Environmental Geology
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Environmental Geology explores the interaction between human activities and the Earth's geological processes, focusing on how geology influences and is affected by societal development. The course examines topics such as natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, landslides), resource management, soil and water contamination, waste disposal, and land-use planning. Students will learn to analyze geologic problems and assess environmental risks, gaining practical skills in using geologic data to inform decision-making. Through case studies and applied exercises, the course emphasizes sustainable management of Earth systems and promotes a deeper understanding of our planet's dynamic environment.
Recommended Textbook
GEOL 2nd Edition by Reed Wicander Available Study Resources on Quizplus 18 Chapters
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2
Chapter 1: Understanding Earth: A Dynamic and Evolving Planet
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Q1) Briefly explain the importance of the principle of uniformitarianism to the study of historical geology.
Answer: Uniformitarianism provides the basis for interpreting the geologic history of Earth because geologists cannot travel back in time to study events.By using modern analogies,geologists can make reasonable interpretations about past events.
Q2) How are the rock cycle and plate tectonics related?
Answer: Interactions between plates determine,to some extent,which of the three rock groups will form.Plates may melt to form igneous rocks,be altered to form metamorphic,or sink to allow sediments to become sedimentary rocks.
Q3) In 19th century,geologists developed the geologic time scale using A)fossils.
B)radiometric dating techniques.
C)absolute ages.
D)the principle of uniformitarianism.
Answer: D
Q4) Anthropology is the study of human beings.Therefore,the name of the system that refers to humans on Earth is the ____________________.
Answer: anthrosphere
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Plate Tectonics: A Unifying Theory
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Q1) At divergent plate boundaries,the operating forces are:
A)compressional.
B)lateral shearing.
C)tensional.
D)thrusting.
E)normal.
Answer: C
Q2) List two ways that glacial deposits give strong evidence of the existence of Gondwana.
Answer: Without Gondwana,the glaciers would have been at a much lower latitude than glaciers are found today,and the glacial striations indicated that the ice flowed from a central location rather than from a separate glacier on each continent.
Q3) Briefly explain why the movement of continents over geologic time was the best explanation for polar wandering.
Answer: Since the Earth has only one magnetic north pole now,it is extremely unlikely that there would have been more than one in the past,but this would have been required to explain the different polar wander paths of the different continents.The only other possible explanation is that the continents were once joined and have since moved.
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4
Chapter 3: Minerals: The Building Blocks of Rocks
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Q1) Give an example of a native element.
Answer: Gold/silver/copper/diamond/graphite.
Q2) ____________________ and ____________________ are mineral compounds that are commonly produced by animals and are known as calcium ____________________.
Answer: Calcite,aragonite,carbonate Aragonite,calcite,carbonate
Q3) What is the main feature of metallic bonding,and what properties result from this main feature?
Answer: In metals,electrons in the outermost electron shells can move freely from one atom to another.The movement of electrons accounts for the metals metallic luster,electrical and thermal conductivity,and ease of reshaping.
Q4) What is a simple chemical test that will distinguish calcite from non-carbonate minerals?
Answer: Calcite will effervesce in hydrochloric acid,while the others will not.
Q5) The number of neutrons in an atom always equals the number of protons.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 4: Igneous Rocks and Intrusive Igneous Activity
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Q1) What are dikes,sills,and laccoliths?
Q2) What are flood basalts?
Q3) Intrusive igneous (plutonic)rocks:
A)solidify below the surface of the ground.
B)solidify above the surface of the ground.
C)form by crystallization of magmas intruded into surrounding rocks.
D)solidify below the ground AND form by crystallizaion and intrusion of magma into surrounding rocks
E)solidify above the ground AND form by crystallizaion and intrusion of magma into surrounding rocks
Q4) What does a phaneritic texture tell us about the history of an igneous rock?
Q5) When magma cools slowly,crystal growth proceeds at a relatively ____________________ speed,and the resultant rock is ____________________ in texture.
Q6) Bowen's reaction series explains why Si-rich minerals are the last to crystallize from a magma.
A)True
B)False
Q7) The only minerals in the continuous branch of Bowen's reaction series are the _________________________.
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Chapter 5: Volcanoes and Volcanism
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Q1) Discuss what volcanologists look for in trying to determine if a volcano is about to erupt.
Q2) An example of a caldera is:
A)Mount St.Helens,Washington.
B)Paricutín,Mexico.
C)El Chichon,Mexico.
D)Krakatau,Java.
E)Crater Lake,Oregon.
Q3) An extinct volcano is one that:
A)existed during a past geological period or epoch.
B)has not erupted during recorded history.
C)has shown no evidence of activity over recorded history.
D)has not erupted during recorded history and has shown no evidence of activity over recorded history.
E)all of these.
Q4) Look at the map of volcanoes of the world,and describe where most of the world's volcanoes are found.
Q5) Besides monitoring,what other knowledge helps geologists determine what to expect for eruptions from a given volcano?
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Chapter 6: Weathering, Soil, and Sedimentary Rocks
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Q1) Briefly explain how coal forms.
Q2) A vertical sequence of a(n)____________________ facies shows an offshore facies superposed on nearshore facies.
