Understanding Earth 7th Edition

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Chapter: Chapter 5: Sedimentation: Rocks Formed by Surface Processes

Multiple Choice

1. Which of the following sets of processes is written in order of increasing temperature?

A) sedimentation, metamorphism, diagenesis
B) diagenesis, sedimentation, metamorphism
C) sedimentation, diagenesis, metamorphism
D) metamorphism, diagenesis, sedimentation

Ans: C
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

2. Which of the following terms describes the alteration of sediments to sedimentary

rocks after deposition?
A) diagenesis
B) crystallization
C) precipitation
D) metamorphism

Ans: A
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

3. What type of sediments are accumulations of solid fragments produced by

weathering?
A) biochemical sediments
B) clastic sediments
C) chemical sediments
D) all of the above

Ans: B
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

4. Which of the following minerals would be most concentrated at a site containing

heavily weathered sediments?
A) amphibole
B) feldspar
C) mica
D) quartz

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

5. How fast are moderate-strength river currents that carry and deposit sand?
A) 2 to 5 cm/s
B) 5 to 20 cm/s
C) 20 to 50 cm/s
D) 50 to 200 cm/s

Ans: C
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle
6. Which of the following statements about transportation of sediment is false?
A) Smaller particles settle faster than larger particles.
B) As a current slows, the largest particles start to settle.
C) Faster currents carry larger particles than slower currents.
D) Rivers and ocean currents move much more material than do air currents.

Ans: A
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

7. The tendency for variations in current velocity to segregate sediments on the basis of
particle size is called
A) compaction.
B) lithification.
C) metamorphism.
D) sorting.

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

8. The salinity of the ocean

A) increases by approximately 1% each year.
B) remains approximately constant.
C) decreases by approximately 1% each year.
D) fluctuates by up to 10% depending on the annual rainfall.

Ans: B
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

9. Which of the following environments is an example of a shoreline environment?

A) alluvial
B) continental shelf
C) delta
D) organic reef
Ans: C
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

10. In which of the following sedimentary environments would gravel most likely be
deposited?
A) alluvial
B) continental shelf
C) deep-sea
D) deltaic

Ans: A
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

11. In which of the following environments would gravel least likely be deposited?
A) alluvial
B) beach
C) deep-sea
D) glacial

Ans: C
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

12. Which of the following sedimentary environments is dominated by river currents and
waves?
A) alluvial
B) deep-sea
C) deltaic
D) desert

Ans: C
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

13. In which of the following environments are siliceous sediments deposited?

A) deep-sea
B) reef
C) evaporite
D) swamp

Ans: A
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

14. Which of the following is not a sedimentary structure?

A) bioturbation
B) cross-bedding
C) vesicles
D) ripples

Ans: C
Section: 5-4: Sedimentary Structures

15. What is the term for the process by which organisms burrow through muds and
disrupt the sedimentary bedding?
A) biochemical precipitation
B) cementation
C) bioturbation
D) cross-bedding

Ans: C
Section: 5-4: Sedimentary Structures

16. In what type of environment did the ripples depicted below most likely form?

A) beach (waves)
B) alluvial (stream)
C) desert (wind)
D) delta (river plus tides)

Ans: A
Section: 5-4: Sedimentary Structures
17. What is the approximate temperature of sediment that is buried to a depth of 4 km?
A) 0°C
B) 120°C
C) 200°C
D) 250°C

Ans: B
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

18. Which of the following processes occurs during lithification?

A) recrystallization of unstable minerals
B) compaction
C) cementation
D) All of these may occur during lithification.

Ans: D
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

19. Burial of sediments results in

A) decreasing pressure and decreasing temperature.
B) decreasing pressure and increasing temperature.
C) increasing pressure and decreasing temperature.
D) increasing pressure and increasing temperature.

Ans: D
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

20. What is the porosity of newly deposited mud?

A) less than 5%
B) between 5% and 20%
C) between 20% and 50%
D) greater than 50%

Ans: D
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock
21. Which of the following statements is true?
A) Cementation and compaction both decrease porosity.
B) Cementation increases porosity, whereas compaction decreases porosity.
C) Cementation decreases porosity, whereas compaction increases porosity.
D) Cementation and compaction both increase porosity.

Ans: A
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

22. Which of the following lists is written in order of decreasing particle size?
A) conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone
B) sandstone, siltstone, conglomerate
C) sandstone, conglomerate, siltstone
D) siltstone, sandstone, conglomerate

Ans: A
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

23. Which of the following is an example of a clastic sedimentary rock?

A) chert
B) dolostone
C) evaporite
D) shale

Ans: D
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

24. Which of the following rocks is composed of clay-sized clastic sediment?

A) conglomerate
B) dolostone
C) sandstone
D) shale

Ans: D
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks
25. Which of the following fine-grained sedimentary rocks is clastic and displays blocky
fracture and little or no bedding?
A) chert
B) coal
C) mudstone
D) shale

Ans: C
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

26. A clastic sedimentary rock composed of medium-grained (1-mm diameter) particles

is called a
A) conglomerate.
B) sandstone.
C) shale.
D) siltstone.

