Q&A Hero

Q: The subfield of geography and geology concerned with the study of the origins, evolutions, form, and spatial distribution of the Earth's landforms is A) geophysics. B) lithology. C) geomorphology. D) Pedology.

Q: Which of the following is incorrectly matched? A) endogenic internal processes B) exogenic external processes C) radioactive decay heat exogenic energy source D) weathering exogenic breaking and dissolving the crust

Q: Describe the endogenic and exogenic processes involved in the geologic cycle.

Q: Diagram and label the three types of plate boundaries.

Q: What is the relationship between seafloor spreading and reversals in the Earth's magnetic field?

Q: Describe the important aspects of the formation and breakup of Pangaea.

Q: Briefly review the history of the theory of plate tectonics. What was Alfred Wegener's role? What evidence did he present? Why was his theory not widely accepted initially? What new evidence led to its later acceptance?

Q: Describe the three basic rock types, how each are formed, and subcategories of each.

Q: Which part of Earth is primarily responsible for Earth's magnetic field? Why? What are the characteristics of magnetic reversals? How often do they occur? When will the next one occur, and what will happen when it does?

Q: Draw or verbally depict a cross-section of Earth from the center to the surface including all of its major components. Include important physical characteristics, such as the thickness of the layer, the nature of the rock, approximate temperature, density, and mineral types.

Q: Present the main assumptions of uniformitarianism.

Q: Humans can contribute to both the endogenic and exogenic processes shape the Earth.

Q: The geologic cycle is powered both by exogenic and endogenic energy systems.

Q: Transform plate boundaries are associated with earthquake activity.

Q: Convergent plate boundaries occur in areas of seafloor spreading.

Q: The deepest places in the ocean are those in which rifting occurs.

Q: Though the Earth is 4.6 billion years old, the oldest seafloor is no more than 280 million years old.

Q: Evidence of reversals in the Earth's magnetic field is found along areas of seafloor spreading.

Q: Ocean floor is destroyed along transform faults.

Q: Earthquake and volcanic occurrences do not correlate well with crustal plate boundaries.

Q: New oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges.

Q: The continents of the words were once connected, forming a supercontinent called Pangaea.

Q: Rock assemblages from the east coast in South America and west coast of Africa provide supporting evidence of the theory of plate tectonics.

Q: Alfred Wegner's theory of continental drift was immediately accepted by the scientific community when it was proposed.

Q: The arrangement of continents is permanent with only minor changes wrought by crustal movement (e.g. earthquakes.)

Q: The rock cycle is fueled both by the hydrologic cycle and the tectonic cycle.

Q: Any rock, either igneous or sedimentary, may be transformed into a metamorphic rock, by going through profound physical and/or chemical changes under increased pressure and temperature.

Q: Most sedimentary rocks are derived from preexisting rocks, or from organic materials (such as bone and shell).

Q: Contact metamorphism involves changes in the texture and minerology of a rock caused by the extreme heat and pressure of intruding magma.

Q: Sedimentary rock may be formed from the shells of organisms containing calcium carbonate.

Q: The formation of clastic sedimentary rock may involve weathering, erosion, transportation, and deposition.

Q: An intrusive igenous rock has finer crystal grains than an extrusive igeneous rock.

Q: Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust.

Q: Roughly 95% of the Earth's crust is made up of silicates.

Q: A mineral can be either organic or inorganic.

Q: The principle of isostasy refers to the vertical movement of Earth's crust in response to loading and unloading of weight, such as ice or sediment.

Q: The crust is thickest under mountains and thinnest under the oceans.

Q: Just eight natural elements make up over 98% of the Earth's crust by weight.

Q: The upper mantle is rigid, whereas the aesthenosphere is plastic-like.

Q: The lithosphere lies above the aesthenosphere.

Q: The mantle represents 80% of the Earth's volume.

Q: The Moho separates the uppermost mantle from the crust.

Q: The Moho separates the outer core from mantle.

Q: The inner core is liquid iron, surrounded by a solid iron outer core.

Q: The core comprises 1/3rdof the Earth's mass, but only 1/6th of its volume.

Q: Earth's magnetic field has reversed nine times in the last four million years.

Q: Earth's magnetic field is generated from within the uppermost mantle and crust.

Q: The Earth's interior composition has been inferred by the use of seismic waves.

Q: Scientists have direct evidence of the Earth's internal structure down to upper mantle.

Q: According to currently accepted scientific theories, Earth is never affected by catastrophes.

