Physical Geology
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Course Introduction
Physical Geology is an introductory course that explores the materials, processes, and structures that make up the Earth. Students will study the nature of minerals and rocks, examine dynamic processes such as plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, and mountain building, and investigate surface processes including weathering, erosion, and the formation of landforms. Emphasis is placed on understanding how these natural phenomena shape the planet over geologic time and their relevance to contemporary environmental issues. The course provides a foundation for further study in earth sciences and enhances students ability to observe and interpret the physical world around them.
Recommended Textbook
Visualizing Geology 3rd Edition by Barbara W. Murck
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Chapter 1: Earth As a Planet
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Q1) How does applying an Earth systems approach change the way the science of geology is conducted?
Answer: Traditionally,scientists have studied Earth by focusing on separate units-the atmosphere,the oceans,or a single mountain range.An Earth systems approach allows scientists to look at the connections between the various parts of Earth with a greater understanding of the complexities of the larger system.
Q2) Which of the inner planets has an atmosphere containing mostly nitrogen and has an average surface temperature of 14.6° Celsius?
A)Mercury
B)Venus
C)Earth
D)Mars
Answer: C
Q3) The hydrosphere comprises all of Earth's water and ice,both on the surface and underground.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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3
Chapter 2: Earth Materials
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Q1) What is the relationship between cleavage,crystal structure,and crystal faces? Speculate about how different types of bonding might influence each of these.
Answer: Cleavage in some minerals and crystal form,which is related to the shape and arrangement of crystal faces,are both dictated by a mineral's crystal structure.The crystal structure develops during the growth process and shapes the geometry and orientation of crystal faces.Within the crystal structures,the orientation of the bonds or the differences between types of bonds allows for certain directions of weakness.These directions of weakness,called cleavage planes allow the crystal structure to break in these directions more easily.
Q2) What are the four requirements necessary to classify a solid material as a mineral?
Answer: To be classified as a mineral,a substance must be a naturally occurring solid,formed by inorganic processes,with a characteristic crystal structure and specific chemical composition.
Q3) Based on their origins,rocks can be divided into three distinct families: _______,sedimentary,and metamorphic.
Answer: igneous
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Chapter 3: How Old Is Old the Rock Record and Geologic
Time
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Sample Questions
Q1) A(n)_____ is a unit of geologic time across which you would expect to find the greatest changes in the fossil record.
Answer: Era
Q2) An unconformity is a gap in the stratigraphic sequence.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) A(n)______is a gap in the rock record across which there is a significant amount of missing time.
Answer: unconformity
Q4) Magnetic _____ is the north-south directionality of Earth's magnetic field.
Answer: polarity
Q5) Strata in which the layers of sediment have been deposited one on top of another,in sequence with no significant gaps in time,are said to be ______.
Answer: conformable
Q6) The contact between the Grand Canyon Supergroup and the overlying Tapeats Sandstone is a type of unconformity known as a(n)______.
Answer: angular unconformity
Page 5
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Chapter 4: Plate Tectonics
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Q1) According to Wegener's work,Glossopteris thrived in a warm environment.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The plates 'floating' on the asthenosphere is a condition called _____,which is similar to wood floating on water.
A)sea floor spreading
B)isostasy
C)polarity
D)convergence
E)conduction
Q3) The volcano in Hawaii that has been erupting constantly since 1983 is _______.
Q4) A hypothesis develops into a theory if it is repeatedly proven through further testing.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The area of the Earth's interior where rocks start to melt is known as the asthenosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q6) How does a convergent plate boundary differ from a divergent plate boundary?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Earthquakes and Earths Interior
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Q1) Secondary hazards sometimes cause more damage than the earthquake itself.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A _______ wave is a type of wave that travels along Earth's surface.
Q3) The zone from the base of the asthenosphere to the mantle-core boundary is known as the lithosphere.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Charles Richter was the first scientist to notice the difference between P-waves and S-waves.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale qualifies the effects of an earthquake on humans,objects of nature,and man-made structures on a scale of I through XII,with I denoting a weak earthquake and XII one that causes almost complete destruction.