Ans: B
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

27. Which of the following sedimentary rock groups are most abundant?
A) cherts and evaporites
B) sandstones and conglomerates
C) limestones and dolostones
D) siltstones, mudstones, and shales

Ans: D
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

28. In which of the following sedimentary rocks would it be easiest to determine the type
of rocks from which the sediment was derived?
A) conglomerates
B) sandstones
C) shales
D) siltstones

Ans: A
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

29. Which of the following types of sandstones is most likely to form by the rapid
mechanical weathering of a granite?
A) arkose
B) graywacke
C) quartz arenite
D) shale

Ans: A
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

30. What type of sandstone contains abundant rock fragments?

A) arkose
B) graywacke
C) lithic sandstone
D) quartz arenite

Ans: C
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

31. Which of the following kinds of sandstone is the most poorly sorted?
A) arkose
B) greywacke
C) lithic sandstone
D) quartz arenite

Ans: B
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

32. The most abundant chemical/biochemical sedimentary rocks are

A) carbonates.
B) cherts.
C) sandstones.
D) shales.

Ans: A
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

33. Most of the carbonate sediments of the ocean are derived from
A) coral.
B) crustaceans.
C) fish.
D) foraminifera.

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

34. What is the most abundant nonclastic sediment?

A) carbonate
B) chert
C) coal
D) halite

Ans: A
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

35. The Bahamas are an example of a(n)

A) alluvial environment.
B) carbonate platform.
C) deltaic deposit.
D) rift valley.

Ans: B
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

36. Where do atolls form?

A) on beaches along active continental margins
B) on subsiding volcanic islands
C) on tidal flats in humid environments
D) on wave-dominated deltas

Ans: B
Section: Earth Issues 5.1: Darwin's Coral Reefs and Atolls

37. Which of the following minerals does not precipitate directly from seawater?
A) calcite
B) dolomite
C) gypsum
D) halite

Ans: B
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

38. The conversion of limestone to dolostone involves the replacement of calcium ions
with
A) carbonate ions.
B) magnesium ions.
C) silica ions.
D) sodium ions.

Ans: B
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

39. Which of the following minerals is least likely to occur in a marine evaporite
environment?
A) borates
B) gypsum
C) halite
D) quartz

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

40. Which of the following is deposited only by nonbiological, chemical precipitation?

A) chert
B) coal
C) halite
D) limestone

Ans: C
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

41. Which of the following minerals precipitates directly from water in evaporite
deposits?
A) dolomite
B) feldspar
C) gypsum
D) quartz

Ans: C
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

42. Which of the following sedimentary rocks is composed of biochemically precipitated

silica?
A) chert
B) evaporite
C) limestone
D) quartz arenite
Ans: A
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

43. Oil and gas are found mainly in

A) chert and gypsum.
B) quartzite and dolomite.
C) mudstone and siltstone.
D) sandstone and limestone.

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

44. Which of the following processes is not an important cause of subsidence during the
development of a sedimentary basin?
A) cooling and contraction of the crust
B) erosion of sediments
C) deposition of sediments
D) tectonic downfaulting

Ans: B
Section: 5-2: Sedimentary Basins: The Sinks for Sediments

45. Coral reefs are generally limited to waters approximately ________ deep or less.
A) 5 m
B) 20 m
C) 100 m
D) 20 km

Ans: B
Section: Earth Issues 5.1: Darwin's Coral Reefs and Atolls

46. Which of the following types of sedimentary basins is most likely to develop where
two plates pull apart?
A) flexural basins
B) rift basins
C) thermal sag basins
D) All of the above are equally likely to develop.

Ans: B
Section: 5-2: Sedimentary Basins: The Sinks for Sediments

47. Sedimentary processes take place

A) within Earth's interior.
B) within Earth's atmosphere.
C) at or near Earth's surface.
D) within Earth's interior or atmosphere, or near Earth's surface.

Ans: C
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

48. Physical weathering involves the breakdown of rocks at the Earth's surface through
A) chemical reactions.
B) diagenesis.
C) erosion.
D) mechanical processes.

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

49. The type of weathering whereby rocks may be dissolved is called

A) chemical weathering.
B) mechanical weathering.
C) physical weathering.
D) diagenetic weathering.

Ans: A
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle
50. The study of sedimentary rocks helps geoscientists determine
A) ancient ocean environments.
B) former plate tectonic events.
C) history of climate change.D) ancient ocean environments, former plate tectonic
events, and history of climate change.

Ans: D
Section: Introduction

51. The three main types of sediment are

A) siliciclastic, biological, chemical.
B) bioclastic, chemical, granitic.
C) clastic, fossiliferous, bioclastic.
D) siliciclastic, erosional, ionic.

Ans: A
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

52. Sedimentary basins are formed by a process called

A) diagenesis.
B) subduction.
C) subsidence.
D) lithification.

