Quiz: Geology III Final

1

The Big Bang occurred _ years ago.
- 10 to 15 billion
- 1.8 billion
- 4.5 billion
- 450 million
2

The Earth and the rest of our solar system formed _ years ago.
- 10 to 15 billion
- 1.8 billion
- 4.5 billion
- 450 million
3

Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system, suggests that Mars recently passed through which stage?
- Accretion and differentiation
- Vigorous convection
- Plate tectonics
- Terminal volcanism
- Quiescence
4

Presently the Earth is in which stage?
- Accretion and differentiation
- Vigorous convection
- Plate tectonics
- Terminal volcanism
- Quiescence
5

In which stage do the core and mantle form?
- Accretion and differentiation
- Vigorous convection
- Plate tectonics
- Terminal volcanism
- Quiescence
6

Which stage for the moon?
- Accretion and differentiation
- Vigorous convection
- Plate tectonics
- Terminal volcanism
- Quiescence
7

The vast majority of rock-forming minerals are...
- Oxides
- Silicates
- Sulfides
- Carbonates
8

Which mineral group is most abundant in the earths crust?
- Feldspars
- Sulfides
- Olivines
- Carbonates
9

Rock salt and limestone are examples of...
- Sedimentary Rocks
- Metamorphic rocks
- Volcanic Igneous rocks
- Plutonic igneous rocks
10

What distinguishes slate from schist?
- Grain size
- Foliated versus nonfoliated crystalline texture
- Mineralogical composition
- Crystalline versus clastic texture
11

The two most fundamental characteristics that distinguish minerals are...
- Weight and transparency
- Color and hardness
- Chemical composition and crystal structure
- Bonding and atomic number
12

The nature of the crystalline state can be verified by experiments involving the interaction between x-radiation and a crystal. The specific phenomenon is called...
- Seduction
- Refraction
- Induction
- Diffraction
- Deflection
13

The earliest known evidence for continental drift was...
- Seafloor magnetic anomalies
- the existence of oceanic ridges
- the distribution of volcanoes
- the jigsaw puzzle fit of continental margins
14

The rifting of East Africa is associated with a...
- divergent boundary
- convergent boundary
- transform boundary
- plate collision
15

New oceanic lithosphere forms at...
- convergent plate boundaries
- divergent plate boundaries
- transform faults
- all of these
16

A volcanic island arc forms where...
- a mantle hot spot underlies oceanic lithosphere
- new oceanic lithosphere forms due to divergence
- oceanic lithosphere is subducted beneath oceanic lithosphere
- continental lithosphere converges with continental lithosphere
17

The driving force or mechanism that causes seafloor spreading and continental drift is...
- the earths rotation
- circulation of liquid core
- magnetic reversals
- convection in the mantle
18

Where are rocks most likely to strain in a plastic fashion?
- crust
- oceanic lithosphere
- continental lithosphere
- asthenosphere
19

Volcanoes of the Andes Mountains along the west coast of South America are a direct result of...
- continental rifting
- subduction
- divergence
- transform faulting
20

The San Andreas Fault is a ...
- convergent plate boundary
- divergent plate boundary
- transform plate boundary
- magmatic arc
21

The Hawaiian volcanoes occur...
- at a spreading center
- at a convergent plate boundary
- over a mantle hot spot
- over a subduction zone
22

Rocks on the ocean floor are
- oldest near ridges
- youngest near trenches
- youngest near ridges
- all the same age
23

A normal fault has what type of stress?
- compression
- tension
- lateral (horizontal or shear)
24

A reverse or thrust fault has what type of stress?
- compression
- tension
- lateral (horizontal or shear)
25

A strike-slip fault has what type of stress?
- compression
- tension
- lateral (horizontal or shear)
26

Very shallow seismicity, most of which is located along the mid-oceanic ridge
- convergent
- divergent
- transform
- none of these
27

Earthquake foci (hypocenters) at depths up to 700 kilometers
- convergent
- divergent
- transform
- none of these
28

Shallow seismicity involving only lateral (strike-slip) movement
- convergent
- divergent
- transform
- none of these
29

The recent earthquake in Haiti was caused by movement associated with which type of plate boundary?
- convergent
- divergent
- transform
- none of these
30

