Deck 15: The Rock Cycle

Question 1

The metamorphosis of limestone may produce

A)marble.
B)sandstone.
C)slate.
D)granite.

Answer 1

marble.

Question 2

The dark-colored silicate minerals all contain

A)iron.
B)sulfur.
C)calcium.
D)aluminum.

Answer 2

iron.

Question 3

A mineral never found in igneous rocks is

A)quartz.
B)feldspar.
C)mica.
D)calcite.

Answer 3

calcite.

Question 4

A mineral that does not contain silicon is

A)feldspar.
B)calcite.
C)quartz.
D)mica.

Question 5

An example of a light-colored, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock is

A)granite.
B)shale.
C)gneiss.
D)basalt.

Question 6

The rapid cooling of lava on the earth's surface produces a rock characterized by

A)fine mineral grains.
B)coarse mineral grains.
C)soft mineral grains.
D)foliation.

Question 7

The metamorphosis of shale may produce

A)marble.
B)sandstone.
C)slate.
D)granite.

Question 8

Quartz is

A)a variety of feldspar.
B)a variety of white mica.
C)composed of calcium carbonate.
D)composed of silicon dioxide.

Question 9

Which one of the following statements concerning minerals is not true?

A)Each mineral has crystals of a distinctive shape.
B)Minerals are crystalline solids.
C)Minerals have specific chemical compositions.
D)Most of the known minerals are common in nature.

Question 10

The light-colored silicate minerals all contain

A)iron.
B)sulfur.
C)calcium.
D)aluminum.

Question 11

Mica is present in

A)marble.
B)chert.
C)basalt.
D)gneiss.

Question 12

An example of a dark, fine-grained volcanic rock is

A)granite.
B)slate.
C)gneiss.
D)basalt.

Question 13

Feldspar is

A)relatively rare in the earth's crust.
B)the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust.
C)composed of calcium carbonate.
D)composed of silicon dioxide.

Question 14

A general characteristic of igneous rocks is

A)fine gains.
B)coarse grains.
C)random arrangement of grains.
D)grains arranged in layers.

Question 15

The tendency of certain minerals to split along particular planes is called

A)foliation.
B)faulting.
C)cleavage.
D)gneiss.

Question 16

The two most abundant elements in the earth's crust are

A)aluminum.
B)carbon.
C)oxygen.
D)silicon.
E)Both C and D

Question 17

Below a thin sedimentary layer, the ocean floors consist of

A)basalt.
B)granite.
C)marble.
D)chert.

Question 18

The clay minerals occur in the form of

A)large crystals easily split into sheets.
B)large, hard crystals.
C)long, narrow crystals.
D)soft, tiny crystals.

Question 19

Igneous rocks have been formed by

A)cooling from a molten state.
B)precipitation from solution.
C)the alteration of other rocks by heat.
D)the alteration of other rocks by pressure.

Question 20

A rock that does not consist chiefly of calcite is

A)limestone.
B)chert.
C)chalk.
D)marble.

Question 21

Most earthquakes are caused by shifts of rocks along faults

A)on the earth's surface.
B)in the crust.
C)in the mantle.
D)in the core.

Question 22

Which one or more of the following statements apply to earthquake P waves?

A)They are back-and-forth vibrations like sound waves.
B)They are transverse vibrations like waves in a taut string.
C)They travel in straight lines through the earth's interior.
D)They can pass through the earth's core.
E)Both A and D

Question 23

A moraine is a pile of rock debris left by a

A)river.
B)waterfall.
C)glacier.
D)volcano.

Question 24

Among the reasons why the earth's core is believed to consist mainly of molten iron is (are)

A)the density of iron.
B)the electrical conductivity of iron.
C)the relative abundance of iron in the universe.
D)that earthquake S waves do not pass through the core.
E)All of the above

Question 25

Temperatures inside the earth

A)are constant below the crust.
B)increase with depth.
C)decrease with depth.
D)vary constantly.

Question 26

Most crustal rocks

A)were formed from compacted sediments.
B)were formed from chemical or biochemical precipitates.
C)solidified from a molten state.
D)were metamorphosed by heat and pressure under the earth's surface.

Question 27

Which one or more of the following statements apply to earthquake S waves?

