Geology Review

Exam 1 Review Questions and Answers

1. The Earth exchanges energy and mass with the rest of the cosmos.
2. The age of the Earth is estimated to be approximately 4.6 billion years old.
3. The Scientific Method includes:
a. Refining a question and posing an answer in the form of a hypothesis.
b. Gathering data in the field and lab
c. Testing Hypothesis
d. Forming a Theory based on the conclusion.
4. According to the principle of uniformitarianism, “the present is the key to the past” (James
Hutton)
5. The Earth’s magnetic field is generated in the geodynamo system.
6. The Earth’s climate system involves interactions between the atmosphere and the cryosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.
7. The Earth has 3 layers based on chemical properties.
8. The Earth has 5 layers based on physical properties.
9. The three major Geosystems are the climate system, geodynamo system, and plate tectonic
system.
10. Eratosthenes was the early scientist credited with measuring the size of the Earth based upon
its circumference.
11. Oxygen is one of the eight elements that make up 99% of Earth’s mass, that decreases with
depth into the interior.
12. There have been five mass extinction events in geologic time.
13. Pangaea began to break up approximately 200 million years ago.
14. Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift.
15. Wegener was not taken seriously because Wegener was unable to provide solid evidence of a
mechanism that could move continents. (Mantle Convection).
16. Harry Hess is credited with recognizing seafloor spreading.
17. Convergent plate boundaries have three different types.
a. Oceanic – Oceanic
i. Subduction occurs. Older, Heavier ones are subducted
ii. Creates deep ocean trenches and island arc volcanoes.
b. Continental – Continental
i. (Mountain Building
c. Oceanic – Continental
i. Continent overrides
ii. Continents rimmed by volcanoes
18. New ocean crust is created at divergent plate boundaries.
19. Crust is destroyed or recycled at convergent plate boundaries.
20. The oldest rocks on the ocean floor are about 180 million years old.
21. Mantle Convection drives plate tectonics.
22. Modern seafloor spreading rates average about 5 centimeters per year.
23. Mid Ocean Ridges occur at divergent plate boundaries.
24. The Andes Mountains were created by oceanic-continental convergent plate boundary.
25. The Hawaiian Islands and Yellowstone were created by hot spot volcanism.
26. Minerals are:
a. Solid
b. Crystalline Structures
c. Naturally Occurring
d. Specific Chemical Composition
e. Inorganic
27. An Isotope is the name for atoms of the same element that have different numbers of
neutrons.
28. The dominant type of bonding in minerals is ionic bonding
29. The most common rock forming minerals are the silicates.
30. Calcite and Dolomite are carbonates.
31. Color is the least reliable physical property used for identifying a mineral.
32. Luster is how the surface of the mineral reflects light.
33. The strongest type of bonding in minerals is covalent bonding.
34. The identity of a rock is dependent on its mineralogy (chemical composition) and texture.
35. On the Mohs Hardness Scale, Quartz has a hardness of 7.
a. Talc – 1
b. Diamond – 10
36. Ore deposits that are formed when minerals are concentrated by the mechanical sorting action
of river currents are Placer deposits.
37. Sedimentary Rocks are classified as either siliclastic or chemical.
38. Agents of Metamorphism include:
a. Increased Pressure
b. Increased temperature
c. Chemically Active Fluids
39. Magma is molten rock below Earth’s surface. (Lava is above).
40. Pairs of intrusive and extrusive rocks with the same chemical composition:
a. Gabbro and Basalt
b. Granite and Rhyolite
41. Igneous Rocks that are light in color and have high silica content are felsic.
42. Slow cooling rates result in large crystal sizes.
43. The main difference between intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks is where they solidify.
44. The most abundant igneous rock of the crust is basalt.
45. The presence of water will decrease the melting temperature of a rock.
 46. Plutons are large igneous bodies that form at depth in the Earth’s crust.
a. Based on the name “Gods of the Underworld”
47. Sheet like, concordant igneous bodies formed by the injection of magma between parallel
layers of preexisting bedded rocks are Sills.
48. Batholiths are the largest forms of igneous intrusions.
49. Obsidian is the quickest cooling igneous rock.
50. Magmatic Differentiation is a process by which rocks of varying composition can arise from
uniform parent magma due to the face that different minerals crystallize at different
temperatures.