The effects of an earthquake on humans and their structures are measured as...
- rate of tectonic creep
- magnetic inclination
- intensity
- richter magnitude
31

What determines the magnitude of an earthquake?
- the amount of energy released by the movement of rocks
- the depth of the focus
- the type of plate boundary where it occurs
- the amount of damage
32

Which of the seismic wave-types is responsible for most of the destruction associated with an earthquake?
- p-waves
- s-waves
- L- and R-waves
- T(tsunami)-waves
33

Which of the seismic wave-types travels fastest?
- P-waves
- S-waves
- L- and R-waves
- T-waves
34

Which of the seismic wave-types is the slower of the two body waves?
- P-waves
- S-waves
- L- and R-waves
- T-waves
35

Seismic hazards are only important at plate tectonic boundaries
- T
- F
36

With modern instrumentation, earthquakes can be predicted very accurately
- T
- F
37

Large buildings are more likely to survive a serious earthquake if they are situated on soft, unconsolidated sediment. In effect, the building is cushioned by the soft sediment.
- T
- F
38

Way out in the open ocean the characteristics of a Tsunami wave are...
- short wavelength, low amplitude
- short wavelength, high amplitude
- long wavelength, high amplitude
- long wavelength, low amplitude
39

So, earthquakes that occur along normal or reverse faults, in which the displacement is primarily _, are much more efficient at displacing water and thus generating tsunamis.
- lateral
- horizontal
- oblique
- transitional
- vertical
40

Over deep seawater (i.e., away from coastlines) the typical velocity of a tsunami is on the order of...
- 75 km/h
- 300 km/h
- 1000 km/h
- the speed of sound
- the speed of light
41

In open water, the amplitude of a tsunami rarely exceeds 1 meter, but onshore it is not unusual for tsunamis to crest at _ above normal sea level.
- 5 or 10 meters
- 50 to 100 meters
- 500 to 1000 meters
- 2000 to 5000 meters
42

The prediction of tsunamis focuses on identifying _ that are likely to generate tsunamis and on estimating the travel times of tsunamis across ocean basins.
- meteor impacts
- unusual meteorological events
- volcanic eruptions
- plate boundaries
- earthquakes
43

What is the major factor responsible for explosive volcanism?
- the silica content of the magma
- viscosity of the lava
- temperature of the magma
- dissolved gasses in the magma
- tectonic setting of the volcano
44

What is a Lahar?
- a rubbly flow of basaltic lava
- a shower of small grain-sized cool or hot ash
- a hot, glowing density flow of hot ash, and other rock and glass fragments
- a particular type of submarine lava flow
- hot or cold volcanic ash, remobilized in the form of a mud or debris flow
45

Which of the following is most dangerous to humans?
- volcanic gasses
- lava flows
- volcanic ash
- pyroclastic flows
- lahars
46

The largest volcano in the world is located where?
- Yellowstone
- Mt Pinatubo
- In the east Pacific basin at the triple junction of three plate boundaries
- Almost in the center of the Pacific Plate, well away from any plate boundaries
- Mt. Kilimanjaro in East Africa
47

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a divergent plate boundary?
- 80% of the earths active volcanoes, mostly composite (strato-type) volcanoes
- 15% of the active volcanoes, mostly associated with the formation of oceanic crust
- the remaining 5% of the active volcanoes, above mantle "hot spots"
- Typified by broad arcs or long lines of andesitic/rhyolitic volcanoes
- No volcanic activity
48

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a transform plate boundary?
- 80% of the earths active volcanoes, mostly composite (strato-type) volcanoes
- 15% of the active volcanoes, mostly associated with the formation of oceanic crust
- the remaining 5% of the active volcanoes, above mantle "hot spots"
- Typified by broad arcs or long lines of andesitic/rhyolitic volcanoes
- No volcanic activity
49

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a convergent plate boundary?
- for the win.
- not for the win.
50

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a intra-plate boundary?
- 80% of the earths active volcanoes, mostly composite (strato-type) volcanoes
- 15% of the active volcanoes, mostly associated with the formation of oceanic crust
- the remaining 5% of the active volcanoes, above mantle "hot spots"
- Typified by broad arcs or long lines of andesitic/rhyolitic volcanoes
- No volcanic activity
51

Approximately how many potentially dangerous volcanoes are there?
- 75 - 100
- 300 - 350
- 600 - 700
- 1500 - 2000
- 3000 - 4000
52

A major source of property damage and loss of life resulting from the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was (were)...
- the blast of the eruption
- mud flows
- CO2 gas
- pyroclastic flows
- lowering of the global temperature
53

Magmas that are high in SiO2, like andesite and rhyolite, tend to be very resistant to flow (high viscosity)
- T
- F
54

Eruptions of strato-type (composite) volcanoes are much more explosive and much more difficult to predict than eruptions from shield volcanoes
- T
- F
55

Material introduced into the atmosphere by an eruption can cause a measurable lowering of the mean global temperature for one or more years. This happened following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
- T
- F
56

Tiltmeters, geodolites, GPS, and laser distance measuring instruments are used to monitor...
- the precise time of an eruption
- the magnitude of an eruption
- the shape of the magma chamber
- the shape of a volcano
- tidal influence on volcanic activity
57

Infrared remote sensing techniques have been used to detect...
- small changes in the local magnetic field, due to movement of magma beneath a volcano
- changes in the heat radiated from the surface of a volcano
- proportion of hydrochloric acid and sulfur dioxide
- premonitory behavioral responses of domestic animals
- changes in the shape of a volcano
58

The flat surface adjacent to a river channel is called what?
- river valley
- drainage basin
- channel
- fault plain
- floodplain
59

Meanders migrate or shift their location by...
- sediment deposition on the inside of meander bends and lateral erosion on the outside
- lateral erosion on the inside of meander bends and sediment deposition on the outside
- downcutting erosion
- overwash events during seasonal flooding
60

Sand and gravel are transported by streams primarily as...
- dissolved load
- bed load
- suspended load
- all of these
61

Streams transport chemical pollutants such as nitrates as...
- dissolved load
- bed load
- suspended load
- all of these
62

The most important cause of river floods include what?
- sedimentation
- tidal waves
- existence of floodplains
- amounts and rates of precipitation and runoff
63

In a stream channel, water flow velocity multiplied by channel cross-sectional area, symbolized as "Q," is...
- gradient
- friction
- suspended load
- discharge
64

The discharge of a stream is measured in which of the following units?
- feet per second
- cubic meters per second
- cubic meters
- gallons
65

The equation R = (n+1)/m is used to calculate...
- stream discharge
- stream gradient
- flood recurrence interval
- groundwater flow rate
66

What is the probability of a 20-year flood occurring in any one year?
- 0.0002
- 0.002
- 0.005
- 0.02
- 0.05
67

The time that elapses between the majority of rainfall and a floods peak is called what?
- discharge rate
- gradient
- delay
- flow
- lag time
68

What materials would you expect to find on a floodplain?
- boulders
- bedrock
- volcanic rocks
- silt and sand
- feldspars
69

"The problem that local modification may increase flood hazards elsewhere is sometimes also a complication with the building of _, raised banks along a stream channel."
- dams
- navigation locks
- revetments
- levees
- sluice ways
70

The Mississippi River flood of 1993 had a recurrence interval of over 100 years. What does this mean?
- It will be more than 100 years until there is another large flood of the Mississippi.
- A flood with a magnitude equal to or exceeding the 1993 flood can be expected statistically about every 100 years or more.
- It had been more than 100 years since there was a large flood in the Mississippi.
- It takes about 100 years to build up enough water to produce a flood like the one in 1993.
71

Urbanization increases the magnitude and frequency of flooding. Which of the following has the most effect?
- cultivation of lawns
- construction of storm-sewers, streets, and parking lots
- enlargement of drainage basin
- construction of reservoirs
72

The hurricane related process that kills the most people and often causes the most damage is what?
- high winds
- hail
- flooding
- lightning
73

What is wave period?
- the difference in height between trough and peak
- the size of the wave
- the time in seconds for successive waves to pass a reference point
- the distance between successive waves
74

What happens when waves enter shallow water?
- the wave period remains constant, the wave length and velocity decrease, and the wave height decreases
- the wave period changes, the wave length and velocity decrease, and the wave height decreases
- the wave period remains constant, the wave length and velocity decrease, and the wave height increases
- the wave period remains constant, and the wave length, height, and velocity increase
75

Over several years, sand in the beach and surf zones...
- moves parallel to the shore
- does not move appreciably
- is transported as dissolved load
- moves toward shore
76

How is the shape of a shoreline affected by the natural aging process?
- it becomes more irregular
- it gets longer
- it becomes straighter
- it does not change
77

Wave refraction is the process which...
- concentrates wave energy on pocket beaches (bays)
- causes deep water waves to move faster)
- causes shallow water waves to bend
- all of the above
78

A longshore current...
- carries sand down a deep sea canyon and away from shore
- flows out to sea from the mouth of a river
- forms where waves approach the beach at an angle
- all of the above
79

Most barrier islands...
- are stable
- are sinking
- are gradually moving seaward
- are gradually moving landward
80

And this (item above) is because...
- sea level is falling
- sea level is not changing
- sea level is rising
- of more hurricanes
- greater discharge of sediment from the mainland
81

Vacation homes on barrier islands are...
- well protected from storms
- prohibited by law
- vulnerable to wave erosion
- uncommon and not a problem
82

Beaches can be considered 'rivers of sand.' Why?
- sand on beaches rarely moves
- beaches cause erosion
- beaches tend to be long and relatively narrow
- sand on beaches is in continual motion
83

As a general rule, how are the cost and benefits of erosion control structures distributed?
- Many benefit but many have to pay
- few benefit and few pay
- few benefit and many have to pay
- many benefit but few have to pay
84

Down slope movements are classified using many variables. Which is not a variable used to classify downslope movements?
- trigger mechanism
- type of movement
- type of material
- presence of water
85

Slope stability is evaluated by computing a safety factor. What is the definition of a safety factor?
- the ratio of resisting forces to driving forces
- the probability of a landslide occurring
- the ratio of driving forces to resisting forces
- the ratio of shear strength to the weight of the slope
86

The safety factor is used to determine whether a slope is stable. What is the safety factor when a slope is considered unstable?
- less than zero or greater than one
- less than zero
- equal to zero
- less than one
- greater than one
87

Water is involved in many slides. Which of the following statements about water is false?
- it erodes and steepens slopes
- it decreases pore pressure
- it increases the weight of a slope
- it encourages liquefaction
88

The stability of dry, unconsolidated granular material, such as sand in a dune, is determined by...
- the mineral composition of the material
- the climate, in particular freeze-thaw cycles
- van der Waal forces holding the mineral grains together
- the angle of repose
- the source of the material, i.e., produced by weathering and erosion, or volcanic
89

Sandy soil has greatest strength when it is...
- dry
- moist
- saturated
- quick
90

What process is mainly a result of soil expansion and contraction?
- soil creep
- landslide
- mudflow
- soil flowage
91

Which mass movement involves material with the highest water content?
- slump
- rockfall
- earthflow
- mudflow
92

In which type of mass wasting movement does the moving material retain its original shape?
- heave
- slide
- creep
- flow
93

A head scarp and hummocky toe are characteristics of a(n)...
- slump
- heave
- talus
- rockfall
94

One factor that influences slope stability but which humans can't alter is...
- vegetation cover
- geologic structure
- slope angle
- water content
95

A slope that looks stable but has bent trees, tilted fence posts, and cracked walls may actually have...
- Soil creep
- occasional mudflows
- modest landslides
- frequent rock falls
96

Which of the following is not a method to prevent landslides?
- installing drainage control
- installing slope supports
- grading to reduce slope angle
- installing a landslide warning system
97

In an advancing glacier...
- accumulation equals ablation
- accumulation exceeds ablation
- ablation exceeds accumulation
- basal sliding always occurs
98

_ is the wholesale removal of loose sediment, usually fine-grained sediments, by wind. Such an effect may contribute to the maintenance of a surface called desert pavement.
- ventification
- abrasion
- ablasion
- drift
- deflation
99

Where sediment is transported and deposited by wind, the principal depositional feature is a(n) _, a low mound or ridge usually made of sand.
- moraine
- dune
- ventifact
- alluvial fan
- esker
100

The latitudinal zone in which the largest portion of earths deserts are located...
- subtropical
- tropical
- temperate
- polar
101

The term desertification, however, is generally restricted to ... the relatively rapid development of deserts caused by the impact of _?
- global warming
- inter-ice age desiccation
- lightning-strike brush fires
- human activities
102

Incidences of malignant melanomas (skin cancer) were reaching epidemic proportions over 20 years ago in Australia, due to destruction of the ozone layer over what continent?
- Africa
- Asia
- South America
- Greenland
- Antarctica
103

Drying up of lakes that once occupied the Sahara and adjacent areas as far east as Djibouti, is believed to have resulted from...
- melting of the polar ice caps at the close of the last ice age
- the 22,000 year cyclical wobbling of the axis of the earth
- a time of unusually high volcanic activity
- poor management of agricultural land and over grazing
- the invention and widespread use of fire
104

What is the porosity of 100 millimeters of sand that absorbs 25 millimeters of water?
- 40%
- 25%
- 4%
- 2.5%
105

Which would make the best aquifer?
- gravel in the zone of aeration
- clay in the zone of saturation
- sandstone in the zone of saturation
- granite in the zone of saturation
106

The water table is the...
- top of the zone of aeration
- bottom of the zone of saturation
- top of the zone of saturation
- zone of infiltration
107

An unconfined aquifer lacks a(n)...
- water table
- zone of saturation
- recharge area
- aquiclude
108

What is the name for any process that adds water to an aquifer?
- groundwater recharge
- groundwater discharge
- a cone of depression
- hydraulic conductivity
109

Which of the following does NOT happen when water is pumped from a well in an unconfined aquifer?
- a cone of depression forms
- groundwater is discharged
- the depth to the water table increases
- the depth to the water table decreases
110

What is the name for water under pressure beneath a confining layer, such that the water naturally rises to the height of the water table in the recharge zone?
- aquiclude
- aquitard
- artesian
- cone of depression
- aquifer
111

Karst topography develops...
- as the result of solution of limestone
- when limestone caverns collapse
- as the result of reaction of carbonic acid in rain with calcite
- all of these
112

What is generally the most serious threat to groundwater on Outer Banks of NC?
- water pollution associated with urbanization
- nitrate pollution due to natural sources
- landfill leachate entering the groundwater
- salt water intrusion into drinking water
113

According to Darcy's Law, groundwater flow is faster when...
- the slope of the water table creates a high hydraulic head
- the depth of the water table decreases the hydraulic head
- the shape of the water table decreases the permeability
- the water table lowers the hydraulic conductivity
114

Which of the following is, for practical purposes, always involved in chemical weathering?
- nitrogen
- oxygen
- carbon dioxide
- water
115

Red color in soil results from...
- hydrolysis of feldspar
- solution of calcite
- oxidation of iron
- solution of quartz
116

Which is not a chemical weathering process?
- oxidation
- frost-shattering
- solution
- hydrolysis
117

Chemical weathering is fastest in...
- cool, dry climate
- cool, humid climate
- warm, humid climate
- warm, dry climate
118

Mechanical weathering...
- enhances chemical weathering
- inhibits chemical weathering
- prevents chemical weathering
- far exceeds chemical weathering
119

Soil-particle textural classes are...
- horizons A, B, C
- sand, silt, clay
- mud, gravel, boulders
- pedalfer, pedocal, laterite
120

The C-horizon of soil is...
- the most completely weathered horizon
- where chemicals are deposited
- the horizon most similar to the parent material
- the zone of leaching
121

"Weathered parent rock, partially broken down," best describes which soil horizon?
- O
- A
- B
- C
122

The "zone of leaching, dissolved or suspended materials move downward," best describes which soil horizon?
- O
- A
- B
- C
123

Metallic mineral deposits that are worth mining are...
- pegmatite
- concentrates
- kimberlite
- ores
124

Hydrothermal deposits of ore minerals...
- where igneous intrusions have baked rocks which they intrude
- where chemical weathering has concentrated ore by removing non-ore minerals
- from hot water circulating through rocks
- all of the above
125

Aluminum ore deposits are...
- placer deposits (stream)
- metamorphic deposits
- residual deposits (soil)
- evaporites (salt flats)
126

Lateritic weathering produces which ore deposit?
- bauxite
- placer
- evaporite
- kimberlite
127

A major type of non-metallic mineral deposit is...
- placer deposit
- bauxite
- evaporite
- manganese nodules
128

Rock salt and rock gypsum are what kind of mineral deposits?
- evaporite
- hydrothermal
- placer
- pegmatite
129

