apsc151 geo midterm old

ASPC 151 Past Midterm Questions and Answers 1 of 24

APSC 151Geology

Multiple Choice Questions from 1996 – 2001Prepared by: OniMaster

Opening Notes : None of these answers are guaranteed to be correct. They have been found from old midterms and old scantron answer sheets in addition to the geology textbook and online notes from Dr. Hanes. Any answers that I, the writer, was not convinced were correct were marked with a question mark following the answer. Notes have been added after the answers in some cases.

Rock RelatedSilicates

The three most abundant elements in the continental crust are:O, Si, Al

Which of the following silicate mineral structures does not involve any polymerization?Isolated tetrahedral – Polymerization is sharing of oxygen.. when isolated nothing sharing the oxygen

Which of the following best describes the silica tetrahedron?SiO4

-4

All silicate minerals contain these elements:Si and O

The building block of the silicate minerals is called theSilicon oxygen tetrahedron

Quartz and feldspar are minerals that belong to the same silicate structural type. There compositional difference is due to the replacement of some silicon atoms by another element to form the feldspars. What is the element that replaces the silicon?Al

What percentage of the Earth’s crust is composed of silicate minerals?97%

What is the hardest common silicate mineral?Quartz – Think Quartz watches

What percentage of the crust, by volume, do oxygen and silicon represent?98% - By weight it is 74%!


The fact that hornblende has two cleavage planes at an angle of ca. 124 to each other and that pyroxene has two cleavage planes at ca. 90 to each other is because: Pyroxene has a single chain structure whereas amphibole has a double chain structure

Which of the following minerals displays the most polymerization of Si TetrahedralQuartz – may not be the MOST polymerized. Only guess Quartz if you don’t now the answer

Polymerization in silicate minerals is:The sharing of oxygen atoms between silica tetrahedral

How many electrons are there in the outer shell of a silicon atom?4 – Periodic Table; Silicon in group 4A

Which of the following minerals has the most sharing of oxygen atoms?Muscovite Mica?

Rocks in General

In order for there to be magmatic differentiation by fractional crystallizationEarly formed crystals must be separated from the remaining magma

Which of the following is NOT true about stratovolcanoes?They have magma with a low viscosity – In fact it has very HIGH viscosity – Very thick

Which of the following is most closely associated with an ophiolite?Obduction

In a layered intrusion, where would you be most likely to find deposits of chromate?At the bottom?

Ferromagnesian minerals are generallyDark in color and heavy – Think Iron and Magnesium

Graphite and diamond are polymorph, with different properties. The softness of graphite is due to:The presence of Van Der Waal forces – Dispersion forces – Very Weak

Which of the following is NOT one of the five most abundant mineral groups in the Earth’s crust?Iron Oxides?


Choose the word that fits the blank in the following sentence. “Clay minerals can swell when water is added because the water molecules can fit into the spaces between the silicate sheets where the __________ bonds are.”Van Der Waal’s

Non-silicate minerals supply most of our mineral resources because:All of the above – They have a simpler crystal structure than the silicates; they occur in occasional local abundance; metals are concentrated in non-silicates

An example of a silicate mineral with cleavage is Potassium feldspar – many other possibilities too

In the mineral olivine, which is NOT true?There is polymerization of the silica tetrahedral – It is isolated tetrahedral

In a sequence of silicate minerals of progressively decreasing polymerization, which of the following is true (going in direction of decreased polymerization)?Dunno

An example of a mineral with a framework silicate structure is?Plagioclase Feldspar

Which of the following sentences is true?The oceanic crust is more mafic than the continental crust – Lower Down –Oceanic Crust is mainly Gabbro instead of feldspars etc

The most common mineral in the earth’s crust is:Feldspar

Which of the following minerals does NOT contain one, or both of Fe and MG as essential elements?Plagioclase Feldspar – Not the only one

