Q&A Hero

Q: The fundamental silicon-oxygen compound is silicon dioxide, which is also called _____________.

Q: The study of minerals is called ______________.

Q: ______________ is the study of planet Earth.

Q: The Mohs scale is based on how many minerals? A) 8 B) 10 C) 12 D) 15

Q: Sediments are classified according to the source of their constituents into two main groups. One is chemical. What is the other? A) Physical B) Clastic C) Detrital D) Inorganic

Q: Which of the following is not one of the major types of metamorphism? A) Contact B) Fold C) Shear D) Regional

Q: Which of the following is not a metamorphic rock? A) Sandstone B) Schist C) Slate D) Marble

Q: Four kinds of metamorphism are A) contact, thermal, hydrothermal, and regional. B) thermal, shear, hydrothermal, and dynamic. C) contact, shear, hydrothermal, and regional. D) dynamic, contact, hydrothermal, and thermal.

Q: The most violent volcanic eruption in recorded history was that of A) Paracutin. B) Mount Saint Helens. C) Tambora. D) Mount Pele.

Q: A volcano with a high, steep slope is a A) composite volcano. B) stratovolcano. C) shield volcano. D) cinder cone.

Q: A volcano with a low, gently sloping profile is a A) composite volcano. B) stratovolcano. C) shield volcano. D) cinder cone.

Q: Crater Lake, atop Mount Mazama in Oregon, occupies a volcanic A) caldera. B) fissure. C) vent. D) fumarole.

Q: Which of the following volcanoes is in the United States? A) Paracutin B) Surtsey C) Mount Pele D) Mount Saint Helens

Q: What type of volcano forms a layered, composite cone? A) Fumarole B) Cinder cone C) Stratovolcano D) Shield volcano

Q: Which of the following is not a volcano or the result thereof? A) A batholith B) A mountain peak that spews lava C) A cinder cone D) A caldera

Q: Which of the following is not one of the three basic types of materials emitted when a volcano erupts? A) Lava B) Breccia C) Gas D) Pyroclastics

Q: The metamorphosis of limestone leads to A) marble. B) slate. C) schist. D) gneiss.

Q: Metamorphism occurs for which class of rocks? A) Metamorphic only B) Sedimentary only C) Igneous only D) All of the above

Q: New rocks that have had their original form altered by heat and pressure, but without melting, are classified as A) sedimentary. B) metamorphic. C) igneous. D) all of these.

Q: Which of the following rocks is a sedimentary rock? A) Slate B) Granite C) Marble D) Conglomerate

Q: Which of the following rocks is not a sedimentary rock? A) Shale B) Sandstone C) Marble D) Conglomerate

Q: An example of a sedimentary rock is A) granite. B) gneiss. C) gabbro. D) shale.

Q: Chemical sedimentary rocks are classified into what two categories? A) Organic and inorganic B) Fine and coarse C) Intrusive and extrusive D) Concordant and discordant

Q: Which of the following classes of rock is most likely to contain fossils? A) Igneous B) Foliated C) Metamorphic D) Sedimentary

Q: The process of transforming sediment into sedimentary rock is called A) lithification. B) striation. C) metamorphism. D) hardening.

Q: Plutons are A) bodies of intrusive igneous rocks. B) solids made of tephra. C) active volcanoes. D) extinct volcanoes.

Q: Which igneous rock has light color (high silica content) and large grains (coarse texture)? A) Gabbro B) Granite C) Rhyolite D) Basalt

Q: Which igneous rock has dark color (low silica content) and small grains (fine texture)? A) Gabbro B) Granite C) Rhyolite D) Basalt

Q: Which of the following is not an igneous rock? A) Andesite B) Granite C) Gneiss D) Basalt

Q: An example of igneous rock is A) marble. B) shale. C) slate. D) granite.

Q: Rocks that formed from the cooling of molten material are classified as A) discordant. B) metamorphic. C) sedimentary. D) igneous.

Q: The Columbia Plateau in the northwestern United States is an example of a(n) A) flood basalt. B) batholith. C) monolith. D) sill.

Q: Volcanoes that explode violently tend to have magmas of A) high temperature and low silica content. B) high temperature and high silica content. C) low temperature and low silica content. D) low temperature and high silica content.

Q: That each successive layer of sediments is deposited on top of the previous layer, and hence is younger than the lower layer, is a statement of the A) theory of plate tectonics. B) principle of superposition. C) concept of uniformitarianism. D) law of catastrophism.

Q: The existence of the Ring of Fire is best explained by the A) theory of plate tectonics. B) principle of superposition. C) concept of uniformitarianism. D) law of catastrophism.

Q: The largest plutons are called A) sills. B) dikes. C) laccoliths. D) batholiths.

Q: Beneath Earth's lithosphere is a semimolten layer known as the A) divergent boundary. B) asthenosphere. C) batholith. D) flood basalt.

Q: The deflection of one lithospheric plate beneath another plate with which it is colliding is called A) subduction. B) superposition. C) cross-cutting. D) plutonic movement.

Q: Molten rock material on Earth's surface is called A) magma. B) lava. C) pluton. D) silica.

Q: Molten rock material beneath Earth's surface is called A) magma. B) lava. C) silica. D) pluton.

Q: The most common rocks in Earth's crust are A) sedimentary. B) metamorphic. C) igneous. D) lava.

Q: The most common rocks on Earth's surface are A) discordant. B) concordant. C) metamorphic. D) sedimentary.

