Exam 4 (the final): Geology 101, Fall 2005
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1. The definition of geology is "the study of the planet earth," but more specifically it also includes:
A. the materials of which the earth is made
B. human-made minerals
C. living plants and animals
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
2. (a)_____ make up (b)_____, so we need a basic knowledge of both of these to understand what makes up the earth.
A. (a) Rocks, (b) minerals
B. (a) Rocks, (b) atoms
C. (a) Minerals, (b) rocks
D. there is more than one correct answer listed above
E. none of the above combinations
3. All minerals have unique chemical formulas; some can be only one element, for instance (a) _____. Others require two, for instance (b)_____, while other require many, for instance KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 for muscovite.
A. (a) graphite, (b) diamond
B. (a) graphite, (b) gold
C. (a) gold, (b) halite
D. (a) halite, (b) salt
E. none of the above combinations
4. There are over ninety naturally-occurring elements, but only eight of them account for almost 99% of the earthÕs crust by weight. Which of the following is NOT one of those eight _____?
A. carbon
B. oxygen
C. magnesium
D. silicon
E. none of the above
5. Of the eight most abundant elements, _____ is the one most likely to impart a dark color in minerals. For instance, this element colors biotite black and is lacking in clear muscovite.
A. Ca
B. Si
C. K
D. O
E. none of the above
6. The physical properties of minerals are:
A. used to classify minerals
B. only properties that can be seen without the aid of a microscope
C. directly related to the mineralÕs crystal structure
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
7. Minerals are broadly classified based upon their chemistry and crystal structure. The chemical classification is based upon the major (a)_____ or (b)_____ occurring in the mineral.
A. (a) anion, (b) cation
B. (a) cation, (b) anionic complex
C. (a) anion, (b) cationic complex
D. (a) anion, (b) anionic complex
E. none of the above combinations
8. A cation is defined as (a)_____, while an anion is defined as (b)_____.
A. (a) an atom with fewer electrons than protons, (b) a negatively charged ion
B. (a) a negatively charged ion, (b) a positively charged ion
C. (a) a positively charged ion, (b) an atom with more electrons than protons
D. both A and C
E. none of the above combinations
9. Examples of cations are (a)_____ and examples of anions are (b)_____.
A. (a) Si4+ and Al3+, (b) Si4+ and O2-
B. (a) K1+ and Si4+, (b) O2-and S1-
C. (a) O2-and S1-, (b) K1+ and Si4+
D. all of the above combinations
E. none of the above combinations
10. When elements combine to form minerals, the charges on the corresponding cations and anions must sum to _____.
A. zero
B. a positive number
C. a negative number
D. fit together
E. none of the above
11. Along with charge considerations, the anions and cations that comprise a mineral must:
A. be the same size
B. fit together
C. repel
D. be different sizes
E. all of the above
12. Chemically, silicate minerals are based on the anionic complex (a)_____, and structurally the (b)_____.
A. (a) (SiO4)4-, (b) oxygen tetrahedron
B. (a) SiO, (b) silicate tetrahedron
C. (a) Si and O in any combination, (b) silicate tetrahedron
D. (a) (SiO4)4-, (b) silicate tetrahedron
E. none of the above combinations
13. Quartz, the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust, has the chemical formula:
A. SiO
B. SiO2
C. SiO3
D. SiO4
E. none of the above
14. I defined a rock as:
A. a naturally occurring solid made of minerals
B. a naturally occurring hard material
C. a collection of mineral(s) ŌgluedĶ together
D. a collection of mineral(s)
E. none of the above
15. The texture of a rock gives clues as to how it formed. For example, igneous rocks are composed of minerals that are interlocked. If the minerals are small (i.e., cannot be seen with the unaided eye), the rock most likely formed (a)_____ and the rock has (b)_____ texture.
A. (a) deep in the earth, (b) aphanitic
B. (a) at or near the earth's surface, (b) aphanitic
C. (a) from a slow cooling magma, (b) aphanitic
D. (a) underwater, (b) phaneritic
E. none of the above combinations
16. Basalt is the most abundant extrusive igneous rock and is (a)_____-colored, while granite is the most abundant intrusive igneous rock and is (b)_____-colored. Basalt forms when a/an (c)_____ magma cools rapidly at the surface, while granite forms when a/an (d)_____ magma cools slowly at depth.
A. (a) light, (b) dark, (c) mafic, (d) felsic
B. (a) dark, (b) dark, (c) felsic, (d) mafic
C. (a) light, (b) dark, (c) mafic, (d) intermediate
D. (a) dark, (b) light, (c) mafic, (d) felsic
E. none of the above combinations
17. The term "composite volcano" was derived from the fact that:
A. the rock that forms the volcano is composed of different minerals
B. the volcano is composed of smaller volcanoes
C. the lava that erupts to form the volcano is composed of a mixture of felsic and mafic magmas
D. the volcano is composed of many lava flows
E. none of the above
18. If a magma body starts cooling at depth, (a)_____ and (b)____-feldspar would be the first minerals to form, and they would combine to form the rock type (c) _____.
A. (a) olivine, (b) Ca, (c) basalt
B. (a) olivine, (b) Ca, (c) gabbro
C. (a) pyroxene, (b) Ca, (c) basalt
D. (a) quartz, (b) K, (c) granite
E. none of the above combinations
19. Some extrusive igneous rock types occur along certain plate margins. For instance, (a)_____ occurs where two ocean plates pull apart, and (b)_____ forms where an ocean plate collides with a continental plate.
