Download Geology Exam Study Guide, 3 Feb 2011

Geology Exam Study Guide, 3 Feb 2011

Draw and label a complete rock cycle (include all
processes and rock types)
Draw this from your notes!

What is the Moh’s Scale? WELCOME TO MOH’S!
The scale used to determine the hardness of a
mineral

What would create a metamorphic rock?
intense heat and pressure

What is a natural resource?
a valuable or useful material from the earth that is
not manmade

Explain how an igneous rock can become
sedimentary.
weathering and erosion, deposition, compaction and
cementation (lithification)

What is a renewable resource? Give three
examples.
a resource that will recycle or renew itself over
time; water, wind, sunlight, plants

How are rocks identified?
by how they are formed


Give three examples of each type of rock.
Sedimentary-breccia, limestone, shale,
conglomerate
Metamorphic- schist, gneiss,slate
Igneous- obsidian, pumice, gabbro, granite
What is a non-renewable resource? Give three
examples.
a resource that once used, cannot be remade
naturally; copper, fossil fuels, uranium

Name four ways humans contribute to erosion.
logging, farming, mining, construction

What are two types of weathering?
physical and chemical

List three ways farmers can conserve soil.
crop rotation, terracing, windbreaks, cover crops

Breaking down rock to form soil is an example of
what?
weathering

How can a drought contribute to erosion?
dry, damaged soil will be eroded much more easily
than healthy soil; Dust Bowl is an example

Explain and give two specific examples (one
chemical, one physical) of weathering.
physical- root wedging, burrowing animals,
repeated heating and cooling, water freezing in
cracks and explanding
chemical-rust, lichen on rocks(excrete acid), acidic
rainfall(carbonic acid)

After a severe drought, the soil can fall victim to
two forces, what are they?
Wind and water

Why do we want to protect our soil?
if we don’t have soil, we can’t grow plants, which
leads to no food, building materials, etc/
What creates U-shaped valleys?
glaciers
What is a mineral?
A naturally occurring, inorganic solid that has a
definite chemical composition and a crystalline
structure

What can you tell from a mountain’s shape (peaked
or rounded)?
its relative age (rounded mountains are older than
peaked mountains)

What is the law of superposition?
when observing sedimentary rock layers, the layer
on the bottom is the oldest (providing the layers
haven’t been disturbed)



How are minerals identified?
by specific properties (i.e. luster, hardness, etc.)

Explain what you would look for in each of the ID
tests when attempting to figure out what mineral
you’ve found.
Color- color of mineral
Streak- color of streak when scratched on a streak
plate
Hardness- how hard or soft a mineral is (Moh’s
scale)
Luster-How the mineral shines
Transparency- How much light passes through a
mineral/ability to see through it
Texture-how it feels
Cleavage-if the mineral breaks along a plane(flat
area)
Fracture-if the mineral breaks in an irregular
manner