The core of the Earth is composed primarily of:Fe and Ni

Which of the following materials would be the best base course of a road?Crushed Limestone – Cement is made from Limestone

Which of the following minerals are polymorphs? (list given)Diamond and Graphite – Polymorphs are same formula, different structure

Which of the following two ions are very close in radius, thus allowing solid solution in plagioclase feldspar?Ca and Na – Solid solution means atoms can be “interchanged”


Non-silicate minerals supply most of our mineral resources because:All of the above – They have a simpler crystal structure than the silicates; they occur in occasional local abundance; metals are concentrated in non-silicates

Which of the following is NOT a consequence of the internal atomic structure?Composition – IE : Hot chocolate does not depend on atomic structure

Which of the following elements is NOT found as an essential constituent of plagioclase feldspar?K

What are the two elements that can replace one another in the olivine solid solution?Mg, Fe

Which of the following minerals would likely be the most economic source of metal Fe?Magnetite

Which of the following is NOT an abundant metal in the Earth’s crustCu – Remember: Titanium is relatively abundant

Where do most scarce metals occur in the Earth’s crust?By atomic substitution in common silicate metals – AKA they are in silicates

What is the main criterion for the classification of the non-silicate minerals?The nature of non-metallic atoms

Which of the following minerals is a chloride?Halite – NaCl – Salt

Which of these minerals is made up entirely of ionic bonds?Halite – Remember, salt is an ionic compound

The most suitable material for the sub grade of a road is :Sand and Gravel – Strong material with good drainage

Which of the following minerals is an ore mineral of copper (Cu)?Chalcopyrite

The average density of the surface rocks of the Earth is closet to:3 g/cc – Average density of entire Earth is around 5.5

Which of the following minerals has no cleavage?Olivine

Which of the following minerals is most likely to lead to acid mine-drainage problems?Pyrite?


Which of the following is a form of ground failure that is related to Earthquake activity?Liquefaction – Solid soil turning into fluid

Which of the following is NOT true about feldspar?It has a single chain silicate structure

Which of the following elements is the most abundant (by weight) in the earth’s crust?Oxygen

The MOHO is a boundary in the Earth across which, as one goes deeper in the Earth, a number of changes occur. Only one of the five changes listed below is correct however. Which is it?The Si content goes down? – Earth becomes more mafic as one goes lower

Which of the following formula is that of potassium feldspar?KAlSi3O8

Which of the following pieces of evidence from the geology around the Kingston area is evidence of a former mountain building event?Migmatite

Which of the following minerals does not have a sheet structure?Pyroxene – other possibilities too

Which of the following does not show solid solution characteristicsQuartz (a solid solution is one where elements can be interchanged)

90% by WEIGHT of the Earth is made up of four elements. These four, in decreasing order of abundance from left to right are:Fe, O, Si, Mg

Which of the following minerals is classed as an oxide?Magnetite – Chromite common oxide too

In the mineral olivine, the following ions can substitute for one another :Iron and Magnesium – Same as question about solid solution

Which of the following statements is true?Minerals are naturally occurring, organic substances – Remember organic

Which of the following criteria is NOT a suitable one to distinguish quartz from calcite?Color – Both can be clear

Which of the following minerals has the highest proportion of aluminum?Ca-rich plagioclase feldspar – Al substitutes for silicon in feldspars


All mafic minerals contain one or both of these elementsFe, Mg

What percentage of scarce metals in the Earth’s crust are estimated to occur in non-silicate minerals?0.01%

Which of the following is NOT a mineral?Glass – Has to be manufactured

What kind of bond occurs in Diamond?Covalent – Strongest bonded substance

What is the bond type in the silica tetrahedral?Mixed covalent and ionic

Which of the following elements is NOT one of the 8 most abundant element’s in Earth’s Crust?Hydrogen

In the mineral olivine which is true?There is an isolated tetrahedral structure

The main ingredient in the construction of cement isLimestone

The third most abundant element in the Earth’s crust is:Al (O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K, Mg by weight %)

What percentage of the crust by volume do oxygen and silicon represent?98% - 74% by weight!!!

