Download Sample Exam Geology

PHYS1014/1013 Physical Science
Spring 2014
Professor Kenny L. Tapp
Sample Exam Geology
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Sample Exam. Computer and/or internet malfunctions are NOT
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1. When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to
as the __________.
a. inertial point
b. epicenter
c. focus
d. seismic zone
2. Which one of the following statements is correct?
a. P waves travel through solids; S waves do not.
b. P and S waves travel through liquids, but P waves do not travel through solids.
c. S waves travel through solids and P waves travel through liquids.
d. P and S waves travel through liquids, but S waves do not travel through solids.
3. _________ have the highest velocities.
a. Primary waves
b. Secondary waves
c. Surface waves
d. Refracted S waves
4. The amount of destruction caused by earthquake vibrations is affected by __________.
a. design of structures
b. intensity and duration of the vibrations
c. nature of the surface material
d. all of these
5. Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as __________.
a. aftershocks
b. foreshocks
c. tremors
d. hyposhocks
6. The ____________ scale is based on the amplitude of the wave energy that is released. It does not directly
measure the extent of damage.
a. Gutenberg
b. Reid
c. Mercalli
d. Richter
7. The instrument that records earthquake events is termed a __________.
a. polygraph
b. thermograph
c. seismograph
d. barograph
8. The position on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source is called the __________.
a. epicenter
b. inertial point
c. focus
d. seismic zone
9. Most of our knowledge about Earth's interior comes from __________.
a. drill holes
b. volcanic eruptions c. seismic waves
d. deep mine shafts
10. The dense core of Earth is thought to consist predominantly of __________.
a. nickel
b. lead
c. iron
d. copper
11. The former late Paleozoic super-continent is known as ____________.
a. Pandomonia
b. Pancakea
c. Pangaea
d. Panatopia
PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
12. Typical motion rates of the North American plate average around _____ centimeters per year.
a. 2
b. 4
c. 6
d. 8
13. Divergent plate boundaries can be described as __________________.
a. destructive
b. reverse
c. constructive
d. conservative
14. ___________ most effectively outline the edges of the lithospheric plates.
a. Lines of active stratovolcanoes
b. Margins of the continental shelves
c. The locations of deep mantle hot spots
d. Lines of earthquake epicenters
15. Most earthquakes are caused by…
a. Fires
b. Freeway collapse
c. Meteorite impact
d. Slippage along a fault
16. An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 releases about ______ times more energy than one with a
magnitude of 5.5.
a. 10
b. 20
c. 30
d. 40
17. Which layer of the earth’s interior is liquid?
a. Crust
c. Outer Core
b. Inner Core
d. Mantle
18. Earth’s rigid outer shell is called the…
a. lithosphere
b. asthenosphere
c. mantle
d. continental mass
19. What is a typical thickness of oceanic crust?
a. 2 km
b. 10 km
c. 20 km
d. 35 km
20. Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
a. A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a
lithified or consolidated aggregate of rocks.
b. A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a
rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
c. In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a
lithified or consolidated aggregate of different mineral grains.
d. A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a
consolidated aggregate of different rock particles.
21. Atoms that have an electrical charge due to a gain or loss of electrons are called __________.
a. isotopes
b. Ions
c. Isochrons
d. periodic elements
22. Cinder cones __________.
a. have very steep slopes
c. consist largely of pyroclastics
b. are usually less than 300 meters (1000 feet) high
d. all of these
23. What mineral is the hardest known substance in nature?
a. silicate
b. native gold
c. diamond
d. muscovite
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
24. Which type of basaltic lava flow has a fairly smooth, unfragmented, ropy surface?
a. aa
b. pegmatitic
c. pahoehoe
25. The single most important erosional agent is __________.
a. running water
b. wind
c. ice
d. scoria
d. waves
26. As the rate of cooling increases, the size of the crystals that form __________.
a. increases
b. decreases
c. is not affected
d. none of these
27. Rocks that contain crystals that are roughly equal in size and can be identified with the unaided eye are
said to exhibit a __________ texture.
a. fine-grained
b. glassy
c. coarse-grained
d. porphyritic
28. In correct order from the center outward, Earth includes which units?
a. core, inner mantle, outer mantle, crust
b. inner core, outer core, mantle, crust
c. inner core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere
d. core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere
29. The composition of the core of Earth is thought to be __________.
a. basalt
b. granite
c. peridotite
d. solid iron-nickel alloy
30. The asthenosphere is actually a part of the ____________ of the Earth.
a. outer core
b. crust
c. inner core
d. mantle
31. The ____________ is thought to be a liquid, metallic region in the Earth’s interior.
a. inner core
b. lithosphere
c. mantle
d. outer core
32. The ____________ is the thinnest layer of the Earth.
a. crust
b. outer core
c. mantle
d. inner core
33. Which of the following is not a fundamental particle found in atoms?
a. neutron
b. selectron
c. electron
d. protons
34. What element is the most abundant in the Earth’s crust by weight?
a. carbon
b. chlorine
c. oxygen
d.