Q: Which of the following statements isfalse? A) Sills are discordant rock bodies. B) Sills are formed from magma. C) Sills are tabular in shape. D) Sills consist of intrusive igneous rock.

Q: Which of the following statements is false? A) Dikes are discordant rock bodies. B) Dikes are formed from magma. C) Dikes are tabular in shape. D) Dikes consist of extrusive igneous rock.

Q: Igneous rock that formed on Earth's surface by solidification of lava is known as A) extrusive rock. B) intrusive rock. C) metamorphic rock. D) silicate rock.

Q: Igneous rock that formed below Earth's surface by solidification of magma is known as A) extrusive rock. B) intrusive rock. C) metamorphic rock. D) silicate rock.

Q: Another name applied to the grain size in a rock is A) specific gravity. B) porosity. C) texture. D) streak.

Q: The interrelationship among the processes that produce the three classes of rock is referred to as A) the rock cycle. B) the bedding principle. C) the principle of cross-cutting relationships. D) metamorphism.

Q: Which of the following is not one of the types into which rocks are classified? A) Igneous B) Orthoclase C) Metamorphic D) Sedimentary

Q: Rocks are classified into three types on the basis of their A) process of formation. B) age. C) geographic origin. D) color.

Q: The most abundant rocks in Earth's crust are the A) sulfides. B) oxides. C) carbonates. D) silicates.

Q: The study of rocks is called A) petrology. B) mineralogy. C) paleontology. D) geology.

Q: James Hutton formulated the concept of A) catastrophism. B) superposition. C) plate tectonics. D) uniformitarianism.

Q: Which of the following scientists is generally designated "the father of geology"? A) Friedrich Mohs B) James Hutton C) Alfred Wegener D) Edwin Hubble

Q: A cohesive aggregate of one or more minerals is called a A) crystal. B) gem. C) silicate. D) rock.

Q: The brilliancy of a gem is a function of its A) index of refraction. B) index of reflection. C) size. D) luster.

Q: A mineral that has a vitreous luster looks A) glassy. B) metallic. C) earthy. D) pearly.

Q: The color of the powder of a mineral is known as the mineral's A) index of refraction. B) hardness. C) specific gravity. D) streak.

Q: Which mineral is a hard and brittle silica that shows conchoidal fracture? A) Feldspar B) Quartz C) Calcite D) Mica

Q: Which of the following is not one of the most common nonsilicate groups of minerals? A) Sulfides B) Oxides C) Chlorides D) Carbonates

Q: Orthoclase and plagioclase are the two main types of A) silica. B) feldspars. C) calcite. D) sulfides.

Q: Rhombohedral cleavage is displayed by the mineral named A) quartz. B) fluorite. C) calcite. D) hematite.

Q: The term hardness refers to the ability of a mineral to A) resist scratching. B) break along definite smooth planes. C) break into equal-sized halves. D) scratch other minerals.

Q: The term cleavage refers to the tendency of some minerals to A) resist scratching. B) break along definite smooth planes. C) break into equal-sized halves. D) scratch other minerals.

Q: Which of the following is not generally used in mineral identification? A) Size B) Cleavage C) Specific gravity D) Color

Q: If iron floats in liquid mercury, then the specific gravity of iron is A) less than that of mercury. B) greater than that of mercury. C) about equal to that of mercury. D) in no way related to that of mercury.

Q: A common scale for denoting a mineral's hardness is the A) Ores scale. B) Mohs scale. C) Homs scale. D) Ohms scale.

Q: Silicates A) are minerals. B) contain silicon and oxygen. C) consist of tetrahedra. D) all of the above.

Q: The sedimentary rock known as ______________ consists of angular pebbles cemented together by silica, calcium carbonate, or iron oxide. A) conglomerate B) breccia C) limestone D) shale

Q: The sedimentary rock known as ______________ consists of rounded pebbles cemented together by silica, calcium carbonate, or iron oxide. A) conglomerate B) breccia C) limestone D) shale

Q: The sedimentary rock known as ______________ consists of deposits of calcium carbonate (calcite). A) coal B) sandstone C) limestone D) lodestone

Q: Rocks formed from consolidated sediment deposited in layers are known as _____________ rocks. A) crystalized B) foliated C) igneous D) sedimentary

Q: Dripstone formations that form on cavern ceilings are called _____________. A) stalactites B) stalagmites C) quartz D) feldspar

Q: Stalactites are A) Rocks solidified from molten material below ground. B) Consolidated sediment deposited in layers. C) Dripstone formations that form on cavern floors. D) Dripstone formations that form on cavern ceilings.

Q: Stalagmites are A) Rocks solidified from molten material below ground. B) Consolidated sediment deposited in layers. C) Dripstone formations that form on cavern floors. D) Dripstone formations that form on cavern ceilings.

Q: Dripstone formations that form on cavern floors are called _____________. A) stalactites B) pool stones C) stalagmites D) sedimentary

Q: The largest plutons are called ______________. A) dikes B) sills C) batholiths D) laccoliths

Q: Dikes are examples of ______________ plutons. A) discordant B) concordant C) recordant D) precordant

Q: Laccoliths and sills are examples of ______________ plutons. A) recordant B) precordant C) discordant D) concordant

Q: Intrusive igneous rock formations that cut more or less vertically across older formations are said to be ______________. A) recordant B) discordant C) concordant D) precordant