GEOLOGY 1010 FINAL EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
Which system is involved in the biological pump? - Answer- Atmosphere, biosphere,
hydrosphere, lithosphere
What is an example of the lithosphere affecting climate? - Answer- Formation of the
Himalayas when India collided with Asia creating a rain shadow.
In the thermohaline circulation system, why does water sink in the northern Atlantic? -
Answer- It gets colder and more salty.
Which proxy would help determine ocean water temperature during the Mesozoic era
using fish fossils? - Answer- Stable oxygen isotopes
Which method is best for determining how levels of methane have changed in Earth's
atmosphere over the past 1 million years? - Answer- Analyzing air bubbles in ice cores
Which isotope ratio is analyzed for stable carbon analysis of ancient climate? - Answer-
13C/12C
About ___% of the warming Earth has experienced in recent centuries is due to natural
causes such as changes in the planet's albedo. - Answer- 50
What type of magma has about 50% SiO2 and is about 1100 degrees Celsius? -
Answer- Basaltic.
What does the observation of dark crystals with higher calcium concentration illustrate?
- Answer- Fractional crystallization.
What is muscovite in Bowen's reaction series? - Answer- A felsic mineral and one of the
last to form.
Which plagioclase crystal would contain the most sodium? - Answer- One formed at
1000 degrees.
What type of pluton is indicated by the yellow arrow? - Answer- Sill.
What is the magma beneath the magma island like during an eruption? - Answer- It has
a high viscosity and a high gas content.
, What are the VEI rankings based on? - Answer- The volume of material ejected.
What type of magma is most likely beneath the Hawaiian volcano observatory? -
Answer- Basaltic.
What refers to rocks that have been chemically weathered? - Answer- Saprolite
What are the three main types of sedimentary rock? - Answer- Chemical, clastic,
biogenic
Clastic sediments deposited along the coast of South Carolina are likely to be ___
sorted and ___ rounded. - Answer- Well, well
Which community experienced about 200 million in mass wasting damage due to slope
instability? - Answer- None of these are correct
What are layers that contain a high concentration of valuable material? - Answer- Ores
What metamorphic process is caused by magma moving below ground? - Answer-
Contact
What metamorphic process could an asteroid hitting Earth cause? - Answer- Shock
Which index mineral indicates a rock is of intermediate grade? - Answer- Staurolite
What type of force is associated with convergent plate boundaries? - Answer-
Compressional
Which type of fault commonly forms in areas experiencing lots of tensional force? -
Answer- Normal fault
What is the best site to build a house in Charleston SC to avoid earthquake damage? -
Answer- One solid bedrock just outside the city
Why are earthquakes in subduction zone areas considered especially dangerous? -
Answer- They are likely to have a very high magnitude
What is the spot on the surface above a fault that is hardest hit when an earthquake
occurs? - Answer- Epicenter
Which scale is most useful for first responders and insurance companies dealing with
an earthquake? - Answer- Mercalli
What data do you need to determine where an earthquake's epicenter is located? -
Answer- The arrival times of P and S waves at 3 seismometers
AND ANSWERS
Which system is involved in the biological pump? - Answer- Atmosphere, biosphere,
hydrosphere, lithosphere
What is an example of the lithosphere affecting climate? - Answer- Formation of the
Himalayas when India collided with Asia creating a rain shadow.
In the thermohaline circulation system, why does water sink in the northern Atlantic? -
Answer- It gets colder and more salty.
Which proxy would help determine ocean water temperature during the Mesozoic era
using fish fossils? - Answer- Stable oxygen isotopes
Which method is best for determining how levels of methane have changed in Earth's
atmosphere over the past 1 million years? - Answer- Analyzing air bubbles in ice cores
Which isotope ratio is analyzed for stable carbon analysis of ancient climate? - Answer-
13C/12C
About ___% of the warming Earth has experienced in recent centuries is due to natural
causes such as changes in the planet's albedo. - Answer- 50
What type of magma has about 50% SiO2 and is about 1100 degrees Celsius? -
Answer- Basaltic.
What does the observation of dark crystals with higher calcium concentration illustrate?
- Answer- Fractional crystallization.
What is muscovite in Bowen's reaction series? - Answer- A felsic mineral and one of the
last to form.
Which plagioclase crystal would contain the most sodium? - Answer- One formed at
1000 degrees.
What type of pluton is indicated by the yellow arrow? - Answer- Sill.
What is the magma beneath the magma island like during an eruption? - Answer- It has
a high viscosity and a high gas content.
, What are the VEI rankings based on? - Answer- The volume of material ejected.
What type of magma is most likely beneath the Hawaiian volcano observatory? -
Answer- Basaltic.
What refers to rocks that have been chemically weathered? - Answer- Saprolite
What are the three main types of sedimentary rock? - Answer- Chemical, clastic,
biogenic
Clastic sediments deposited along the coast of South Carolina are likely to be ___
sorted and ___ rounded. - Answer- Well, well
Which community experienced about 200 million in mass wasting damage due to slope
instability? - Answer- None of these are correct
What are layers that contain a high concentration of valuable material? - Answer- Ores
What metamorphic process is caused by magma moving below ground? - Answer-
Contact
What metamorphic process could an asteroid hitting Earth cause? - Answer- Shock
Which index mineral indicates a rock is of intermediate grade? - Answer- Staurolite
What type of force is associated with convergent plate boundaries? - Answer-
Compressional
Which type of fault commonly forms in areas experiencing lots of tensional force? -
Answer- Normal fault
What is the best site to build a house in Charleston SC to avoid earthquake damage? -
Answer- One solid bedrock just outside the city
Why are earthquakes in subduction zone areas considered especially dangerous? -
Answer- They are likely to have a very high magnitude
What is the spot on the surface above a fault that is hardest hit when an earthquake
occurs? - Answer- Epicenter
Which scale is most useful for first responders and insurance companies dealing with
an earthquake? - Answer- Mercalli
What data do you need to determine where an earthquake's epicenter is located? -
Answer- The arrival times of P and S waves at 3 seismometers
