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Earth Systems 3209
Midterm Exam
Ch. 1 to Ch. 8
Name _________________________
Part One [52 marks]
Multiple Choice: Write the UPPERCASE letter of the correct answer in the space provided
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1. In which branch of Earth Science is ancient life studied?
(A) climatology
(B) meteorology
(C) paleontology
(D) volcanology
2. Which statement best represents how relative time is correctly used in Earth Science?
(A) Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago.
(B) Dykes and sills are younger than surrounding rock.
(C) The rock is 500 million years old.
(D) The rock unit above is older than the rock unit below.
3. Volcanic ash was deposited at the bottom of a lake as varves. If the sequence contains 240
alternating layers of light and dark sediment, how many years ago did the volcanic eruption
occur?
(A) 30
(B) 60
(C) 120
(D) 240
4. Which represents the shortest span of geologic time?
(A) eon
(B) epoch
(C) era
(D) period
5. If carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years, how many years have passed if 1/8 of the original
amount of carbon remains?
(A) 716
(B) 5730
(C) 17 190
(D) 34 380
6. Which is the correct order of the major divisions of geologic time from oldest to youngest?
Oldest  Youngest
(A) Paleozoic  Precambrian  Cenozoic  Mesozoic
(B) Paleozoic  Precambrian  Mesozoic  Cenozoic
(C) Precambrian  Paleozoic  Cenozoic  Mesozoic
(D) Precambrian  Paleozoic  Mesozoic  Cenozoic
7. Which sphere of Earth contains all life?
(A) atmosphere
(B) biosphere
(C) geosphere
(D) hydrosphere
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8. At which boundary is the Moho located?
(A) core-lithosphere
(B) core-mantle
(C) crust-lithosphere
(D) crust-mantle
9. Which layer of Earth is relatively weak and flows like plastic?
(A) asthenosphere
(B) crust
(C) inner core
(D) lower mantle
10. Which layer of Earth’s interior shown below consists of molten nickel and iron?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
11. From which source did all water on Earth originate?
(A) comet impact
(B) glacial melt
(C) photosynthesis
(D) volcanic outgassing
12. What is formed when chemical bonding joins two or more elements together in definite
proportions?
(A) atom
(B) compound
(C) isotope
(D) nucleus
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13. Which elements are most abundant in Earth’s crust?
(A) aluminum and carbon
(B) aluminum and oxygen
(C) silicon and carbon
(D) silicon and oxygen
14. Which is a native element in Earth’s crust?
(A) aluminum
(B) gold
(C) magnesium
(D) sodium
15. Which chemical formula is matched with its mineral group?
16. Which describes the streak of a mineral?
(A) appearance in reflected light
(B) colour in its powdered form
(C) resistance to scratching
(D) splitting along fractured surfaces
17. A sample of galena has a mass of 160 g and displaces 20 mL of water. What is its specific
gravity?
(A) 4
(B) 8
(C) 16
(D) 160
18. Given the information below, what is the order of minerals from softest to hardest?
• Corundum scratches quartz.
• Quartz scratches calcite.
• Calcite scratches talc.
Softest  Hardest
(A) corundum  quartz  calcite  talc
(B) corundum  quartz  talc  calcite
(C) talc  calcite  corundum  quartz
(D) talc  calcite  quartz  corundum
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19. Which most likely forms due to high temperature and pressure?
(A) conglomerate
(B) gneiss
(C) sandstone
(D) shale
20. Which pair of rocks have the same mineral composition?
(A) andesite and basalt
(B) andesite and rhyolite
(C) gabbro and basalt
(D) gabbro and rhyolite
21. Which best describes the silica composition of rhyolite and basalt?
22. Which best describes a rock with a porphyritic texture?
(A) large crystals of equal size
(B) large crystals surrounded by many small crystals
(C) small crystals of equal size
(D) small crystals surrounded by many large crystals
23. From the graph below, which best describes the concentration of pyroxene in felsic and
mafic rocks?
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24. In the diagram below, where would you most likely find a rock with a vesicular texture?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
25. Which rock type would be formed furthest from the mouth of a river?
(A) breccia
(B) conglomerate
(C) sandstone
(D) shale
26. Which best represents the phrase, “well sorted”, when describing sediment?
(A) composed of distinct bedding planes
(B) composed of only one type of mineral
(C) contains grains of different sizes
(D) contains grains of similar size
27. Which occurs at the boundary of an igneous intrusion and existing rock?
(A) contact metamorphism
(B) cross bedding
(C) pillow basalts
(D) regional metamorphism
28. Which rock is formed when a lithified sand dune becomes metamorphosed?
(A) gneiss
(B) marble
(C) quartzite
(D) slate
29. Which plate boundary is associated with island arc volcanoes?
(A) convergent
(B) divergent
(C) rift valley
(D) transform
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30. Which is an example of hotspot volcanism?
