Prof.
Constantin Cranganu
Final Exam,
Fall 2004
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best
completes the statement or answers the question.
1) The most abundant chemical sedimentary rock is __________.
A) chert
B) dolomite
C) limestone
D) sylvite
E) rock salt
2) The man who
pioneered the continental drift hypothesis was __________.
A) Alfred Wegener
B) Harry Hess
C) J. Tuzo Wilson
D) D.H. Matthews
E) Fred Vine
3) The science of
geology is traditionally divided into two broad areas-physical geology and
__________ geology.
A) oceanography
B) tectonic
C) historical
D) mineralogy
E) none of the above
4) Hawaiian rocks
would be expected to have __________.
4) _________
A) textures such as aa and pahoehoe
B) dark color
C) high silica content
D) a granitic
composition
5) Which one of the
following does NOT refer to the texture of an igneous rock? 5) _________
A) porphyritic
B) clastic
C) aphanitic
D) glassy
E) phaneritic
6) The formation of
the Hawaiian Islands is associated with __________. 6) _________
A) transform fault boundaries
B) convergent boundaries
C) divergent boundaries
D) no plate boundary of any kind
E) both divergent boundaries and
convergent boundaries
7) During which type
of radioactive decay does the mass number remain unchanged? 7) _________
A) beta particle emission
B) alpha particle emission
C) electron capture
D) both alpha particle emission
and beta particle emission
E) both beta particle emission and
electron capture
8) Rocks composed
almost entirely of ferromagnesian minerals are often referred to as __________. 8) _________
A) ultramafic
B) granitic
C) clastic
D) glassy
E) felsic
9) The mass of an
atom is concentrated in its __________. 9) _________
A) nucleus
B) isotope
C) angstrom
D) electron
E) neutron
10) The process of
developing more than one rock type from a common magma is called magmatic
__________. 10) _________
A) compounding
B) segregation
C) differentiation
D) isolation
E) streak
11) The igneous
activity in the Yellowstone region can be classified as __________ volcanism. 11) _________
A) subduction
zone
B) intraplate
C) spreading center
D) intracrustal
E) geothermal
12) Most strong
earthquakes occur in a zone known as the __________. 12) _________
A) mid-oceanic ridge
B) Mediterranean belt
C) high-intensity seismic belt
D) circum-Pacific belt
E) asthenosphere
13) The mass number
of an atom is obtained by totaling the number of __________. 13) _________
A) electrons and neutrons
B) neutrons and positrons
C) electrons and protons
D) positrons and neutrinos
E) protons and neutrons
14) The thinnest
layer of Earth is the __________.
14) _________
A) inner core
B) low velocity zone
C) outer core
D) mantle
E) crust
15) The thinnest of
the three principal units of Earth's interior is the __________. 15) _________
A) core B) crust C) mantle
16) This type of
volcano is usually created when andesitic lavas are
extruded. 16) _________
A) shield volcano
B) cinder cone
C) composite cone
D) lava dome
E) volcanic neck
17) Subduction zones are associated with __________. 17) _________
A) divergent plate boundaries
B) convergent plate boundaries
C) transform fault boundaries
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
18) Which one of the
following is credited with formulating the law of superposition? 18) _________
A) James Hutton
B) Lord Kelvin
C) John W. Powell
D) Nicolaus Steno
E) William Smith
19) All silicate
minerals contain the elements __________. 19) _________
A) silicon and sodium
B) silicon and oxygen
C) silicon and iron
D) silicon and calcium
E) silicon and magnesium
20) Batholiths are
typically __________. 20) _________
A) intrusive
B) phaneritic
C) larger than other plutons
D) associated with major mountain
belts
E) all of these
21) The igneous rock
__________ is composed of about 25 to 35 percent quartz and over 50 percent
potassium feldspar and sodium-rich feldspar. 21) _________
A) peridotite
B) obsidian
C) basalt
D) granite
E) none of the above
22) The regions
where oceanic crust is being consumed into Earth's interior are called
__________ zones. 22) _________
A) subduction
B) end
C) consumption
D) ridge
E) none of the above
23) Vesuvius and Fujiyama are examples of a __________. 23) _________
A) shield volcano
B) cinder cone
C) composite cone
D) lava dome
E) volcanic neck
24) With which type
of radioactive decay does the atomic number remain unchanged? 24) _________
A) electron capture
B) beta particle emission
C) alpha particle emission
D) both beta particle emission and
electron capture
E) none of the above
25) S waves are not
transmitted through this Earth layer.
