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54 Cards in this Set
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Which technique for calculating when the Earth formed as aplanet is the most accurate in determining a numerical agefor the Earth? 1. Comparison of fossils found in sedimentary rocks. 2. Comparison of different minerals present in layers of rock. 3. Analysis and measurement of the ratios of uranium and leadisotopes in a mineral. 4. Scientists cannot calculate the age of the Earth. |
3. Analysis and measurement of the ratios of uranium and leadisotopes in a mineral. |
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In correct order from the center outward, the Earth includesthese units: 1. Crust, core, mantle. 2. Inner mantle, outer mantle, core, crust. 3. Core, mantle, crust. 4. Inner core, crust, mantle, hydrosphere. |
Core, mantle, crust. |
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The radius of the Earth’s core is 3486 km.The mantle surrounding the core is 2900 km thick.Therefore, the volume of the mantle is _____ the volume ofthe core. 1. about the same as 2. less than 3. a small amount more than 4. much more than |
4. much more than |
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Which of the following best describes the hypothesis ofseafloor spreading? 1. Rising material in the seafloor and ocean basin causes theseafloor to spread laterally away from continents. 2. Sinking material in the mantle causes seafloor to diverge atthe edges of continents.3. Rising material in the mantle spreads laterally, carrying theseafloor away from seafloor ridges in the center of the oceanbasin. 4. Sinking material in the mantle spreads laterally, forcingseafloor into continents at the edges of ocean basins. |
3. Rising material in the mantle spreads laterally, carrying theseafloor |
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Which of the following energy sources is thought to drive thelateral motions of Earth’s lithosphere plates? 1. electrical and magnetic fields localized in the core 2. export of heat from deep in the mantle to the top of theasthenosphere 3. gravitational attractive forces of the Sun and Moon 4. swirling movements of the molten iron particles in the outercore |
2. export of heat from deep in the mantle to the top of theasthenosphere |
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Why is so much basaltic magma erupted along mid-oceanridges? 1. Basaltic mantle under the ridge is hot enough to completely melt if seawater is added. 2. Lowered pressure decreases the temperatures at which magma can form by partially melting in a rising mass of mantle rock. 3. The subducting, oceanic slab sinks so deep that eventually it melts, producing massive quantities of basalt magma. 4. The mantle beneath the ridges is enriched in thorium,uranium, and potassium and radioactive decay heats the rock enough to melt it. |
2. Lowered pressure decreases the temperatures at whichmagma can form by partially melting in a rising mass ofmantle rock. |
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Cooler, older, oceanic lithosphere sinks into the mantle at: 1. Rift zones along mid-ocean ridges. 2. Hot spots in the ocean basins where volcanism is very active and long lasting. 3. Subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries. 4. Transform fault zones that fan out from mid-ocean ridges. |
3. Subduction zones along convergent plate boundaries. |
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Which one of the following most accurately describes thevolcanoes of the Hawaiian Islands? 1. Stratovolcanoes associated with subduction and a convergent plate boundary. 2. Shield volcanoes fed by a long-lived hot spot below the Pacific lithospheric plate. 3. Shield volcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific ridge and spreading center. 4. Stratovolcanoes associated with a mid-Pacific transform fault. |
2. Shield volcanoes fed by a long-lived hot spot below the Pacificlithospheric plate. |
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The Hawaiian Islands become younger to the east-southeast(Hawaii is the youngest, while the seamounts to the westnorthwestare oldest). Assuming the hot spot is stationary,and the entire chain of islands was formed by this hot spot,which direction is the Pacific plate moving? 1. east-southeast 2. north 3. west-northwest 4. south |
3. west-northwest |
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The modern-day Red Sea is explained by plate tectonics theory because it is _____. 1. a tiny remnant of a once immense ocean that closed between Africa and Asia 2. the site of a transform fault along which Arabia is moving away from Africa 3. a newly formed spreading axis that is producing ocean crust as Arabia moves away from Africa 4. an example of a subduction zone where the African continental plate is sinking under the Arabian continental plate |