Which of the following is the most important modern source of iron?
- bog deposits
- Kiruna-type igneous deposits
- banded iron formations
- meteorites
130

Most of the copper production in the world today comes from which of the following types of deposits?
- metamorphic, native copper
- hydrothermal sedimentary, minerals malachite and azurite
- nodules on the sea floor
- porphyritic granite, hydrothermal
131

The copper in these deposits (preceding question) can be traced all the way back to a source in..
- the mantle beneath a divergent plate boundary
- metamorphic rock near the base of the continental crust
- achondritic meteorites
- sedimentary rocks, limestone
132

Manganese nodules form...
- in magmas
- by lateritic weathering
- near igneous intrusion
- on the deep sea floor
133

Commercially, the most valuable petroleum reservoirs are...
- low in porosity and low in permeability
- low in porosity and high in permeability
- high in porosity and high in permeability
- high in porosity and low in permeability
134

Fossil fuels are found in...
- metamorphic rocks
- igneous rocks
- sedimentary rocks
- all of these
135

Coal forms from...
- plants buried in sediment
- thick tar that solidifies to rock
- evaporation of algae-rich lakes
- organic-rich volcanic ash
136

Atmospheric pollution is the worst when...
- coal is burned
- natural gas is burned
- uranium undergoes fission in a nuclear reactor
- geothermal heat is used to generate electricity
137

Most of the oil production in the world comes from which of the following kinds of structural trap?
- faults
- stratigraphic
- unconformities
- anticlines
138

Most of the worlds petrolium is recovered from depths between 2000' and 10000'. Why is this?
- It's too costly to drill for the abundant oil reserves at depths greater than 10000', and petroleum doesn't form at depths less than 2000'
- Oil is converted to graphite under the metamorphic conditions at depths greater than 10000'; and at depths less than 2000' oil is too fluid to be contained
- There is a lot of petroleum at depths less than 2000', but it is too viscous to be extracted economically; at depths greater than 10000' petroleum breaks down to cas
- Petroleum in the depth range from 2000' to 10000' is easy to detect by modern seismic methods
139

Which source could yield large amounts of natural gas in the future?
- secondary recovery
- methane hydrates
- oil shale
- tar sands
140

One of the largest recent oil discoveries in North America was in western Wyoming. The reserves are unusual because they're beneath what?
- a syncline
- an overthrust belt
- a volcano
- a metamorphic rock
141

Exploration for oil in east Africa focuses on lakes that occupy what kind of tectonic feature?
- normal faulted-bounded rift valleys
- volcanic calderas
- downwarping associated with overthrust belts
- shallow basins formed by gentle warping of the crust
142

There is renewed interest in some of the older oil fields that were believed to be nearly exhausted, because new geophysical evidence shows that...
- the source rock just needs to be fractured up with explosives to create more porosity
- untapped reservoirs often occur at greater depth
- the source can be highly compartmentalized, such that additional drilling can often intercept untapped compartments
- extractable oil can also occur in unlikely source rocks, like shale
143

An important reason that the US is not generating much energy from nuclear fission is...
- fission has not yet been successfully carried out
- we don't have fuel for fission reactors
- we have no repository for high-level nuclear waste
- all of the above
144

Geothermal heat is a good energy resource but...
- limited to specific sites
- unavailable in the US
- impractical for generating electricity
- too expensive
145

Most gashol blends are from...
- biogas methane
- liquefied coal
- distilled grains
- hydrocarbon-rich algae
146

Expanded use of which energy resource would contribute least to global warming?
- coal
- natural gas
- solar
- oil
147

In the US, the bulk of the uranium deposits are found in...
- granites
- limestones
- sandstones
- evaporites
148

At Yellowstone, one sees evidence of which energy resource?
- wind
- geothermal
- earthquakes
- all of these
149

A fission nuclear reactor core meltdown...
- has never occurred
- would lead to nuclear detonation
- occurred at Three-Mile Island, PA
- cannot occur in reactors built in the US

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Geology III Final

The Big Bang occurred _ years ago.

The Earth and the rest of our solar system formed _ years ago.

Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system, suggests that Mars recently passed through which stage?

Presently the Earth is in which stage?

In which stage do the core and mantle form?

Which stage for the moon?

