Deck 12: Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Question 1

Hydrocarbons are chain-like or ring-like molecules made of carbon and ____________ atoms.

A) helium
B) oxygen
C) water
D) hydrogen

Answer 1

D

Question 2

According to the figure below,the most common source of energy use in the United States in 2000 was ____________.

A) oil
B) natural gas
C) coal
D) wind and running water

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT an important type of oil trap?

A) salt dome
B) syncline
C) stratigraphic
D) anticline

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Chemically,oil and gas are both ____________.

A) pure forms of carbon
B) evaporite minerals
C) hydrocarbons
D) carbonate minerals

Question 5

A permeable and porous rock,regardless of lithology,is a good candidate to serve as a ____________ in an oil-producing scenario.

A) reservoir rock
B) seal rock
C) source rock

Question 6

A commercially viable oil deposit must include a source rock,a reservoir rock,a seal rock,and a ____________.

A) fracture system connecting the reservoir rock to the Earth's surface so that the oil can move freely upward
B) filter rock, between the source and the reservoir rock, to remove impurities
C) heater rock, beneath the source rock, to heat the oil and give it buoyancy
D) trap that prevents the oil from reaching the Earth's surface

Question 7

A body of rock in which oil is formed is termed a ____________.

A) reservoir rock
B) seal rock
C) source rock

Question 8

Which of the following lists contains only fossil fuels?

A) coal, oil, natural gas
B) coal, geothermal, wind
C) coal, wood, natural gas
D) hydroelectric, geothermal, wind

Question 9

What effect would the intrusion of a magma body have on the depth to the "oil window",and why?

A) None.
B) The depth to the oil window should increase because the magma is migrating upward and thereby decreasing crustal pressures
C) The depth to the oil window should decrease because the magma is bringing heat closer to Earth's surface.
D) The depth to the oil window should increase because the water in the magma will cool the nearby rock.

Question 10

Matter that stores energy in a readily usable form is termed ____________.

A) antimatter
B) fuel
C) nuclear
D) radioactive

Question 11

Examine the figure below.When did the combined use of both oil and natural gas begin to nearly steadily increase beyond about 1 billion barrels equivalent?

A) 1900
B) 1920
C) 1950
D) 1965

Question 12

Nearly all of the minerals that are commercially exploited are either native metals or ore minerals.

Question 13

According to this figure,the greatest depth at which oil is found is ____________.

A) about 4 km below the surface
B) about 6 km below the surface
C) about 9 km below the surface
D) at the base of the lithosphere

Question 14

A black,organic-rich shale could likely serve as either of which two necessary types of rocks within oil fields?

A) source rock or seal rock
B) reservoir rock or seal rock
C) source rock or reservoir rock

Question 15

Organic matter builds up evenly in sediments over the entire ocean floor.

Question 16

Look at the figure below.
Which of the following would NOT result from increased burial temperature of hydrocarbon molecules?

A) causing molecules to react and become larger
B) causing molecules to contain fewer atoms
C) eventually destroying them, leaving only carbon
D) driving all the carbon off, eventually leaving only hydrogen

Question 17

An impermeable rock is most likely to be which of these?

A) reservoir rock
B) seal rock
C) source rock

Question 18

Examine the table below.Which nation is consuming the greatest fraction of its oil reserves each year?

A) Saudi Arabia
B) China
C) Qatar
D) the United States

Question 19

Most of the hydrocarbons within oil and natural gas are derived from the breakdown of organic matter from dead ____________.

A) dinosaurs
B) plankton
C) terrestrial plants
D) mammals

Question 20

The oil window (temperature range wherein organic matter is converted to petroleum hydrocarbon without destroying it)lies between ____________.

A) 30°C and 60°C
B) 100°C and 250°C
C) 90°C and 160°C
D) 200°C and 350°C

Question 21

If drilling encounters both oil and natural gas within a single interval,the ____________.

