Geology Questions
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Which of the following factors is typically NOT used to classify slope failures? A. whether the material involved is rock or is unconsolidatedB. the rate of movementC. the climate in which the failure occursD. the mechanism by which material moves
How does the character of a rock influence weathering A. fractures and other discontinuities block the entry of water into a rock and so make the rock more resistant to weatheringB. minerals that are soluble can be dissolved and deposited and so are resistant to weatheringC. rocks that are broken have more surface area and so weather fasterD. rocks that are easily weathered and eroded generally form steep cliffsE. none of the above
How do waves propagate across the water? A. the wave moves forward but water moves in a circular motionB. water near the surface moves more than water at depthC. water within the wave travels as far as the wave doesD. all of the aboveE. a and b only
High tides are higher than average and low tides are lower than average when: A. the Moon and the Sun are aligned relative to the EarthB. it is a full moonC. it is a new moonD. heat from the Sun and Moon work together to increase sea temperaturesE. a, b, and c only
Which of the following most likely indicates that sea level has risen relative to the land? A. offshore sand bars that have become coastal dunesB. the presence of coral reefs on landC. wave-cut notches and platforms that are above sea levelD. marine terracesE. an irregular coastline with branching estuaries and embayments
Why are the patterns showing the age of the seafloor symmetrical in the Atlantic Ocean but not the Pacific Ocean? A. spreading along the Atlantic ridge added seafloor to plates on both sidesB. subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the PacificC. subduction has consumed large areas of old oceanic crust in the AtlanticD. none of the aboveE. both a and b
Which environment is most likely to deposit a breccia? A. sand dunesB. braided riverC. meandering riverD. debris flowE. glacier
What are some uses of magnetic reversals? A. matching the patterns of reversals in a rock sequence to the magnetic time scaleB. studying magnetic stripes on the seafloorC. calculating rates of seafloor spreadingD. all of the aboveE. a and b only
Which of the following is NOT involved in turning some sediments into sedimentary rock? A. burialB. compactionC. cementationD. metamorphismE. all of the above are involved
Which of the following is characteristic of a regression? A. the seas move out, uncovering more landB. sand dunes and river sediments can be deposited over marine depositsC. marine sedimentary facies move toward the landD. all of the aboveE. a and b only
Which of the following are ways that viscosity affects gases in magma? A. viscous magma prevents gas from escaping easilyB. gas builds up in viscous magma and can cause explosive eruptionsC. less viscous magma allows gas to escape, which can lead to very explosive eruptionsD. all of the aboveE. a and b only
If a rock is poorly sorted, this means the rock contains: A. mostly sandB. a great variety of rock types as clastsC. some angular and some rounded clastsD. some parts that are reddish and others that are notE. a wide range in the size of clasts
Which of the following is a good interpretation of the environmental significance of an attribute of a sedimentary rock? A. red rocks typically form in deep oceansB. thick bedding implies rapidly changing conditionsC. fossils indicate that a sediment was deposited in waterD. graded beds indicate that the strength of the current decreased through timeE. none of the above
Which of the following can we understand by studying sedimentary rocks? A. how environments shifted in location through timeB. past changes in climateC. past events, such as landslides and earthquakesD. migration of deserts and advances of the seaE. all of the above
What types of rocks would be most common in a composite volcano? A. scoria and other vesicular basaltB. basalt mostly formed in lava flowsC. felsic and intermediate lava flows and tephraD. pillow basaltsE. none of the above
Which of the following is NOT a type of carbonate rock? A. limestoneB. travertineC. dolostoneD. shaleE. a rock formed from a coral reef
Which of the following is least likely to be a volcano? A. a vent where magma and other volcanic material is eruptedB. a hill with a crater formed at the site of an eruptionC. a hill capped by volcanic rocksD. a fissure that erupts hot, molten lavaE. a mountain that erupts only volcanic ash
What tectonic setting is interpreted to be the cause of volcanism at Yellowstone? A. subduction along the coast of the Pacific NorthwestB. magma that is coming up along a bend in a transform faultC. movement of North America over a mantle plumeD. a large meteorite impact that struck the area 100 years ago
Which of the following is a process for making sediment? A. physical weathering, such as frost wedgingB. physical weathering, where fluffy bunnies burrow into rockC. chemical weathering, such as mineral dissolutionD. all of the aboveE. a and b only
Hazards associated with basaltic lava flows and eruptions are: A. burial of roads and neighborhoods by lava flowsB. house firesC. floods from catastrophic melting of iceD. all of the aboveE. a and b only