25) _________
A) continental crust
B) oceanic crust
C) low velocity zone
D) mantle
E) outer core
26) __________ are
the spherical or elongated openings seen in many aphanitic
rocks left by escaping gas bubbles as magma solidifies. 26) _________
A) Inclusions
B) Phenocrysts
C) Vesicles
D) Clasts
E) none of the above
27) Stagnant swamp
water is __________, therefore the complete decay of
plant material is not possible.
27) _________
A) warm
B) shallow
C) oxygen-deficient
D) muddy
E) chemically-rich
28) Groups of fossil
plants and animals succeed each other in a definite and determinable order, and
any period of time can be recognized by its respective fossils. The preceding
is a statement of the __________.
28) _________
A) law of superposition
B) law of original horizontality
C) concept of cross-cutting
relationships
D) principle of numerical dating
E) none of the above
29) Rocks that
consist of unordered atoms are referred to as __________. 29) _________
A) glass
B) fragmental
C) coarse-grained
D) volatile
E) none of the above
30) According to
Bowen's reaction series, the first ferromagnesian mineral to crystallize from a
typical magma is __________. 30) _________
A) orthoclase
B) biotite
mica
C) olivine
D) quartz
E) pyroxene
31) Charles Darwin
was first to explain how reef-building organisms that require shallow water and
sunlight could create reef complexes extending for thousands of meters below
sea level. Darwin hypothesized that __________. 31) _________
A) in contrast to modern forms,
ancient reef-building organisms could, in fact, live in deep, cold water
B) as sea level dropped during the
onset of the ice age, these organisms built the reef in what is presently much
deeper water
C) as volcanic islands with
fringing coral reefs began to sink, these organisms kept pace by building the
reef complex upward
D) as sea level rose during the
Pleistocene, these organisms kept pace by building the reef complex upward
32) The term
__________ refers to large-scale deformation of Earth's lithosphere. 32) _________
A) transform
B) drift
C) tectonics
D) magma
E) lithification
33) Through
metamorphic activity __________.
33) _________
A) sandstone can change to marble
B) limestone can change to
quartzite
C) slate can change to shale
D) granite can change to gneiss
E) granite can change to clay
minerals
34) On Mohs hardness scale, which is the softest mineral? 34) _________
A) feldspar
B) quartz
C) calcite
D) talc
E) apatite
35) Which one of the
following is NOT a process whereby sediment is lithified
into solid sedimentary rock? 35) _________
A) compaction B) cementation C) foliation
36) Many metamorphic
rocks __________. 36) _________
A) have a linear orientation of
minerals
B) are extremely fossiliferous
C) are unaltered sedimentary rocks
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
37) A rock which has
large crystals embedded in a matrix of smaller crystals is said to have a(n) __________ texture. 37) _________
A) glassy
B) aphanitic
C) fragmental
D) phaneritic
E) none of the above
38) According to the
plate tectonics model, Earth's rigid outer shell is broken into large slabs
called __________. 38) _________
A) convergent zones
B) plates
C) boundaries
D) divergent zones
E) ridges
39) The most abundant mineral group in Earth's crust is
__________. 39) _________
A) sulfides
B) carbonates
C) silicates
D) halides
E) oxides
40) An unconformity
is a(n) __________. 40) _________
A) gap in the rock record
B) layer of sedimentary rock
C) layer of rock with very unusual
fossils
D) intrusion
E) none of the above
41) Bulbous masses
associated with volcanoes that extrude highly viscous material are called
__________. 41) _________
A) shield volcanoes
B) cinder cones
C) composite cones
D) lava domes
E) volcanic necks
42) Many minerals
that contain water within their crystalline structures are said to be
__________. 42) _________
A) wet
B) disassociated
C) desiccated
D) hydrated
E) hydraulic
43) The most common mineral in Earth's crust is __________. 43) _________
A) quartz
B) olivine
C) feldspar
D) mica
E) hornblende
44) Which of the
following changes may occur during metamorphism? 44) _________
A) Crystals may grow larger.