Which of the following minerals is an ore mineral of lead?Galena – Lead = Dense. Galena = Dense

Which of the following leads to a higher melting temperature for a mineral?Increase in pressure – APSC 131

In which type of igneous rock would you be most likely to find deposits of molybdenum and tin?Granite Porphyry

What magma is LEAST likely to reach the surface of the earth?Felsic – VERY thick


Which of the following is hardly ever a danger when a stratovolcano erupts?Lava flow – Because lava is felsic and therefore VERY thick

Why can stratovolcanoes erupt so violently?Because their magma is felsic to intermediate in composition with high dissolved water – Whatever that means…

What igneous feature is most likely to be found with strait form massive sulphide deposits?Pillow lavas

What is the most important control on the grain size of an igneous rock?The rate of cooling of the magma

If you were to find an igneous volcanic rock with 50% SiO2 what kind of volcanic feature would it most likely be associated with?A lava sheet

What type of lava is MOST likely to cool at the Earth’s surface to produce obsidian?One with a high viscosity

At the core-mantle boundary, seismic P-waves moving from the mantle into the core:Are refracted towards the inner core

Which of the following doesn’t have a framework structure?Olivine – Note: Lots of midterm questions deal with Olivine.. know its structure well

The Mohovoricic Discontinuity (or MOHO) is located:At the crust-mantle boundary – Some waves travel through mantle, others through crust, messes with the arrival times at some stations.

What is the main criterion used to name igneous rocks?Chemical composition

What is the basic reason why Nature has been able to generate a wide range of igneous rock compositions?Silicate minerals have different melting points – All melting at different times

Which of the following minerals is HIGHEST on the Bowen Reaction Series (highest boiling point)Olivine – Not necessarily the highest melting point of ANY mineral

Layers

Tectonic plates move:Over the asthenosphere – plastic like and can move


The inside of the Earth can convect to assist in releasing the Earth’s internal heat. At the surface of the Earth, what marks the down-going part of the convection?Convergent plate margins?

Of the following terms, which best represents the composition of the oceanic crust?Mafic

The rock composition that most closely describes the average composition of the continental crust is:Granodioritic

This layer of the Earth contains more than 80% of the Earth’s volume:Mantle

What type of feldspar are you most likely to find in gabbro?Ca-Rich plagioclase

Which of the following minerals has just covalent bondingDiamond – This should be the only mineral that will be given with pure covalent

Which rock best describes the average composition of the oceanic crust?Gabbro

The asthenosphere can be described asA plastic layer composed of mantle material – Area beneath lithosphere

Which of the following layers of the Earth is thinnest?Oceanic Crust – 5km deep at places

Graphite and Diamond are polymorphs because they have the sameComposition – Same as earlier question on polymorphs

At which type of plate boundary are lithospheric plates being destroyedConvergent boundary – Hitting each other and being destroyed

At which type of plate boundary are new lithosphere plates being produced?Divergent boundary – Moving apart, therefore forming plates

What term denotes the tendency for an aggregate or a soil to lose its internal cohesion and fail mechanically during earthquake sharing?Liquefaction – Fancy wording meaning soil turns to fluid

What kind of plate boundary is the San Andreas fault an example of?Transform – Sliding past each other


The lithosphere is defined as:A rigid layer of crustal and mantle material - It’s the crust and part of the mantle

The lithosphere is closest in thickness to:100km

Which layer of the Earth is entirely liquid?The outer core

The rock composition that most closely describes the composition of the mantle is:Ultramafic

There are two parts to the core. one is liquid. the other is solid. The reason for this difference is:Because the liquid one is hotter than the solid one

The Earth’s magnetic field is thought to be generated in this region:Outer Core – Due to it being liquid

