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GEOLOGY
Encircle the Correct Option: Magma contains dissolved gases like carbon dioxide
1. Volcanic rock fragments are called which provides the driving force that causes most
A. pyroclasts volcanic eruptions.
B. xenoliths
C. porphyroblasts 5. Which of the following magmas has the greatest
D. phenocrysts viscosity
The pyroclastic flows have their origin in explosive A. magma erupting to form a rhyolitic dome
volcanic eruptions. So, the expansion of gas shreds B. magma erupting to form a shield volcano
escape magma into small fragments and these C. magma erupting to form a spatter cone
individual fragments re known as pyroclastic fragments D. magma erupting to form a cinder cone
or volcanic rock fragments. Because they can’t flow very easily, form thick stubby
flows that doesn’t move far from the vent.
2. The most abundant gas released during volcanic 6. In a porphyritic andesite, one would expect to
eruptions is find that the minerals in the groundmass
A. water vapor A. are absent as phenocrysts
B. oxygen B. are higher on Bowen's reaction series than
C. nitrogen the phenocrysts
D. carbon dioxide C. also exist as phenocrysts
The correct answer is water vapors because D. were derived from fractional crystallization
superheated water vapors is the most common of the magma
gas released during volcanic eruptions. Water Occasionally, andesites contain large, visible
vapor can account for 97% or more of total gas grains of amphibole or pyroxene. These large
emissions from a volcano. crystals are known as phenocrysts.
3. What is the greatest volcanic hazard facing
people living on a flood plain near a silicic volcano 7. Which of the following rocks should be the most
(15km)? vesicular?
A. pyroclastic flows A. a rock from near the center of a lava flow
B. ash fall and building collapse B. a rock from near the top of a sill
C. lava flows C. a rock from near the center of a dike
D. poisonous gas D. a rock from near the top of a lava flow
E. earthquakes and tsunami A rock near the top of lava flow should be most
F. volcanic mudflows (lahars) commonly vesicular because the drop in pressure that
The load associated with the ash fall can cause the a magma experiences as it flows from underground to
collapse of roofing materials like sheet roofs and the the Earth’s surface allows water and gases in the lava
supporting structures like rafters or walls or both. And to form bubbles. These bubble are frozen in the lava as
under great enough loads, the building may collapse. vesicles.

4. What is the greatest volcanic hazard facing 8. A basaltic tuff and rhyolitic tuff are both
people living on high ground (a ridge or plateau) A. always formed in or on the flanks of a
near a silicic volcano (15km)? volcano
A. pyroclastic flows and volcanic mudflows B. composed of consolidated dust and ash
(lahars) C. formed in a pyroclastic flow
B. ashfall and building collapse Both basaltic tuff and rhyolitic tuff are formed from the
C. lava flows flanks of volcano as these rocks have similar
D. poisonous gas composition but differ in cooling conditions.
E. earthquakes and tsunami
9. The word clay refers to
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A. compacted sediment. Sediments differ in size. Chemically sedimentary rocks
B. particles of sediment less than 1/256mm. are made of minerals that precipitate from saline
C. a type of silicate mineral with a sheet water. Organic are made from the bodies of organisms
structure. and clastics are caused by erosion of inorganic
D. b and c materials.
E. none
Clay means an earthy material composed mainly of 15. Sedimentary breccia and conglomerate can be
fine particles of silicates and other minerals and distinguished from one another by
used for brick, tile and pottery specifically. A. grain size.
10. A poorly sorted sediment is typically deposited B. grain rounding.
A. by a glacier. C. sorting.
B. by a stream. D. a and b
C. in a lake. E. b and c
D. b and c Both are similar rocks. Both are clastic sedimentary
E. a and b rocks but differ from one another due to the
At the end of glacier, when ice is melting as fast as it is shapes of large particles. Braccia are angular and
being supplied from upstream, the sediments are conglomerate are rounded in shape.
deposited in a terminal moraine, a ridge of poorly 16. Except for all the following rocks are chemical
sorted glacial till. sedimentary rocks.
