GEOL 1001

Final Exam.

1. What type of forces dominate near convergent plate margins?

a. tensional b. shearing c. compressional d. a and b e. a and c.

2. The oldest continental crust found on Earth belongs to the ________ Era.

a. Cenozoic b. Mesozoic c. Paleozoic d. None of the above

3. Areas close to all three types of plate boundaries show frequent volcanic activity.

a. True b. False

4. The energy released by a magnitude 7 earthquake is ______ times greater than that released

by a magnitude 3 earthquake.

a. 9 b. 300 c. 27,000 d. 810,000 e. 900

5. The bottom of the lithosphere is marked by a region where both the P and S wave velocities fall

with increasing depth. a. True b. False

6. The two most common elements in the Earth as a whole are:

a. oxygen and iron b. oxygen and silicon c. silicon and iron

d. iron and magnesium e. quartz and feldspar

7. Oceanic crust is primarily made up of which of the following rock types?

a. granite b. andesite c. basalt d. rhyolite e. limestone

8. Study of the symmetrical gravity stripes on oceanic crust close to the mid-ocean ridges,

helped to develop the theory of plate tectonics. a. True b. False

9. The most common type of rock found in the Earth's crust as a whole is:

a. shale b. granite c. quartz d. basalt e. schist

10. Which of the following lava types erupts from fissures on the sea-floor to form pillow lavas?

a. granite b. peridotite c. basalt d. andesite e. shale.

11. Which of the following features is not associated with a convergent plate boundary?

a. volcanism b. frequent earthquakes c. deep-sea trench d. melange e. none of the above.

12. In general, oceanic crust is ____ and _____ than continental crust.

a. thinner, more dense b. thinner, less dense c. thicker, less dense d. thicker, more dense

13. The asthenosphere:

a. is hot, plastic b. is less than 300 km thick c. occurs below the lithosphere d. a and b e. a, b and c.

14. As we move from continental margins towards a mid-ocean ridge the oceanic crust

becomes increasingly: a. older and colder b. older and hotter c. colder and younger d. bolder and colder e. hotter and younger.

15. Sandwiched between stable interior sections of continents that have not suffered deformation

for very long periods of time are elogated areas of intensely folded and deformed rocks. The

latter are called: a. cretans b. cretins c. orogenic belts d. cratons e. croutons

16. Shallow focus earthquakes are associated with all types of plate boundaries, but deep focus

earthquakes occur only close to transform fault boundaries. a. True b. False

17. Tsunamis travel at about _______

a. 500 km/day b. 500 km/min c. 500 km/hr. d. 5 m/sec e. 5 cm/sec.

18. The statement "oceans close and open repeatedly over geological time" is a summary of the:

a. Holmes Cycle b. Principle of uniformitarianism c. Hess Cycle d. Press Cycle e. Wilson Cycle.

19. Chemical weathering of silicates (notably feldspars) leads to the formation of ____.

a. limestone b. clay minerals c. calcite d. quartz e. olivine

20. The section of the soil that contains dark colored decaying organic material is the ______

horizon. a. A b. B c. C d. D e. T

21. The rock limestone is made up primarily of which mineral?

a. amphibole b. quartz c. calcite d. olivine e. sillimanite

22. A sandstone thought to belong to the Mesozoic Era is best dated radiometrically using:

a. uranium-lead b. carbon-14 c. potassium-argon d. a and c e. none of the above

23. Very primitive forms of life probably first appeared on the surface of the Earth about ______

miliion years ago.

a. 4,500 b. 3,500 c. 2,500 d. 1,500 e. 500

24. The Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras span about _____ and _____ m.y., respectively.

a. 300, 500 b. 500, 200 c. 300, 200 d. 200, 300 e. 300, 65.

