SCIN 138 Week 8 Exam

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Week 8 Exam

Question 1 of 50

In the rock cycle, what processes directly link igneous rocks to metamorphic rocks?

 

  A. recrystallization by high heat and pressure

  B. weathering and erosion

  C. compaction and cementation

  D. melting and crystallization

  E. deposition and lithification

 

 

Question 2 of 50

 

Which best explains the processes at the mid-oceanic ridge?

 

  A. Plates converge creating new crust

  B. Plates diverge creating new crust

  C. Plates slide past each other destroying old crust

  D. Plates diverge destroying old crust

  E. Plates converge destroying old crust

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 3 of 50

 

Refer to the image of a meandering stream shown here.  At which site along the stream would stream erosion be the most active? 

 

 

 

  A. D and B

  B. A and C

  C. B and C

  D. C and D

  E. A and E

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 4 of 50

 

The Precambrian Era is the time before abundant multicellular life with hard parts evolved.  This time interval represents what percentage of earth’s history?  

 

  A. 1%

  B. 99%

  C. 88%

  D. 50%

  E. 12%

 

 

Question 5 of 50

 

Applying the principles of relative age-dating to the diagram, which of the following is TRUE.

 

Explanation of the diagram:

"A" represents an unconformity (erosional surface),

"B" is a basaltic dike,

"C" is a shale formation,

"D" is a sandstone formation,

"E" is a limestone formation,

"F" represents a thrust fault. 

 

 

 

 

 

  A. B is OLDER than F

  B. A is YOUNGER than C

  C. E is OLDER than B

  D. F is YOUNGER than A

  E. D is YOUNGER than C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 6 of 50

 

The primary basis for classifying detrital (clastic) rocks is _______, whereas the primary basis for classifying chemical rocks is  ________.

 

 

  A. particle shape ; trace elements

  B. rock type ; rounding

  C. crystalline structure ; sorting

  D. particle size ; mineral composition

  E. sorting ; density

 

 

Question 7 of 50

 

Where is the top of the asthenosphere closest to the earth’s surface?

 

 

  A. Next to a subduction zone

  B. Underneath a mid-ocean ridge

  C. Underneath a transform fault

  D. In the center of continental plates (craton)

  E. Underneath a collision zone

 

 

 

 

 

Question 8 of 50

 

Which type of faulting is most dangerous in Utah?

 

  A. Transform

  B. Thrust

  C. Normal

  D. Strike-slip

  E. Reverse

 

 

Question 9 of 50

 

Scientific conclusions are based on _____________. 

 

  A. only quantitative data

  B. polling of experts

  C. public consensus

  D. objective evidence and experiments

  E. subjective evidence and ancient books

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 10 of 50

 

What information is needed to determine the distance from the epicenter of an earthquake to a seismic receiving station?

 

  A. The amplitude of the seismic waves on a seismogram

  B. The transverse nature of the s-wave

  C. The magnitude of the earthquake

  D. The difference between the amplitude of the seismic waves

  E. The time interval between the P and S waves

 

 

Question 11 of 50

 

What evidence did Alfred Wegener use for his hypothesis of continental drift?

 

  A. trenches and subduction zones

  B. earthquake patterns and GPS measurements

  C. paleomagnetic patterns on either side of the mid-oceanic ridge

  D. similar rocks and fossils on distant continents

  E. mid-oceanic ridges and the age marine rocks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 12 of 50

 

In terms of groundwater resources, what properties make the best aquifer?

 

 A. High porosity and high permeability

  B. Low porosity and low permeability

  C. Low porosity and high permeability

 D. High porosity and low permeability

  E. High porosity and no permeability

 

 

Question 13 of 50

 

In the scientific method, a hypothesis is _______, and a theory is _________.

 

  A. an educated guess ; a tentative untested explanation

  B. a tentative untested explanation ; well tested and widely accepted explanation

  C. an educated guess ; a law that has been universally accepted by the scientific community

  D. a tentative untested explanation ; a law that has been universally accepted by the scientific community

  E. an objective observation ; an idea that hasn’t been proven

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 14 of 50

 

When going from a magnitude 5 to a magnitude 6 earthquake on the Richter magnitude scale, what is the increase in seismic wave amplitude?

 

  A. 10

  B. 0.5

  C. 100

  D. 1

  E. 2

 

 

Question 15 of 50

 

 James Hutton’s statement that “the present is the key to the past” (uniformitarianism) is demonstrated by ________.

 

  A. the volcano that erupted last year on August 15 will occur every 10 years on that date

  B. ancient sedimentary rocks formed by similar processes as are observed today

  C. gravity being a recent phenomenon and not changing metamorphic rocks in the past

  D. the fact that our human ancestors hunted dinosaurs for millennia

  E. the Earth’s landscapes are fixed and have not changed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 16 of 50

 

Folds like anticlines and synclines are most associated with _______.

