Download First Hour Exam, Fall, 2002

Geology 141
Fall, 2002
October, 2002
Name
2
GE141: Physical
Processes
of Planet Earth
First Hour Examination
INSTRUCTIONS:
PLEASE read the instructions and
questions CAREFULLY and completely.
If you do not
understand a question as it appears on the exam,
PLEASE ASK FOR CLARIFICATION!!
It is to YOUR
benefit to do so.
This examination is worth 100
points, or 10% of your overall semester grade.
Exams will be graded as quickly as possible; your
individual point total will be entered on the last
page to ensure that only you know how well you did
on the exam, unless you choose to divulge that
information to others.
"La realidad necesita ser completada por la ficción para
hacer la vida más fácil."
("Reality needs fiction to make life a little easier.")
- Pedro Almodóvar Caballero
award-winning Spanish film director
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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Please respond to each question in the most appropriate fashion.
Please make your responses concise and to the point, but thorough;
use sketch diagrams any place you believe that they may help
explain your response. There should be ample space provided for an
adequate response to each question; PLEASE RESTRICT YOUR RESPONSES
TO THE SPACE PROVIDED. PLEASE ALSO write legibly; I CANNOT give any
credit for responses I can't read! The number of points for each
question is indicated in parentheses after the question.
(And PLEASE remember as well that, as promised on the syllabus, I
WILL deduct a point each time I see "volcanoe" or "techtonic!")
1.
What was "The Big Bang" and when is it believed to have
occurred? About how old do we believe the Earth and our Solar
System to be? Why is there this great discrepancy in ages, and
what is the direct evidence for that on Earth? (5 points)
2. What are the four fundamental criteria a substance must meet
to be considered a mineral? (5 points: 1 point each, + 1 bonus
point for the first correct answer).
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. What is the basis for classifying rocks into three major
groups? What is this kind of classification called? (5 points:
4-1)
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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4. Sketch an example of a rock with a porphyritic texture, and
label each of the two major components that distinguish this
texture. What produces this kind of texture in an igneous rock?
How might this relate to Bowen's Reaction Series? (10 points)
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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5. Sketch and label profile (side) views of a shield volcano and
a stratovolcano that clearly show the major difference between
them. What specific factors are responsible for these volcanoes
having such different shapes?
Which would you feel safer
visiting while it was actively erupting, and why? (10 points)
6. What are the basic, fundamental differences between the
Himalaya and the Andes, as regards their origins? (10 points)
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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7. Discuss the basic fundamentals of plate tectonics and
continental drift, including (a) what drives the process, (b)
where and how plates are being created, and (c) where and how
plates are being destroyed (if they are).
Identify specific
places in the world where (b) and (c) are taking place (at least
one each). (10 points)
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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8. What are the two most abundant elements in the Earth's
continental crust, by weight?
What are the two most abundant
gasses in magmas? ((5 points: 1 point each, + 1 bonus point for
the first correct answer).
The two most abundant elements in the Earth's continental crust
are (in order of their abundance!)
# 1 is
# 2 is
The two most abundant gases in most magmas are:
3.
4.
9. We used a simple equation in class to summarize the five most
important factors in the formation of a soil:
S = f {P, C, B, T, t}
What do each of these letters represent? (5 points, 1 point each)
P =
C=
B=
T =
t =
10. What is the basis for classifying minerals into different
specific groups?
What group makes up approximately 95% of the
Earth's crust?
What one other group is more important for its
abundance in the crust than its economic significance?
(5
points: 3-2)
~95% of the crust is composed of
minerals
The other group that's critically important for its bulk in the
crust is the
11. What does Bowen's Reaction Series have to do with the relative
resistance of minerals to chemical weathering? (5 points)
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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12. Identify any two volcanoes that have erupted in historic times
(i.e., in the last 4000 years) that have had a major impact on a
human population somewhere in the world. (5 points: 3-2)
13. What are dikes and sills, and what is the difference between
the two?
(Make sure your response clearly shows you know what
they are, and how they're differentiated from each other; a
diagram may be particularly helpful here.) (5 points: 3-2)
14. What are Benioff Zones and what do
earthquakes and/or volcanoes? (5 points)
they
have
to
do
with
Geology 141: Fall, 2002
First Hour Examination
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15. On the maps on the following page (the maps are printed backto-back), locate precisely each of the following localities or
features.
FOR SMALL FEATURES OR LOCALITIES, use a sharp arrow
drawn from your label to the feature, so there can be no doubt
about what you are labeling. PLEASE remember that IT IS TO YOUR
BENEFIT that your label is clear enough that there is NO question
as to your meaning or intent! (10 points, 1 point each)
And YES, all labels must be correctly spelled for credit!
[ Since all you have to do is copy the name from the list below! ]
On the map of the U.S. & Canada:
Washington, D.C.
Gulf of California
New Mexico
Alberta
Indiana
On the map of the world:
Iceland
Aleutian Islands
Himalaya
Java
Iraq
Grade on exam: __________________ out of 100 possible*.
* If this is below 70, please see me within the next week !!!
PLEASE NOTE: After exams are graded, I will return your exam
ONLY to you. It will not be released to friends, roommates,
your lab partner, or anyone else. This is to ensure YOUR
security and confidentiality.