11. The order of deposition of sediment deposited A. chert
down a stream system is B. coal
A. silt and clay, sand, gravel. C. limestone
B. sand, gravel, silt. D. gypsum
C. gravel, sand, silt, clay. Chert can form when microcrystals of silicon dioxide
D. none of the above. grow within soft sediment that will become
Larger heavier particles like gravel are deposited first limestone. Their manner of formation make them
while the lighter slit and clay only settle if the water is chemical rocks.
almost still. 17. A mineral that is stable over a wide range of
12. Lithification is accomplished through temperature is
A. compaction. A. calcite.
B. recrystallization. B. clay.
C. cementation. C. wollastonite.
D. a and b D. Quartz
E. a and c A hard mineral consisting of silica found widely in
Essentially, LIithification is a process of porosity igneous and metamorphic rocks and can withstand
destruction through compaction and temperature up to 400 degrees.
cementation. 18. If a metamorphic rock splits evenly along parallel
13. A rock that contains sediment grains bound planes it displays
together by cement is called A. schistose texture.
A. crystalline. B. gneissic texture.
B. clastic. C. slaty cleavage.
C. cemented. A type of planar rock feature that develop as a result of
D. recrystallized. deformation and metamorphism.
Sedimentary rocks composed predominantly of broken 19. If a metamorphic rock is largely composed of
pieces or clasts of older weathered and eroded rocks. visible parallel crystals of platy or elongate
14. Sedimentary rocks can be classified by origin into minerals it displays
A. clastic and chemical. A. schistose texture.
B. clastic and organic. B. gneissic texture.
C. clastic, chemical and organic. C. slaty cleavage
D. marine and nonmarine.
E. none.
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Schistose are commonly made up of platy minerals like
mica and are more more metamorphosed than
those with phylitic texture.
20. Which of the following is the correct order that
rocks form during progressive metamorphism?
A. slate, phyllite, schist, gneiss
B. slate, schist, phyllite, gneiss
C. gneiss, slate, phyllite, schist
The degree of metamorphosis gradually increase from
sedimentary parent rock to low-grade metamorphic
rock, then high grade metamorphic rock and
eventually the igneous rock.
21. The principle of uniformitarianism as first
envisioned by Hutton is best described by which
statement?
A. Natural processes have operated at
uniform rates through time.
B. The same processes and natural laws have
operated through time, but at varying rates.
Uniformitarianism is the name given to the idea
that natural processes behave more or less in the
same way today as they have throughout the past
and will continue to do so in the future.
22. The standard geologic time
A. gives relative time relationships.
B. gives absolute time relationships.
C. gives faunal succession information.
D. all above
E. a and b
The standard geological time scale is a system of
chronological measurement that relates
startigraphy to time and is used to describe the
age of rocks and fossils thus giving relative time
relationship.
23. Select the correct order of eras from oldest to
youngest.
A. Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
B. Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian
C. Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Tertiary
D. Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous
Paleozoic era is the oldest era beginning from 541
million years ago.
24. Which is a correct comparison of oceanic and
continental crust?
A. Continental crust is thicker, more dense and
higher in silica than oceanic crust.
B. Continental crust is thicker, less dense and
lower in silica than oceanic crust.
C. Continental crust thinner, more dense and
higher in silica than oceanic crust.
D. None are correct.
Continental crust is less dense, thicker and is rich in
silica than oceanic crust.
25. The asthenosphere is best characterized as
A. a low velocity zone.
B. part of the upper mantle.
C. a zone if rock near or at their melting point.
D. all of the above
E. a and d
The asthenosphere is denser, weaker layer beneath
the lithosphere mantle.
26. The lithosphere is all of the following except
A. a zone above the mantle.
B. a zone of rigid rock.
C. a zone that includes the continental and
oceanic crust.
D. a zone that includes deep parts of the
mantle.
A lithosphere is the rigid outer part of the Earth that
consist of the crust and upper mantle.
