Geol 101: Physical Geology Spring 2002

EXAM 1

Write your name out in full on the scantron form and fill in the corresponding ovals to spell out
your name. Also fill in your student ID number in the space provided. Do not include the dash and
do not leave any spaces. Make sure you have all 8 pages of the exam.

There are 55 questions. For each question, select the best answer and fill in your choice on the
scantron form.

1. The science of geology involves:

A. the study of rocks

B. the study of the Earth

C. the study of the natural history of the Earth

D. the study of all the planets in the solar system

E. all of the above

2. The planets of the solar system that are geologically most similar to Earth are called the:

A. Jovian planets

B. terrestrial planets

C. plutonian planets

D. asteroids

E. gas giants

3. How long ago was the solar system fully developed?

A. 15 billion years ago

B. 4.6 billion years ago

C. 15 million years ago

D. 4.6 million years ago

E. 4,600 years ago

4. The process by which the Earth divided up into layers with different densities is called:

A. densification

B. nuclear fusion

C. the big bang

D. differentiation

E. planetary layering

5. Rock density is defined as:

A. the ratio of different minerals present

B. the resistance to flow

C. the amount of silica present

D. the mass in proportion to the volume

E. the amount of metal present

6. A rock with a density that is five times greater than the density of water would have a density
of:

A. 5 g/cm3

B. 5 kg

C. 500 g/cm3

D. 500 kg

E. water has no density

7. The lithosphere is composed of:

A. the core, mantle, and crust

B. the asthenosphere and crust

C. the inner core, outer core, and mantle

D. the crust and the upper mantle

E. the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere

8. The correct order of layers in the Earth from the surface to the center is:

A. crust, asthenosphere, lithosphere, mantle, core

B. crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere, lower mantle, outer core, inner core

C. core, mantle, crust

D. lithosphere, lower mantle, asthenosphere, outer core, inner core

E. asthenosphere, lithosphere, mantle, core

9. The layer in the Earth having the greatest density is the (1) __________. It is very dense because
it contains a lot of (2) ___________.

A. (1) crust; (2) silica

B. (1) crust; (2) silicon

C. (1) inner core; (2) iron

D. (1) inner core; (2) silica

E. all layers in the Earth have a similar density

10. The layer in the Earth with physical properties most resembling salt water taffy is the:

A. crust

B. inner core

C. outer core

D. asthenosphere

E. lithosphere

11. The principle of uniformitarianism can be simply stated as:

A. most geological principles are just wishful thinking

B. the more things change, the more they stay the same

C. nothing ever changes in geologic history

D. rocks are the same everywhere

E. the present is the key to the past

12. Which of the following statements about atoms is false?

A. atoms are only about 10-10 m across

B. atoms are the smallest particles that uniquely identify an element

C. different atoms of the same element can have different numbers of neutrons

D. the atomic number (number of protons) of an element can vary

E. isotopes are different types of atoms of the same element

13. The negatively charged particle in an atom is a/an (1) _________ and the positively charged
particle is a/an (2) ___________.

A. (1) neuron. (2) positron.

B. (1) electron. (2) proton.

C. (1) proton. (2) electron.

D. (1) negatron. (2) positron.

E. (1) muon. (2) moron.

14. An atom that loses electrons is called a/an (1) _________ whereas an atom that gains
electrons forms a/an (2) ____________.

A. (1) anion. (2) cation.

B. (1) cation. (2) anion.

C. (1) ion. (2) molecule.

D. (1) ion. (2) anion.

E. (1) cation. (2) ion.

15. If X represents a type of cation, and Y represents a type of anion with an equal but
opposite charge to X, the correct way to write out the formula of the chemical compound
produced by the bonding of X and Y is:

A. XY
B. YX

C. X2Y

D. Y2X

E. dependent on which atom is bigger

16. Atomic bonding that involves electrons being shared between atoms is called:

A. molecular bonding

B. covalent bonding

C. ionic bonding

D. metallic bonding

E. van der Waals bonding

17. Diamond is very strong because the carbon atoms in the crystal lattice are bonded together
by:

A. covalent bonds

B. ionic bonds

C. van der Waals bonds

D. polymorphs

E. willpower

18. Which of the following materials does not meet the requirement that a mineral must be
inorganically formed?

A. glass

B. quartz

C. mica

D. ice

E. coal

19. Which of the following statements about minerals is false?

A. petroleum is not a mineral because it is both a liquid and is organic

B. water is not a mineral but ice is a mineral

C. all minerals have a characteristic organized internal atomic structure

D. all minerals must have more than one element in their chemical formula

E. magma and lava are not minerals

20. The two most abundant elements in the Earths crust are:

A. oxygen and silicon

B. oxygen and nitrogen

C. oxygen and aluminum

D. silicon and hydrogen

E. silicon and iron

21. The process of atomic substitution in a mineral is when impurity atoms substitute for similar
sized atoms in the crystal lattice during growth of the mineral. The main property of the mineral
that gets affected by this phenomenon is its:

