younger sedimentary layers deposited on older, tilted sedimentary rocks

answer

Angular Unconformities

question

younger sedimentary layers deposited on older, horizontal sedimentary layers

answer

Disconformity

question

surfaces where erosion has removed rock layers and creates missing time

answer

Unconformities

question

mountain building process or folding, faulting, magnetism, and metamorphism

answer

Orogeny

Geology 101 USC Knapp exam 2 – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards