ESS 101 LABORATORY 3B : MINERAL
IDENTIFICATION COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ As the northern Great Lakes isostatically rebound _______.
Answer: their waters will eventually drain south through the Mississippi
River system
◍ low velocity zone aka.
Answer: asthenosphere
◍ Which structural component of the Cascadia subduction zone is represented
by the Olympic Mountains?.
Answer: back arc basin
◍ Fluorite.
Answer: Non-metallic, dark color(somewhat), hardness of 4.0, cube or
diamond shape, white streak, often purple/blue/ or green
◍ What diagnostic property would you use to determine that the cementing
agent within sandstone is Fe2O3?.
Answer: its reddish color
◍ Why is quartz the most dominant mineral comprising most beach sand?.
Answer: quartz is more resistant to chemical weathering than other silicate
minerals
◍ Hardness of 5.5.
Answer: Glass Plate
◍ Which of the following structures or materials have not used oolite
, limestone?.
Answer: steps of Suzzalo Library
◍ Chert generally precipitates ______________..
Answer: in deep ocean water
◍ Which of the following depositional events generally results in graded
beds?.
Answer: Rivers, turbidity currents
◍ Joints facilitate weathering because ________..
Answer: -permit water and other chemical agents to penetrate below the
surface-provide more surface area for the weathering front to attack(B and
C)
◍ type of volcanic rock that incorporates lithic fragments during an eruption.
Answer: volcanic tuff
◍ What diagnostic criteria did you use to identify sedimentary breccia:.
Answer: large angular clasts within the rock matrix
◍ If an earthquake occurs, the _____ waves are the last to arrive at a seismic
station.
Answer: surface
◍ Over time angular joint blocks will ______ due to surface weathering..
Answer: become rounded
◍ In Bea"s presentation on karst landscapes of Southern China she
discussed_______.
Answer: Li River karst features; the Ludi Cave karst features; the Shilin
(stone forest) karst features
◍ Mineral Sample #20 is.
Answer: Talc
◍ Lahar flow hazard level?.
Answer: Very dangerous, difficult to predict magnitude
IDENTIFICATION COMPREHENSIVE STUDY
GUIDE 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◍ As the northern Great Lakes isostatically rebound _______.
Answer: their waters will eventually drain south through the Mississippi
River system
◍ low velocity zone aka.
Answer: asthenosphere
◍ Which structural component of the Cascadia subduction zone is represented
by the Olympic Mountains?.
Answer: back arc basin
◍ Fluorite.
Answer: Non-metallic, dark color(somewhat), hardness of 4.0, cube or
diamond shape, white streak, often purple/blue/ or green
◍ What diagnostic property would you use to determine that the cementing
agent within sandstone is Fe2O3?.
Answer: its reddish color
◍ Why is quartz the most dominant mineral comprising most beach sand?.
Answer: quartz is more resistant to chemical weathering than other silicate
minerals
◍ Hardness of 5.5.
Answer: Glass Plate
◍ Which of the following structures or materials have not used oolite
, limestone?.
Answer: steps of Suzzalo Library
◍ Chert generally precipitates ______________..
Answer: in deep ocean water
◍ Which of the following depositional events generally results in graded
beds?.
Answer: Rivers, turbidity currents
◍ Joints facilitate weathering because ________..
Answer: -permit water and other chemical agents to penetrate below the
surface-provide more surface area for the weathering front to attack(B and
C)
◍ type of volcanic rock that incorporates lithic fragments during an eruption.
Answer: volcanic tuff
◍ What diagnostic criteria did you use to identify sedimentary breccia:.
Answer: large angular clasts within the rock matrix
◍ If an earthquake occurs, the _____ waves are the last to arrive at a seismic
station.
Answer: surface
◍ Over time angular joint blocks will ______ due to surface weathering..
Answer: become rounded
◍ In Bea"s presentation on karst landscapes of Southern China she
discussed_______.
Answer: Li River karst features; the Ludi Cave karst features; the Shilin
(stone forest) karst features
◍ Mineral Sample #20 is.
Answer: Talc
◍ Lahar flow hazard level?.
Answer: Very dangerous, difficult to predict magnitude
