Geology Question Bank

Q.1 Choose the most appropriate word from the options given below to complete the following
sentence.
A person suffering from Alzheimer's disease…… short-term memory loss.
A. experienced
B. has experienced
C. is experiencing
D. experiences
Answer: D

Q.2 The population of a new city is 5 million and is growing at 20% annually. How many years
would it take to double at this growth rate?
A. 3-4 years
B. 4-5 years
C. 5-6 years
D. 6-7 years
Answer: A

Q.3 Mid-Oceanic ridges mark plate margins and can be traced by belts of
focus earthquakes.
A. constructive, shallow
B. destructive, shallow
C. constructive, deep
D. constructive, deep
Answer: A
Q.4 From the surface to the Earth's interior, the velocity of P-wave decreases and the material
density increases at the boundary between
A. Outer core and inner core
B. Mantle and outer core
C. Crust and mantle
D. Upper crust and lower crust
Answer: B

Q.5 Cirques are formed by

A. Glaciers
B. Rivers
C. Lakes
D. Oceans
Answer: A

Q.6 During which of the following geological eras did birds and mammals first appear on the
Earth?
A. Cenozoic
B. Mesozoic
C. Paleozoic
D. Proterozoic
Answer: B

Q.7 Select the copper ore minerals from the following:

(P) Chalcopyrite
(Q) Pyrite
(R) Pyrrhotite
(S) Bornite
(T) Sphalerite
(U) Chalcocite
A. P, S, U
B. P, Q, R
C. S, T, U
D. Q, R, U
Answer: A
Q.8 In seismic refraction surveys, the critical distance
A. is always less than the crossover distance
B. is always more than the crossover distance
C. is always equal to the crossover distance
D. cannot be compared with the crossover distance
Answer: A

Q.9 As compared to large earthquakes, small earthquakes are

A. more frequent and caused by short fault slip and long rupture lengths
B. more frequent and caused by long fault slip and short rupture lengths
C. less frequent and caused by short fault slip and short rupture lengths
D. more frequent and caused by short fault slip and short rupture length
Answer: D

Q.10 Structure contours of a bedding plane at 100 m interval are spaced in such a manner that
the horizontal equivalent is also 100m. The dip of the bedding plane is
A. 30°
B. 45°
C. 60°
D. 90°
Answer: B

Q.11 Horizontal slickensides are observed on the surface of a vertical fault. What is the type of
fault?
A. Normal fault
B. Reverse fault
C. Strike-slip fault
D. Oblique fault
Answer: C

Q.12 A clastic rock dominantly composed of feldspar grains is

A. Shale
B. Arenite
C. Greywacke
D. Arkose
Answer: D
Q.13 A metamorphic rock consists of pyroxene, plagioclase and quartz, and exhibits hornfelsic
texture. The rock has undergone metamorphism.
A. Regional
B. Contact
C. Cataclastic
D. Impact
Answer: B

Q.14 An igneous body with a flat top and a concave-upward base is known as a
A. Laccolith
B. Lopolith
C. Sill
D. Stock
Answer: B

Q.15 The velocity discontinuity between the upper crust and the lower crust is known as
discontinuity.
A. Lehmann
B. Gutenberg
C. Mohorovicic
D. Conrad
Answer: D
Q.16 Match the items listed in Group I with those in Group II
GROUP I GROUP II
(P) Isopachs (1) Contours of equal slopes
(Q) Isotherms (2) Contours of equal thickness
(R) Isochrons (3) Contours of equal temperature
(S) Isotans (4) Contours of equal core thickness
(5) Contours of equal age

A. P-2; Q-3; R-1; S-5

B. P-2; Q-3; R-5; S-1
C. P-1; Q-3; R-2; S-4
D. P-5; Q-4; R-3; S-1
Answer: B

Q.17 Which one of the following marine environments is indicated by the assemblage of
benthic foraminifera Quinqueloculina, Lenticulina, Ammonia, Elphidium?
A. Abyssal
B. Bathyal
C. Shelf
D. Hadal
Answer: C

Q.18 The maximum amount of hydrogen (dry mineral matter free basis) in bituminous-
anthracite is
A. less than 10%
B. 10-15%
C. 15-20%
D. 20-25%
Answer: A
Q.19

Drainage patterns observed in four areas are shown in black-and-white panchromatic

images P, Q,
R and S. Field work in these areas has indicated presence of the following
lithology/geological unit.
1. Fractured quartzite
2. Shale
3. Limestone
4. Alluvial plain
The correct match of the drainage patterns with the lithology/geological unit is
A. P-1; Q-2; R-4; S-3
B. P-4; Q-1; R-3; S-2
C. P-4; Q-1; R-2; S-3
D. P-2; Q-1; R-3; S-4
Answer: B
Q.20 In seismic prospecting, migration is the process of moving data elements from
A. midpoint locations to subsurface locations
B. subsurface locations to midpoint locations
C. midpoint locations to surface locations
D. subsurface locations to surface locations
Answer: A

