Exam 3: Geology 101, Fall 2005

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1. The average person consumes approximately how many gallons of water per day?

A. 25

B. 50

C. 75

D. 100

E. 150

2. About 97% of all water on Earth resides in the oceans. The remaining 3% is mainly freshwater occurring in:

A. glacial ice sheets

B. groundwater

C. lakes

D. rivers

E. water vapor in the atmosphere

3. Groundwater is best defined as:

A. water in caves

B. water recharging an aquifer

C. water beneath the land surface

D. the percent void space in a solid

E. the boundary between the saturated and unsaturated zones

4. Which of the following is a potential problem associated with groundwater withdrawal?

A. water table drawdown

B. subsidence

C. saltwater intrusion

D. cone of depression

E. all of the above

5. Permeability is the ability of a material to transmit fluid. It depends upon what 3 things?

A. porosity, capillarity, saturation

B. porosity, pore size, connectivity of pore space

C. recharge, water table elevation, storage potential

D. sorting of grains, angularity of grains, fracturing

E. temperature, pressure, layer thickness

6. Given a volume of rock of 5,000 cubic feet with a water storage capacity of 500 cubic feet, the porosity of the rock would be:

A. 50%

B. 10%

C. 5%

D. 1%

E. 0.1%

7. Which of the following describes the local aquifer system here in Moscow?

A. most of our water is pumped out of fractured granite

B. community growth and development are expected to have little impact on our abundant water resources

C. our aquifer system is well understood

D. extensive pumping has caused subsidence of the land surface

E. none of the above

8. Yucca Mountain, in Nevada, is being studied as a potential underground storage site for high-level nuclear waste. One of the biggest concerns regarding waste isolation is transport by groundwater. Yucca Mountain has the following favorable site characteristics, EXCEPT:

A. remote location

B. deep water table

C. fractured rock acts as capillary barrier to reduce seepage

D. dense vegetation at land surface limits significant infiltration

E. stable geology

9. The area next to a stream that floods is:

A. a floodplain

B. a good place to build a house

C. a safe place to build a house if a dam is upstream

D. an aquifer

E. none of the above

10. What do streams do?

A. carry water and material

B. remove material

C. deposit material

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

11. A stream will transport, erode, and/or deposit sediment depending upon the (a)_____ of the water and the (b)_____ of the sediment

A. (a) depth, (b) amount

B. (a) velocity, (b) type

C. (a) velocity, (b) size

D. (a) amount, (b) amount

E. none of the above combinations

12. The discharge of a stream is the amount of water flowing in a stream. It is calculated by (a)_____, and is usually given in terms of (b)_____.

A. (a) multiplying width of the stream by velocity of water, (b) cubic feet per second

B. (a) adding width and depth of stream, (b) feet per second

C. (a) adding width and depth of stream to velocity of water, (b) feet per second

D. (a) multiplying depth of stream by velocity of water, (b) cubic feet per second

E. none of the above combinations

13. Streams transport material in which of the following ways?

A. suspended load

B. bed load

C. dissolved load

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

14. There are three types of streams based upon their shape in map view. Stream geometry is based mainly upon the gradient of the stream and the type and amount of sediment the stream carries. For instance, straight streams carry a large amount of (a)_____ and have a/an (b)_____ gradient, while meandering streams carry a large amount of (c)_____ and have a/an (d)_____ gradient.

A. (a) suspended load, (b) steep, (c) bed load, (d) gentle

B. (a) suspended load, (b) gentle, (c) bed load, (d) steep

C. (a) bed load, (b) gentle, (c) suspended load, (d) steep

D. (a) bed load, (b) steep, (c) suspended load, (d) gentle

E. none of the above combinations

15. Several methods have been developed to attempt to control flooding. _____ are parallel ridges built next to a stream which are supposed to keep the water in the stream as the water level rises during a flood. Eventually, though, the water will flow over these features downstream.

A. Levees

B. Point bars

C. Cutbacks

D. Dams

E. none of the above

16. Another method of flood control is to build (a)_____, which in turn create (b)_____ behind them; however, during times of flooding these latter features fill with water and overflow the former features creating massive downstream destruction.

A. (a) dams, (b) lakes

B. (a) levees, (b) dry areas

C. (a) floodplains, (b) wet areas

D. (a) wet areas, (b) lakes

E. none of the above combinations

17. The best method of flood control is to use the stream's _____ to store water.

A. lakes

B. channel

C. channelization

D. floodplain

E. none of the above

18. A glacier is best defined as a:

A. large snowfield

B. large sheet of ice

C. large body of flowing ice

D. large body of flowing snow

E. none of the above

19. In the zone of accumulation of a glacier (a)_____, while in the zone of wastage (b)_____.

A. (a) ice accumulates, (b) snow accumulates

B. (a) more snow falls during the winter than melts during the summer, (b) all of the snow that fell during the winter melts during the summer

C. (a) snow accumulates, (b) firn is transformed into ice

D. (a) snow accumulates, (b) snow is transformed into ice

E. none of the above combinations

20. Recognizing sediments deposited from glaciers is important in understanding the extent of past glaciers and global cooling and warming. Till is deposited by a glacier and forms _____, which mark the edges of a glacier.