27. A lithospheric plate includes
A. crust
B. upper-most mantle
C. asthenosphere
D. all the above
E. a and b
Each lithosphere plate is composed of a layer of
oceanic crust or continental crust superficial to
the upper region of the mantle.
28. A rock is:
A. a naturally occurring, hard, solid substance
B. any hard, solid substance on earth
C. an aggregate of minerals
D. only produced by cooling of magma
A rock is a solid mass of geological materials or mineral
crystals.
29. The clastic sedimentary rocks:
A. form from pieces of pre-existing rocks
B. form near Earth’s surface
C. range from conglomerates to shales
D. all of these
Clastic sedimentary rocks are made of pieces of pre-
existing rocks. If the sediment is buried deeply, it
becomes compacted and cemented, forming
sedimentary rock.
30. Where do sediments come from?
A. there have always been sediments on Earth
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B. sediments accumulated as dust fell to Earth D. all of these are chemical sedimentary rocks
from outer space Chemical sedimentary rocks are formed when mineral
C. rock weathering produces sediment constituents in solution become supersaturated
D. sediment is transported and deposited all and inorganically precipitate. All of these rocks
over the Earth are formed by precipitation of minerals from
The most important geological processes that lead to water.
the creation of sediments are erosion, 36. The major difference between breccia and
weathering, dissolution, precipitation and conglomerate is:
lithification. A. grain size
31. Based on your experience, which of these B. grain rounding
environments will produce sediments with cross- C. grain composition
bedding? In conglomerate, the particles are rounded while in
A. the deep ocean breccias they are angular in shape.
B. a swamp 37. All of these are differences between breccia and
C. a tropical rain forest conglomerate
D. a desert It is a surprising MCQ, the one who did not
Cross-bedding is formed by the downstream migration attempt will be correct
of bedforms such as ripples and dunes in a
flowing fluid. 38. A sedimentary rock composed of angular particles
32. Particles of sediment from 1/16 mm to 2 mm of gravel is called:
diameter are called: A. breccia
A. gravel B. conglomerate
B. sand C. sandstone
C. silt D. gravelstone
D. clay Breccia is composed of angular particles of gravel
silt and clay size is smaller than sand while gravel is because they are formed where broken, angular
larger. fragments of rock or mineral debris are
33. Rounding is: accumulated.
A. the grinding away of sharp edges and corners 39. Sedimentary particles with a size range larger
of rock fragments during transportation than 256 mm:
B. the relative sphericity of a grain A. gravel
C. weathering of sharp edges and corners of B. boulders
bedrock exoposed at Earth's surface C. clay
D. all of these D. cobbles
The term used to describe the shape of the corners on Gravel, clay and cobbles are smaller than boulders.
a particle of sediment. Such a particle may be grain of 40. A layer in which the grain size changes vertically
sand, pebble or boulder. through the layer is called:
34. Compaction and cementation are two common A. foliated
processes associated with: B. cross-bedded
A. erosion C. graded bedding
B. transportation D. is not observed in nature
C. sedimentation Foliated rocks are sheet like structures formed due to
D. lithification pressure while cross-bedded are group of inclined
Lithifaction is the process in which sediments compact layers.
under pressure, expel connate fluids, and become 41. Cross-bedding observed in sand dunes can be
solid rock. used:
35. Which of the following is not a chemical A. to determine the direction the wind was
sedimentary rock? blowing
A. limestone B. to determine the speed of the wind
B. rock salt C. to determine the height of the sand dune
C. rock gypsum D. all of these
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Cross-bedding forms during deposition on the
inclined surfaces of bedforms such as ripples and
sand dunes. It indicates that the depositional
environment contained a flowing medium either
water or wind.
42. Sedimentary rocks provide clues about:
A. Earth surface conditions at the time the
sediment was depsoited
B. temperate climates
C. tropical climates
D. polar climates
Sedimentary rocks tell us about past environments at
earth’s crust. Each type of environment has
particular processes that occur in that cause a
particular type of sediment to be deposited there.