A) gas will float on top of the oil
B) oil will float on top of the gas
C) gas and oil will be thoroughly mixed together
D) gas will exist in a dissolved state within the oil

Question 22

Which sequence of coal ranks is listed in order from lowest to highest energy content?

A) anthracite, bituminous, lignite
B) lignite, bituminous, anthracite
C) bituminous, lignite, anthracite
D) bituminous, anthracite, lignite

Question 23

Is oil or natural gas more likely to be present at the greatest depths within Earth,and why?

A) oil, because it is more stable at high temperatures
B) oil, because it is more stable at low pressures
C) gas, because it is more stable at high temperatures
D) gas, because it is more stable at low pressures

Question 24

____________ are NOT an example of alternative hydrocarbon sources.

A) Methane hydrates
B) Peat bogs
C) Oil shales
D) Tar sands

Question 25

Most of the world's coal was deposited in coal swamps during the ____________.

A) Cretaceous
B) Ordovician
C) Carboniferous
D) Jurassic

Question 26

Shale,salt,and fine-grained limestone that are unfractured are all good candidates for ____________.

A) reservoir rocks
B) seal rocks
C) source rocks
D) either source rocks or reservoir rocks

Question 27

If a sedimentary basin is tectonically subsiding,how would the depth of the oil window be affected,and why?

A) The depth of the oil window would decrease because hot fluids produced from diagenesis of basin sediments would increase hydrocarbon temperatures.
B) The depth of the oil window would increase because fluids produced from diagenesis of basin sediments would prevent or buffer any rise of hydrocarbon temperatures.
C) The depth of the oil window would decrease because the basin bottom would be closer to the mantle and heat of Earth's outer core.
D) The depth of the oil window would increase because the geothermal gradient in the subsiding basin would lead to cooler rocks being found at greater depths.

Question 28

____________ create(s)an easy route for oil or gas to travel to a well.

A) Hydrofracturing
B) Seismic-reflection
C) Drilling mud
D) Pumps

Question 29

Tar has a lower viscosity than gasoline.

Question 30

Hydrocarbons consisting of short carbon chains are ____________.

A) more volatile than hydrocarbons with longer chains
B) more viscous than hydrocarbons with longer chains
C) typically stable in a solid state at room temperatures
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 31

The figure below shows close-up views of two sand deposits that have differing degrees of cementation.Which explanation about how increased cementation of the clasts would affect the ability of oil to flow to a well does NOT make sense?

A) It would slow down the flow of oil to the well because the passages are on average less connected.
B) It would slow down the flow of oil to the well because the passages are on average narrower.
C) It would have no effect if there are sufficient, interconnected fractures in the rock (though not visible in the figures).
D) It would speed up the flow of oil to the well because flow through narrower passages will generate more friction and thereby heat the oil and decrease its viscosity.

Question 32

Natural gas ____________.

A) consists of longer carbon chains as compared to oil
B) is less common than oil at higher temperatures
C) is produced at higher temperatures than oil
D) is produced at higher temperatures than graphite

Question 33

In tar sand,microbes have biodegraded larger molecules,leaving smaller molecules.

Question 34

Which organic substance is produced by black organic shales at temperatures below the oil window?

A) natural gas
B) coal
C) kerogen
D) keratin

Question 35

Most coal forms in ____________,which develop and preserve the thick sedimentary sequences necessary for deep burial.

A) domes
B) basins
C) shields
D) active margins

Question 36

Coal is the altered remains of ancient ____________.

A) dinosaurs
B) plankton
C) terrestrial plants
D) mammals

Question 37

____________ is/are an example of alternative hydrocarbon sources.

A) Gas hydrate
B) Tar sands
C) Oil shale
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 38

Graphite forms from natural gas as well as coal when temperatures rise.What does this imply?

A) Coal and natural gas molecules decompose to carbon and other matter when temperature rises.
B) Coal and natural gas molecules are transformed by neutron bombardment into carbon.
C) The precursors of natural gas and coal were graphite or other pure carbon.
D) Coal and natural gas must be less dense than graphite.