 

  A. Tectonic extension

  B. Tectonic shear

  C. Erosion

  D. Volcanism

  E. Tectonic compression

 

 

Question 17 of 50

 

Which of the following surficial processes results in the most poorly sorted sediments?

 

  A. wind

  B. glaciers

  C. rivers

  D. ocean waves

  E. deep marine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 18 of 50

 

Which of the following is the most significant natural cause of climate change in the last 2 million years?

 

  A. Burning of fossil fuels

  B. Volcanic eruptions

  C. Photosynthesis

  D. Milankovitch cycles

  E. Solar flares

 

 

Question 19 of 50

 

A coarse-grained (phaneritic texture) igneous rock formed _________________.

 

  A. by immense direct pressure and heat

  B. due to erosion, frost wedging, and weathering

  C. deep under the surface of the earth

  D. on the surface of the earth in a quiet (effusive) eruption

  E. on the surface of the earth in an explosive eruption

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 20 of 50

Pyroclastic flows are more associated with __________.

 

  A. stratovolcanoes

  B. flood basalts

  C. cinder cones

  D. shield volcanoes

  E. ocean hot spots

 

 

Question 21 of 50

 

When the radiometric clock starts ticking in zircon minerals, there is only 100% of the unstable radiometric parent isotope X and 0% of the stable daughter isotope Y.  After testing in a lab millions of years later, there is 25% of the parent radiometric isotope and 75% of the daughter isotope. How many half lives have elapsed?

 

 

  A. 3

  B. 2

  C. 1

  D. 0.25

  E. 0.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 22 of 50

 

Where do we generally find the most quantity of explosive volcanic eruptions?

 

  A. Ocean island hotspots

  B. Transform plate boundary

  C. Divergent plate boundary

  D. Subduction zone boundary

  E. Mid-oceanic ridges

 

 

Question 23 of 50

 

 Shield volcanoes consist of _________.

 

  A. Mostly low viscosity basalt flows with a lower silica content.

  B. Explosive pyroclastic material and low viscosity lava flows.

  C. Alternating layers of silica-rich rocks and intrusive igneous rocks such as basalt.

  D. Alternating layers of cinders and ash embedded in silica-rich lava flows.

  E. A combination of granitic lava and pyroclastic material with some rhyolite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 24 of 50

 

The map below shows continental land as green and brown, the depth of the ocean floor in blue, and tectonic plate boundaries as colored lines.  Evaluate this geologic evidence to determine which location would most likely require adequate tsunami preparedness.

 

 

 

  A. B

  B. D

  C. C

  D. A

 

 

Question 25 of 50

 

The number one factor causing landslides is (are) _____.

 

  A. glaciation

  B. freeze-thaw cycles

  C. earthquakes

  D. precipitation

  E. volcanic eruptions

 

 

 

 

Question 26 of 50

 

Where would you expect both shallow and deep earthquakes in which the deeper earthquakes are located farther inland?

 

  A. At a transform plate boundary anywhere in the world.

  B. At a divergent plate boundary in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

  C. At a transform boundary along the San Andreas fault in California.

  D. At a divergent plate boundary in the middle of a continental plate such as Africa’s Great Rift Valley.

  E. At a convergent plate boundary such as along the west coast of South America.

 

 

 

Question 27 of 50

 

Which is always the next step in the rock cycle after cooling magma?

 

  A. Heat and pressure

  B. Weathering

  C. Crystallization

  D. Deposition

  E. Erosion

 

 

Question 28 of 50

 

What do all minerals have in common?

 

  A. Organic

  B. Cleavage

  C. Crystal structure

  D. Harder than fingernail

  E. Formed from magma

 

 

Question 29 of 50

 

When comparing the protolith to the metamorphic rock that was formed after metamorphism, the chemical composition of the protolith is usually ______________ when compared to the metamorphic rock.

 

  A. lower in silica

  B. higher in silica

  C. higher in carbonate

  D. lower in carbonate

  E. about the same

 

 

Question 30 of 50

 

Which step in the rock cycle always has to be directly before sedimentary rocks in order for them to form?

 

  A. Crystallization

  B. Heat and pressure

  C. Melting

  D. Deposition

  E. Cooling

 

 

Question 31 of 50

 

How do you recognize an intrusive igneous rock?

 

  A. Vesicles (gas bubbles) formed

  B. Jet-black texture from microscopic crystals

  C. Large visable crystals throughout

  D. Glass and other fine-grained material throughout

  E. Both glass and crystals present

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 32 of 50

 

Which type of magma produces slow-moving lava flows, explosive eruptions, steep-sided volcanoes, and typically granitic rocks?