3. a newly formed spreading axis that is producing ocean crust as Arabia moves away from Africa |
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Oceanic ridges are elevated compared to the surroundingocean floor because __________. 1. newly formed lithosphere is hotter and therefore less densethan the surrounding rocks, so it occupies more space 2. the older, colder lithosphere is less dense and tends to rise 3. the mantle is pushing up the lithosphere along the ridge 4. of the shield volcanoes that develop in areas of seafloorspreading |
1. newly formed lithosphere is hotter and therefore less densethan the surrounding rocks, so it occupies more space |
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During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, directobservations showed that glaciers in Switzerland flowed forward inthe downhill direction while the lower end (terminus) retreatedhigher up the valley. Which of the following explains theseobservations in a scientific way? 1. Glacier movement up valley was downward, but near thevalley the glacier was moving in an up-valley direction. 2. The glacial hypothesis was finally accepted as a scientifictheory. 3. Rocky debris blocked the flow of the glacier near the lowerend of the glacier. 4. The melting rate of ice in the glacier exceeded the rate atwhich new snow and ice were added to the glacier. |
4. The melting rate of ice in the glacier exceeded the rate atwhich new snow and ice were added to the glacier. |
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Which of the following best describes the fundamentalconcept of superposition? 1. Sediments containing fossils are deposited above sedimentswith no fossils. 2. Older sediments are deposited on top of younger sediments. 3. In a stack of undisturbed sediment layers, the layers on topare younger than the layers at the bottom. 4. Older fossils occur in all layers of sediment while youngerfossils only occur in upper layers of sediment. |
3. In a stack of undisturbed sediment layers, the layers on topare younger than the layers at the bottom. |
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The concept of long duration of geologic time, spanningmillions and billions of years, is important in geologybecause: 1. geological time is controlled by the quantity of radioactiveatoms in the interior of the Earth 2. most geological process operate at very slow rates 3. the Big Bang theory of the universe indicates that theEarth, galaxy and universe have existed for an infinite longtime in the past and will exist for an infinite long time in thefuture 4. the rate of geological time change varies in directproportion to the mean global temperature of the Earth |
2. most geological process operate at very slow rates |
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Which technique for calculating when the Earth formed as aplanet is the most accurate in determining a numerical agefor the Earth? 1. Comparison of fossils found in sedimentary rocks. 2. Comparison of different minerals present in layers of rock. 3. Analysis of the amount and types of carbon present inrocks. 4. Analysis and measurement of the ratios of uranium andlead isotopes present in rocks. |
4. Analysis and measurement of the ratios of uranium andlead isotopes present in rocks. |
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In radiometric dating we are measuring the: 1. time the mineral formed 2. time when the mineral was exposed on the surface of theEarth 3. time When the radiogenic isotopes (atoms) were formed 4. time of formation of the Earth and solar system |
1. time the mineral formed |
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Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock? 1. A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometrical, internalarrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified orconsolidated aggregate of rocks. 2. A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in ageometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms arerandomly bonded without any geometric pattern. 3. In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular,repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified orconsolidated aggregate of different mineral grains. 4. A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometricallypredictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidatedaggregate of different rock particles. |
3. In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular,repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified orconsolidated aggregate of different mineral grains. |
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Atoms of an element with an electrical charge are ____ andatoms of an element with different number of neutrons in thenucleus are ____ . 1. conductors; resistors 2. ions; isotopes 3. ions; polymorphs 4. isotopes; ions |
2. ions; isotopes |
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The difference between ionic and covalent bonds is_______. 1. ionic bonds are when atoms are attracted electrostatically dueto like charges; covalent bonds are when atoms share thesame nucleus 2. ionic bonds are when atoms are attracted electrostatically dueto positive and negative charges; covalent bonds are whenatoms share the same electron(s) 3. covalent bonds are when atoms are attracted electrostaticallydue to positive and negative charges; ionic bonds are whenatoms share the same electron(s) 4. ionic bonds are when atoms share the same electron(s);covalent bonds are when atoms are attracted electrostaticallydue to positive and negative charges |
2. ionic bonds are when atoms are attracted electrostatically dueto positive and negative charges; covalent bonds are whenatoms share the same electron(s) |
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Which of the following describes best the difference betweenmagma and lava? 1. Upon eruption at the Earth surface, magma becomes lavaand flows on the surface. 2. Magma is liquid rock that comes out onto the seafloor, lava isliquid rock that comes out onto continents. 3. Lava is magma that has remained inside a volcano for oneyear or longer. 4. If liquid rock contains no crystals or dissolved gases, it ismagma; if it contains crystals and gases, it is lava. |
1. Upon eruption at the Earth surface, magma becomes lavaand flows on the surface |
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Why do magmas rise toward Earth's surface? 1. Magmas are more viscous than solid rocks in the crust andupper mantle. 2. Most magmas are richer in silica than crust and upper mantlerocks. 3. Magmas are mainly liquid and contain dissolved fluids suchas water and are less dense than the adjacent solid rock. 4. All of the above. |
3. Magmas are mainly liquid and contain dissolved fluids suchas water and are less dense than the adjacent solid rock. |
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Lava flows are typically finer grained than intrusive igneousrocks. Why? 1. Intrusive magma is cooler because it is well insulated by thesurrounding rock. 2. Intrusive magma flows onto the Earth's surface and coolsvery slowly, allowing many small mineral grains to grow. 3. The extrusive magma cools quickly so the mineral grains donot have time to grow. 4. The extrusive magma, because it is deep below the surface,cools very slowly producing very small mineral grains. |
3. The extrusive magma cools quickly so the mineral grains donot have time to grow. |
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What is the most important factor for whether magma coolsslowly or quickly? 1. Pressure of the environment: higher P = slower magmacooling 2. Pressure of the environment: lower P = slower magmacooling 3. The presence or absence of volatiles (gases): less gases =slower magma cooling 4. The presence or absence of volatiles (gases): more gases =slower magma cooling 5. Temperature of the environment: higher T = slower magmacooling 6. Temperature of the environment: lower T = slower magmacooling |
5. Temperature of the environment: higher T = slower magmacooling |
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Which of the following rocks is likely to have the most quartzwithin it and why? 1. Granite; intrusive rock that formed from cooling of relativelyhigh silica magma. 2. Diorite; intrusive rock that formed from the cooling of relativelyintermediate silica magma. 3. Granite; intrusive rock that formed from cooling of relativelyintermediate silica magma. 4. Basalt; extrusive rock that formed from cooling of relativelyhigh silica lava. |
1. Granite; intrusive rock that formed from cooling of relativelyhigh silica magma. |
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In which of igneous rocks and environments would youexpect to find unusually high concentrations of rare elementssuch as lithium, beryllium, and boron and very large crystals? 1. Basalt dike; fills a vertical fracture at shallow depth. 2. Pumice lump; crystallized at depth in a mass of intrusivegranite. 3. Peridotite; crystallized at depth in the upper mantle. 4. Pegmatite; crystallized from a water-rich, highly differentiated,residual magma. |
4. Pegmatite; crystallized from a water-rich, highly differentiated,residual magma. |
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What is a difference between a caldera and a crater? 1. A caldera is a large depression bored out by a meteor impactinto a volcano, whereas a crater is a relatively smalldepression bored out by the eruptive explosion of a lava-filledvolcano. 2. A caldera is a large depression caused by collapse after alarge-scale eruption, whereas a crater is a small, steep-sided,volcanic depression bored out by an eruptive event. 3. A caldera is a relatively small depression bored out by theeruptive explosion of a viscous lava-filled volcano, whereas acrater is bored out by a meteor impact into a volcano. 4. A caldera is a small, steep-sided, volcanic depression boredout by an eruptive event, whereas a crater is a largedepression caused by collapse after a large-scale eruption. |
2. A caldera is a large depression caused by collapse after alarge-scale eruption, whereas a crater is a small, steep-sided,volcanic depression bored out by an eruptive event. |
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The 1991 Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines causedbrilliantly colored sunrises and sunsets to be seen for thenext few years. What caused this phenomenon? 1. The eruption added large amounts of carbon dioxide to theatmosphere. 2. The eruptive cloud destroyed parts of the Earth's protectiveozone layer. 3. Radioactive atoms blown into the atmosphere glowed red asthey decayed. 4. Sulfur dioxide and other erupted gases formed aerosols in thestratosphere. |
4. Sulfur dioxide and other erupted gases formed aerosols in thestratosphere. |
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How is magma produced from rising mantle rock along mid-oceanridges? 1. The rock heats up and expands at lower pressures, causing itto liquefy. 2. Temperatures remain high as lowered pressures decreasemelting temperatures. 3. The lowered pressures cause rapid heat loss accompaniedby melting. 4. None of the above. |
2. Temperatures remain high as lowered pressures decreasemelting temperatures. |
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Why would a plume of solid silicate rock rising slowly fromdeep in the mantle begin melting as it neared the base of thelithosphere? 1. The rock heats up and expands at lower pressures, causing itto liquefy. 2. Temperatures remain high as lowered pressures decreasesthe temperature needed to melt the rock. 3. The lowered pressures cause rapid heat loss accompaniedby melting. 4. None of the above. |
2. Temperatures remain high as lowered pressures decreasesthe temperature needed to melt the rock. |
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If a rising mass of solid silicate rock produces magma bypartial melting, we can expect that a sinking rock mass will: 1. experience less melting during sinking as pressure increases 2. melt rapidly as pressure increases 3. melt completely as temperature increases 4. Not melt at all and become rigid and brittle |
1. experience less melting during sinking as pressure increases |
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Which of the following sedimentary rocks would you expectto have originally been deposited in a channel by fast-movingstream flow? 1. mudstone 2. reef limestone 3. siltstone 4. conglomerate |
4. conglomerate |
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Fossiliferous limestone is most likely to form in what type ofdepositional environment? 1. rivers and streams 2. shallow, clear, marine waters 3. deep, marine waters on the abyssal floor 4. acidic, organic-rich waters in freshwater swamps and bogs |
2. shallow, clear, marine waters |
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If shale is such a common rock in the sedimentary rockworld, why isn't it as prominently exposed at the surface assandstone? 1. Shale crumbles easily and the clays swell, causing increasedweathering, whereas sandstone resists weathering moreeffectively.2. Shale resists weathering more effectively, whereas sandstonecrumbles easily, causing increased mechanical weathering. 3. Shale has easily broken, highly reactive minerals, whereassandstone has harder-to-break minerals. 4. Shale dissolves in water, whereas sandstone dissolves only ifenough carbonic acid is present in the water. |
1. Shale crumbles easily and the clays swell, causing increasedweathering, whereas sandstone resists weathering moreeffectively. |
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Which of the following illustrates the use of“uniformitarianism” (presented in Chapter 1) in determiningthe origin of a flat bedded quartz sandstone? 1. Layers of quartz-rich sand are found in deserts, so the ancientquartz sandstone must be a desert dune deposit 2. Layers of quartz-rich sand on modern beaches are identical inmineral composition and sedimentary structures to layers in a 10million-year-old sandstone, suggesting the environment of sandaccumulation 10 million years ago was a beach 3. Layers of sand-size quartz are precipitated in magma chambers,indicating the quartz sandstone is an igneous rock 4. Quartz-rich sand today occurs on the weathered tops of graniteintrusions, so the quartz sandstone is an ancient regolith and soildeposit |
2. Layers of quartz-rich sand on modern beaches are identical inmineral composition and sedimentary structures to layers in a 10million-year-old sandstone, suggesting the environment of sandaccumulation 10 million years ago was a beach |