The Mohorovicic discontinuity is locatedAt the top of the mantle – OR Bottom of the Crust (same point)

The average thickness of the oceanic lithosphere is closest too100 km

Where do all earthquakes occur?Lithosphere – (which translates to crust and upper mantle)

At constructive plate margins, what’s the dominant magma composition generated by partial melting?Mafic

In the theory of plate tectonics, the outer part of the Earth moves like a conveyer belt. The conveyor belt is called.The asthenosphere – Because it can flow

A location where one plate is diving beneath another plate isThe northwest part of North America (vanouver/rockies)

The San Andreas Fault marks a plate boundary. At this plate boundary:Plates are sliding past each other – Called a Transform boundary

Which of the following is an example of a place where two continents collided?Himalayas (India/Asia)


In the region of the Himalayan mounting the continentally crust is twice as thick as normal. How thick is it?70km – therefore 35km normally

Which of the following layers of the Earth is the thinnest?Oceanic Crust – Around 5km thick

In the earlier history of the Earth, it is though that the continental crust was formed from magma produced by the partial melting of ___________ during subduction of lithospheric plates.Oceanic Crust?

Some of the boundaries between layers of the Earth are though to mark compositional differences. Which of the boundaries listed below is NOT a compositional boundary?Lithosphere to asthenosphere – The boundary occurs in the MIDDLE of the mantle

Earthquakes

The Richter Magnitude Scale for earthquakes is based on:A measure of the maximum amplitude on a seismogram

Which of the following will NOT help to determine the recurrence history of large (> 7.5 magnitude) earthquakes in a region.Setting up seismic station to record the foci of earthquakes over a 20 year period

In which of the following parts of the Earth is the seismic S-wave velocity the lowest?The continental crust – Slowest section, liquid core = second slowest

The velocity of seismic P-waves is?Directly proportional to the elasticity and inversely proportional to the density of the medium they pass through

With reference to the Plate Tectonic Theory, if you wanted to draw the boundaries of active plates of the glove, which of the following would give you the most complete picture?A map showing Earthquake distribution

Following an earthquake, which seismic wave with reach a seismograph station first?P wave – P stands for primary… primary stands for first (in this case)

What is the minimum number of seismic stations needed to uniquely locate the focus of an earthquake?3 – Three overlapping circles specify ONE point

In general, the degree of damage experienced by a building during an earthquake is less: If it is built on rock – Almost guaranteed to be on midterm – very common


Which one of the following features may indicate an upcoming major earthquake?A seismic gap along an active fault zone – Meaning one hasn’t happened in a while, and all this time stress has been building in the rocks.

The velocity of seismic P and C waves is directly proportional to which of the following rock property?Elastic modulus

A Seismograph located between 105 and 140 degrees around the Earth from an earthquake focus will receive:No waves

The distance between a seismological recording station and the earthquake focus is determined from :The arrival times of P and S waves – Like thunder and lightning

A 6.5 Richter magnitude earthquake releases how many times more energy than a 4.5 Richter magnitude earthquake?900 – Because a Richter 2 Earthquake releases 30x more energy than Richter 1

The maximum speed of tsunami waves is closest to:600km/hr

This type of seismic wave propagates through material by compressing and dilating the rocks in the direction the energy wave is traveling:P waves – Like sound waves – Compressing spring

Which of the following is used to describe what occurs to produce an earthquake?Elastic rebound – Rocks with stored energy snap back

The destructive damage to buildings by seismic vibrations is NOT dependent on which of the following?The velocity of the P waves – Beneath the surface

In the Earth, only 10% of Earthquakes occur at depths greater than100km

Which one of the following decreases in going from the mantle into the outer coreP Wave velocity – S waves stop

The velocity of seismic P waves is inversely proportion to which of the following parameters of the material they are passing through?Density


Which of following types of seismic waves arrive first at a seismic station 500 km away from the seismic station?Compression-rare fraction waves – P (primary) waves

As seismic S-waves, moving deeper into the earth through the mantle, cross the boundary between the mantle and the outer core:The S Waves are stopped at the boundary – Liquid has no shear modulus – Therefore transverse (shear) waves are stopped.