Q.21 Assertion (a): An efficient marine seismic survey should use an implosive source.
Reason (r): The performance of a marine seismic source is rated by high pulse-to-bubble ratio.
A. Both (a) and (r) are true and (r) is the correct reason for (a)
B. Both (a) and (r) are true but (r) is not the correct reason for (a)
C. (a) is true but (r) is false
D. (a) is false but (r) is true
Answer: A

Q.22 Amongst the following, which one will have the highest P-wave velocity?
A. Granite
B. Diamond
C. Shale
D. Talc
Answer: B

Q.23 Both strength and plasticity of a rock increase with the

A. increase in temperature
B. decrease in strain rate
C. increase in confining pressure
D. increase in pore fluid pressure
Answer: C

Q.24 The most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust is

A. quartz
B. K-feldspar
C. Biotite
D. Garnet
 Answer: A

Q.25 The type of wave that arrives first at a station from an earthquake hypocenter is
A. P-wave
B. S-wave
C. Rayleigh-wave
D. Love-wave
Answer: A

Q.26 A type of unconformity characterized by the occurrence of sedimentary rocks on

igneous/metamorphic rocks is known as
A. angular unconformity
B. nonconformity
C. paraconformity
D. disconformity
Answer: B

Q.27 Which of the following statements is correct?

A. Eolian sands do not exhibit cross bedding.
B. Deep marine sands are well sorted.
C. Glacier deposit may contain faceted pebble.
D. Wave ripples do not form on shallow marine sands.
Answer: C

Q.28 In high-grade metamorphism, biotite melting indicates

A. rock cooling
B. rock hydration
C. rock uplifting
D. rock dehydration
Answer: D

Q.29 Which one of the following is the correct statement regarding hydrocarbon generation?
A. H/C content of organic matter increases as it matures.
B. O/C content of organic matter increases as it matures.
C. Lignite does not form any hydrocarbon during maturation.
D. Oil source rock is most abundant in Mesozoic.
 Answer: D

Q.30 The outcrop pattern of folded sedimentary strata on the map given below represents

A. culmination of antiform
B. culmination of synform
C. depression of antiform
D. depression of synform
Answer: C

Q.31 Which of the following ways of measuring the size of an earthquake does not require
instrumental recording?
A. Richter magnitude
B. Moment
C. Mw
D. Intensity
Answer: D

Q.32 Wadati diagram is a plot of the difference in P- and S- wave arrival times against the arrival
time of P-wave. It helps in estimating the
A. velocity of P-wave.
B. velocity of S-wave.
C. time of occurrence of earthquake.
D. hypocenter of earthquake.
Answer: C
Q.33 In Mohs' scale of hardness, how many minerals are of silicate composition?
A. 4
B. 5
C. 6
D. 7
Answer: A

Q.34 Which one amongst the following rocks commonly has highest unconfined compressive
strength?
A. Coarse-grained sandstone
B. Mica schist
C. Fossiliferous limestone
D. Massive basalt
Answer: D

Q.35 Eparchean unconformity separates geological units of

A. early Archaean from late Archaean
B. Archaean from Proterozoic
C. Proterozoic from Palaeozoic
D. Archaean from Phanerozoic
Answer: B

Q.36 Point bar deposit is associated with

A. braided river
B. estuary
C. meandering river
D. beach
Answer: C

Q.37 Polymetallic nodules on the ocean floor contain significant amounts of:
A. Cu-Ni-Co
B. Pb-Zn-Ti
C. Hg-Mo-Pt
 D. U-Th-Nb
Answer: A

Q.38 If the rake of net slip of an inclined fault is 90°, the fault is
A. strike-slip fault
B. dip-slip fault
C. oblique-slip fault
D. transcurrent fault
Answer: A

Q.39 Choose the correct pair of plutonic rock and its volcanic equivalent.
A. Gabbro-Trachyte
B. Syenite-Andesite
C. Granite-Rhyolite
D. Granodiorite-Basalt
Answer: C

Q.40 Which one of these is NOT a source of sufficient water supply but can transmit certain
quantity of water on a regional scale due to leakage?
A. Aquifer
B. Aquitard
C. Aquiclude
D. Aquifuge
Answer: B

Q.41 When did the supercontinent Pangaea begin to break up?

