Introduction to Geology Practice Exam
Course Introduction
Introduction to Geology introduces students to the fundamental principles and processes that shape the Earth. The course covers topics such as the composition and structure of the Earth's interior, plate tectonics, minerals and rocks, the rock cycle, surface processes like weathering and erosion, and the history of the Earth through geologic time. Students will explore how these geological processes impact landscapes, natural resources, and society, while also developing observational and analytical skills through laboratory exercises and field investigations.
Recommended Textbook Essentials of Geology 5th Edition by Stephen Marshak
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Earth in Context
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Q1) The distinction between the crust and the mantle is primarily on the basis of a difference in ________.
A)composition
B)color of minerals
C)ability to flow
D)distance from the Sun
Answer: A
Q2) The density of rocks is generally related to composition.Which of the following choices places rock compositions in order of increasing density?
A)felsic,intermediate,ultramafic,mafic
B)ultramafic,mafic,intermediate,felsic
C)felsic,intermediate,mafic,ultramafic
D)mafic,ultramafic,intermediate,felsic
Answer: C
Q3) Draw a cross-section of Earth showing its layers.Label the layers and list the average composition of the layers.
Answer: 11ea5615_ed80_bb41_bea6_1dd475516894_TB4840_00
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Chapter 2: The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics
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Q1) Slab pull occurs because subducting slabs are ________.
A)less mafic,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere
B)cooler,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere
C)hotter,and therefore more dense,than surrounding asthenosphere
D)cooler,and therefore less dense,than surrounding asthenosphere
Answer: B
Q2) Unlike the lithosphere,the asthenosphere ________.
A)is able to flow over long periods of time
B)has a density similar to the core
C)varies in thickness from place to place
D)is relatively cool
Answer: A
Q3) Discuss where transform boundaries are primarily found and what their main purpose is.
Answer: Transform boundaries are primarily found along mid-ocean ridges (MORs);however,they do appear on land in several places around the globe.The main purpose of transform boundaries is to break the MOR into smaller segments,which allows the spreading of the plates at MORs to be accommodated on the three-dimensional,spherical surface of Earth.
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Patterns in Nature: Minerals
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Q1) Ore minerals,such as galena,tend to be different from typical minerals (such as quartz)in that they have a ________.
A)very dark color
B)diamond-like crystal habit
C)large specific gravity
D)vitreous luster
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the following minerals is a silicate?
A)galena
B)olivine
C)calcite
D)halite
Answer: B
Q3) Cleavage in minerals refers to ________.
A)a tendency to break in an irregular pattern
B)a tendency to break along planes of weakness
C)the sharpness of edges between crystal faces
D)the development of well-formed crystal faces
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks
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Q1) Ash,and larger fragments of pumice are all examples of ________.
A)intrusive igneous rocks
B)hot spots
C)volatiles
D)pyroclastic debris
Q2) Viscosity controls how ________.
A)hot the fluid is
B)fast a rock will melt
C)quickly the fluid cools
D)fast a fluid flows
Q3) Stoping by magmas occurs when ________.
A)pieces of surrounding country rock are broken off and assimilated
B)the magma stops flowing and starts to solidify
C)the magma becomes fully solidified to form intrusive rock
D)the magma alters a thin rind of surrounding country rock
Q4) Which type of plate boundary hosts the most explosive volcanoes?
A)convergent only
B)divergent only
C)transform and convergent
D)convergent and divergent
Page 6
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Chapter 5: The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions
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Q1) A fast-moving flow consisting of a mixture of water and volcanoclastic debris is termed a ________.
A)lahar
B)pyroclastic flow
C)flood basalt
D)hyaloclastite
Q2) Scientists monitor volcanoes to help predict when eruptions will occur.Which of the following is NOT a potential sign to look for when predicting volcanic eruptions?
A)changes in earthquake activity
B)changes in Earth's magnetic field
C)small changes in the shape of the volcano
D)increases in gas and steam emissions
Q3) Describe how explosive eruptions occur.Make sure to address viscosity,gas content,and the process for building pressure.
Q4) Pillow lavas are associated with ________ eruptions.
A)subaerial rhyolitic
B)subaerial basaltic
C)submarine rhyolitic
D)submarine basaltic
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Chapter 6: Pages of Earth S Past: Sedimentary Rocks
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Q1) Which of the following is FALSE about regressions?
A)They are not typically well preserved in the sedimentary record.
B)They can occur when the climate warms and continental ice sheets melt.
C)They occur when the land is uplifted by tectonic processes.
D)Coastal environments will migrate seaward.
Q2) Beach sediments travel ________ the ocean during a transgression and ________ the ocean during a regression.
A)toward;away from B)away from;toward
C)parallel to;perpendicular to D)perpendicular to;parallel to
Q3) Lithification,the process by which sediments are turned into sedimentary rocks,includes ________.