Which of the following is thought to account for the slowing down of seismic waves in the low velocity zone?Existence of partially melted rocks – Melted rocks have lower elasticity

Which of the following geological features is likely to be associated with an earthquake?A fault

The deepest earthquakes in the Earth occur at depths around700km

Which of the following is NOT true about tsunami?They have amplitude of 50m or more in deep ocean water – The number 50 can be changed to 30 if I recall correctly

How much greater is the energy release of a Richter magnitude 6 earthquake compared to a Richter magnitude 5 earthquake?30 times – 10 times the AMPLITUDE, 30 times the energy released

In attempts to predict earthquakes on the short term, Earth scientists have used the fact that dilatancy results from stress build-up in the rocks. This can lead to all but one of the following occurrences prior to a quake. Which is the one that does NOT occur?the ground in the area sinks? – Ground tends to BULGE

This type of seismic wave is characterized by back and forth movements at right angles to the direction of energy propagationS Waves – Transverse waves – shear waves – S waves

The epicenter of an earthquake isLocated a the Earth’s surface directly above the focus

Earthquakes and microseismicity can be triggered by human activity in a number of ways. Which of the following is NOT one of them?Implementation of seismometers

Approximately how many Richter 7 and greater Earthquakes does the Earth experience annually?20


Worldwide, how frequent are 8 to 9 magnitude earthquakes?1

Which of the following would NOT aid in predicting Earthquakes?Pumping of water down fault zones – Sets off small earthquakes

Which of the following is an example of a place where two continents are pulling apart?North/South America and Europe/Africa – Atlantic Ocean expanding

The San Andreas fault marks a plate boundary. At this boundary, :Plates are sliding past each other – Transform boundary

Origins of Earth

Where do most meteorites originate from?From the asteroid belt – Between Mars and Jupiter

We know the mass of the earth to be 6 x 10^24 because The gravitation effect of the earth on other bodies has been determined

The following indicates that the material of the earth behaves plasticallyThe earth is flattened at the poles

The creating and testing of Earth models to compare the seismic results to the model is called the approach of inverse theory modeling. When we create our model to test, we need to stipulate certain things about the model. Which of the following do we need to stipulate? The seismic velocities in the various materials of the earth model; The distribution of the various materials in the Earth model

In the Kingston Area, the time gap represented by the unconformity between the basement rocks and the overlying sedimentary rocks is around how many years?500 million years

The average geothermal gradient near the surface of the Earth is closest to25oC/km – Temperature increases 25 degrees for every km down you go

If you wanted to figure out the mass and density of the Earth by studying the interaction of the Earth with the moon, you need all but one of the following. Which is the one you don’t need?The rate of revolution of the Earth about its axis?

The moment of inertia of rotating body is proportional to:The mass of the body and the way the mass is distributing within it


Which meteorite type is the best approximation to the AVERAGE composition of the Earth?Chondrite meteorite

Which of the following was NOT a major source of internal heating of the Earth in its early stages of formation?Solar Energy – Major source was Earth getting thunked by small meteors with Ke

Which is an example of a place where two continents have collided?Kingston Ont

The radius of the Earth is closest to:6000km

We can determine the moment of inertia of the Earth by: Studying the precession of the Earth

The energy that causes plates to move is derived from:The Earth’s internal heat

Which heat source dominates in the biosphere?External solar energy – Currently more energy comes from sun than anywhere else

The best scientific estimate for the age of the Earth is:4500 Million years

In order to determine the mass of the Earth by studying the dynamics of the earth-moon system, which of the following do we need to know about the moon?Its orbital velocity

Which one is the following represents the greatest expanse of time?Precambrian – 87% of the time span is called Precambrian. Time up until multicelled organisms with shells.