A)True
B)False
Q6) The science of studying ancient earthquakes is known as _______.
Q7) Discuss the differences between Earth's outer and inner core.
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Chapter 6: Volcanoes and Igneous Rocks
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Q1) Vulcanian eruptions are not very explosive and only release ash 5km into the air.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A volcanic pipe is a remnant of a channel that once fed magma to the vent.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Discuss how large eruptions like Mt.Pinatubo in 1991 and Tambora in 1815 affected Earth's climate.
Q4) Fine grained igneous rocks have a(n)_______ texture.
A)aphanitic
B)phaneritic
C)porpyritic
D)glassy
E)vesicular
Q5) Basaltic magma has a high amount of dissolved gases and is very explosive. A)True
B)False
Q6) When magma is injected horizontally between layers and solidifies,a(n)_______ forms.
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Chapter 7: Weathering and Erosion
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Q1) Explain the similarities and differences between root wedging and frost wedging.
Q2) The weathering of bedrock and transportation of the resulting loosened particles is known as erosion.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Mechanical weathering is the breakdown of rock by physical processes that involve chemical alteration.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The splitting of rocks due to the repeated freezing and thawing is known as root wedging.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In areas of high rainfall,where soil is thin over bedrock,and in areas where the ground is frozen to depth,slow slurry flows can occur through a process called _______.
Q6) The uppermost layer of regolith that can support rooted plants is known as soil.
A)True
B)False
Q7) Soil profiles that contain a distinct E-horizon typically form in _______.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: From Sediment to Sedimentary Rock
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Q1) _____ is the reduction of pore space in a rock due to the weight of the overlying sediment.
Q2) Which of the following describes a fine-grained,fissile rock consisting primarily of clay particles?
A)conglomerate
B)sandstone
C)siltstone
D)peat
E)shale
Q3) Explain how geologists use sedimentary structures.
Q4) If peat is subjected to increasing heat and pressure due to deeper burial,it may become coal.
A)True B)False
Q5) Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock composed primarily of angular,gravel-size clasts.
A)True B)False
Q6) Explain the occurrence of banded iron formations.
Q7) Explain the differences between sorting and roundness.
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Chapter 9: Folds, faults, and Geological Maps
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Q1) Describe the differences between a topographic map and a geologic map.
Q2) A formation is a unit of rock that can be distinguished from units above and below on the basis of geological contacts.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The Appalachian Mountains are a good example of anticlines and synclines.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Folds that are so overturned they are almost lying flat are said to be _____.
Q5) Folds are said to be asymmetrical when one limb dips more steeply than the other.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Stress that is different in different directions is said to be _____.
Q7) On geologic maps,_____ denotes different ages of the strata.
Q8) What are the differences between elastic,ductile,and brittle deformation?
Q9) The line where the axial plane intersects the fold is called the axis or hinge.
A)True
B)False
Q10) Describe the difference between an anticline and a syncline.
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Chapter 10: Metamorphism: New Rock From Old
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Q1) When metamorphic rocks are composed of one type of mineral,they are referred to as _____.
Q2) Migmatites are composed of igneous and sedimentary rocks.
A)True B)False
Q3) A nonfoliated metamorphic rock that derives from limestone and contains calcium carbonate as its main ingredient is known as _____.
Q4) At a depth of 5km below the crust,the pressure is equivalent to about _____ atmospheres.
Q5) The mineralogical,chemical,textural,and structural changes that occur below the region of sedimentation and diagenesis are known as _____.
Q6) Meteorite impacts can be identified by the presence of _____ under a microscope.
Q7) Explain the difference between low grade and high grade metamorphic rocks.
Q8) A nonfoliated metamorphic rock derived from sandstone is known as _____.
Q9) _____ metamorphic rocks are changed under temperatures of less than 400°C and pressures of less than 400MPa.
Q10) Duration and rate of deformation are not important factors in metamorphism. A)True B)False
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Chapter 11: Water on and Under the Ground
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Q1) Approximately _____ of water demand in society is used for industrial use.