A)erosion and transportation
B)transportation and cementation
C)erosion and deposition
D)compaction and cementation
Q4) What traits would a clastic sedimentary rock have if it had traveled far from its source and was carried in a current with uniform energy? What environment would this be?
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Chapter 7: Metamorphism: A Process of Change
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Q1) ________ commonly serves as a protolith in the formation of slate.
A)Limestone
B)Sandstone
C)Shale
D)Basalt
Q2) Rocks subjected to ________ feel a squeezing motion.
A)metasomatism
B)diagenesis
C)compression
D)extension
Q3) Foliated metamorphic rocks possess ________.
A)leafy plant fossils (ancient foliage)
B)a homogeneous texture resulting from randomly oriented grains
C)mineral grains in preferred orientations or patterns of association (banding)
D)minerals precipitated directly from seawater
Q4) ________ is a common foliated metamorphic rock.
A)Marble
B)Gneiss
C)Hornfel
D)Diorite
Page 9
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Chapter 8: A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes
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Q1) According to the moment magnitude scale (Mw),a magnitude 8 earthquake would be 1,000 times greater than a magnitude ________ earthquake.
A)9
B)5
C)7
D)4
Q2) Why is an early warning system NOT considered a short-term earthquake prediction tool?
Q3) A tsunami is ________.
A)a sea wave generated by a displacement of water
B)a sloshing of water back and forth within a lake or a bay
C)a wave caused by unusually large tidal forces
D)the tendency of wet,clay-rich soils to behave like a liquid during an earthquake
Q4) Earthquakes often occur along ________.
A)bedding planes
B)terminal moraines
C)fault zones
D)river valleys
Q5) Why is an empty field the safest place to be in an earthquake?
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Chapter 9: Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal
Deformation and Mountain Building
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Q1) Explain how the mountains in the Basin and Range Province were formed?
Q2) The Appalachian Mountains were formed due to the collision of North America and Africa at the end of the Paleozoic era.Describe what the Appalachians looked like when formed and what has caused them to become a series of gently sloping hills today?
Q3) A body of rock affected by compressive stress will likely undergo ________.
A)shortening
B)stretching
C)shear strain
D)rotation
Q4) The Himalayan mountain range was formed at which tectonic setting?
A)a convergent plate boundary
B)a divergent plate boundary
C)a transform plate boundary
D)a hotspots
Q5) Regularly spaced joints in an outcrop may indicate that an area ________.
A)is under intense shear stress
B)has experienced compressional stress
C)is underlain by a thrust fault
D)is formed from rocks that were once at great depth
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Chapter 10: Deep Time: How Old Is Old
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Q1) ________ ages are used to set the beginning and end points of eras,epochs,and periods on the geologic time scale.
A)Relative
B)Systematic
C)Radiometric
D)Isotrophic
Q2) Several geologic principles are used to determine ________ ages.
A)relative
B)numerical
C)absolute
D)isotopic
Q3) A(n)________ contact surrounds a pluton.
A)intrusive
B)depositional
C)conformable
D)fault
Q4) Discuss what the numerical age represents when radiometrically dating a basalt,a gneiss,and a quartz sandstone.
Q5) Why have no rocks older than 4.12 Ga been found in Earth's crust?
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Chapter 11: A Biography of Earth
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Q1) After Rodinia separated,North America was included on the continent of ________.
A)Gonawana
B)Laurentia
C)Pannotia
D)Taconia
Q2) Fault-block mountains,like those in the Basin and Range Province,are created when blocks rotate ________ along ________ faults.
A)up;reverse B)up;normal C)down;reverse D)down;normal
Q3) Why did it take so long for true crust to form on Earth?
A)because Earth had to complete the differentiation process before rocks could form B)because temperatures were so high that any crust that did form was quickly remelted C)because there was no atmosphere on the planet and thus no air to cool the crust D)because heat from the creation of the magnetic field kept the surface molten
Q4) What caused the buildup of oxygen in the atmosphere at roughly 2.5 Ga?
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Chapter 12: Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources
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Q1) ________ occurs when a neutron strikes a radioactive atom.
A)Fusion
B)Fission
C)Enrichment
D)Atomic splicing
Q2) Solar energy uses sunlight to induce a flow of ________ between two wafers.
A)water
B)oxygen
C)light
D)electrons
Q3) A mineral that consists of only metal atoms is known as a(n)________ metal.
A)native
B)ore
C)industrial
D)rare earth
Q4) ________ is/are an example of conventional hydrocarbon sources.
A)Shale gas
B)Tar sands
C)Oil shale
D)Crude oil
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Chapter 13: Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements
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Q1) Which of the following would decrease the resistance force?
A)lowering the slope angle
B)adding a small amount of water
C)chemical weathering of the slope
D)adding material to the base of the hill
Q2) Explain why time is often the most effective landslide trigger.