(A) Aleutian Trench
(B) Hawaiian Islands
(C) Himalayan Mountains
(D) San Andreas Fault
31. Which is represented in the diagram below?
(A) cinder cone
(B) composite volcano
(C) pyroclastic cone
(D) shield volcano
32. Which volcano will produce basaltic lava when it erupts?
(A) cinder
(B) composite
(C) shield
(D) stratovolcano
33. Which mineral is the main source of zinc?
(A) galena
(B) gypsum
(C) hematite
(D) sphalerite
34. What is indicated by the letter “A” in the diagram below?
(A) contact metamorphism
(B) regional metamorphism
(C) thrust fault
(D) unconformity
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35. Which resource is present at the Voisey’s Bay site in Labrador?
(A) asbestos
(B) crude oil
(C) iron
(D) nickel
36. Which is a hard, black coal which generates high energy when burned?
(A) anthracite
(B) bituminous
(C) lignite
(D) peat
37. Which type of fossil is represented by footprints and worm burrows?
(A) body
(B) external mold
(C) internal mold
(D) trace
38. In which rock will fossils most likely form?
(A) basalt
(B) gneiss
(C) granite
(D) limestone
39. Which factor is most important for the formation of a fossil?
(A) burial in coarse sediment
(B) high rates of mechanical weathering
(C) presence of hard body parts
(D) slow burial in a deep water environment
40. In which era did fossils first become abundant in the rock record?
(A) Cenozoic
(B) Mesozoic
(C) Paleozoic
(D) Precambrian
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41. The table below shows four layers of sedimentary rock found in a cliff section. A geologist
working at another cliff section has discovered a layer of similar sedimentary rock that
contains brachiopods and snails. The newly discovered layer is most similar to which layer?
(A) 1
(B) 2
(C) 3
(D) 4
42. Which is the correct evolutionary sequence of organisms from oldest to youngest?
Oldest  Youngest
(A) amphibian  fish  mammals  reptiles
(B) amphibian  fish  reptiles  mammals
(C) fish  amphibian  mammals  reptiles
(D) fish  amphibian  reptiles  mammals
43. In which environment did the trilobite fossils most likely form?
(A) deep water and high energy
(B) deep water and low energy
(C) shallow marine and high energy
(D) shallow marine and low energy
44. Which became extinct at the end of the Mesozoic era?
(A) birds
(B) dinosaurs
(C) invertebrates
(D) mammals
45. Which theory describes the origin of the solar system?
(A) Big Bang
(B) Geocentric
(C) Nebular
(D) Outgassing
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46. Which geologic principle states that in an undisturbed sedimentary sequence, the bottom
layer is oldest?
(A) correlation
(B) horizontality
(C) superposition
(D) uniformitarianism
47. Which sphere includes groundwater?
(A) atmosphere
(B) biosphere
(C) geosphere
(D) hydrosphere
48. Which letter in the diagram indicates cross-cutting?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
49. Which describes the covalent bonding that occurs between atoms in a water molecule ?
(A) sharing of electrons
(B) sharing of protons
(C) transfer of electrons
(D) transfer of protons
50. According to Moh’s hardness scale, which mineral is softest?
(A) apatite
(B) diamond
(C) gypsum
(D) quartz
51. Which best explains the difference in density between continental and oceanic crust?
(A) composition
(B) crystallization
(C) porosity
(D) state
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52. At which point below would the coarsest sediment be located?
(A) A
(B) B
(C) C
(D) D
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Part Two [26 marks]
Answer the questions on this paper and give complete explanations and/or show all
workings for full credit.
53. Two mineral samples that look similar are known to be quartz and calcite. Explain two ways
how you can distinguish quartz from calcite. [2 marks]
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54. The diagram below represents the decay pattern of a radioactive isotope in an igneous rock
sample. The half life of the radioactive isotope is 2.3 million years. Use the pattern to
determine the age of the rock and show your working in the box below. [2 marks]
55. According to the solar nebular hypothesis, describe how the solar system formed. [2 marks]
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56. Geologists represent the interior of Earth as having different physical layers. Explain the
importance of radioactive decay and gravitational forces in the segregation of Earth’s interior.
[2 marks]
57. Based on the definition of a mineral, ice would be considered a mineral and coal would not.
Explain why this is true. [2 marks]
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58. A mineral sample was studied and the following data obtained. Using the data, determine the
mineral’s specific gravity. [2 marks]
59. Explain how sedimentary rocks may eventually form metamorphic rocks. [2 marks]
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60. Both granite and rhyolite are classified as felsic rocks; however, their textures are very
different. Describe the texture of each and explain why these textural differences occur.
[2 marks]
Texture of Granite:
Reason:
Texture of Rhyolite:
Reason:
61. Given the information in the table, draw, name and fully label the volcano described.
[2 marks]
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62. Explain two ways a beetle could become fossilized. [2 marks]
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63. Explain two reasons why a modern day earthworm is unlikely to become part of the fossil
record. [2 marks]
64. Use the diagram below to answer the following questions.
Determine the sequence of events in the formation of the geological cross-section from oldest to
youngest. [1 mark]
What geologic feature is seen within rock unit M? [1 mark] ____________________________
Explain how this geologic feature in rock unit M would have formed. [2 marks]
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