Question 39

Coal and metal ore deposits deeper than 100 m below the ground surface are usually mined with which technique?

A) underground mining
B) strip mining

Question 40

The primary reasons that no more than 30% of the oil contained within most reservoirs is recovered are the viscosity of the oil and "patchy" (irregular)or low permeability.Which pair of techniques listed below would probably best increase the percentage of oil recoverable from a reservoir?

A) injecting water into the reservoir, and hydraulically fracturing it
B) adding weight to the ground surface to compress the reservoir, and applying greater suction to the pumps on the oil wells
C) applying greater suction to the pumps on the oil wells and fracturing the reservoir
D) hydraulically fracturing the aquifer and injecting steam into it

Question 41

Mineral-rich veins within or near plutons,deposited in fractures by hot groundwater,characterize ____________.

A) hydrothermal deposits
B) placer deposits
C) residual mineral deposits
D) sedimentary deposits

Question 42

There are no significant mineral reserves within sedimentary rocks.

Question 43

In what kind of terrain would you expect to find a placer deposit?

A) dry lake bed
B) mountain peak
C) ocean floor
D) streambed

Question 44

Aluminum is made by processing material excavated from____________ deposits.

A) residual mineral
B) placer
C) hydrothermal
D) magmatic

Question 45

According to the table below,the world's oil reserves are likely to be depleted in about ____________ years.

A) 10
B) 40
C) 4,000
D) 600,000

Question 46

Which type of ore is most commonly concentrated in magmatic deposits?

A) oxides
B) sulfides
C) native metals
D) copper ores

Question 47

____________ is/are harnessed from the potential energy of water.

A) Hydroelectric power
B) Solar energy
C) Biofuels
D) Hydrologic energy

Question 48

The first ores that were widely smelted by humans to produce metal were those of ____________.

A) bronze
B) copper
C) gold
D) iron

Question 49

Which of these materials is used in making glass?

A) salt
B) granite
C) limestone
D) sand

Question 50

Which of the factors listed below does NOT hinder using geothermal energy to provide most of society's electrical needs?

A) Groundwater is not available in all places, to capture and carry heat to the surface.
B) Magma is found in the shallow crust in only limited areas of the planet.
C) Rocks rarely have sufficient permeability to allow flow of groundwater.
D) Electrical transmission lines cannot carry electricity generated at geothermal power plants.

Question 51

The "energy footprint" and annual CO₂ emission of building,power plants,and other infrastructure are normally estimated only for the lifetime of operation,and do not include the cost of building and later removing (or recycling)the building,power plant,and so on.If the cost to construct and remove/recycle such facilities were also included in estimating the "energy footprint" and annual CO₂ emissions of a proposed nuclear power,which of these factors would NOT change the resulting calculation?

A) mining, refining, and transporting uranium ore to the plant each time the core 'bundle' needed change-out
B) emissions and energy consumption of the plant during the period of its operation
C) the cost to deconstruct, haul away, or decontaminate and recycle the materials of the power station after it had been shutdown
D) the cost to manage, haul away, and safely store or recycle the used reactor core rods.

Question 52

U-235,the isotope of uranium that is essential for operating nuclear power plants,is ____________.

A) the most common of the naturally occurring isotopes of uranium
B) heavier than the other well-known isotope of uranium
C) so rare even in uranium oxide deposits that uranium ore must be processed to enrich the proportion of U-235 to all uranium
D) created by "breeder reactors" as well as produced during nuclear (atomic bomb) explosions

Question 53

Which of these geologic phenomena would a modern mineral prospector use to search for a large deposit of sulfide or minerals within a magmatic body?

A) areas of earthquake wave attenuation
B) the concentration of aluminum in soils of the area
C) indications of recent hydrothermal activity
D) locally stronger gravity because of denser minerals

Question 54

MVT (Mississippi Valley-type)deposits are secondary enrichments primarily of ____________ and ____________.