43. Low-grade metamorphism:
A. Occurs at about 1000 C to 5000 C.
B. Occurs at about 100 C to 500 C.
C. None of the above
Low-grde metamorphosis takes place between 200 to
300 degrees at relatively low pressure.
44. Cataclastic Metamorphism is probably an
example of
A. Converged plate boundary related
metamorphism
B. High pressure and high temperature
metamorphism
C. Fault related metamorphism
In cataclastic metamorphosis, heat is generated by the
friction of sliding along such a shear zone and the rocks
are deformed and crushed.
45. Practical Aspects of Geology
A. Natural resources
B. Geological hazards
C. Environmental protection
D. All of the above
E. Only A and B
All are the practical aspects of geology.
Encircle the Correct Option:
1. Pumice and obsidian are both glass
A. True
B. False
Pumice belongs to igneous rocks. Both pumice and
obscidian are glassy, amorphous, non-crystalline,
and having non-discernable proportions.
2. True or false. Metamorphic processes all occur in
the solid state
A. True
B. False
These changes take place mostly in the solid state and
are caused by changes in physical or chemical
conditions, which in turn can be caused by heating
magma or interaction with fluids.
3. True or false. Schistose, gneissic, and slaty
cleavage are all examples of non-directional
texture.
A. True
B. False
Depending upon the grade of metamorphosis and the
mineralogy of the parent rock, schistose, gnessic and
slaty cleavage are all examples of non-directional
texture.
4. True or false? Geologic resources can be
considered renewable resources.
A. True
B. False
Geologic resources means those elements of Earth’s
crust such as solis, sediments, rocks, and minerals
that are not included in groundwater and
renewable resources.
5. True or false? The founder of modern
geosciences and who authored the concept of the
rock cycle named as Alfred Wegener
A. True
B. False
James Hutton is the founder of modern geosciences
who explains the features of the Earth’s crust by
means of natural processes.
6. True or false? Dinosaurs became extinct (along
with many other organisms) ~65 million years
ago.
A. True
B. False
Dianousars wnet extinct about 65 million years ago at
the end of the creteacous period after living on
earth for about 165 million years.
7. True or false? San Andreas Fault in CA is an
example of Divergent plate boundary.
A. True
B. False
The san andreans fault is a transform plate boundary
accommodating horizantol relative motions.
8. True or false? Lithosphere is ~100 km thick and is
nearly plastic in nature.
A. True
B. False
The lithosphere is 100 km thick and behave as a brittle,
rigid solid.
9. True or false? Aphanitic texture is formed when
the magma is formed at a slow rate of cooling.
A. True
B. False
An aphinitic texture is developed when magma is
erupted at the Earth’s surface and cools too
quickly for large crystals to grow.
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10. True or false? Intermediate (or andesitic) A. True
composition Contain 25% or more dark silicate B. False
minerals Uranium is a naturally occurring element with n
A. True average concentration of 2.8 ppm in the Earth’s
B. False crust.
Andesite is an intermediate sub-alkalic rock containing 14. True or false? Uranium can be transported by the
25% or more silicate minerals. water, when the energy of the water become
11. True or false? Rhyolite is the rock having same drop it will be deposited in any oxidation
composition as of Granite. environment
A. True A. True
B. False B. False
Both rhyolite and granite have similar composition of Uranium is transported by circulating ground water
feldspar minerals and quartz mainly. solutions.
12. True or false? Harnfels is an example of foliated 15. True or false? Uranium and thorium are highly
rock type. incompatible in all common rock-forming
A. True silicates, that’s why it deposited early in the
B. False magma chamber.
Harnfels is medium to coarse crystalline metamorphic A. True
rocks formed out of contact metamorphosis and rich in B. False
silicates.
13. True or false? Uranium occurs in most rocks in Uranium and thorium are able to migrate within the
concentrations of 2 to 4 ppm magma chamber and thus can deposit early in it.