25. The basic unit common to all silicate minerals is the _____ tetrahedron.

a. (SiO 2 ) -2 b. (SiO 3 ) -4 c. (SiO 4 ) +2 d. (SiO 4 ) -4 e. (SiO 4 ) -2

26. Which of the following minerals has the greatest hardness on Mohs Scale?

a. quartz b. topaz c. calcite d. talc e. corundum

27. All atoms of carbon must contain:

a. 4 protons b. 12 neutrons c. 4 electrons d. 6 protons e. 6 neutrons

28. An intrusive rock that contains olivine and pyroxene only, and is thought to make up most of

the upper mantle is a(n): a. basalt b. peridotite c. gabbro d. andesite e. granite

29. Minerals are grouped (classified) based on their _____ group.

a. cation b. anion c. isotoner d. isomeric e. polyhedral

30. The most common type of sedimentary rock is:

a. basalt b. sandstone c. slate d. shale e. limestone

31. Which of the following types of lava shows the highest viscosity ?

a. basaltic b. andesitic c. rhyolitic d. halitic e. sandstonic

32. Which of the following is not a mineral?

a. quartz b. calcite c. garnet d. andesite e. feldspar

33. A mineral group formed by silica tetrahedra linking directly to single chains is:

a. amphibole b. pyroxene c. mica d. feldspar e. quartz

34. Which of the following mineralogical changes is (are) expected in the Discontinuous Reaction

Series as the temperature falls? a. olivine to pyroxene b. amphibole to quartz c. Ca-rich plagioclase to Na-rich plagioclase d. quartz to feldspar e. a and c.

35. A thrust fault has a strike of N-S. Which of the following could represent its dip?

a. 10 o N b. 60 o E c. 10 o W d. 70 o W e. 15 o NE

36. Compounds that are destroying the ozone layer are called:

a. chloroflourcarbons b. chlorofluorocarbons c. fluoroclearocarbons d. chloroforocarbons e. greenhouse gases

37. The trapping of _____ radiation by excess carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere may be

leading to global warming. a. ultraviolet b. infrared c. infrablue d. ultrared e. X-rays

38. The discharge of a river:

a. depends on its width and depth b. depends on its (stream) velocity c. increases going downstream d. a, b and c e. a and b.

39. About ___% of water at the earth’s surface is tied up in the glaciers.

a. 5 b. 2 c. 10 d. 0.5 e. 0.1

40. The mantle-outer core boundary lies about _____ below the Earth's surface.

a. 3,000 km b. 5,000 m c. 500 km d. 120,000 m e. 5,000,000 m

41. In sections of meandering streams, the greatest amount of erosion occurs:

a. at the outer bank b. at the inner bank c. in the center d. a and c e. b and c

42. The competence of a stream is measured by the total amount of dissolved load it carries.

a. True b. False

43. The capacity of a river depends on:

a. its stream velocity b. its discharge c. its distance from a delta d. a, b and c e. a and b.

44. The main (continental) divide, runs through the state of California.

a. True b. False

45. Sinkholes and underground caverns are associated with the weathering of which of the

following rock types?

a. Granite b. Limestone c. Andesite d. Basalt e. Shale

46. At the present time, for most glaciers, accumulation is less than ablation.

a. True b. False

47. _____ are features found in ancient sedimentary rocks that suggest life forms existed on Earth billions of years ago.

a. Stromatolites b. Ripple marks c. cross bedding d. Graded bedding e. Sealy bedding

48. A cone of depression is :

a. a group of students after a Geology 1002 final exam

b. created in the lithosphere by the weight of glaciers

c. created by (over) pumping of an aquifer d. the water surface following a hurricane

e. created by falling water at the base of the Niagara Falls

49. River action produces valleys that are:

a. V-shaped b. U-shaped c. limited in depth of erosion by the ultimate base level (mean sea level)

d. a and c e. b and c.

50. A delta formed by a river flowing into the ocean may be recognised by the fact that the _____ beds dip about ____ downstream.

a. foreset, 20 o b. topset, 5 o c. bottomset, 5 o d. foreset, 5 o e. topset, 20 o

51. Results obtained by _______ dating indicate that the mouth of the Mississippi River has been

moving about on the shoreline of Louisiana for the last ~5,000 years.

a. potassium-argon b. iron-calcium c. radiocarbon d. uranium-lead

e. fossil

52. As a river close to the delta overflows its banks at flood stage, it dumps sediment. These

eventually form features known as: a. meandering streams b. drumlins c. oxbow lakes d. levees e. eskers

53. Fiords are produced by the fact that the erosion (base) level of glaciers limited by the sea level.

a. True b. False

54. Which of the following is a feature you would associate with glaciation?

a. moraine b. rock flour c. striations d. hanging valleys e. all of the above

55. The _______ hypothesis, caused by small changes in the earth's orbit around the sun, best

explains the repetition of glacial and interglacial periods which recurs with

a. Mohorovicic b. Milankovitch c. Shackleton d. Press e. Wilson

56. Isostatic rebound is responsible (in part) for:

a. raised beaches in Scandinavia b. raised beaches in Louisiana c. present elevation of ancient mountain belts d. a and c e. b and c.