Q3) How does loss of soil fertility exacerbate soil erosion?
Q4) Hydrocarbons can be widespread in sedimentary rock,but reservoirs are formed by:
A)porous and permeable beds bounded on all sides by impermeable rock.
B)large cavities,such as cave systems in limestone reefs.
C)structural traps.
D)porous and permeable beds bounded on all sides by impermeable rock AND structural traps.
E)all of these.
Q5) A(n)____________________ soil forms where the parent material has weathered,whereas ____________________ soil develops from eroded material that was weathered at another location.
Q6) Ancient current directions can be determined by:
A)wave-formed ripple marks.
B)cross-bedding.
C)graded bedding.
D)mud cracks.
E)all of the above
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks
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Q1) An example of a region where mylonites are formed is the:
A)Cascade Range.
B)mid-oceanic ridges.
C)San Andreas Fault Zone.
D)Valles Marianas Rift Zone.
E)Mendocino Fracture Zone.
Q2) What is lithostatic pressure?
Q3) The two most important sources of heat for metamorphism are:
A)intrusive magma bodies and deep burial.
B)intrusive magma bodies and heat from the core.
C)deep burial and volcanism.
D)radioactive decay and volcanism.
E)radioactive decay and deep burial.
Q4) What is an aureole?
Q5) A regional meamorphic rock that has both igneous and high-grade metamorphic characteristics is a(n)
A)schist.
B)amphibolite.
C)migmatite.
D)granitite.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Earthquakes and Earths Interior
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Q1) Why are the paths of seismic waves curved?
Q2) For every integer increase of magnitude on the Richter Scale,____________________ times more energy is released by the earthquake.
Q3) The temperature range at the base of the crust is:
A)100 to 250°C.
B)250 to 550°C.
C)500 to 800°C.
D)800 to 1,200°C.
E)1,000 to 1500°.
Q4) The percentage of all earthquakes that occur along a plate boundary is nearly:
A)100%.
B)95%.
C)80%.
D)55%.
E)25%.
Q5) If you could drill from the outer surface of Earth all the way to the center,you would pass through the major divisions of Earth: the ____________________,the ____________________,and finally the ____________________.
Q6) Why are there so few earthquakes within plate interiors?
Page 10
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Chapter
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Q1) What does compression stress result from?
Q2) What are some ways in which mountains form?
Q3) Deformation caused by stress that exceeds a material's internal strength is known as ____________________.
Q4) Dip-slip faults include:
A)normal faults.
B)reverse faults.
C)thrust faults.
D)normal and reverse faults.
E)normal,reverse and thrust faults.
Q5) What does shear stress result from?
Q6) What does tension stress result in?
Q7) Many terranes are composed of oceanic crust and originated as seamounts. A)True B)False
Q8) What does tension stress result from?
Q9) The Appalachian Mountains are the result of a continental-continental plate collision. A)True Page 11
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Page 12
Chapter 10: Mass Wasting
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Q1) In the ____________________ method of protecting slopes,steps are cut into a hillside to reduce the overall average slope and catch small landslides or rockfalls.
Q2) The downward movement of material along a curved surface of rupture,which is characterized by the backward rotation of the displaced block,is called a(n)____________________.
Q3) Overloading of a slope is rarely the fault of human action. A)True B)False
Q4) Permafrost lies beneath ____% of the land surface on Earth. A)0
B)10
C)20
D)40
E)50
Q5) How does a slump differ from a rock slide?
Q6) Ground that remains permanently frozen is called ____________________.
Q7) What is the effect of reducing water on a slope to mass movements? How can this be done?
Q8) Briefly explain why saturated clay is a very unstable slope material.
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Chapter 11: Running Water
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Q1) A drainage pattern typical of high mountains is radial drainage.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A stream erodes material from its banks and bed by:
A)suspension.
B)hydraulic action.
C)abrasion.
D)suspension and hydraulic action.
E)hydraulic action and abrasion.
Q3) A dry surface has a higher infiltration capacity than a moist surface.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In addition to dams and levees,what are two other measures that may be taken to control flooding?
Q5) Is it possible to change the velocity of a stream but have it maintain the same discharge? Explain.
Q6) What happens when a stream overflows its banks?
Q7) Meandering streams have semi-circular cross-sections along most of their length.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Groundwater
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Q1) Hot springs that intermittently eject hot water and steam with tremendous force are known as ____________________.
Q2) An example of a rock type that could be a good aquifer is:
A)shale.
B)quartz sandstone.
C)clay.
D)basalt.
E)marble.
Q3) Under what conditions will an artesian well flow freely at the surface?
Q4) A permeable layer that transports water is called a(n)____________________.
Q5) States in which there is extensive karst topography include:
A)Ohio,Pennsylvania,Virginia,and West Virginia.
B)Florida,Kentucky,Tennessee,Indiana,and Missouri.
C)Minnesota,Iowa,Nebraska,and Kansas.
D)Wyoming,Arizona,Colorado,and Utah.
E)Michigan,New York,and Ohio.
Q6) How are sinkholes formed?
Q7) A stream that just disappears has flowed into a(n)____________________.