B) The rock becomes more compact.
C) Certain minerals may recrystallize.
D) all of the above
E) both A and B
45) Earth's
__________ includes the crust and part of the upper mantle. 45) _________
A) core
B) asthenosphere
C) lithosphere
D) mantle
E) none of the above
46) Which one of the
following is NOT one of the four "spheres" that constitute our
environment? 46) _________
A) atmosphere
B) hydrosphere
C) biosphere
D) lithosphere
E) exosphere
47) This metamorphic
rock is composed of alternating bands of light and dark silicate minerals. 47) _________
A) gneiss
B) phyllite
C) marble
D) mica schist
E) quartzite
48) Which one of the
following is NOT a type of plate boundary? 48) _________
A) transform fault B) convergent
C) divergent D) reverse
49) Island arcs are
associated with __________ boundaries.
49) _________
A) divergent
B) convergent (oceanic-oceanic)
C) convergent
(continental-continental)
D) convergent
(oceanic-continental)
E) transform fault
50) Which one of the
following does NOT take place during the rapid cooling of magma? 50) _________
A) Small crystals form.
B) Ions readily combine.
C) Ions migrate long distances.
D) Ions quickly lose their motion.
E) Large numbers of crystal nuclei form.
51) Which of the
following is associated with mid-ocean ridges? 51) _________
A) volcanic structures
B) greater heat flow than occurs
in other parts of the world
C) mountainous topography
D) rift zones
E) all of the above
52) A lava flow with
a surface of rough, jagged blocks and sharp, angular projections is termed
__________ lava. 52) _________
A) pahoehoe
B) lapilli
C) aa
D) pillow
E) none of these
53) The most abundant element in Earth's crust (by weight) is
__________. 53) _________
A) oxygen B) sodium
C) calcium D) silicon
54) The building
block of the silicate minerals is called the __________. 54) _________
A) aluminum-silicon octahedron
B) silicon-oxygen octahedron
C) aluminum-silicon tetrahedron
D) silicon-oxygen tetrahedron
E) none of these
55)
A black shale is black because it contains abundant __________. 55) _________
A) sulfur
B) clay
C) carbon
D) silica
E) hematite
56) Igneous rocks
are most often classified by their __________ and mineral composition. 56) _________
A) size
B) color
C) texture
D) formation
E) shape
57) As magma
migrates upward it may incorporate some of the surrounding country rock in a
process called __________. 57) _________
A) mixing
B) assimilation
C) acquiring
D) differentiation
E) none of the above
58) The positively
charged particles that compose atoms are called __________. 58) _________
A) neutrons
B) electrons
C) shells
D) nuclei
E) protons
59) Separating
sedimentary strata are __________, flat surfaces along which rocks tend to
separate or break. 59) _________
A) inclusions
B) sills
C) surfaces
D) contour planes
E) none of the above
60) Which one of the
following is NOT one of the solid Earth's principal units? 60) _________
A) core B) mantle
C) crust D) tropopause
61) Orbiting the
central region of an atom are negatively charged
__________. 61) _________
A) nuclei B) electrons
C) protons D) neutrons
62) The __________
is a hot, weak zone that is capable of gradual flow located within Earth
between the depths of 100 and 350 kilometers. 62) _________
A) core
B) crust
C) lithosphere
D) mantle
E) asthenosphere
63) Temperatures
generally encountered during volcanic eruptions are approximately __________. 63) _________
A) 1,000,000°C
B) 1000°C
C) 10,000°C
D) 100,000°C
E) 100°C
64) The discovery of
the shadow zone __________. 64) _________
A) identified the location of the
asthenosphere
B) was made by the deep-sea
drilling ship Glomar Challenger
C) was strong evidence for the
existence of a core
D) pointed to the existence of the
Moho
E) none of the above