Q3) Which area would be most likely to host a slope failure?
A)the coast of Florida
B)a desert in California
C)mesas in Arizona
D)the coast of California
Q4) Geologists distinguish among different types of mass wasting based on factors such as the ________ of the moving material and the rate of movement.
A)weight
B)color
C)composition
D)name
Q5) Describe the similarities and differences between a debris flow and a debris slide.
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Chapter 14: Streams and Floods: The Geology of Running Water
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Q1) If a dam is built on a river,what effects might be felt downstream?
A)increase in the fish population
B)decrease in sediment supply
C)increase in the sediment load
D)increase in flood potential
Q2) A(n)________ is formed when a meander neck is cut off from the rest of the river.
A)oxbow lake
B)cut bank
C)point bar
D)floodplain
Q3) What will happen to a stream if the local base level is increased,for instance,by adding a dam to the river?
Q4) If a large airport,complete with paved runways,parking lots,and many new structures,is built next to a river,what might the effect be?
A)a decrease in the fish population
B)diminished nutrient supply for fish
C)an increase in the likelihood of flooding
D)Overuse of water will dry out the river.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts
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Q1) When sea level rises and floods a glacially carved valley,the area is called a(n)________.
A)fjord
B)wetland
C)estuary
D)reef
Q2) As a wave passes through the open ocean,the water molecules move ________.
A)horizontally
B)diagonally
C)in a circular path
D)straight up and down
Q3) Building a dam across a river can lead to ________ because sediment becomes trapped behind theĀ dam.
A)pollution
B)beach nourishment
C)reef bleaching
D)beach erosion
Q4) Describe what thermohaline circulation is and how it works.
Q5) Describe one way humans have tried to mitigate beach erosion.Was it ultimately successful in both the short term and long term?
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Chapter 16: A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater
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Q1) A periodic explosive eruption of steam and water from within the ground up through the surface is termed a(n)________.
A)artesian well
B)geyser
C)spring
D)recharge area
Q2) Explain how caves are formed,making sure to include the name of the acid involved and how it forms.
Q3) What does it mean if the potentiometric surface does NOT reach above the ground surface?
A)The aquifer does not have any recharge into it and thus is dry.
B)There will never be any artesian wells or springs associated with the aquifer.
C)It will not be possible to pull water out of the aquifer from any type of well.
D)The aquifer does not have a high enough permeability to produce water.
Q4) A regular kitchen sponge has ________ porosity but ________ permeability.
A)high;high
B)low;high
C)high;low
D)no;high
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Chapter 17: Dry Regions: The Geology of Deserts
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Q1) The desertification of the Sahel region in Africa was the result of ________.
A)overcrowding by nomadic people
B)removal of grasses from the soil
C)drying out of the area by overpopulation
D)diversion of rivers to larger cities
Q2) The Dust Bowl event in 1933 resulted from which natural event?
A)overpopulation
B)long-term drought
C)bad farming practices
D)change in the course of rivers
Q3) The deserts found in the western United States are primarily the result of being locatedĀ ________.
A)in the subtropics
B)within rain-shadows of mountains
C)near the center of a large continent
D)next to a cold ocean current
Q4) Imagine you are a farmer moving into the Great Plains area after the Dust Bowl of 1933.What can you do to make the land fertile enough for farming again? What about grazing of livestock?
Q5) What is the dominant erosional force in deserts,wind or water? Why?
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages
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Q1) Stratified sorted sand and gravel are deposited by ________.
A)mountain glaciers
B)continental glaciers
C)glacial outwash streams
D)windstorms
Q2) A glacier will always advance from its source area if the rate of accumulation is greater than the rate of ________.
A)subsidence
B)erosion
C)ablation
D)uplift
Q3) By increasing the albedo of Earth,global ice sheets produce conditions that are ________ to their further advance,thus providing an example of ________ feedback.
A)detrimental;positive
B)detrimental;negative
C)favorable;positive
D)favorable;negative
Q4) List and describe one short-term cause for glaciations.
Q5) Explain why the deposits made by glacial outwash are stratified.
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Chapter 19: Global Change in the Earth System
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Q1) The hole in the ozone layer has been brought about by anthropogenic emissions of
A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)chlorofluorocarbons
D)water vapor
Q2) How are carbon dioxide (CO )levels in the atmosphere affected by tectonic uplift and subsequent chemical weathering of rocks?
A)CO is removed from the atmosphere.
B)CO is added to the atmosphere.
C)CO is removed by uplift and returned by weathering.
D)They have no net effect on CO .
Q3) Which geologic event is NOT suspected as a source of major climate change or mass-extinction events?
A)the massive eruption of flood basalts
B)the eruption of super volcanoes
C)the impact of asteroids
D)very large earthquakes
Q4) List and describe one way humans have impacted Earth.
