The Earth - An Introduction 


 
Introduction to the Earth


    

  1. The most abundant element  in the Earth's atmosphere is:
    

      

    1. Oxygen

    2. Silicon

    3. Nitrogen

    4. Argon

    


    


  2. In general, igneous rocks:
    



      

    1. form by crystallizaton of solids from a solution

    2. form at relatively high temperatures

    3. form at high and low pressures

    4. all of the above

    

  3. Minerals:
    


      

    1. can be solids formed as a result of organic activity

    2. are crystalline solids

    3. have a unique chemical composition

    4. can be any state as long as that state occurs naturally


    


  4. Metamorphic rocks are changed rocks.  Which of the following rock types could be the "parent" of a metamorphic rock?
    


      

    1.  igneous

    2.  metamorphic

    3.  sedimentary

    4.  all of the above

    

    


  5. Conduction involves transfer of heat by physical movement of the material:
    

      



    1. True

    2. False

    

    

  6. 
__________is called the "father" of geology.
    
Answer
    


  7. Geologic time is often a difficult concept for students to grasp.  There is a tendency to relate time to events in our lifetime.  Therefore, try the following experiment.  Imagine that you have an infinite deck of cards.  You deal one card every second.  How may cards can you deal in one day?
    
Answer
    




  8. How many cards can you deal in 1 year?  
    
Answer
    


  9. Geologists think that the Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old (4,500,000,000).  How many years would it take you to deal this many cards at one card per second (to the nearest year)?
    
Answer
    


    



Mineralogy

    

 
  1. How many neutrons are in an atom of 6C12:



      

    1. 6

    2. 18

    3. 14

    4. not enough information given

    

    


  2. How many electrons are in a neutral atom of 6C14:

      


    1. 6

    2. 8

    3. 20

    4. not enough information given

      

    

  3. An ion of 6C14 is formed by adding enough electrons to the L shell to completely fill it up.  How many electrons are added?
    


      

    1. 2

    2. 3

    3. 4

    4. 6

    

  4. This ion has a charge of:
    


      

    1. -4

    2. +4

    3. -2

    4. +2

    

  5. and is a:

      


    1. anion

    2. cation


    

    


  6. For the element 21ZZ44, how many neutrons are present in the nucleus of an atom?
    

      


    1. 21

    2. 44

    3. 23

    4. 65

    

    

  7. A neutral atom of an isotope of element ZZ will have how many electrons?:
    


      

    1. 21

    2. 44

    3. 23

    4. none of the above

    

    

  8. An atom of ZZ looses three electrons forming a:
    

      


    1. cation with a charge of +3

    2. cation with a charge of -3

    3. anion with a charge of +3

    4. anion with a charge of -3


    

  9. What is the most common structural element of the silicate mineral group?
    

      

    1. a silicon-oxygen ocahedron

    2. a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron

    3. a silicon-aluminum tetrahedron

    4. a silicon-nitrogen tetrahedron


    

  10. True or False : Alkali feldspar is the most abundant mineral in oceanic crust.
    

      

    1. True

    2. False

    

    




  11. True or False : Quartz has a hardness of 7 and will scratch all minerals with a hardness of 8 and higher.
    

      


    1. True

    2. False

    

    

  12. ______ is the most abundant cation in the continental crust.
    

      

    1. aluminum

    2. silicon

    3. iron

    4. oxygen

    





  13. ______ is a common nesosilicate - single tetrahedron.
    

      

    1. olivine

    2. quartz

    3. alkali feldspar

    4. pyroxene

    



  14. _______ refers to two or more crystalline phases with the same composition but different structures.
    

      

    1. soild solution

    2. polymorphism


    

  15. 
_______ describes two atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers.
    


      

    1. polymorphism

    2. solid solution

    3. fracture

    4. isotope

    



Igneous Rocks


    

  1. Near surface studies indicate that the geothermal gradient is about 30 o C per kilometer.  If the radius of the Earth is about 6,000 kilometers what is the expected temperature at the center (in o C?
    

      


    1. 1,800 degrees C

    2. 18,000 degrees C

    3. 180,000 degrees C

    4. I don't have my calculator

    

    

  2. Diamonds require about 100 kilobars to form.  At what depth within the Earth should this pressure be reached?
    

      


    1. 30 kilometers

    2. 300 kilometers

    3. 3000 kilometers

    4. I don't have my calculator

    


    


  3. The last mineral to crystallize from a magma is:
    

      


    1. plagioclase

    2. olivine

    3. quartz

    4. pyroxene

    


    




    

  4. The fine grained (aphanatic) equivalent of a granite is a:
    


      


    1. rhyolite

    2. gabbro

    3. andesite

    4. basalt

    


    




  5. The coarse grained equivalent of a basalt is a:
    



      


    1. rhyolite

    2. gabbro

    3. andesite

    4. granite

    


    




  6. Describe the plate tectonic settings where you would expect to find granitic/rhyolitic rocks:
    


      


    1. subduction zone

    2. continent/continent collision

    3. spreading center

    4. transform boundary

    


    



  7. Describe the plate tectonic settings where you would expect to find andesites:
    



      


    1. subduction zone

    2. continent/continent collision

    3. spreading center

    4. transform boundary

    


    



    

  8. Describe the plate tectonic settings where you would expect to find basalts rocks:
    


      


    1. subduction zone

    2. continent/continent collision

    3. spreading center

    4. transform boundary

    


    




  9. Which should offer the least resistance to flow - a basaltic lava, an andesitic liquid or a rhyolitic liquid?
    




      


    1. rhyolite

    2. andesitic

    3. basaltic


    


    



  10. Which is more likely, a granite dike, a diorite dike or a gabbro dike?
    



      


    1. granite

    2. diorite

    3. gabbro


    


    




  11. Which of the following minerals might be found in a granite dike?
    



      


    1. biotite

    2. amphibole

    3. muscovite

    4. all of these are possible

    


    


  12. Crater Lake, Oregon, represents a lake within a:
    


       
      


    1. sill

    2. crater

    3. caldera

    4. neck

    


    
     
       
 
       

  13. Residents at the base of which one of the following would face the greatest
danger of a nuee ardente?
    


       
      


    1. shield volcano

    2. cinder cone

    3. geyser

    4. stratovolcano

    


    



  14. In the classification scheme for igneous rocks, texture is interpreted as giving us information about the rate of cooling?
    


       
      


    1. True

    2. False


    


    


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