A. Cenozoic
B. Mesozoic
C. Palaeozoic
D. Proterozoic
Answer: B
Q.42 In which of the following crystal systems, the characteristic symmetry elements "a two-
fold axis of rotation and at least two planes of symmetry" are possible?
A. Tetragonal
B. Hexagonal
C. Orthorhombic
D. Monoclinic
Answer: C
Q.43 The correct sequence of metamorphic facies with increasing depth in a subduction zone is
A. greenschist, blueschist, eclogite
B. greenschist, eclogite, blueschist
C. blueschist, greenschist, eclogite
D. blueschist, eclogite, greenschist
Answer: A

Q.44 A potassic ultrabasic hybrid igneous rock containing macrocrysts of olivine, Cr-rich
diopside, phlogopite and pyrope in a groundmass of serpentine, carbonate and perovskite can
be named as
A. kimberlite
B. ijolite
C. melilitolite
D. harzburgite
Answer: A

Q.45 In a typical coal mine area affected by acid mine drainage, which one of the following
acids will be dominant?
A. Nitric acid
B. Sulphuric acid
C. Hydrochloric acid
D. Hydrofluoric acid
Answer: B
Q.46 Study the map below showing elevation of selected locations and outcrops ol'
sedimentary beds. Which of the following statements is correct?
A. The beds dip easterly
B. The beds dip westerly
C. The beds dip southerly
D. The beds are folded 
Answer: C

Q.47 The first continental red beds appeared in the ______________ Eon.
 A. Proterozoic
B. Archaean
C. Hadean
D. Phanerozoic
Answer: A

Q.48 Which one of the following is a chronostratigraphic unit?

A. Eon
B. Period
C. Era
D. System
Answer: D

Q.49 _______________ is a well-sorted sandstone containing up to 75% quartz, with rock

fragments in excess of feldspar.
A. Arkose
B. Lithic arenite
C. Quartz arenite
D. Feldspathic arenite
Answer: B

Q.50 Which one of the following layers of the Earth has the largest volume?

A. Upper Mantle
B. Lower Mantle
C. Outer core
D. Inner Core
Answer: B

Q.51 The S-wave shadow zone of the Earth ranges from ___________________.
A. 103° to 180°
B. 103° to 160°
C. 103° to 153°
D. 103° to 143°
Answer: A
Q.52 Which one of the following parent-daughter systems has the longest half life?
147
A. Sm → 143Nd
40
B. K → 40Ar
87
C. Rb → 87Sr
187
D. Os → 187Re
Answer: A

Q.53 In Gondwanaland reconstructions, much of the present west coast of India is placed
adjacent to ______________.
A. South America
B. Madagascar
C. Antarctica
D. Australia
Answer: B

Q.54 Two vertically dipping limbs of a fold have perpendicular strikes. The fold can be
classified as ___________.

A. an antiformal fold
B. a synformal fold
C. a vertical fold
D. a recumbent fold
Answer: C

Q.55 Match the rocks in Group I with their essential mineral assemblages in Group II.
GROUP I GROUP II
P. Granodiorite 1. Hornblende-plagioclase
Q. Harzburgite 2. Plagioclase-quartz
R. Gabbro 3. Olivine-orthopyroxene
S. Diorite 4. Clinopyroxene-plagioclase

A. P-2; Q-3; R-4; S-1

B. P-3; Q-4; R-1; S-2
 C. P-4; Q-1; R-3; S-2
D. P-1; Q-3; R-2; S-4
Answer: A

Q.56 Which one of the following statements is CORRECT?

A. Movement of the shoreline seaward is transgression.

B. No movement of the shoreline is transgression.
C. Movement of the shoreline seaward as a result of sea-level fall is forced regression.
D. Movement of the shoreline landward is regression.
Answer: C

Q.57 Mud-supported limestone containing greater than 10% allochems is called

_____________.
A. Packstone
B. Wackestone
C. Grainstone
D. Mudstone
Answer: B

Q.58 The following figure is a litholog showing various fossils found in the rock-strata. Identify
the biozone (Note: The lines denote partial ranges of the fossils given in the figure).

A. Assemblage Zone
 B. Taxon Range Zone
C. Consecutive Range Zone
D. Acme Zone
Answer : A

Q.59 During which stage of coalification is most of the methane gas generated?
A. Lignite
B. Peat
C. Bituminous
D. Anthracite
Answer: C

Q.60 The fraction of a radioactive nuclide remaining after 10 half-lives is closest to

A. 0.1
B. 0.01
C. 0.001
D. 0.0
Answer: C

Q.61 brown coal that has high moisture content and commonly retains many of the original
wood fragments is called
A. Anthracite
B. Bituminous coal
C. Lignite
D. Peat
Answer: C