Q2) A(n)_____plots the discharge of a stream as a function of time.
Q3) Precipitation is the process in which water flows into the ground under the influence of gravity.
A)True
B)False
Q4) A delta is a deposit that forms when a stream enters a standing body of water.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The _____ is below the water table in which all the pore spaces are filled with water.
Q6) The process in which water has condensed in the atmosphere and falls back to Earth is known as _____.
A)transpiration
B)evaporation
C)precipitation
D)condensation
E)infiltration
Q7) The process in which water changes from a vapor to a liquid or a solid is known as _____.
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Chapter 12: The Ocean and the Atmosphere
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Q1) Salt in ocean water comes from volcanic sources and rock weathering.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Where do oxygen and carbon dioxide originate in the atmosphere?
Q3) The tiny coral animals are called_____.
Q4) Like tides,ocean waves are powered by the Moon's gravity.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Why does the accumulation of salt in the oceans NOT provide a means to estimate how long the oceans have existed?
Q6) Wave activity that occurs between the line of breakers and the shore is called _____.
A)refraction waves
B)reflection waves
C)surf
D)longshore current
E)a wave base
Q7) Why is ocean water layered into zones?
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Q8) The atmospheric layer that protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet radiation is the _____layer.
Chapter 13: Climatic Extremes: Deserts and Glaciers
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Q1) Glacial ice is generally formed by _____.
A)frozen rivers
B)recrystallized snow
C)icebergs
D)frostwedges
Q2) When arroyos empty their sediments onto a flat desert floor,the resulting deposit forms a(n)_____.
A)alluvial fan
B)inselberg
C)point bar
D)sanddune
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a type of glacier?
A)marine glacier
B)polar glacier
C)ice sheet
D)cirque glacier
Q4) A ventifact is a steep-sided,flat-topped desert landform.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A thick sheet of floating ice at sea,adjoining a land glacier,is an ice _____.
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Chapter 14: Earths Climates:
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Q1) Periods between glacial advances are called _____ periods.
Q2) _____ represent humid periods characterized by much higher rainfall (on the order of 300 to 400 mm/yr).
A)Trends
B)Sequestrations
C)Pluvials
D)Paleosols
E)Ice ages
Q3) Tree rings are used as a climate proxy.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Measurements of the isotopes of nitrogen in glacier ice enables scientists to calculate the air temperature when the snow that later was transformed into ice accumulated at the glacier surface.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Claims that past Earth climates were different from today are just speculations.
A)True
B)False
Q6) What is the Younger Dryas Event?
Page 16
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Chapter 15: A Brief History of Life on Earth
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Q1) The 20 carbon-based compounds that are the essential building blocks of all proteinsare _____.
A)polymerases
B)amino acids
C)polyesters
D)macromolecules
E)DNA
Q2) The earliest skeletal animals were arthropods in the Cambrian Period.What are arthropods and which creatures are typical examples?
Q3) Which of the following gases was NOT likely contained in Earth's primary atmosphere?
A)argon
B)nitrogen
C)helium
D)oxygen
E)hydrogen
Q4) The essential evolutionary development that allowed reptiles to be free of the water was the _____ egg.
Q5) What is volcanic outgassing and why is it important?
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Chapter 16: Understanding Earths Resources
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Q1) Wind energy is likely to remain a niche energy source.
A)True
B)False
Q2) There are now at least _____ billion humans on Earth.
Q3) Which of the following is NOT a fossil fuel?
A)enriched uranium
B)coal
C)petroleum
D)natural gas
E)peat
Q4) The most important natural resources are water,soil,and _______.
Q5) Salt deposits are part of the _____category of mineral deposits?
A)volcanigenic kimberlite
B)hydrothermal veins
C)contact Metamorphic
D)sedimentary evaporite
E)magmatic differentiation
Q6) Explain what is meant by a fossil fuel.
Q7) Why should we be concerned about future mineral resources?
Q8) Peat is the initial stage in the formation of _____.
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