The Atlantic Ocean is opening up a rate closes to:5cm/year

For the rocks in the Kingston Area, what is the approx. time gap between the metamorphic rocks of the basement and the flat lying sedimentary rocks on top?2 million years

The sedimentary rocks immediately above and below an angular unconformity record a history of :Deposition-folding-erosion-deposition?


The ratio of the diameter of the earth measured pole to pole to the diameter is 299/300 because:The earth is a rotating body – APSC 111 – Mass moves toward equator

In using the approach of “inverse theory” to determine the structure of the earth, seismologists:Make a computer model of the Earth and see if the travel times measured at seismic stations fit the model

Approximately 450 million years ago, where was the Kingston area on the surface of the globe?Near the Equator

The moon is thought to have formed early in the history of the Earth by:A glancing impact on the Earth of a Mars-sized body with the ripping off of material to form the moon

Other

An ore deposit isA mineral deposit that can be mined profitably

By plate tectonic processes, Europe and North America are moving apart from each other. Given the average rate of plate motions, how long would it take the continents to move apart one meter?20 years – rate of 5cm/year… 5cm * 20 = 1m

Which of the following is the best material (of the five listed) to build a structure with in order to minimize potential damage from ground shaking during an earthquake.Wood – Almost guaranteed to be on midterm

Which of the following is LEAST likely to reduce the population growth rate of a country?Decrease in per capita consumption

The discovery, based on the seismic wave studies, of the shadow zone:Was strong evidence for the existence of a core

The production of a commodity has been growing exponentially with time at a rate of 9% per year. The time required to double the annual production at this growth rate is closes to:8 years – x1 = x2 * ekt

The growth rate of the human population is close to:2% per year – May have changed – valid as of 2000


A beaker of water contains one single-cell bacterium at 10 AM in the morning. The bacterium multiples by simple cell division every 10 mins as does every new cell produced. Thus the double time for this rate of cell production is 10 mins. If the jar will be full at 4PM that afternoon, at what time is the jar half full of cells?3:50 – doubles every ten mins.. ten mins before its double.. it will be half

The definition of the reserve of a commodity is:The economic amount of a commodity discovered by not yet extracted

A general equation for the exponential growth of something (y) as a function of time (t) in years has the form y = e ^ (kt). If the “k” value is equal to 0.035, what is the doubling time for the growth of that thing?20 years – e(0.035)t = 2

Which of the following is the explanation of why sandy soils make the best material for the sub grade of roads?a and b – they provide good drainage; they have high strength – Quartz is strong… and there is room between grains for water to seep through

If the present exponential growth rate of human population continues at the same rate in the future, the world’s population will have doubled by:~2042

What is the present population of the Earth?~6 Billion

An unconformity is:A gap in the rock record?

Plutonium is a radioactive element that decays spontaneously. Its half life is 24000 years. If a given quantity is store,. How much of the original will be left after 72,000 years.1/8 – ½^(72000 / 24000)

Radiometric (ie absolute, or geochronological) dates have been attached to the relative time scale by the determination of:Dunno

Which of the following tends to favor plastic flow, rather than brittle failureHigh pressure and High Temperature? High temp for sure… because lower mantle is more plastic and hotter.. dunno about the pressure, probably higher too

The production of a commodity has been growing exponentially with time at a rate of 5% per year. The time required to double is closest to15 years - 2 = e0.05t


The level of affluence of a society in broad terms is inversely proportional to which of the following:Population Level – More people… less resources / person

In y = e^(kt) k is what?The growth rate / 100

Approximately what fraction of the crude oil resources are thought to be in the Mid-East?9/10

Which method is most likely to show the form of convection cells in the mantle?Dunno

If human population were to continue to grow at same exponential growth it is currently at,. when would population double?~40 years

What kind of road structure would you construct over a swamp?Fill – Need to get some sort of good sub grade first to put over the mud

The major cost factor in the use of concrete isProduction costs of manufacturing concrete

In determining the depth to the soil rock interface (IE boundary) using seismic refraction techniques, the critical distance refers to:The distance along the ground surface where the first energy waves of the refracted wave and the wave through the soil arrive simultaneously.

