GEOG 1266 NAME____________________________________

Spring 2023
Exam #1 STUDENT ID______________________________

The exam consists of 10 definitions (2 points each), 8 short answer questions (4 points
each), and 4 short essay questions (12 points each).

Please write legibly or type your answers.

Provide concise definitions for the following terms:

1. Asthenosphere:

2. Subduction zone:

3. Mid-Oceanic Ridge:

4. Shield Volcano:

5. Epicenter:

6. Granite:

7. Seismograph:

8. Fault:

9. Rift Valley:

10. Tsunami:
Short Answer Questions

1. What is the most common element in Earth’s crust?

2. Provide an example of an intrusive igneous rock.

3. Based on the concept of “the rock cycle”, how might a sedimentary rock eventually
become transformed into an igneous rock?

4. What is a hogback ridge?

5. What kind of rock does limestone become when it is exposed to intense heat and pressure
(metamorphosed)?

6. What is the most common rock found in the Hawaiian Islands?

7. What kinds of observations and/or measurements are used to estimate the Mercalli
Intensity Magnitude of an earthquake?

8. Describe one consequence of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, May 18, 1980.
 Short Essay Questions (note: most questions have several parts—answer all parts). Feel
free to use bulleted lists, diagrams, maps, or other aids to supplement your responses.
Answers should be complete, but concise—do not feel compelled to fill the space
provided.

1. Describe the scientific theory of plate tectonics. Why is it considered a successful scientific
theory?

2. Why are volcanic eruptions on the Big Island of Hawaii generally less hazardous than
eruptions in the Cascade Range of Washington and Oregon? Be sure to identify the tectonic
setting of each (geographical relationship to plates and plate boundaries).
3. What type of plate boundary is responsible for Earth’s highest mountain range? What type of
plate boundary is responsible for Earth’s deepest marine trenches? For each of your answers,
sketch and label a cross-sectional diagram illustrating the boundary.

4. What kind of plate boundary is the San Andreas Fault (be as specific as possible)? What
geologic hazards are associated with it? Explain the mechanism (or process) through which
this hazard occurs.