Quiz #1 – Questions and Answers

1. James Hutton advanced a historic principle of geology that can be summarized as “the present is
the key to the past.” Hutton’s concept became known as Uniformitarianism.
2. The smooth curvature of the Earth’s surface is disturbed by changes in the ground elevation.
This Topography is measure with respect to the sea level.
3. Seismic Waves illuminate the interior and can be recorded on seismometers, sensitive
instruments that allow geologists to make pictures of the Earth.
4. The Scientific Method, on which all scientists rely, is a general plan based on methodical
observations and experiments.
5. The Mantle is the region that forms the main bulk of the solid Earth, between the crust and the
core, ranging in depths of about 40 km to 2900 km.
6. The global geosystem that involves interactions that produce a magnetic field deep inside the
Earth in its fluid outer core is the Geodynamo.
7. The Climate System includes all the Earth system components that determine the climate on a
global scale and how climate changes with time and is influenced by the hydrosphere,
cryosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.
8. All parts of our planet and their interactions, taken together constitute the Earth System.
9. The Lithosphere includes the crust and the top part of the mantle down to an average depth of
about 100 km.
10. The Asthenosphere is the weak layer of soft but solid rock comprising the lower part of the
upper mantle (below the lithosphere) and over which the plates slide.
11. Boundaries where plates slide past each other, lithosphere is neither created nor destroyed are
called transform fault boundaries.
12. At Divergent boundaries, plates move apart and new lithosphere is created (plate area
increases).
13. Alfred Wegener postulated a supercontinent, which he called Pangaea, that broke up into the
continents as we know them today.
14. At Convergent Boundaries, plates come together and one is recycled back into the mantle (plate
area decreases).
15. The theory of Plate Tectonics describes the movement of plates and the forces acting between
them.
 16. Convergent plate boundaries consist of three types: oceanic-oceanic, continental – continental,
and oceanic-continental.
17. Convection is a mechanism of heat transfer in which a heated fluid expands and rises because it
has become less dense than the surrounding material. Colder material flows in to take the place
of the hot rising fluid, it itself heated, and then rises to continue the cycle.
18. The Velocity at which one plate moves relative to another is called Relative Plate Velocity.
19. A type of narrow, jet-like upwelling of magma is called a Mantle Plume. The best evidence for
these comes from regions of intense, localized volcanism (hotspots), such as Hawaii, where huge
volcanoes are forming in the middle of plates.
20. Geodesy is the ancient science of measuring the shape of the Earth and locating points in its
surface.

Exam 2 Review Questions and Answers

1. The general processes by which rocks are broken down at Earth’s surface to produce sediment
particles is called Weathering.
2. The three basic sedimentary rock types are
a. Siliciclastic
b. Chemical
c. Biological
3. Siliciclastic rocks are classified according to grain size.
4. The three major types of sedimentary environments are
a. Continental
b. Shoreline
c. Marine
5. Sedimentary Structures include
a. Ripples
b. Cross bedding
c. Bioturbation
d. Graded Bedding
6. Siltstone is an example of a fine grained Siliciclastic sedimentary rock
7. In decreasing particle size
a. Conglomerate – Sandstone –Shale
8. The predominant rock found around the UTSA campus is the chemical sedimentary rock
limestone.
9. Limestone can be both of chemical and biological origin.
10. Coal is a biological rock.
11. Sedimentary processes take place at or near the surface of the Earth.
12. The study of sedimentary rocks help geoscientists determine
a. Ancient ocean environments
b. Former plate tectonic activity
 c. History of climate change
13. Agents of Metamorphism include
a. Heat
b. Pressure
c. Chemically Active Fluids
14. Types of metamorphism include
a. Shock
b. Regional
c. Contact
15. Contact Metamorphism affects a thin band of country rock around magma and molten rock
occurring at high temperatures.
16. Metamorphic Grades (HIGH TO LOW)
a. Migmatite
b. Gneiss
c. Schist
d. Phyllite
e. Slate
f. Shale
17. Regional Metamorphism results from continental plate collision and mountain building.
18. Foliated is the most prominent textural feature of regionally metamorphosed rock, a set of flat
or wavy parallel planes produced by deformation.
19. Granoblastic rock is composed mainly of crystals that grow in equant shapes sucks as cues and
spheres.
20. Different types of metamorphism are likely to occur in all boundaries and plate interiors.
21. Metamorphic grades of Shale with increasing metamorphic grade
a. Shale
b. Slate
c. Phyllite
d. Schist
e. Gneiss
f. Migmatite
22. Metamorphic Parent rock pairings
a. Sandstone – Quartzite
b. Limestone – Marble
c. Shale – Slate
23. Migmatite is a rock that is gradational between igneous and metamorphic rock.
24. Garnet is the mineral most commonly used to determine a metamorphic P-T path.
25. Shock Metamorphism is what you would expect to see in the rocks at a meteorite impact site.
26. Techniques for mapping geologic structures
a. Examine outcrop formations
b. Measuring strike and dip
c. Creating geologic maps and cross sections
27. Tensional forces dominate divergent boundaries.
28. Compressive forces dominate convergent boundaries.
29. Shearing forces dominate transform fault boundaries.
30. A low angle reverse fault is known as a thrust fault.
31. The most typical types of folds are anticlines and synclines.
32. A Joint is a term for a crack along which no appreciable movement has ovvured.
33. Dip slip faults include
a. Normal faults
b. Reverse faults
c. Thrust faults
34. A Normal Fault is characterized by rocks above the fault plane moving downward, relative to
the rocks below the fault plane.
35. Oil is commonly trapped in structural domes.
36. A diagram representing a vertical slice through the Earth’s crust is called a geologic cross
section.
37. The oldest rocks on a dome are exposed in the center.
38. Examples of Principal Stratigraphy include
a. Original horizontality
b. Superposition
c. Faunal Succession
39. The rate of radioactive decay is measured by the isotopes half-life, the time required for one
half of the life of the original number of parent atoms to transform into daughter atoms.
40. Periods of time (Largest to Smallest)
a. Eons
b. Eras
c. Periods
d. Epochs
41. Periods of time (Smallest to Largest)
a. Epochs
b. Eras
c. Periods
d. Eons
42. The study of layers in sedimentary rock is known as stratigraphy.
43. An undeformed sedimentary layer is older than the layer above and younger than the layer
below.
44. Things used to determine relative ages in a rock sequence
a. Cross Cutting Relationships
b. Fossils
c. Stratigraphy
45. Fossils are common in sedimentary rocks.
46. An unconformity is a gap in the geological record
47. The geologic time scale represents approximately 12% of Earth’s history.
 48. Radiometric Dating is useful for dating all types of rocks.
49. The Largest mass extinction took place at the end of the Permian Period.
50. Sequence Stratigraphy is the geologic correlation of sedimentary rock bounded by
unconformities.