A) gold; silver
B) tin; aluminum
C) copper; bronze
D) lead; zinc

Question 55

Which property of magmatic ore deposits causes them to be concentrated by magmas?

A) low temperatures of crystallization
B) high temperatures of crystallization
C) low density
D) high density

Question 56

The stereotypical gold rush prospector panning for gold in streambeds is mining ________.

A) magmatic deposits
B) placer deposits
C) residual mineral deposits
D) sedimentary deposits

Question 57

Which ore minerals are abundant in sedimentary rocks that are approximately two billion years old?

A) copper sulfides
B) aluminum oxides
C) iron oxides
D) copper oxides

Question 58

Which of the following is a renewable resource?

A) coal
B) oil
C) wind
D) natural gas

Question 59

Look at the figure below.What problem might occur during the long-term operation of a geothermal power plant?

A) The groundwater flowing to the geothermal well would dissolve rock, creating solution features within the bedrock.
B) The groundwater flowing to the geothermal well would deposit-out (precipitate) minerals, decrease the permeability of the rock formation, and decrease the flow of water to the well.
C) The groundwater flowing to the geothermal well would fill the well with placer deposits.
D) The groundwater available to flow to the geothermal well would eventually be used up, and the geothermal well would cease providing hot water to the plant

Question 60

In the figure below,why would the densest clasts probably be at the bottom of the river channel?

A) Denser clasts are larger and are therefore found at the river bottom.
B) Denser clasts roll (due to landslides, etc.) further into the river and so are most common in the middle of the channel.
C) Denser clasts require more energy to move and so are deposited first, into flood-scoured channels when waters begin to slow.
D) Denser clasts are more magnetic and weak molecular forces cause them to "stick" to water molecules.

Question 61

Mining metallic minerals usually produces sulfur-rich acidic wastes.You learned earlier in this course that calcite (CaCO₃)reacts with acids to neutralize them.Based on this,what material could you apply to the acidic surface or groundwater drainage near a metallic ore body or mine,to neutralize its acidity?

A) gypsum
B) limestone or marble
C) salt
D) any foliated metamorphic rock

Question 62

A drawback to mining sulfides is the risk of ____________.

A) underground fires
B) tunnel collapse
C) "rock bursts"
D) acid mine runoff

Question 63

Stone is typically broken into slabs and blocks through the use of ____________.

A) mechanical splitting and chiseling
B) abrasion
C) heat
D) All of the above are correct.

Question 64

Which mineral is used in making cement?

A) sulfur
B) gypsum
C) zinc
D) limestone

Question 65

The United States government tracks the consumption of metals deemed "strategic" to our society,industry,and defense,and compares their consumption against the resources of those ores within the United States.Based on the chart below,what resources should U.S.geologists be exploring for?

A) iron and lead
B) iron, copper, and lead
C) zinc and gold
D) platinum, nickel, cobalt, manganese, and chromium

Question 66

Which mineral resources are considered renewable?

A) base metals only
B) nonmetallic minerals only
C) iron and aluminum ores
D) No mineral resources are renewable.

Question 67

In the figure below,which is NOT a reason for the oil to migrate to the Earth's surface?

A) It is hot and flows upward because of its temperature.
B) It is lighter than any groundwater, and so it will rise through groundwater.
C) There is nothing that looks like a trap rock above it, to prevent it from rising.
D) It is under pressure and migrates upward toward lower pressure.

Question 68

If additional ore resources are not discovered and rates of ore consumption remain the same,in about how many years will most of the resources listed here be exhausted?

A) 10 to 20 years
B) 30 to 80 years
C) 80 to 200 years
D) more than 200 years from now

Question 69

Blocks of rock used in construction are termed ____________.

A) dimension stone
B) gemstone
C) ore
D) lodestone

Question 70

Concrete is ____________.

A) synonymous with the term cement
B) synonymous with the term Portland cement
C) a combination of cement, sand, and gravel
D) powdered rock of any lithology mixed with water and allowed to set overnight