To assess the future use of a non renewable resource, we do four of the following things. Which one don’t we need to do?Assess how much of the resource has been used up to the present time – Who cares what’s been used? Only what’s left and how fast we use it etc is important

A way of explaining why atoms bond with other atoms is to say that:They are more stable if they fill their outer electron shells – APSC 131

Which of the following bonds involves a week electrostatic attraction between “molecules”?Van Der Waal’s

What did Brad R Allenby claim to be the next great challenge for the engineering profession?- We have no clue. Question appeared on 2001 Midterm


It has been claimed that this person has had more impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism. Who is that person?Henry Ford

Assuming a bell shaped form for the future use of crude oil with time and based on current estimates of the remaining accessible oil in the ground, what percentage of these crude oil resources will be used up in our lifetime?80%


Which of the following features of an igneaous rock can be used to give us an idea of its Chemical Compisition?Colour?

Which of the following is a reason why felsic magmas have a higher viscosity than mafic magmas?They have high Si content?

If I sent you to explore for Cu-Au-Mo-Sn ore deposits of the porophory vein type, what rock type would you look for?Granite

Clay minerals have crystal structures similar to those of:Micas

Metamoprhism may produce all of the following except:Vesicularity

A Bauxite ore deposit would most likely occur over which of the following rocks?Syenite

A thing, planar igneous rock body that intrudes across pre existing rock layers is a:Dyke (Like your mom, j/k)

Which of the following is not a form of mechanical weathering?Leaching

With which rock type or rock structure do you associate the formation of Karst topography?Limestone

Which of the following rocks is the most immature?Breccia

A sampe of basalt in which the remanent magnetic fiend is oriented horizontally probably formed and cooled :Near the equator

What is the solid by product of the chimcal weathering of pyroxene?

Which of the following rocks always has a foiliation?Slate

Abundant fossil evidence did not appear in the geologic record until about how long ago?65 Million Years


Which of the following rocks coudld be produced by the metamorphism of Shale?Garnet-Muscovite Shist

The main criterion for the classification of regional metamorphic rocks isFoliation State

What is the solid by-product of the chemical weathering of feldspar?Clay

The main classification criterion for clastic sedimentary rocks isParticle size

Which magma composition will generally have the lowest concentration of dissolved water?Mafic

The original source rock, in which kerogens occur, for the formation of tar, oil and gas is:Shale

The fact that fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order is the basis forThe principle of biotic sucession

The two most abundant minerals in most shales areQuartz and Feldspar

In the first 500 million years of the Earth’s history, the earth’s atmosphere was probably:Rich in carbon dioxide and low in oxygen

To obtain the best estimate of the Earth’s Temperature 50 000 years ago, we canMeasure the oxygen isotope ratios in ice cores and lake bottom muds

Which of the following lists magma types in order of increasing viscosityBasaltic, andesitic, granitic

Which of the following was NOT evidence used by Alfred Wigener in his arguments supporting the continental drift hypothesis?Paleomagnetism

A poryphritic igneous rock indicates;A two stage cooling history

The continents fit together best in the pangae configuration when:The outer edges of the continental shelves are matched


Why are salt domes important targets for oil exploration?The form antiformal fold structures above them

As an ocean basin widens with time, the oceanic lithosphere at a passive continental margin:Gets denser

For a mass of rock on a potential failure plane, which of the following terms in the Safety factor equation will increase the safety factor if it is increased?Angle of Internal Friction

If you just being to partially melt a shale, the liquid produced would have what composition?Granitic

If I sent you to explore for placer gold, what rock type should you look for?