Ans: C
Section: 5-2: Sedimentary Basins: The Sinks for Sediments

53. The type of sedimentary basin that forms as a result of one tectonic plate overriding
another, causing the plate to bend downward, is called a
A) thermal subsidence basin.
B) tectonic basin.
C) rift basin.
D) flexural basin.
Ans: D
Section: 5-2: Sedimentary Basins: The Sinks for Sediments

54. At what temperature does organic matter begin to convert to oil and gas?
A) 90°C
B) 50°C
C) 190°C
D) 150°C

Ans: A
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

55. Coal is produced from the diagenesis of

A) foraminifera.
B) swamp vegetation.
C) dinosaur bones.
D) algae.

Ans: B
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

56. If coins represent sediment grains, then which of the following collections of coins
would be best sorted?
A) 5 pennies and 5 quarters
B) 5 pennies, 5 dimes, and 5 quarters
C) 8 pennies and 2 quarters
D) 10 pennies

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

57. A clastic sedimentary rock contains pieces of olivine. What rock is most likely in the
source?
A) granite
B) rhyolite
C) andesite
D) basalt

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

58. A clastic sedimentary rock contains pieces of coarse-grained quartz. What rock is
most likely in the source?
A) rhyolite
B) andesite
C) granite
D) gabbro

Ans: C
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

59. Two common types of cements in sedimentary rocks are

A) calcium and chert.
B) quartz and chert.
C) quartz and silica.
D) calcite and quartz.

Ans: D
Section: 5-5: Burial and Diagenesis: From Sediment to Rock

60. A sediment composed of roughly equal amounts of quartz and feldspar grains is
transported over a long distance. What will the sediment end up looking like?
A) well-sorted and rounded grains consisting of mostly of feldspar
B) well-sorted and rounded grains consisting mostly of quartz
C) well-sorted and rounded grains consisting entirely of felspar
D) well-sorted and rounded grains consisting entirely of quartz

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle
61. Which of the following sedimentary rocks would be classified as biochemical?
A) shale
B) siltstone
C) sandstone
D) coal

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

62. The major environments for sedimentary deposition are often grouped into
A) land and sea.
B) terrestrial and marine.
C) continental, shoreline, and marine.
D) continental, transitional, and marine.

Ans: C
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

Karlsson: New and revised questions

63. Which of the following is not a clastic sedimentary environment?

A) alluvial
B) beach
C) delta
D) evaporate

Ans: C
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

64. Sedimentary particles that are abraded will become

A) smaller and more angular.
B) smaller and more rounded.
C) larger and heavier.
D) larger and more angular.

Ans: B
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

65. If a sediment started out with equal proportion of quartz and feldspar, then which of
the following sediment compositions will have been transported the furthest?
A) quartz/feldspar = 1
B) quartz/feldspar = 1/2
C) quartz/feldspar = 2/1
D) quartz/feldspar = 3/1

Ans: D
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

66. As seawater evaporates the following sequence of minerals/compounds forms (in the
order of first to last):
A) halite, gypsum, carbonates, Mg- and K-chlorides.
B) gypsum, carbonates, halite, Mg- and K-chlorides.
C) Mg- and K-chlorides, halite, gypsum, carbonates.
D) carbonates, gypsum, halite, Mg- and K-chlorides.

Ans: D
Section: 5-1: Sedimentary Rocks Are Produced by Surface Processes in the Rock Cycle

67. Today reefs constructed mostly by corals. Which organisms made reefs before
corals?
A) forams
B) rudists
C) oysters
D) armoured fish

Ans: B
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

68. A sedimentary environment contains sand, mud, and gravel and shows little
biological activity. Which of the following environments fits this description best?
A) desert
B) glacial
C) lake
D) continental slope

Ans: B
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments
69. What sort of sedimentary environments are floodplains?
A) desert
B) glacial
C) lake
D) alluvial

Ans: D
Section: 5-3: Sedimentary Environments

70. Turbidites are sedimentary deposits that are characterized by A) ripple marks.
B) cross-bedding.
C) graded bedding.
D) poor sorting.

Ans: D
Section: 5-4: Sedimentary Structures

71. Which of the following sedimentary structures suggests the presence of a back-and-
forth current?
A) asymmetric ripple marks
B) cross-bedding
C) graded bedding
D) symmetric ripple marks

Ans: D
Section: 5-4: Sedimentary Structures

72. Which of the following sediment sequences shows increasing grain size (left to
right)?
A) sand, silt, clay
B) silt, sand, mud
C) mud, sand, pebble
D) gravel, sand, silt

Ans: C
Section: 5-6: Classification of Siliclastic Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

73. Which of the following sedimentary rocks’ formation does not involve a primary
sediment?
A) mudstone
B) conglomerate
C) dolostone
D) sandstone

Ans: C
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

74. Which sedimentary rock is makes up flint?

A) sandstone
B) limestone
C) gypsum
D) chert

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

75. Research suggests that bulk seawater chemistry has not changed much over the last
1.8 billion years. This observation is supported by the study of what kind of sedimentary
rock?
A) sandstone
B) limestone
C) chert
D) evaporites

Ans: D
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks

76. Research on marine evaporates indicates that bulk seawater chemistry has not
changed much over approximately the last _______ years?
A) 2 million
B) 100,000
C) 2 billion
D) 4.6 billion

Ans: C
Section: 5-7: Classification of Chemical and Biological Sediments and Sedimentary
Rocks