65) A scientific
__________ is a well tested and widely accepted view that scientists agree best
explains observable facts. 65) _________
A) estimate
B) theory
C) supposition
D) hypothesis
E) idea
66) Many of the most
important metamorphic ore deposits are produced by __________ metamorphism. 66) _________
A) thermal
B) contact
C) regional
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
67) The definition
of a mineral includes words such as __________. 67) _________
A) foliated and amorphous
B) clastic
and mafic
C) organic and solution
D) naturally occurring and
crystalline
E) none of the above
68) The law of
__________ states that in layers of undisturbed sedimentary rocks or lava
flows, the youngest layer is on top and the oldest on bottom. 68) _________
A) uniformity
B) catastrophism
C) layering
D) succession
E) superposition
69) The constructive
processes that alter Earth's surface depend upon Earth's internal __________ as
their source of energy. 69) _________
A) tectonics
B) magnetism
C) pressure
D) heat
E) minerals
70) A scientific
__________ is a preliminary, untested explanation of a natural phenomenon. 70) _________
A) observation
B) guess
C) supposition
D) theory
E) hypothesis
71) Isotopes of the
same element differ in the number of __________. 71) _________
A) neutrons
B) nuclei
C) ions
D) electrons
E) protons
72) When a beta
particle is emitted during radioactive decay __________. 72) _________
A) the atomic number decreases by
1
B) the mass number drops by 1 and
the atomic number remains unchanged
C) the atomic number increases by
1
D) the atomic number remains the
same
E) none of the above
73) Sedimentary
rocks __________. 73) _________
A) may contain fossils
B) are layered
C) hold important clues to Earth's
history
D) may be economically important
E) all of the above
74) The best-known
and most important ore deposits are those that are produced from __________
solutions. 74) _________
A) brine
B) hydrothermal
C) carbonate
D) secondary
E) potassium
75) Concerning the
distribution of land and water, which of the following statements is true? 75) _________
A) The Northern Hemisphere has much more water surface than
the Southern Hemisphere.
B) The percentage of land and water is about the same in
both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
C) The Southern Hemispheres has much more water surface
than the Northern Hemisphere.
76) Which of the
following is NOT a characteristic of minerals? 76) _________
A) either liquid or solid
B) possess a crystalline structure
C) a unique set of physical
properties
D) formed by inorganic processes
E) definite chemical composition
77) When muddy
currents emerge from the mouth of a submarine canyon onto the flat ocean floor,
they deposit sediment that forms a(n) __________. 77) _________
A) slope fan
B) deep-sea fan
C) alluvial fan
D) atoll
E) none of the above
78) Which origin of
limestone is by far the most common?
78) _________
A) evaporite
B) detrital
C) inorganic
D) marine biochemical
E) none of the above
79) Sedimentary
rocks compose approximately __________ (by volume) of Earth's outermost 10
miles. 79) _________
A) 20%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 75%
E) none of the above
80) What type of
metamorphic rock will shale normally become following low-grade metamorphism? 80) _________
A) slate
B) marble
C) gneiss
D) mica schist
E) none of the above
81) The tendency of
minerals to break along smooth flat surfaces is called __________. 81) _________
A) fracture
B) cleavage
C) conchoidal
D) polyhedral
E) streak
82) A typical rate
of sea-floor spreading is estimated to be approximately __________ centimeters
per year. 82) _________
A) 2 B) 8 C) 15 D) 5 E) 10
83) Iceland is
located along a __________ boundary.