sodium
35. Which the following denotes the positively charged particles in an atom’s nucleus?
a. protons
b. electrons
c. isotrons
d. neutrons
36. Which of the following is NOT one of the eight most common elements in Earth’s crust?
a. carbon
b. potassium
c. aluminum
d. calcium
37. Which one of the following is an igneous rock?
a. limestone
b. rhyolite
c. slate
d. shale
38. Obsidian exhibits a __________ texture.
a. fine-grained
b. glassy
c. coarse-grained
d. porphyritic
39. Which of the rocks listed below is a popular building stone?
a. basalt
b. andesite
c. granite
d. diorite
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
40. Igneous rock is formed
a. by the weathering of preexisting rocks.
b. by changes in mineral composition.
c. at great depth within Earth.
d. by crystallization of molten rock.
41. The most important mechanical weathering process is __________.
a. frost action
b. hydrolysis
c. unloading
d. thermal expansion
42. Chemical weathering would be most effective __________.
a. in a warm, dry climate
b. in a cold, dry climate
c. in a warm, humid climate
d. equally in any kind of climate
43. Sedimentary rocks __________.
a. may contain fossils
b. hold important clues to Earth’s history
c. may be economically important
d. all of the above
44. The most abundant chemical sedimentary rock is __________.
a. limestone
b. dolomite
c. chert
d. rock salt
45. Metamorphism may result from __________.
a. heat
b. pressure
d. all of these
c. chemical action
46. The common rock produced by the metamorphism of limestone is __________.
a. marble
b. mica schist
c. phyllite
d. gneiss
47. The agents of metamorphism are __________.
a. uplifting and folding
c. contact and regional deformation
b. foliation and deposition
d. heat, pressure, and chemical fluids
48. On a typical seismogram, ____________ will show the highest amplitudes.
a. P waves
b. S waves
c. surface waves
d. body waves
49. Overall, this type of seismic wave is the most destructive.
a. P wave
b. S wave
c. surface wave
d. tsunami
50. P waves ____________.
a. propagate only in solids
c. have higher amplitudes than do S waves
b. are faster than S waves and surface waves
d. produce the strongest ground shaking
51. The distance between a seismological recording station and the earthquake source is determined from the
__________.
a. earthquake magnitude
b. intensity of the earthquake
c. length of the seismic record
d. arrival times of P and S waves
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
52. The record of an earthquake obtained from a seismic instrument is a(n) __________.
a. seismograph
b. seismogram
c. time-travel graph
d. epigraph
53. The dense core of Earth is thought to consist predominantly of __________.
a. nickel
b. lead
c. iron
d. copper
54. The lithosphere is defined as __________.
a. a rocky layer having a relatively uniform chemical composition
b. a rigid layer of crustal and mantle material
c. a rocky layer composed mainly of crustal rocks
d. a plastic layer composed mainly of mantle material
55. The average composition of the oceanic crust is thought to approximate that of __________.
a. granite
b. basalt
c. peridotite
d. iron
56. The average composition of the continental crust most closely approximates that of __________.
a. granite
b. basalt
c. peridotite
d. iron
57. The asthenosphere is located __________.
a. within the crust
c. between the mantle and outer core
b. in the upper mantle
d. within the outer core
58. In the early part of the 20th century, ____________ argued forcefully for continental drift.
a. Karl Wagner
b. Peter Rommel
c. Alfred Wegener
d. Kenny Tapp
59. Today, ____________ is in about the same geographic position as during late Paleozoic time.
a. India
b. South America
c. Australia
d. Antarctica
60. The ____________ is an example of an active, continent-continent collision.
a. Arabian Peninsula slamming into North Africa under the Red Sea
b. westward movement of the South American plate over the Nazca plate
c. northern movement of Baja California and a sliver of western California toward the Hawaiian
Islands
d. northward movement of India into Eurasia
61. Pull-apart zones are generally associated with a ____________ plate boundary.
a. transform
b. divergent
c. convergent
d. all plate boundaries
62. A very long-lived magma source located deep in the mantle is called a ____________.
a. magma welt
b. basalt spout
c. melt well
d. hot spot
63. The continental drift hypothesis was rejected primarily because Alfred Wegener could not __________.
a. find geologic similarities on different continents
b. disprove competing theories that were more accepted by scientists
c. identify a mechanism capable of moving continents
d. all of the above
64. ____________ was never proposed as evidence supporting the existence of Pangaea.
a. Geometrical fit between South America and Africa
b. Islands of Precambrian rocks along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
c. Late Paleozoic glacial/climatic features
d. Similar fossils on different continents
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
65. Which one of the following most accurately describes the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands?
a. stratovolcanoes associated with subduction and a convergent plate boundary
b. shield volcanoes fed by a long-lived hot spot below the Pacific lithospheric plate
c. shield volcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific ridge and spreading center
d. stratovolcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific transform fault
66. New oceanic crust and lithosphere are formed at ____________.
a. divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of rhyolitic magma
b. convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of rhyolitic magma
c. divergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of basaltic magma
d. convergent boundaries by submarine eruptions and intrusions of basaltic magma
67. Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at ____________.
a. subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries
b. transform fault zones along divergent plate boundaries
c. rift zones along mid-ocean ridges
d. sites of long-lived, hot spot volcanism in the ocean basins
68. Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for ____________.
a. rifting beneath a continental plate and the beginning of continental drift
b. sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at a subduction zone
c. rising of hot asthenosphere from deep in the mantle
d. transform faulting between an oceanic plate and a continental plate
69. Mount St. Helens and the other Cascade volcanoes are____________.
a. young, active stratovolcanoes built on a continental margin above a sinking slab of oceanic
lithosphere
b. a row of young, active, shield volcanoes built as western North America moved over a hot spot deep
in the mantle
c. old, deeply eroded stratovolcanoes built before the Pacific Ocean existed
d. old, deeply eroded, basaltic shield volcanoes built when western North America was over the
present-day site of the Hawaiian hot spot
70. ____________ most effectively outline the edges of the lithospheric plates.
a. Lines of active stratovolcanoes
b. Margins of the continental shelves
c. The locations of deep mantle hot spots
d. Lines of earthquake epicenters
71. Deep-oceanic trenches are most abundant around the rim of the ____________ ocean basin.
a. Atlantic
b. Indian
c. Arctic
d. Pacific
72. Volcanic bombs originate ____________.
a. as laser-guided, granite blocks launched from a supersonic jet
b. as blocks of volcanic rock ejected from an erupting volcanic crater
c. as erupted magma blobs that partly congeal before falling to the ground
d. as ash particles that join together in the eruptive plume and fall as cobble-sized objects
73. The ___________ ocean basin is rimmed by the most subduction zones.
a. Atlantic
b. Indian
c. Pacific
d. Arctic
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
74. Which of the following factors help determine whether a volcanic eruption will be violent or relatively
quiescent?
a. amount of dissolved gas in the magma
b. temperature of the magma
c. composition of the magma
d. all of these
75. The most violent volcanic activity is associated with __________.
a. fissure eruptions
b. shield volcanoes
c. cinder cones
d. composite cones
76. ____________ are usually the most abundant gases emitted during basaltic volcanism.
a. Chlorine and sodium
b. Neon and ammonia
c. Oxygen and nitrogen
d. Water and carbon dioxide
Questions 77–81: Please choose from one of the following answers:
a. shield volcanoes
b. composite/stratovolcanoes
c. cinder cones
77. ____ massive, gently sloping volcanoes built of successive, basaltic lava flows
78. ____ large, fairly steep-sided cones composed of lavas and pyroclastic layers
79. ____ small basaltic cones built during one short, eruptive episode
80. ____ the volcanoes of southwestern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands
81. ____ the big volcanoes of Hawaii
82. ____________ tend to increase the explosive potential of a magma body beneath a volcano.
a. High viscosity and dissolved gas
b. High viscosity, low dissolved gas content
c. Low silica content, low viscosity
d. Low viscosity, low dissolved gas content
83. Kilauea and Mauna Loa are ____________.
a. explosive, rhyolitic volcanoes
c. basaltic shield volcanoes
84. Mount St. Helens is ____________.
a. a basaltic cinder cone
c. a basaltic shield volcano
b. andesitic stratovolcanoes
d. small, basaltic cinder cones
b. an explosive stratovolcano
d. a small, welded tuff cone
85. A ____________ volcano is a very large, gently sloping mound composed mainly of basaltic lava flows.
a. composite
b. stratospheric
c. cinder cone
d. shield
86. Which region has the greatest concentration of currently active volcanoes?
a. the coastal plain of western Africa
b. European Russia and Siberia
c. the area surrounding Edmond, Oklahoma
d. the circum-Pacific area
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PHYS1014/1013 Spring 2014 Professor Kenny L. Tapp SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
87. Which one of the following best describes volcanism in the Cascade Range, northwestern United States?
a. related to a mantle hot spot
b. related to plate subduction
c. related to a mid-oceanic ridge system
d. related to deep, transform faults
88. What volcanic events formed Crater Lake, Oregon? When did they take place?
a. A powerful explosion blew away the top of a stratovolcano; 10 million years ago.
b. The crater of a large, extinct cinder cone filled with water; 5 million years ago.
c. Landslides and volcanic mudflows dammed the Mazama River; 500 years ago.
d. Caldera collapse followed major ash and pyroclastic-flow eruptions; 6000 years ago.
89. The velocity of a seismic wave depends on
a. the type of material it travels through.
b. the competence of the sediment it travels through.
c. its amplitude.
d. its frequency.
90. Secondary (S) waves can travel through all areas of the Earth except the
a. surface.
b. outer core.
c. inner core.
d. mantle.
END OF SAMPLE EXAM GEOLOGY
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