A. cirques

B. hanging valleys

C. moraines

D. outwash

E. none of the above

21. Climates have warmed and cooled in the past. If the climate warmed, a worldwide (a)_____ sea level would result, while if the climate cooled, a worldwide (b)_____ sea level would result.

A. (a) rise in, (b) decline in

B. (a) decline in, (b) rise in

C. (a) change in, (b) no change in

D. (a) no change in, (b) change

E. none of the above

22. A force applied to a rock is called (a)____. The rock's response to the force is called (b)_____.

A. (a) stress, (b) strain

B. (a) strain, (b) stress

C. (a) deformation, (b) fault

D. (a) deformation, (b) fold

E. none of the above combinations

23. When a rock has undergone non-recoverable strain, it has been _____ deformed.

A. elastically

B. plastically

C. stress

D. fold

E. none of the above

24. When a rock has undergone plastic deformation, it can either break which creates (a)_____, or it can bend which creates (b)_____ in the rock.

A. (a) faults, (b) joints

B. (a) folds, (b) fractures

C. (a) fractures, (b) folds

D. (a) earthquakes, (b) joints

E. none of the above combinations

25. If there is movement along a fracture in a rock, a/an (a)_____ occurs; if there is no movement, then a/an (b)_____ occurs.

A. (a) earthquake, (b) fold

B. (a) fault, (b) fault

C. (a) joint, (b) fracture

D. (a) fault, (b) joint

E. none of the above combinations

26. When geologists measure folds, faults, and rock outcrops, they determine (a)_____ which is the angle from the horizontal and (b)_____ which is perpendicular to (a) and is a compass bearing.

A. (a) dip, (b) strike

B. (a) strike, (b) dip

C. (a) a compass, (b) bearing

D. (a) a compass, (b) a level

E. none of the above combinations

27. Faults are classified based upon their main direction of movement. Dip-slip faults have the major portion of their displacement in the (a)_____ direction, while strike-slip faults mainly move in the (b)_____ direction

A. (a) dip, (b) strike

B. (a) strike, (b) dip

C. (a) downward, (b) upward

D. (a) downward, (b) sideways

E. none of the above combinations

28. There are two types of dip-slip faults: normal faults form when the (a)_____ stress direction is perpendicular to the strike of the fault, while reverse faults form when the (b)_____ stress direction is perpendicular to the strike of the fault. Lastly, strike-slip faults have their greatest stress direction (c)_____ to their strike.

A. (a) greatest, (b) least, (c) parallel

B. (a) least, (b) greatest, (c) parallel

C. (a) least, (b) greatest, (c) perpendicular

D. (a) greatest, (b) least, (c) perpendicular

E. none of the above combinations

29. Certain fault types occur at the three major types of plate boundaries. (a)_____ faults occur at converging boundaries, (b)_____ faults occur at diverging plate boundaries, and (c)_____ faults occur at transform plate boundaries.

A. (a) Normal, (b) reverse, (c) thrust

B. (a) Normal, (b) reverse, (c) strike-slip

C. (a) Reverse, (b) normal, (c) strike-slip

D. (a) Dip-slip, (b) oblique-slip, (c) strike-slip

E. none of the above combinations

30. The Kibbie Dome is an example of a/an _____.

A. dome

B. basin

C. syncline

D. anticline

E. none of the above

31. Earthquakes are usually associated with movement along faults; however, they can also be caused by _____.

A. bombs

B. strange animal behavior

C. joints

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

32. Two terms are commonly used to describe the location of an earthquake: the (a)_____ is the actual position of the earthquake, and the (b)_____ is the earthquake’s location projected to the surface.

A. (a) focus, (b) epicenter

B. (a) P-wave, (b) S-wave

C. (a) epicenter, (b) focus

D. (a) S-wave, (b) P-wave

E. none of the above

33. When an earthquake occurs, waves are produced and sent into the earth. The (a)_____-waves travel at a higher velocity than the slower (b)_____-waves.

A. (a) E, (b) P

B. (a) S, (b) P

C. (a) P, (b) S

D. (a) A, (b) B

E. none of the above combinations

34. There is also a difference in the way these two waves transmit their energy. For the (a)_____-waves, the energy is parallel to the direction of travel, while for the (b)_____-waves, the energy is perpendicular to the direction of travel.