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Chapter 20: Interlude A: Rock Groups
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Q1) Give the definition of rock texture.
Q2) Which type of rock is formed by precipitation of minerals from a solution?
A)metamorphic
B)glassy
C)sedimentary
D)igneous
Q3) Is a piece of concrete a rock? Why or why not?
Q4) How is a thin section made,and what is it used for?
Q5) A(n)________ material is held together,solid,and must be broken apart to separate it into smaller pieces.
A)unconsolidated
B)paved
C)coherent
D)buttressed
Q6) A pile of unconsolidated sediment is NOT ________ and therefore NOT a rock.
A)coherent
B)aggregated
C)natural
D)solid
Page 22
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Chapter 21: Interlude B: A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils
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Q1) Soil horizon ___________ contains weathered bedrock that has not yet undergone leaching.
A)O
B)C
C)E
D)B
Q2) Why does physical weathering speed up the processes of chemical weathering?
A)Physical weathering requires abundant water,as does chemical weathering.
B)Physical weathering produces fresh surfaces for chemical weathering to attack.
C)Chemical weathering can occur only on small surfaces,not large ones.
D)Chemical weathering requires salt,which is provided by salt wedging.
Q3) ________ is the most important factor in determining soil thickness.
A)Climate
B)Composition
C)Wetness
D)Time
Q4) What are the similarities and differences between physical and chemical weathering.Make sure to address both what is the same and what is different.
Q5) Describe the difference between sediment and soil.
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Chapter 22: Interlude C: The Rock Cycle
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Q1) Mountain ranges contain some of the oldest rocks found on Earth.What is the likely fate of these old rocks?
A)They will remain unchanged forever.
B)They will be eroded away to form new rocks.
C)They will be melted and erupted out of volcanoes.
D)They will be eroded but will remain the same rocks.
Q2) Which of the following statements best describes the rock cycle?
A)Any rock can change into another rock based on the conditions to which the rock is subjected.
B)Rocks change to other rocks based on specific pathways that must be followed.
C)Rocks can change rock type but cannot be recycled into the same type they started as.
D)Rocks move in set paths that were determined when the rock was first formed.
Q3) Why does uplifting metamorphic rocks during mountain building lead to the formation of sedimentary rocks?
A)because water cannot penetrate the ground
B)because metamorphic rocks can only be eroded by air
C)because the rocks become exposed to the elements and erode
D)because metamorphic rocks are only found under mountains
Q4) Why are there so few Precambrian-age rocks found on Earth?
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Chapter 23: Interlude D: The Earth S Interior Revisited:
Insights From Geophysics
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Q1) The time it takes for a seismic wave to travel from the focus to a seismometer is called the ________.
A)wave front time
B)P-S wave arrival distance
C)travel time
D)seismic ray time
Q2) If a gravity anomaly is negative,what does that imply about the material underground?
A)The material is much more dense rock.
B)The material is much less dense rock.
C)The material is an underground ore.
D)The material is composed of mantle.
Q3) If you measure the magnetization of an area of igneous rocks and find a large negative anomaly,what does that imply about the rocks?
A)They were formed during a time of normal polarity of the magnetic field.
B)They were formed during a time of reversed polarity of the magnetic field.
C)They were formed on the ocean floor where the rocks are closer to the core.
D)They were formed on the continental crust in a complex pattern of magnetization.
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Chapter 24: Interlude E: Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution
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Q1) How is mass extinction different from extinction?
Q2) Explain how evolution by natural selection occurs.
Q3) Darwin believed that the finches on the Galapagos Islands were once a single species but had ________ into several different species that could each eat different types of food.
A)regressed
B)reverted
C)evolved
D)relapsed
Q4) If two animals are members of the same kingdom,how closely are they related in comparison to two animals that are members of the same genus?
A)Animals of the same kingdom are less closely related than those of the same genus.
B)Animals of the same kingdom are more closely related than those of the same genus.
C)There is no way to tell how closely related either are without more information.
D)Animals of the same kingdom are not related at all.
Q5) Explain why the fossil record is incomplete.
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Chapter
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Q1) The difference in elevation in an area is called ________.
A)erosion
B)deposition
C)relief
D)landform
Q2) Why do some life activities strengthen the substrate while others weaken it?
A)Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around,while plants digest and weaken soil.
B)Burrowing creatures distribute stronger soil around,while plant roots wedge soil apart.
C)Plant roots help anchor soil,while burrowing into or mining out soil weakens it.
D)Some organisms secrete a binding agent in the soil,while plants digest and weaken soil.
Q3) Which of the following landscapes is dominated by erosion?
A)glacial valley
B)river delta
C)carbonate shelf
D)abyssal plain
Q4) What is a landform and how is it linked to the landscape?
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