A tropical region may eventuall develop a soil called a:Laterite

The grain size of a sandstone at a single outcrop can be used to infer:

If the Earth’s magenetic field did not occasionall reverse polarity:The sea floor would not produce linear magnetic anomalies

If I were to send you to explore for oil in what rock would you be most likely to find it?Quartz Sandstone

With which one of the following will lahars be most likely associated?Felsic volcanoes

In what kind of rock structure would you look for a deposit of Ni-Cu sulfides?A Layered intrusion

An igneous rock composied of large equal sized crystals consisting of 50% calcic plagioclase and 50% pyroxene is termed a :Gabbro

Of all of the following, which has the lowest metamorphic grade?Slate

Which term best descrives a process that produces joints in rocks?Unloading


In comparing the first biollion years of Earth History with the present, there have been some secular changes. Which of the following has increased between then and now?Oxygen Levels

Which of the following, if found abundantly in sandstone, might suggest that rocks in the source area had Not experienced extensive chemical weathering?Feldspar Grains

Which of the following pieces of evidence form the geology around Kingston is evidnce for a former mountain building event?Cross beds

Which is the most abundtant type of sedimentary rock?Shale

Which of the following soil types is generally the most suitable one for agriculture?Pedalfer

Which of the following rock types is most likely to be poorly sorted?Conglomerate

Minerals found in metamorphic rocks can indicate:The composition of the parent material

What is the most abundant type of volcanic rock in the oceanic crust?Gabbro

Which type of volcanic cone is the largest?Sheild Volcano

Which of the following rock types has provided evidence for a change over Earth history in the levels of oxygen in the atmosphere?Banded Iron Formation

Which of the following rock types would tend to chemically weather the least rapidly?Gabbro

The most important factor controlling slope stability, of those listed below, is:Angle of the potential failure plane

On average, how often does the Earth’s magnetic field reverse?1,000,000 years

What is the main criterion used to name igneous rocks?The chemical composition


Aporximately how old is the oldest Oceanic crust in the ocean basins?200 Million years

A fault plan strikes east-west and dips steeply to the north,. Visual evidence of scratches on the fault plane indicate tht the fault movement was vertical (ie entirely dip-slip, with no strike-slip motion) Precambrain rocks occur south of the fault while Ordovician rocks (ie Phanerozoic) occur north of the fault. What kind of fault is it.Normal Fault

Which of the following types of mass movement generally has the lowest velocity?

Syemetrical sand ripples are most likely produced byOcean Waves

When a chunk of limestone is completely weathered, what solid material remains behind?Quartz Grains

The Hawaiian Islands are located where the pacific plate isMigrating over a hot spot

In which of these setting is one most likely to find a nuee ardente?At a constructive plate boundary

Reversals of the Earth’s magnetic field:Provided strong evidence for sea-floor spreading

Which of the following factors helps determine whether a volcanic reaction will be violant or not?Temperature, silicon content, and the amount of dissolved gas of the magma

The oldest ocean crust in the ocean basins is found closest to:Japan

The main criterion for the classification of regional metamorphic rocks isFoiliation state

What pair of minerals is most common in detrital sedimentary rocks?Clay and Quartz

Which of these rocks is produced by the metamorphism of Basalt?

A dry hot region may eventually develop a soil called a :Pedocal


Which ore-deposit type results from the development in a magma chamber of a liquid that is immiscible with the silicate liquid?

Which of the following is the most common extrusive igneous rock?Gabbro

For a mass of rock on a potential failure plane, which of the following terms in the safety factor equation will DECREASE the safety factor if it is decreased?None of the above (the options were Weight of block, angle of internal friction, water content, and angle of potential failure plane)

Marble is a metamorphic rock that forms from:

Which one of the following corresponds to the highest grade of metamorphism?Gneiss

Which of the following rocks is least likely to have foiliation?

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