 |
1 | |
Which of the following is not a type of mineral? |
| | A) | quartz |
| | B) | plagioclase feldspar |
| | C) | calcite |
| | D) | coal |
|
|
2 | |
In terms of highest to lowest abundance by mass, which best represents the elements found in the earth's crust? |
| | A) | Iron, calcium, aluminum, silicon, oxygen |
| | B) | Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, calcium |
| | C) | Silicon, oxygen, aluminum, calcium, iron |
| | D) | Oxygen, aluminum, silicon, iron, calcium |
|
|
3 | |
The ferromagnesian mineral group |
| | A) | includes quartz. |
| | B) | includes some types of mica. |
| | C) | includes the orthoclase feldspars. |
| | D) | includes calcite and aragonite. |
|
|
4 | |
Calcite |
| | A) | is composed of silicon and oxygen. |
| | B) | despite being very rare on earth, is important economically in the manufacture of brake linings and fire-proof suits. |
| | C) | exhibits perfect cleavage in three directions. |
| | D) | forms large sheets that can be used as insulators in electrical equipment. |
|
|
5 | |
Some of the principle minerals commonly found in igneous rocks are |
| | A) | calcite and quartz. |
| | B) | clay minerals and feldspars. |
| | C) | quartz, feldspar, and mica. |
| | D) | ferromagnesian minerals and clays. |
|
|
6 | |
Metamorphism |
| | A) | is a process restricted to igneous rocks found deep in the crust. |
| | B) | occurs only near sedimentary rocks. |
| | C) | gives rise to sedimentary precipitates. |
| | D) | may involve the recrystallization of already present minerals or the formation of new minerals. |
|
|
7 | |
Which of the following is not a type of sedimentary rock? |
| | A) | chalk |
| | B) | jasper |
| | C) | obsidian |
| | D) | shale |
|
|
8 | |
If an igneous rock has a course-grained structure |
| | A) | it is probably some type of volcanic lava that cooled quickly. |
| | B) | it must have formed underwater. |
| | C) | it could be a granite, gabbro, or diorite. |
| | D) | it is guaranteed to also be light in color due to the lack of iron. |
|
|
9 | |
Foliation |
| | A) | is the arrangement of flat or elongated minerals found in some metamorphic rocks. |
| | B) | is the slippage of large pieces of crust that causes earthquakes. |
| | C) | is never found in schist, gneiss, or slate. |
| | D) | is commonly found in chemical and biochemical precipitates like limestone and chert. |
|
|
10 | |
Earthquake fracture lines are known as |
| | A) | cleavages. |
| | B) | slippage zones. |
| | C) | faults. |
| | D) | veins. |
|
|
11 | |
Approximately how many earthquakes occur each year that are strong enough for humans to notice? |
| | A) | one thousand |
| | B) | one hundred thousand |
| | C) | one million |
| | D) | ten million |
|
|
12 | |
The ________ of an earthquake is the place in the earth where crustal blocks moved, the ________ of an earthquake is a point on the surface above. |
| | A) | epicenter, focus |
| | B) | focus, epicenter |
| | C) | focus, slippage |
| | D) | epicenter, fault |
|
|
13 | |
P and S waves |
| | A) | are types of waves sent out by earthquakes, and are also known as Love and Raleigh waves. |
| | B) | are longitudinal and transverse respectively. |
| | C) | both travel at the same speed through the earth. |
| | D) | are incapable of penetrating below the crust. |
|
|
14 | |
The earth's core |
| | A) | is much smaller than the planet Mars. |
| | B) | is composed of a solid inner core surrounded by a liquid outer core. |
| | C) | is easily penetrated by the S waves generated by the largest earthquakes. |
| | D) | is composed of mostly heavy hydrogen, mimicking the core of the sun. |
|
|
15 | |
The most abundant mineral in the mantle is probably |
| | A) | feldspar. |
| | B) | quartz. |
| | C) | clay minerals. |
| | D) | olivine. |
|
|
16 | |
The clumping of small bodies of metallic iron and silicate materials circling the sun gave rise to the earth |
| | A) | about 46 million years ago. |
| | B) | at some point in the distant past, but scientists really have no idea when. |
| | C) | due to the electrical reactions between the silicon atoms. |
| | D) | around 4.5 billion years ago. |
|
|
17 | |
The immense heat in the interior of the earth |
| | A) | is primarily left over from its formation. |
| | B) | is the cause of radioactivity in many high-pressure minerals. |
| | C) | is due to frictional forces as the earth rotates. |
| | D) | is the driving force behind mountain-building processes and volcanic activity. |
|
|
18 | |
The earth's magnetic field |
| | A) | lines up precisely with the earths spin axis. |
| | B) | has never changed its polarity as far as we know. |
| | C) | is centered at a point at the interface between the lower mantle and outer core. |
| | D) | is believed to originate due to fluid motions and electric currents in the core. |
|
|
19 | |
The underlying cause of erosion is |
| | A) | gravity. |
| | B) | chemical activity in the upper mantle. |
| | C) | ice formation between mineral crystals. |
| | D) | dust storms. |
|
|
20 | |
Weathering |
| | A) | includes chemical and colloidal weathering. |
| | B) | is a type of disintegration of rocks and earth materials. |
| | C) | rarely affects rocks composed of ferromagnesian minerals. |
| | D) | can be found only in areas with an average annual humidity above 40 percent. |
|
|
21 | |
As a river valley matures |
| | A) | the amount of sediment carried to the ocean invariably decreases. |
| | B) | the river bed tends to become straighter and narrower. |
| | C) | the drainage basin serviced by the river tends to contract. |
| | D) | the river channel broadens and a floodplain develops. |
|
|
22 | |
The water table below the land's surface |
| | A) | is always flat (perfectly horizontal) since water seeks its own level. |
| | B) | must have occur in sandstone if it is to "flow". |
| | C) | rarely fluctuates in any given region by more than a few centimeters per century. |
| | D) | is the upper surface of the saturated zone of rock. |
|
|
23 | |
Which of the following is not a type of sedimentary deposit or structure? |
| | A) | moraine |
| | B) | delta |
| | C) | alluvial fan |
| | D) | batholith |
|
|
24 | |
Which of the following combinations is most likely to result in a violent volcanic eruption? |
| | A) | Low viscosity with little formation of gases. |
| | B) | A magma rich in silica and containing lots of trapped gases. |
| | C) | Calcite bedrock penetrated by lava containing a high percentage of iron. |
| | D) | Rapid cooling of magma with little gas content. |
|
|
25 | |
According to the rock cycle |
| | A) | most rocks are virtually indestructible. |
| | B) | magma can only form from melted sedimentary rocks. |
| | C) | sedimentary rocks can be transformed into metamorphic rocks. |
| | D) | sedimentary rocks are more easily eroded than igneous and metamorphic rocks. |
|