Quiz #2 Questions and Answers

1. Physical Weathering takes place when solid rock is fragmented by mechanical processes
that do not change its chemical composition.
2. Chemical Sediments form at or near their place of deposition, usually from seawater.
3. Biological Sediments also form neat their place of deposition but are the result of mineral
precipitation within organisms as they grow.
4. Chemical Weathering occurs when the minerals in a rock are chemically altered or
dissolved.
5. The great majorities of clastic sediments are produced by the weathering of rocks composed
largely of silicate minerals and is called Siliclastic Sediments.
6. Continental Environments are diverse sedimentary environments owing to the wide range
of temperature and rainfall on the surface of the land. Includes lakes, alluvial, deserts, and
glacial environments.
7. Marine Environments are usually classified on the basis of water depth, which determines
the kinds of currents present. Includes deep sea, continental shelf, organic reefs and
continental margins/slope environments.
8. Shoreline Environments are dominated y the dynamics of waves, tides, and river currents
on sandy shores. Includes delta, beach, and tidal flat environments.
9. After sediments are deposited and buried, they are subject to Diagenesis – the many
physical and chemical changes that continue until the sediment or sedimentary rock is
either exposed to weathering or metamorphosed by heat and pressure.
10. Sedimentary Structures include all kinds of features formed at the time of deposition.
Examples include bedding, cross-bedding, ripples, and bioturbation structures.
11. Metamorphism generally is characterized by changing conditions of pressure and
temperature, and the history of these changes is called the Metamorphic P-T path.
12. Regional Metamorphism, the most widespread type, takes place where both high
temperature and high pressure are imposed over large parts of the crust.
13. Seafloor Metamorphism, or metasomatism, is often associated with mid ocean ridges.
14. The most prominent textural feature of regionally metamorphosed rocks is Foliation, a set
of flat or wavy parallel planes produced by deformation.
15. The heat from igneous intrusions metamorphoses the immediately surrounding rock. This
type of localized transformation, called Contact Metamorphism, normally affects only a thin
region of country rock along the contact.
16. Orogeny means “mountain making”, particularly by the folding and thrusting of rock layers,
often with accompanying magmatic activities.
 17. Regional metamorphism, high pressure and ultra high pressure metamorphism, and contact
metamorphism around intruding plutons is found at Convergent plate margins.
18. Seafloor metamorphism and contact metamorphism around intruding plutons are found at
Divergent plate margins.
19. Metamorphic Facies are grouping of rocks of various mineral compositions formed under
different grades of metamorphism from different parent rocks.
20. Granoblastic Rocks are composed mainly of crystals that grow in equant shapes, such as
cubes and spheres.