57. Which of the following rock types should form the poorest aquifer ?

a. Limestone b. Sandstone c. Shale d. Salt e. Marble

58. Which of the following lists geological phenomena in the correct order from highest to lowest

velocity? a. groundwater flow, movement of glacier, seismic waves in rocks.

b. groundwater flow, seismic waves in rocks, movement of glacier

c. movement of glacier, groundwater flow, seismic waves in rocks

d. movement of glacier, seismic waves in rocks, groundwater flow

e. seismic waves ion rocks, movement of glacier, groundwater flow

59. To get an artesian well we must drill a well into a(n):

a. unconfined aquiclude b. confined aquiclude c. confined aquifer d. unconfined aquifer e. a and d

60. The upper surface of the saturated zone is called the:

a. water cap b. water table c. water line d. water top e. water head

61. _______ Law states that groundwater flow depends on the porosity of the rock and the hydraulic gradient (slope of the water table).

a. Tell's b. Purcell's c. Darcy's d. Wegener's e. none of the above

62. Saltation is a process by which the bed load of a river moves downstream.

a. True b. False

63. In a limestone cavern, stalagmites grow down from the ceiling. a. True b. False

64. About 18,000 years ago, sea level was _____ by about _____ feet than today.

a. higher, 100 b. lower, 400 c. higher, 400 d. lower, 100 e. lower, 1000

65. Which of the following continental blocks has shown the greatest amount of since the breakup

of Pangaea? a. Australia b. Antarctica c. India d. Africa e. South America

66. The fifth highest mountain in the world is found in the:

a. Alps b. Andes c. Rockies d. Himalayas e. Sierra Nevada

67. In moving from the crust to the mantle:

a. P wave velocity increases b. P wave velocity decreases c. P wave velocity decreases

d. S wave velocity increases e. a and d

68. Chemical analysis of a rock shows that it contains 30 times as much of the daughter product as

the parent. If the half-life of the system is 2,000 years, the rock is approximately ____

years old. a. 12,500 b. 15,000 c. 10,000 d. 8,000 e. 5,000

69. The deepest sections of the ocean are found close to subduction zones. a. True b. False

70. Transform faults are a form of dip-slip fault. a. True b. False

71. Groundwater flow averages about a few _______.

a. cm/yr b. cm/min c. cm/sec d. cm/day e. km/yr

72. A type of infertile soil produced by weathering of mafic rocks in hot, humid (tropical) climates

rich in irin and alumnum oxides is called:

a. pedocal b. pedalfer c. laterite d. humus e. none of the above.

73. Features associated with sedimentary rocks include:

a. graded bedding b. sorting c. cross bedding d. a and b e. a, b and c.

74. Striation and slickenslide are terms associated with :

a. glaciation and turbidites b. river action and faults c. faults and folds

d. glaciation and faults e. none of the above.

75. The age of the Earth is about _______.

a. 4500 m.y. b. 4.5 m.y. c. 4.5 b.y. d. 3500 m.y. e. a and c.

76. The diameter of the Earth is about ________ km.

a. 6400 b. 12800 c. 3000 d. 5000 e. 1200

79. Which of the following minerals is most resistant to chemical weathering ?

a. halite b. calcite c. quartz d. iron oxide e. olivine

80. Measured from sea level, the elevation of the highest mountain in the world is greater than the

depth to the deepest sections of the oceans. a. True b. False.

81. Typical rates of plate motion are about _____.

a. 5 m/day b. 20 km/m.y. c. 20 km/b.y. d. 0.2 mm/yr e. 2 km/m.y.