Q: The half-life of a radioactive isotope does not vary.

Q: The relative age of geologic features is ascertained through the use of radiometric dating.

Q: Major events in Earth's history, such as major extinctions, determine the boundaries between the intervals in the geologic time scale.

Q: The geological time scale uses equal intervals for dividing the Earth's long history in a series of eons, eras, periods, and epochs.

Q: Uniformitarianism holds that all geologic change affecting Earth's surface requires immense amounts of time to occur.

Q: Uniformitarianism assumes the physical processes now activity have been operating throughout the Earth's history.

Q: The oldest rocks on Earth are between 3.96 and 4.3 billion years old.

Q: Exogenic processes cause warping, folding, faulting, and uplift of Earth's surface.

Q: Endogenic processes cause warping, folding, faulting, and uplift of Earth's surface.

Q: The North Magnetic Pole is moving northwest at approximately 55 to 60 km (34-37 mi) per year.

Q: True north is a fixed geographic point.

Q: In terms of human-environment interaction, which of the following is an example of an anthropogenic endogenic process contributing to the geologic cycle?A) strip miningB) harnessing geothermal energy for electricity developmentC) injection wells contributing to earthquake activityD) rock removal for building contributing to land slides

Q: In terms of the geologic cycle, which of the following is not an exogenic process? A) weathering B) erosion C) deposition D) subduction

Q: The three principal cycles composing the geologic cycle include all the following except A) hydrologic cycle. B) biogeochemical cycle. C) tectonic cycle. D) rock cycle.

Q: The geologic cycle is fueled by A) solar energy. B) the Earth's internal heat. C) both solar energy and the Earth's internal heat. D) neither solar energy and the Earth's internal heat.

Q: Which of the following is not correct? A) The Hawai'ian island chain will subduct in approximately 40 my. B) The newest Hawai'ian island, Lo'ihi, should reach the surface in around 10,000 years. C) Measured from the sea floor to its summit, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on Earth. D) The formation of the island of Hawaii took less than 1 my.

Q: The Hawai'ian Islands were formed as a result of A) a rising plume of magma from the mantle. B) an oceanic-oceanic plate collision. C) a continental-oceanic plate collision. D) activity along a mid-ocean ridge.

Q: Which of the following is not correct regarding geothermal energy? A) It is the product of exogenic processes. B) It's in use in Iceland, Japan, and California. C) Used geothermal water can be returned to aquifers via injection wells. D) It can be used to produce both heat and electricity.

Q: Plate boundaries are associated with A) earthquakes. B) volcanoes. C) subduction. D) rifting. E) All of these are correct.

Q: ________ are sites of upwelling of magma from the mantle independent of plate boundaries. A) Hot spots B) Subduction zones C) Transform faults D) Mid-ocean ridges

Q: Transform faults along plate boundaries are typically associated with A) sea-floor spreading centers. B) subduction zones. C) volcanism. D) earthquake activity.

Q: Areas where plates slide past one another, usually are right angles to a seafloor spreading are A) divergent boundaries. B) areas of seafloor spreading. C) transform boundaries. D) convergent boundaries.

Q: Divergent plate boundaries are characteristic of A) sea-floor spreading centers. B) collision zones between plates. C) transform plate boundaries. D) all plate boundaries.

Q: Areas of upwelling material from the mantle to form new seafloor occur along A) divergent boundaries. B) areas of seafloor spreading. C) transform boundaries. D) convergent boundaries.

Q: Convergent plate boundaries are characteristic of A) sea-floor spreading centers. B) collision zones between plates. C) lateral motions of plates. D) all plate boundaries.

Q: Areas of crustral collision and subduction occur along A) divergent boundaries. B) areas of seafloor spreading. C) transform boundaries. D) convergent boundaries.

Q: The lowest features on the Earth's surface coincide with A) subduction zones. B) mid-oceanic ridges. C) transform plate boundaries. D) divergent plate boundaries.

Q: The process whereby one portion of the lithosphere beneath another and dives downward into the mantel is called A) rifting. B) subduction. C) compression. D) isotaic uplift.

Q: Mid-ocean ridges occur where A) plates are moving apart (diverging). B) plates are converging. C) plates are sliding past one another (transform boundaries). D) the geographic middle of an ocean basic occurs.

Q: The oldest seafloor is a no more than 280 million years in old because A) Earth is only 280 million years old. B) the ocean floor is pushed up onto continental material during plate collisions. C) the ocean floor subducts during plate collisions. D) hot spots continuously destroy the ocean floor.