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Which are the most important physical processes ofmechanical weathering? 1. frost wedging, biological activity, dissolution2. dissolution, thermal expansion, biological activity, hydrolysis 3. exfoliation, frost wedging, hydrolysis 4. frost wedging, unloading expansion, thermal expansion,biological activity |
4. frost wedging, unloading expansion, thermal expansion,biological activity |
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An igneous mineral that is most easily destroyed by chemicalweathering on the Earth surface is: 1. olivine 2. Jade 3. muscovite mica 4. quartz |
1. olivine |
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A mineral that dissolves during exposure to rainwater is: 1. calcite 2. Diamond 3. mica 4. quartz |
1. calcite |
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Which best describes the “soil profile” and its relevance toweathering? 1. Soil-forming processes occur from the bottom-up. Thiscauses vertical variations in soil composition, texture,structure, and color. 2. Soil-forming processes occur from top-down. This causesvertical variations in soil composition, texture, structure, andcolor. 3. Soil-forming processes occur in single layers at a time. Thiscauses each layer to appear differently in composition,texture, structure, and color. 4. Soil-forming processes occur laterally in the same layer, sodifferent vertical profiles allows geologists to determine thatvariation from place to place. |
2. Soil-forming processes occur from top-down. This causesvertical variations in soil composition, texture, structure, andcolor. |
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Why is the humus layer typically thicker in a cool, temperate,forest soil than in a tropical rainforest soil? 1. Less humus is produced in the tropical rainforest because theB horizon is so poorly developed. 2. Humus produced in cool, temperate forests is preservedbecause the rate of decay and oxidation is slower than in atropical rainforest. 3. More humus is produced in the tropical rainforest, but it isquickly washed away by the heavy rains. 4. In a tropical rainforest, the forest-floor litter is often burnedduring the dry season. |
2. Humus produced in cool, temperate forests is preserved because the rate of decay and oxidation is slower than in a tropical rainforest. |
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Which statement best describes slumping, a mass wastingprocess? 1. A block of weak rock or soil material that slides downhill alonga curved slip surface. 2. Blocks of hard bedrock rapidly slide downhill along fracturesurfaces. 3. Soil and regolith that move downhill very slowly. 4. A mass of soil or regolith that becomes saturated with waterand suddenly flows downhill to the base of the slope. |
1. A block of weak rock or soil material that slides downhill along a curved slip surface. |
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Of the following, which one would most likely be triggered byan earthquake? 1. mudflow 2. rock avalanche 3. slump 4. soil creep |
2. rock avalanche |
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Which mass wasting process has the slowest rate ofmovement? 1. mudflow 2. rock avalanche 3. slump 4. soil creep |
4. soil creep |
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Foliation in a metamorphic rock is the result of: 1. formation of a series of parallel fractures and cracks in therock 2. parallel alignment of platy and elongate crystals in the rock 3. random orientation of crystals in a rock 4. rotation of minerals to align themselves parallel to themagnetic field |
2. parallel alignment of platy and elongate crystals in the rock |
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Which rock that forms the best rock cleavage and why? 1. slate – the grains are so small and so well intergrown that therock is very strong and breaks along planes of fine micas. 2. schist – the grains are too coarse and intergrown withporphyroblasts. 3. gneiss – the grains have a preferred orientation and spliteasily along the mineral bands. 4. quartzite – the grains are equidimensional, so they have nodiscernable foliation for breaking. |
1. slate – the grains are so small and so well intergrown that therock is very strong and breaks along planes of fine micas. |
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In which setting would regional metamorphism be mostlikely? 1. at shallow depths below an oceanic ridge or rift zone 2. at shallow depths along major transform faults in thecontinental crust 3. at great depths in the crust where two continents are colliding 4. at shallow depths beneath the seafloor where waterpressures are immense |
3. at great depths in the crust where two continents are colliding |
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In which setting would hydrothermal metamorphism be mostlikely? 1. at great depths along subduction zones 2. at great depths in the crust where two continents are colliding 3. at shallow depths within a mid-oceanic ridge4. at very great depths within the upper mantle below mid-oceanridges |