 

  A. High pressure

  B. Shallow-forming

  C. Deep-forming

  D. High silica

  E. High temperature

 

 

Question 33 of 50

 

What is the source of magma for hot spots?

 

  A. Sinking material entirely within the crust

 B. Movement within the outer core

  C. Rising material deep in the mantle

  D. Subducting lithosphere

  E. Earthquakes in the asthenosphere

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 34 of 50

 

Metamorphic rocks are formed by ___________.

 

  A. melting and crystallization

  B. weathering and erosion

  C. compaction and cementation

  D. heat and pressure

  E. uplift and burial

 

 

Question 35 of 50

 

As a subduction zone closes, destroys, and puts an end to an ocean basin, which plate tectonic boundary is likely to develop at the location of a former subduction zone?

 

 

  A. Hot spot

  B. Mid-ocean ridge

  C. Continental Collision

  D. Continental rift

  E. Transform fault

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 36 of 50

 

Detrital sedimentary rocks are made of __________, while chemical and biochemical sedimentary rocks are made of ____________.

 

  A. crystals ; crystals and grains

  B. grains ; crystals

  C. crystals ; grains

  D. crystals ; crystals

  E. grains ; grains

 

 

Question 37 of 50

 

Which combination of factors produces steep-sided, explosive volcanism and the most dangerous volcanic hazards?  Volatiles=dissolved gases like water, carbon dioxide

 

  A. High viscosity and low volatiles

  B. Low viscosity and high volatiles

  C. Medium viscosity and medium volatiles

  D. Low viscosity and low volatiles

  E. High viscosity and high volatiles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 38 of 50

 

Which plate boundary is known for frequent earthquakes, but little mountain building and almost no volcanism?

 

  A. Convergent

  B. Divergent

  C. Transform

  D. Convection

  E. Hot Spot

 

 

Question 39 of 50

 

Which mineral property is essentially a measure of how tight the atoms are packed together?

 

  A. Color

  B. Luster

  C. Magnetism

  D. Hardness

  E. Streak

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 40 of 50

 

What two things are you usually trying to figure out when looking at metamorphic facies and a series of index minerals in a metamorphic rock?

 

  A. Temperature and pressure of formation

  B. Speed of heating and protolith

  C. Fluid composition and protolith

  D. Pressure and cooling history

  E. Protolith and temperature

 

 

 

 

 

Question 41 of 50

 

Metallic minerals are ________ resources.

 

  A. renewable

  B. both renewable and nonrenewable

  C. nonrenewable

  D. limitless

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 42 of 50

 

Magnetite, native gold and platinum, diamonds, and other high-density minerals can sometimes be found in _________ deposits.

 

  A. skarn

  B. placer

  C. evaporite

  D. kimberlite

 

 

Question 43 of 50

 

Oil, gas, and coal are fossil fuels that provide over 90% of our energy needs in the United States. What makes these resources different from others such as nickel, iron, salt, or gypsum?

 

  A. They form from previous life forms like plants or microscopic organisms.

  B. They form from hydrothermal processes

  C. They take millions of years to form.

  D. They are more scarce than any other resource.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Question 44 of 50

 

Gold is typically created by ________.

 

  A. magmatic processes.

  B. organic processes

  C. hydrothermal processes.

  D. evaporation processes.

 

 

 

Question 45 of 50

 

Which of the following set of resources would be the least sustainable?

 

  A. oil, natural gas, and coal

  B. solar, wind, and hydro

  C. oil, coal, and nuclear

  D. solar, nuclear, and natural gas

 

 

Question 46 of 50

 

Which of the following is NOT a possible source of Earth’s water?

 

  A. Volcanism

  B. Moon

  C. Meteorites

  D. Comets

 

 

Question 47 of 50

 

What important evolutionary advance did NOT occur in the Paleozoic?

 

  A. First jaws

  B. First trees

  C. First mammals

  D. First shells

 

 

Question 48 of 50

 

Which of the following is a hypothesis for the formation of life on Earth?

 

  A. Evaporation around seawater

  B. Atmospheric processes around volcanoes

  C. Brought to Earth from Mars

  D. Atmospheric processes around lightning

  E. Atmospheric processes around seawater

 

 

 

Question 49 of 50

What age are most of the Earth’s cratons?

 

  A. Archean

  B. Mesozoic

  C. Proterozoic

  D. Paleozoic

 

 

 

Question 50 of 50

 

This time period is known for: first hard parts, a huge evolutionary explosion of diversification, first chordates. The abundance of fossils starting here is so different from older rocks, that the older rocks are all lumped together. What is the name of this time period?

 

  A. Permian

  B. Jurassic

  C. Anthropocene

  D. Cambrian