A. hardness

B. color

C. luster

D. cleavage

E. crystal form

22. The hardest known mineral is (1) _______ and the softest known mineral is (2) ________.

A. (1) quartz; (2) gypsum

B. (1) quartz; (2) talc

C. (1) corundum; (2) gypsum

D. (1) diamond; (2) talc

E. (1) diamond; (2) gypsum

23. Which mineral effervesces when hydrochloric acid is spilled on it?

A. dolomite
B. calcite

C. gypsum

D. magnetite

E. halite

24. Minerals that contain a chemical combination of silicon and oxygen are called:

A. silicates

B. non-silicates

C. carbonates

D. sulfides

E. oxides

25. About 75% of the Earths crust is made up of which two minerals?

A. plagioclase and K-feldspar

B. olivine and calcium plagioclase

C. feldspar and pyroxene

D. quartz and muscovite

E. quartz and feldspar

26. The silica tetrahedron has an ionic charge of (1) _________ because (2) ___________.

A. (1) negative-4 (2) it contains 4 oxygen atoms, each with a negative charge

B. (1) negative-2 (2) it contains 2 oxygen atoms, each with a negative charge

C. (1) positive-4 (2) it contains 4 silicon atoms, each with a positive charge

D. (1) positive-2 (2) it contains 2 silicon atoms, each with a positive charge

E. none of the above

27. Which of the following is not a type of atomic arrangement in silicate minerals?

A. single chain

B. double chain
C. triple chain

D. sheet

E. 3D framework

28. Ferromagnesian silicate minerals are usually dark-colored because they contain:

A. Si and Al

B. Si and O

C. Ca and Na

D. Fe and Mg

E. K and Mg

29. Minerals cannot form by the following process:

A. cooling of magma

B. cooling of lava

C. alteration of existing minerals

D. growth of bones in living organisms

E. by any of the criteria listed above

30. Newly discovered minerals are named:

A. after places where they were discovered

B. after people who discovered them

C. based on their chemistry

D. based on their physical appearance

E. any of the criteria listed above are okay for naming minerals

31. The amount of mineral reserve in a rock is always less than the amount of mineral resource
because:

A. the mineral reserve is the only part of the resource that gets discovered
B. it is not always economically possible to extract all of a mineral resource

C. the economic markets fluctuate

D. the mineral resource is constantly being depleted

E. mineral resources are much easier to find than mineral reserves

32. The three main classes of rocks are classified by how they formed. (1) _________ rocks form
from molten rock. (2) _________ rocks form by surface processes. (3) _________ rocks form from
existing rocks that are changed by pressure and temperature.

A. (1) igneous (2) sedimentary (3) metamorphic

B. (1) igneous (2) metamorphic (3) sedimentary

C. (1) metamorphic (2) sedimentary (3) igneous

D. (1) sedimentary (2) metamorphic (3) igneous

E. none of the above combinations

33. Molten rock inside the earth is called (1) ______ but on the surface it is called (2) ______.

A. (1) lava (2) magma

B. (1) lava (2) extrusive

C. (1) magma (2) lava

D. (1) intrusive (3) magma

E. (1) extrusive (2) intrusive

34. Rocks do not have a specific chemical formula because:

A. a rock can change its characteristics at any time

B. the density of rocks can vary dramatically with depth in the Earth

C. elements combine randomly to form minerals

D. we prefer to give rocks names that are easy to remember

E. they are a mix of different minerals, each with their own chemical formulas

35. The rate that temperature increases with increasing depth inside the earth is called:

A. the geothermal gradient

B. the isothermal gradient

C. the hydrothermal gradient

D. the mesothermal gradient

E. the density gradient

36. The inside of the earth is not completely molten (i.e. a liquid) because:

A. it never gets hot enough to melt rocks deep in the earth

B. the melting temperature of rocks is also affected by pressure and water content

C. all molten material eventually gets erupted on the surface

D. the earth would collapse in on itself if it were

E. none of the above

37. After partial melting of a rock occurs, the process whereby the melt moves away from the
remaining solid portion of the rock is called:

A. crystal settling

B. fractional crystallization

C. fractionation

D. magmatic differentiation

E. Bowens reaction series

38. The different types of magma, in order from lowest to highest silica content, are:

A. felsic, intermediate, mafic, ultramafic

B. felsic, mafic, intermediate, ultramafic

C. mafic, ultramafic, intermediate, felsic

D. ultramafic, mafic, felsic, intermediate

E. ultramafic, mafic, intermediate, felsic

39. The viscosity of lava is a measure of:

A. the temperature when melting occurs

B. the speed it flows

C. the amount of silica present in the lava

D. the ability of the lava to flow

E. the amount of dissolved gas in the lava

40. Which of the following word combinations is correct?

A. volcanic; intrusive

B. volcanic; granite

C. plutonic; intrusive

D. plutonic; extrusive

E. extrusive; igneous pluton

41. The general term for volcanic glass is:

A. pillow lava

B. volatiles

C. obsidian

D. pyroclastic material

E. phenocrysts

42. Which of the following list of minerals is in the correct crystallization order according to
Bowens Reaction Series?

A. Na-plagioclase, Ca-plagioclase, K-feldspar, quartz

B. amphibole, Ca-plagioclase, K-feldspar, muscovite mica

C. olivine, quartz, muscovite mica, amphibole

D. olivine, pyroxene, amphibole, biotite mica

E. quartz, muscovite mica, K-feldspar, Na-plagioclase

43. How many active volcanoes are there in the world?

A. around 10,000

B. around 1,500

C. around 100

D. less than 50

E. about a million

44. A type of mudflow caused by a volcanic eruption is called a:

A. pyroclastic flow

B. tsunami

C. lahar

D. lava bomb

E. debris avalanche

45. The largest and most active volcano on earth is (1) _______ and it is a (2) _________.

A. (1) Mauna Loa (2) shield volcano

B. (1) Mauna Loa (2) stratovolcano

C. (1) Mt. St. Helens (2) shield volcano

D. (1) Mt. St. Helens (2) stratovolcano

E. (1) Mt. Nyiragongo (2) shield volcano

46. Volcanoes with steep slopes that form from viscous lava are:

A. shield volcanoes

B. stratovolcanoes

C. cinder cones

D. nonexplosive

E. fissure eruptions
47. A huge vertical plume of pyroclastic material that erupts from a volcano is called a:

A. lateral blast

B. pyroclastic flow

C. lava fountain

D. Plinian column

E. cinder cone

48. After an eruption, a volcano may start to push new magma up into the crater. The evidence of
this is the development of a (1) _________, the worlds largest example of which is (2)
__________:

A. (1) caldera; (2) Crater Lake, Oregon

B. (1) cinder cone; (2) Craters of the Moon, Idaho

C. (1) lava dome; (2) Lassen Peak, California

D. (1) tuff ring; (2) Diamond Head, Hawaii

E. (1) spatter cone; (2) Mauna Loa, Hawaii

49. Which of the following statements about the eruption of Mt. St. Helens is false?

A. the eruption of Mt. St. Helens came as a complete surprise to volcanologists

B. the eruption was triggered by a gigantic landslide on the side of the volcano

C. the eruption started off as a lateral blast and then formed a Plinian column

D. Mt. St. Helens erupted in May 1980

E. the prevailing winds carried the ash eastwards across Washington and Idaho

50. The most active volcano in the Cascades is (1) __________ but the largest known eruption
that occurred in pre-historic times was the eruption of (2) __________.

A. (1) Mt. Rainier (2) Mt. St. Helens

B. (1) Mt. Hood (2) Mt. Rainier

C. (1) Mt. St. Helens (2) Mt. Mazama

D. (1) Mt. Mazama (2) Lassen Peak

E. (1) Lassen Peak (2) Mt. St. Helens

BONUS QUESTIONS

51. Lava bombs, lapilli, and ash are all types of:

A. lahars

B. cinders

C. tephra

D. obsidian

E. Reebok sports shoes

52. The type of lava that erupts at mid-ocean spreading ridges is:

A. ultramafic

B. mafic

C. intermediate

D. felsic

E. sugar-free

53. The two elements that define the range of plagioclase feldspar chemistry are:

A. Ca and Na

B. Ca and K

C. Na and K

D. Ca and Fe

E. kryptonite and uranium

54. The lava that erupted out of Mt. Nyiragongo in Africa in January flowed rapidly for many
miles, suggesting that the lava:

A. contained lots of dissolved gases

B. was not all that hot

C. had a high viscosity

D. had a low silica content

E. erupted explosively from the volcano

55. I have made sure that my name and student ID number are correctly filled in on the scantron
sheet and I will remember to hand in the scantron sheet and take the test question sheet with me
when I leave. I will check my grade on the Geol 101 website.

A. yes

B. no

C. maybe