Exam 3 Review Questions and Answers

1. Lava
a. The viscosity of lava decreases as the silica content decreases.
b. High temperature lavas are less viscous than low temperature laves
c. The more gas a lava contains, the more violent the eruption
d. Basaltic – Highest Temp – Lowest Silica/Viscosity
e. Andesitic
f. Rhyoletic - Lowest Temp – Highest Silica/Viscosity
2. Pyroclasts are solidified fragments of volcanic material ejected into the air.
3. Shield Volcanoes are the largest of the volcanoes.
4. Stratovolcanoes emit alternating layers of pyroclastic materials and lava flows
5. Volcanic Domes have a rounded, steep sided mass of Rhyoletic rock and has lava so thick that it
is squeezed out of the volcano like toothpaste from the tube.
6. The primary gas emitted by volcanoes is water vapor.
7. To classify a caldera the crater of the volcano must be at least 1 km in diameter.
8. The largest eruptions do not come from a central volcano, but through large, nearly vertical
cracks in the Earth’s surface called fissure eruptions.
9. The eruption of vast quantities of super heated steam is a phreatic explosion.
10. Most of the world’s active volcanoes are located around the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
11. Yellowstone, in Wyoming, is an example of hot spot volcanism.
12. Volcanism is associated with all boundaries EXCEPT Transform Faults.
13. Volcanic Hazards include
a. Lahars
b. Flank collapse
c. Caldera Collapse
d. Eruption Clouds
14. The Elastic Rebound Theory describes the build up and release of stress during an earthquake.
15. The epicenter is the geographic point on Earth’s surface directly above the focus of an
earthquake.
16. Order of arriving seismic waves
a. P Waves
b. S Waves
c. Surface Waves
17. Three seismic stations are needed to locate the epicenter of an earthquake.
18. The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale is a type of earthquake intensity scale divided into Roman
Numerals I-XII and is based on the damaged observed. (Subjective).
19. The Richter Scale measures the amount of energy released by multiplying 32 with each number
going up 1-10.
a. Magnitude 8 earthquake has (32 x 32 = 1024) about 1000 times more energy released
than a magnitude 6 earthquake on the Richter.
20. Earthquakes can be caused by normal, reverse, and strike slip faulting.
21. A “real time earthquake warning system” could provide about 1 minutes of warning before
destructive seismic waves arrive.
22. Surface Waves cause the most building damage.
23. When tensional forces act on a fault plane they produce normal faulting.
24. The worlds’ largest earthquakes occur at Convergent Boundaries.
25. Fires that break out following an earthquake event are considered secondary hazards.
26. Whether a building will withstand ground shaking during an earthquake depends on
a. The Engineering of the building
b. The intensity of the groundshaking
c. The material the building was built on.
27. The Climate Systems Main Components
a. Hydrosphere
b. Cryosphere
c. Atmosphere
d. Lithosphere and Biosphere
28. It takes about a month for a parcel of air to circle the globe.
29. If the Earth’s surface did not contain green house gases, the surface would be approximately
33o C cooler
30. The Earth’s albedo is the fraction of solar energy reflected by the Surface
31. Carbon Dioxide concentrations have increased since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
32. The process by whereby warm water from equatorial regions is moved to more polar regions in
the ocean basins Is called Thermohaline circulation.
33. El Nino events occur every 5 years.
34. Photosynthesis and Respiration in the terrestrial biosphere removes the most carbon from the
atmosphere.
35. The burning of fossil fuels has dramatically changed the carbon cycle over the past 150 years.
36. The most recent ice age occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch.
37. Residence times of chemical elements in the Atmosphere are usually shorter than in the
oceans.
38. The lowermost layer of the Earth’s Atmosphere is called the Troposphere.
39. In hot and humid climates, chemical weathering will be most rapid.
40. Limestone would be most affected by chemical weathering
41. Physical Weathering example is the splitting of a rock by a tree root.
42. Mass Movements
a. Occur when the force of gravity exceeds the strength of the slope material
b. Can be triggered by earthquakes and floods
c. Can move down a slope very slowly or as a sudden catastrophic large movement.
43. The accumulation of rocks at the base of a cliff is called Talus.
44. Telephone poles that lean slightly downhill are a likely result of creep.
45. Important Factors in Soil Formation
a. Bedrock Composition
b. Climate and Topography
c. Organisms
d. Time
46. Influences in mass movements
a. Nature of slope material
b. Amount of water in the materials
c. The Steepness and stability of slopes
47. Damp Sand would be the best type of sand to build a sand castle
48. Mass movements are classified by
a. Nature of the material
b. Velocity of the movement
c. Nature of the movement
49. Rock falls (free falling rocks) have the fastest velocity
50. Rock avalanches are typically cause by earthquake activity.