A)They are back-and-forth vibrations like sound waves.
B)They are transverse vibrations like waves in a taut string.
C)They travel in straight lines through the earth's interior.
D)They can pass through the earth's core.

Question 28

The chief source of the energy that powers geological processes today is

A)the sun.
B)heat left over from the earth's formation.
C)electric currents in the earth's core.
D)radioactivity in the earth's interior.

Question 29

An earthquake occurs far from an observing station.

A)The last waves to arrive are P waves.
B)The last waves to arrive are S waves.
C)The last waves to arrive are surface waves.
D)All the waves arrive at the same time.

Question 30

Coral reefs are composed of

A)granite.
B)shale.
C)quartzite.
D)limestone.

Question 31

The volume of the earth's core is

A)less than 1/5 of the earth's volume.
B)about 1/3 of the earth's volume.
C)about 1/2 of the earth's volume.
D)about 3/4 of the earth's volume.

Question 32

Each step of 1 on the Richter scale of earthquake magnitude corresponds to a change in energy release of a factor of about

A)2.
B)30.
C)100.
D)1000.

Question 33

Most mechanical weathering is the result of

A)the freezing of water in crevices in rock.
B)the growth of plant roots.
C)wave action.
D)rain.

Question 34

Rivers produce which one or more of the following?

A)alluvial fans
B)till
C)deltas
D)water tables
E)Both A and C

Question 35

The earth's crust

A)has an approximately constant thickness of about 100 m.
B)has an approximately constant thickness of about 5 km.
C)has an approximately constant thickness of about 35 km.
D)varies in thickness from about 5 km under the oceans to about 35 km under the continents.

Question 36

Earthquakes are least likely to occur

A)in California.
B)along the west coast of South America.
C)in Japan.
D)in Russia.

Question 37

Earthquakes often occur in regions where

A)the mantle reaches the surface.
B)the oceans are deepest.
C)glaciers are found.
D)volcanoes are found.

Question 38

A stream's ability to transport debris depends on all of the following except the

A)stream's slope.
B)volume of water that flows.
C)amount and kind of debris.
D)water temperature.

Question 39

The earth's magnetic field probably originates in

A)electric currents in the core.
B)magnetized iron in the core.
C)magnetized iron minerals in the mantle.
D)magnetized iron minerals in the crust.

Question 40

Of the following rocks, the least resistant to chemical weathering is

A)limestone.
B)slate.
C)chert.
D)quartzite.

Question 41

Material deposited by groundwater in cracks in rocks forms

A)veins.
B)dikes.
C)batholiths.
D)stalactites.

Question 42

The number of volcanoes active today is about

A)50.
B)500.
C)50,000.
D)500,000.

Question 43

Stalactites are found hanging from

A)the roofs of limestone caves.
B)the ends of glaciers.
C)water tables.
D)alluvial fans.

Question 44

Glaciers produce which one or more of the following?

A)U-shaped valleys
B)V-shaped valleys
C)batholiths
D)caves

Question 45

Magma is

A)molten rock underground.
B)molten rock on the surface.
C)hardened lava.
D)formed by the lintification of clay.

Question 46

The greatest amount of freshwater is found in

A)groundwater.
B)the atmosphere.
C)lakes and rivers.
D)ice caps and glaciers.

Question 47

Volcanic gases do not include

A)hydrogen.
B)carbon dioxide.
C)ozone.
D)water vapor.

Question 48

A wall of igneous rock that cuts across existing rock layers might consist of

A)marble.
B)slate.
C)granite.
D)mica.

Question 49

On a worldwide basis, glaciers carve landscapes

A)to a smaller extent than streams.
B)to about the same extent as streams.
C)to a greater extent than streams.
D)only during the ice ages.

Question 50

An aquifer is

A)a river or stream on the surface.
B)an underground stream.
C)a water table.
D)a body of porous rock that contains groundwater.

Question 51

Most caves are due to

A)gas bubbles in volcanic deposits.
B)rapid cooling of molten rock.
C)the solvent action of groundwater.
D)erosion by running water.

Question 52

The most common volcanic rock is

A)pumice.
B)obsidian.
C)andesite.
D)basalt.

Question 53

Batholiths are not

A)very large plutons.
B)associated with mountain ranges.
C)formed by precipitation from groundwater.
D)largely granite.