A. (a) basalt, (b) andesite
B. (a) rhyolite, (b) granite
C. (a) diorite, (b) andesite
D. (a) andesite, (b) basalt
E. none of the above combinations
20. Which of the following were part of the sediment–sedimentary rock cycle that I presented?
A. weathering
B. erosion and transportation
C. deposition
D. lithification and crystallization
E. All of the above are part of the sediment–sedimentary rock cycle.
21. Chemical weathering can be used to explain elements found in the groundwater under Moscow. For instance, the high (a)_____ level is the result of weathering of mafic minerals, and the high Ca content is the result of weathering of (b)_____.
A. (a) Fe, (b) feldspars
B. (a) Si, (b) quartz
C. (a) Mg, (b) quartz
D. (a) Fe, (b) quartz
E. none of the above
22. The texture classification for clastic sedimentary rocks is based on grain sizes. From smallest to largest, the grain size names are:
A. mud, sand, gravel
B. sand, gravel, boulders
C. mud, sand, boulders
D. clay, sand, boulders
E. none of the above
23. What is the quickest way to tell the difference between silt- and clay sized-particles in a rock?
A. use a microscope
B. ask a geologist
C. chew on the rock
D. determine how the rock formed
E. none of the above
24. The most common mineral found in sandstone is (a)_____, which is very resistant to chemical weathering, while (b)_____ is the most common mineral in a limestone.
A. (a) feldspar, (b) calcite
B. (a) quartz, (b) calcite
C. (a) quartz, (b) dolomite
D. (a) feldspar, (b) carbonate
E. none of the above combinations
25. Coal is a sedimentary rock that formed from:
A. very small fossils composed of quartz
B. very small fossils composed of calcite
C. very small fossils composed of organic material
D. large masses of organic material
E. none of the above
26. Metamorphic rocks form from _____ by increases in temperature and pressure.
A. melting of igneous rocks
B. weathering of igneous rocks
C. alteration of existing rocks in the solid state
D. melting of sedimentary rocks
E. none of the above
27. Different plate boundaries have different pressure-temperature gradients. For instance, a/an (a)_____ plate boundary would have a higher temperature gradient, while a/an (b)_____ plate boundary would have a higher pressure gradient.
A. (a) diverging, (b) converging
B. (a) non-active, (b) active
C. (a) converging, (b) diverging
D. (a) active, (b) non-active
E. none of the above combinations
28. When a shale undergoes directed-stress metamorphism, which of the following rock sequences would it form over time?
A. slate, phyllite, schist, gneiss
B. gneiss, schist, phyllite, slate
C. marble, quartzite
D. marble
E. none of the above
29. 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
30. 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. emperature, pressure, layer thickness
31. 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
32. 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
33. 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
34. 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
35. 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
36. 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
37. 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
38. 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
39. 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
40. 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
41. 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
42. 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
43. 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
44. 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
45. In terms of natural resource use, I thought it was really important to know the population of the USA, which is approximately (a) _____ million people. Then when someone tells you that in the USA we use approximately (b)_____ gallons of oil a day, you would see that this is a little over 3 gallons of oil per day, per person, which makes sense.
A. (a) 200, (b) 650,000,000
B. (a) 250, (b) 800,000,000
C. (a) 300, (b) 1,000,000,000
D. (a) 350, (b) 1,100,000,000
E. (a) 400, (b) 1,300,000,000
46. The Exxon Valdez tanker spill in 1989 off the coast of Alaska is one of the so-called largest environmental disasters in the history of the USA. The tanker spilled approximately (a)_____ of oil we use in the USA, and we import approximately (b)_____ of the oil we use in the USA.
A. (a) 1% of one days use, (b) 1/2
B. (a) 1 dayÕs worth, (b) 1/3
C. (a) 1 weekÕs worth, (b) 1/2
D. (a) 1 monthÕs worth, (b) 1/3
E. (a) 1 yearÕs worth, (b) 1/2
47. Asbestos has a two part definition; it is first a (a)_____ and secondly has the form of a/an (b)_____.
A. (a) building material, (b) fiber
B. (a) mineral, (b) needle
C. (a) rock, (b) fiber
D. (a) mineral, (b) fiber
E. none of the above
48. There are several types of asbestos and the common ones have names used in industry as well as their geologic names. For instance, chrysotile is also termed (a)_____ asbestos and crocidolite is also termed (b)_____ asbestos. Scientist have also discovered that (c)_____ asbestos is the more harmful of the two.
A. (a) white, (b) blue, (c) white
B. (a) blue, (b) white, (c) blue
C. (a) white, (b) blue, (c) blue
D. (a) blue, (b) white, (c) white
E. none of the above combinations
49. Global warming is a theory that states the earth is warming because of added carbon dioxide from the burning of hydrocarbons (i.e., fossil fuels). Currently in the USA we obtain about (a)_____ of our energy from burning hydrocarbons. However, there are other sources of carbon dioxide, for instance, I showed a somewhat simple calculation that humans exhale (b)_____ carbon dioxide when compared to the total carbon dioxide produced from gasoline use in autos worldwide.
A. (a) 30%, (b) about 10% as much
B. (a) 60%, (b) about 1% as much
C. (a) 90%, (b) a little less
D. (a) 90%, (b) a little more
E. (a) 100%, (b) a lot more
50. I have made sure that my ID and name are correctly entered on the scan sheet and I have answered all the questions on the test and entered them on the scan sheet.
A. yes B. no
I hope you enjoyed this course; I really enjoyed teaching it and want to thank you for taking it. Also, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New!