83) _________
A) divergent
B) convergent (oceanic-oceanic)
C) convergent
(continental-continental)
D) convergent
(oceanic-continental)
E) transform fault
84) The gently
sloping submerged surface extending from the shoreline toward the deep ocean is
termed the __________. 84) _________
A) submarine canyon
B) continental shelf
C) continental rise
D) ocean basin
E) continental slope
85) The most important factor affecting the texture of an
igneous rock is the __________ of the magma. 85) _________
A) composition
B) final temperature
C) starting temperature
D) location
E) rate of cooling
86) Which one of the
following is NOT one of the eight most common elements in Earth's crust? 86) _________
A) aluminum
B) sodium
C) potassium
D) carbon
E) calcium
87) When certain
minerals recrystallize with a preferred orientation
that is perpendicular to the direction of the compressional
force, the rock is said to exhibit __________. 87) _________
A) aureole
B) foliation
C) shear
D) all of the above
E) none of the above
88) The mechanism by
which rocks store and eventually release energy in the form of an earthquake is
referred to as __________. 88) _________
A) stress fracture
B) deformation
C) seismic rebound
D) elastic rebound
E) fault displacement
89) The resistance
of a mineral to abrasion is known as __________. 89) _________
A) cleavage
B) hardness
C) conchoidal
D) fracture
E) resistance
90) An imminent
volcanic eruption on Hawaii can be forecast by __________. 90) _________
A) increase in hot spot activity
B) a sudden increase in
temperature of surface rocks
C) tsunami activity
D) rapid subsidence in the caldera
region
E) swelling of the summit area
91) Major
earthquakes are often followed by smaller events known as __________. 91) _________
A) foreshocks
B) hyposhocks
C) tremors
D) aftershocks
E) tsunami
92) The left branch
of Bowen's reaction series is called a(n) __________
reaction series because each mineral has a different crystalline structure. 92) _________
A) discontinuous
B) alternate
C) changing
D) intermediate
E) continuous
93) Graded bedding
is characterized by __________.
93) _________
A) being found only on the
continental slope off the Newfoundland coast
B) an increase in sediment size
from bottom to top
C) a decrease in sediment size
from bottom to top
D) an unsorted mixture of many
different sediment sizes
94) Most often the
directional stresses that occur during mountain building are __________ forces. 94) _________
A) compressional
B) extensional
C) expansional
D) magnetic
E) none of the above
95) The most unreliable (variable) diagnostic property of
minerals such as quartz is __________.
95) _________
A) hardness
B) crystal form
C) color
D) specific gravity
E) luster
96) The intrusive
equivalent of basalt is __________.
96) _________
A) andesite
B) granite
C) obsidian
D) gabbro
E) diorite
97) The accepted age
of Earth is about __________ years.
97) _________
A) 4.5 billion
B) 3.6 billion
C) 895 million
D) 6.4 million
E) 300 million
98) The doctrine of
__________ is commonly stated as "the present is the key to the
past." 98) _________
A) uniformitarianism
B) succession
C) exospherism
D) catastrophism
E) continuity
99) Insects are
sometimes preserved in the hardened resin of ancient trees. This material is
called __________. 99) _________
A) gastrolith
B) carbonization
C) amber
D) caprolite
E) none of the above
100) Lithospheric plates are about __________ km thick. 100) ________
A) 1
B) 10
C) 100
D) 1000
E) 10,000
1) C
2) A
3) C
4) B
5) B
6) D
7) E
8) A
9) A
10) C
11) B
12) D
13) E
14) E
15) B
16) C
17) B
18) D
19) B
20) E
21) D
22) A
23) C
24) E
25) E
26) C
27) C
28) E
29) A
30) C
31) C
32) C
33) D
34) D
35) C
36) A
37) E
38) B
39) C
40) A
41) D
42) D
43) C
44) D
45) C
46) E
47) A
48) D
49) B
50) C
51) E
52) C
53) A
54) D
55) C
56) C
57) B
58) E
59) E
60) D
61) B
62) E
63) B
64) C
65) B
66) B
67) D
68) E
69) D
70) E
71) A
72) C
73) E
74) B
75) C
76) A
77) B
78) D
79) E
80) A
81) B
82) D
83) A
84) B
85) E
86) D
87) B
88) D
89) B
90) E
91) D
92) A
93) C
94) A
95) C
96) D
97) A
98) A
99) C
100) C