A. (a) E, (b) P

B. (a) S, (b) P

C. (a) P, (b) S

D. (a) A, (b) B

E. none of the above combinations

35. Because these body waves travel at different speeds, we can use them to determine the _____.

A. distance to the earthquake

B. age of the earthquake

C. strength of the earthquake based on the modified Mercalli scale

D. magnitude of an earthquake based on the Richter scale

E. none of the above

36. We can use the energy of earthquake waves to measure the _____

A. distance to the earthquake

B. age of the earthquake

C. strength of the earthquake based on the modified Mercalli scale

D. magnitude of an earthquake based on the Richter scale

E. none of the above combinations

37. Because these waves transmit their energy differently as they travel, we know the outer core of the earth is liquid because a/an _____-wave will not travel through liquid.

A. L

B. S

C. P

D. E

E. none of the above

38. Geologists use several phenomena to probe the earth’s interior. Which of the following did I discuss?

A. seismic waves

B. gravity

C. heat flow

D. magnetism

E. all of the above

39. Gravitational attraction varies with mass of the objects and their distance. For instance, an increase in gravity might be used to locate _____ in a limestone.

A. calcite crystals

B. a cave

C. a lead deposit

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

40. Heat flow measurements at the surface can be used to determine subsurface geology. For instance, an above average heat flow would occur over a/an _____.

A. cave

B. magma body

C. fold

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

41. The earth has a magnetic field which is caused by (a)_____. The polarity (i.e., the north and south magnetic poles) of this magnetic field (b)_____.

A. (a) a yet unexplained process, (b) reverses every 100,000 to 1,000,000 years

B. (a) a large magnetic rock in Canada, (b) reverses every 100,000 to 1,000,000 years

C. (a) a yet unexplained process, (b) remains constant

D. (a) a large magnetic rock in Canada, (b) remains constant

E. none of above combinations

42. From the center of the earth outward, the earth is composed of:

A. a liquid inner core, a solid outer core, the crust, the mantle

B. a solid inner core, a liquid outer core, the crust, the mantle

C. a liquid inner core, a solid outer core, the mantle, the crust

D. a solid inner core, a liquid outer core, the mantle, the crust

E. none of the above combinations

43. The outer 100 miles or so of the earth is divided into two major parts based upon how they behave. The (a)____ is brittle and rides atop a ductile (b)_____.

A. (a) asthenosphere, (b) lithosphere

B. (a) lithosphere, (b) asthenosphere

C. (a) crust, (b) mantle

D. (a) mantle, (b) crust

E. none of the above combinations

44. Some rocks on the continents are several billion years old, yet rocks on the sea floor are no older than (a)_____ million years. This is because rocks that comprise the sea floor are created at (b)_____ and destroyed at (c)_____.

A. (a) 200, (b) ocean trenches, (c) mid-ocean ridges

B. (a) 20, (b) ocean trenches, (c) mid-ocean ridges

C. (a) 200, (b) mid-ocean ridges, (c) ocean trenches

D. (a) 20, (b) mid-ocean ridges, (c) ocean trenches

E. none of the above combinations

45. The physiography of the ocean floor supports the theory of plate tectonics. (a)_____ are shallow linear features that occur along (b)_____ plate boundaries, while (c)_____ are deep linear features that occur along (d)_____ plate boundaries.

A. (a) Mid-ocean ridges, (b) diverging, (c) ocean trenches, (d) converging

B. (a) Mid-ocean ridges, (b) converging, (c) ocean trenches, (d) diverging

C. (a) Ocean trenches, (b) diverging, (c) mid-ocean ridges, (d) converging

D. (a) Ocean trenches, (b) converging, (c) mid-ocean ridges, (d) diverging

E. none of the above combinations

46. Plate tectonics is a unifying theory in geology that combines observations from:

A. sea floor spreading

B. polar wandering

C. continental drift

D. all of the above

E. none of the above

47. The continental crust is composed mainly of (a)_____. The ocean crust is composed mainly of (b)_____, and the rocks comprising the oceanic crust are much (c)_____ than those of the continent.

A. (a) basalt, (b) granite, (c) heavier

B. (a) granite, (b) basalt, (c) heavier

C. (a) granite, (b) basalt, (c) younger

D. both B and C

E. none of the above combinations

48. During the semester I have often talked about the relationship between health-based issues and geology; usually inhalation of dust and respiratory diseases. On Friday before break I mentioned a proposed relationship between geology and:

A. prostate cancer

B. skin cancer

C. breast cancer

D. asthma

E. none of the above

49. Also on Friday before break I talked about an organization, called IARC, that evaluated the carcinogenicity of materials. What does the acronym IARC stand for?

A. International agency for regulatory concerns

B. International arrangements regarding cancer

C. Increasing awareness and risks for cancer

D. Information on awareness and risks for cancer

E. none of the above

50. Lastly, I’ve correctly entered my ID on the scan sheet.

A. yes or B. no