3. at shallow depths within a mid-oceanic ridge |
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Graphite is identified in a schist sample. Which one of thefollowing conclusions is justified? 1. The rock also contains diamonds; both are crystalline formsof the element carbon. 2. The schist formed from a quartz-rich, sedimentary limestone. 3. The graphite lubricated shearing movements along a fault,causing a schist to form. 4. The pre-metamorphic rock contained much organic matter. |
4. The pre-metamorphic rock contained much organic matter. |
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Why do “new” minerals that did not exist in the “parent rock”form during metamorphism of a rock (e.g., garnet in schist)? 1. “new” T and P conditions cause alteration and destruction ofthe rock’s minerals and “new” minerals are washed into therock by streams flowing over the land 2. “new” T and P conditions cause a change in the stabilityconditions for minerals in the rock, allowing new minerals toform 3. changes in T and P conditions do not cause changes in thestability in the rock’s minerals 4. alteration of the rock removes some minerals, leaving a fewresistant minerals and concentrating rare minerals that showup as “new” minerals |
2. “new” T and P conditions cause a change in the stability conditions for minerals in the rock, allowing new minerals to form |
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During metamorphism, what is the major effect of chemicallyactive fluids? 1. increase the pressures in deeply buried, regional metamorphiczones 2. aid in the movement of dissolved silicate constituents andfacilitate growth of the mineral grains 3. prevent partial melting so solid rocks can undergo very hightemperature regional metamorphism 4. facilitate the formation of schistosity and gneissic banding inhornfels and slates |
2. aid in the movement of dissolved silicate constituents and facilitate growth of the mineral grains |
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A deeply eroded, structural basin would exhibit____________. 1. outcrops of the oldest strata in the center of the basin 2. strata oriented in roughly circular, outcrop patterns 3. strata dipping outward away from the center of the basin 4. older strata at the edges of a basin dip away from a central,horizontal, fold axis |
2. strata oriented in roughly circular, outcrop patterns |
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Jointing in rocks is characterized by ____________. 1. closely spaced, parallel faults along which the blocks havemoved in opposite directions 2. structures formed where normal and reverse faults intersect 3. the hinge lines connecting two limbs of an anticline orsyncline 4. roughly parallel fractures separating blocks that show nodisplacement |
4. roughly parallel fractures separating blocks that show nodisplacement |
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A syncline is a ____________. 1. fold in which the stata dip away from the axis2. fold with only one limb 3. fold in which the strata dip towards the axis 4. fold characterized by recumbant limbs |
3. fold in which the strata dip towards the axis |
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Unlike other structures, where do most joints form, and why? 1. In the outermost crust where tensional and shearing stressescause brittle deformation. 2. In the middle crust where tensional and compressional stresscause ductile deformation. 3. In the innermost crust where compressional and shearingstresses cause ductile deformation. 4. In association with convergent plate boundaries wherecompressional shearing stresses cause brittle deformation. |
1. In the outermost crust where tensional and shearing stresses cause brittle deformation. |
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How is “brittle” deformation different from “ductile”deformation, and why? 1. brittle deformation causes rocks to be transported on faultsand folds, whereas ductile deformation involves elastic andrecoverable strain only. 2. brittle deformation is very similar to ductile deformation exceptfor the elastic strain energy found in rocks that haveundergone brittle deformation. 3. brittle deformation occurs in rocks that are hotter and underhigh pressures causing them to shatter, whereas ductiledeformation occurs at low temperature and low pressureswhere rocks can flow. 4. brittle deformation occurs in rocks at low pressures that arecolder and prone to breakage, whereas ductile deformationoccurs in rocks under high pressures at high temperaturewhere energy is higher and rocks can flow. |
4. brittle deformation occurs in rocks at low pressures that are colder and prone to breakage, whereas ductile deformation occurs in rocks under high pressures at high temperature where energy is higher and rocks can flow. |