Page 15
Q8) What causes the subsidence that sometimes accompanies groundwater use?
Q9) In what ways are geysers and undersea hydrothermal vent sites similar?
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Page 16
Chapter 13: Glaciers and Glaciation
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Q1) A glacial landform with steep-walled,pyramidal peaks formed by headward erosion of glaciers on at least three sides is a(n):
A)horn.
B)esker.
C)kame.
D)terminal moraine.
E)cirque.
Q2) Any sediment deposited as a result of glacial activity is known as glacial ____________________.
Q3) What are kettles,and how do they form?
Q4) What was the Little Ice Age? What caused the famines?
Q5) Kames are long,sinuous ridges of stratified drift,which may meander and have tributaries.
A)True
B)False
Q6) What conditions are needed for glaciers to form and be maintained? As a result of these conditions,where are glaciers found?
Q7) The fine-,clay-,and silt-sized particles that result from glacial pulverization of rock are known as ____________________.
Page 17
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Chapter 14: The Work of Wind and Deserts
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Q1) Dunes that form long-parallel ridges of sand aligned generally parallel to the direction of the prevailing winds where sand supply is somewhat limited are ____________________ dunes.
Q2) Alluvial fan sediment is deposited by flashflood,sheet flow,mudflow,and debris flow.
A)True B)False
Q3) What produces the worldwide pattern of east-west-oriented wind belts?
Q4) All dunes have crests oriented perpendicular to the direction of wind movement. A)True B)False
Q5) ____________________ involves the impact of saltating sand grains on an object.
Q6) Besides deserts,where is the wind a significant geologic agent?
Q7) What are some of the ways in which desert plants have adapted to the conditions in which they live?
Q8) Briefly explain why loess can originate in,but is not deposited in,deserts.
Q9) What are deflation hollows?
18
Q10) Why is wind unable to transport sediment with the same grain size competency as water?
Q11) How do dunes build their characteristic asymmetrical profile?
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Page 19
Chapter 15: Oceans, Shorelines, and Shoreline Processes
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Q1) What are winter beaches and summer beaches? How can the same beach have two such different seasonal profiles?
Q2) The bending of waves toward shore as they approach from an oblique angle is called wave ____________________.
Q3) Outline the factors that create global surface circulation patterns and describe the patterns created.Where are the cold water currents and where are the warm water currents? How does this moderate Earth's temperature?
Q4) Why do wave sizes in ponds and lakes have less magnitude than those in oceans?
Q5) A wave-built platform is one in which sediment eroded from sea cliffs is transported seaward until it is deposited at the edge of the wave-built platform.
A)True
B)False
Q6) How does the budget or volume of sand on a given beach change through the year?
Q7) How do marine terraces form?
Q8) Winter beach profiles can actually develop during any season.
A)True
B)False
Q9) What causes a wave to break when it reaches shore?
Page 20
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Chapter 16: Geologic Time: Concepts and Principles
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Q1) A fossil that is particularly useful for correlation is an evolutionary fossil.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Explain why correlation by fossils is necessary to demonstrate time equivalence of strata.
Q3) The loss of two protons and two neutrons from the nucleus is:
A)alpha decay.
B)beta decay.
C)electron decay.
D)electron capture.
E)half-life decay.
Q4) Carbon-14 dating is based on the ratio of the parent isotope ____________________ to the daughter isotope ____________________.
Q5) The loss of an electron from a neutron in the nucleus is called:
A)alpha decay.
B)beta decay.
C)electron decay.
D)electron capture.
E)half-life decay.
Q6) How do geologists do correlation using rocks and fossils?
Page 21
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Chapter 17: Earth History
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Q1) Eastern North America during the Cenozoic can be described as a(n):
A)active orogenic belt.
B)area of uplift and erosion.
C)active volcanic region.
D)flat,eroded plain.
E)major marine basin.
Q2) The breakup of Pangaea began during the ____________________ Period and continued through the ____________________ Period.
Q3) The Transcontinental Arch represents portions of the Canadian shield not covered by seas in the Sauk transgression.
A)True
B)False
Q4) During the entire Paleozoic,the western margin of North America could be described as:
A)tectonically active with the development of numerous mobile belts.
B)a passive margin with only localized mountain building events.
C)a passive margin with no evidence of orogeny.
D)an active margin with thick carbonate platforms.
E)a zone of active volcanism.
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Chapter 18: Life History
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Q1) What was the first line of evidence that the Cretaceous Mass Extinctions were caused predominantly by a large meteorite impact?
Q2) What were the pelycosaurs,and why were they important?
Q3) The first of the hominids to make major migrations was ____________________
Q4) What was the large size of many Pleistocene mammal species due to?
Q5) How do you think the evolution of jawed fishes and other predatory creatures affected the marine ecosystem?
Q6) What is the prehistoric overkill hypothesis,and what evidence supports overkill as the reason for the Pleistocene extinctions? What is the alternative hypothesis?
Q7) The evolution of the horse involved major changes from Hyracotherium,including increases in size and development of one toe. A)True B)False
Q8) Lung-fish are important in the fossil record because amphibians evolved from them. A)True B)False
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