The vast majority of rock-forming minerals are...

Which mineral group is most abundant in the earths crust?

Rock salt and limestone are examples of...

What distinguishes slate from schist?

The two most fundamental characteristics that distinguish minerals are...

The nature of the crystalline state can be verified by experiments involving the interaction between x-radiation and a crystal. The specific phenomenon is called...

The earliest known evidence for continental drift was...

The rifting of East Africa is associated with a...

New oceanic lithosphere forms at...

A volcanic island arc forms where...

The driving force or mechanism that causes seafloor spreading and continental drift is...

Where are rocks most likely to strain in a plastic fashion?

Volcanoes of the Andes Mountains along the west coast of South America are a direct result of...

The San Andreas Fault is a ...

The Hawaiian volcanoes occur...

Rocks on the ocean floor are

A normal fault has what type of stress?

A reverse or thrust fault has what type of stress?

A strike-slip fault has what type of stress?

Very shallow seismicity, most of which is located along the mid-oceanic ridge

Earthquake foci (hypocenters) at depths up to 700 kilometers

Shallow seismicity involving only lateral (strike-slip) movement

The recent earthquake in Haiti was caused by movement associated with which type of plate boundary?

The effects of an earthquake on humans and their structures are measured as...

What determines the magnitude of an earthquake?

Which of the seismic wave-types is responsible for most of the destruction associated with an earthquake?

Which of the seismic wave-types travels fastest?

Which of the seismic wave-types is the slower of the two body waves?

Seismic hazards are only important at plate tectonic boundaries

With modern instrumentation, earthquakes can be predicted very accurately

Large buildings are more likely to survive a serious earthquake if they are situated on soft, unconsolidated sediment. In effect, the building is cushioned by the soft sediment.

Way out in the open ocean the characteristics of a Tsunami wave are...

So, earthquakes that occur along normal or reverse faults, in which the displacement is primarily _, are much more efficient at displacing water and thus generating tsunamis.

Over deep seawater (i.e., away from coastlines) the typical velocity of a tsunami is on the order of...

In open water, the amplitude of a tsunami rarely exceeds 1 meter, but onshore it is not unusual for tsunamis to crest at _ above normal sea level.

The prediction of tsunamis focuses on identifying _ that are likely to generate tsunamis and on estimating the travel times of tsunamis across ocean basins.

What is the major factor responsible for explosive volcanism?

What is a Lahar?

Which of the following is most dangerous to humans?

The largest volcano in the world is located where?

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a divergent plate boundary?

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a transform plate boundary?

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a convergent plate boundary?

Which statement describes the correct tectonic setting of a intra-plate boundary?

Approximately how many potentially dangerous volcanoes are there?

A major source of property damage and loss of life resulting from the 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo was (were)...

Magmas that are high in SiO2, like andesite and rhyolite, tend to be very resistant to flow (high viscosity)

Eruptions of strato-type (composite) volcanoes are much more explosive and much more difficult to predict than eruptions from shield volcanoes

Material introduced into the atmosphere by an eruption can cause a measurable lowering of the mean global temperature for one or more years. This happened following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.

Tiltmeters, geodolites, GPS, and laser distance measuring instruments are used to monitor...

Infrared remote sensing techniques have been used to detect...

The flat surface adjacent to a river channel is called what?

Meanders migrate or shift their location by...

Sand and gravel are transported by streams primarily as...

Streams transport chemical pollutants such as nitrates as...

The most important cause of river floods include what?

In a stream channel, water flow velocity multiplied by channel cross-sectional area, symbolized as "Q," is...

The discharge of a stream is measured in which of the following units?

The equation R = (n+1)/m is used to calculate...

What is the probability of a 20-year flood occurring in any one year?

The time that elapses between the majority of rainfall and a floods peak is called what?

What materials would you expect to find on a floodplain?

"The problem that local modification may increase flood hazards elsewhere is sometimes also a complication with the building of _, raised banks along a stream channel."

The Mississippi River flood of 1993 had a recurrence interval of over 100 years. What does this mean?

Urbanization increases the magnitude and frequency of flooding. Which of the following has the most effect?

The hurricane related process that kills the most people and often causes the most damage is what?

What is wave period?

What happens when waves enter shallow water?

Over several years, sand in the beach and surf zones...