Deck 14: Geology and Earth Resources

Question 1

The continents are the lightest part of Earth's crust.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Smelting is a major source of air pollution which involves

A) washing ores at high pressure to release metals.
B) roasting ores to release metals.
C) mechanically removing metals from ores.
D) None of these choices are correct

Answer 2

roasting ores to release metals.

Question 3

Earth's largest mountains are found

A) under the sea.
B) in the Indian subcontinent.
C) forming the mountainous backbone of western South America.
D) in the western U.S. and Canada.

Answer 3

under the sea.

Question 4

Iron and aluminum are examples of minerals based on their unique crystal structure.

Question 5

Mechanical weathering changes both the physical and chemical composition of rocks.

Question 6

Recycling aluminum beverage cans

A) consumes more energy than making new aluminum.
B) consumes 1/20 of the energy required to make new aluminum.
C) is not effective because only 1/10 of all beverage cans are recycled.
D) None of these choices are correct

Question 7

Converting raw ore into products such as aluminum, steel, and copper requires ________ energy than/as producing these materials from scrap.

A) much more
B) somewhat more
C) about the same amount of
D) less

Question 8

The most common element in the earth's crust is

A) iron.
B) oxygen.
C) nickel.
D) aluminum.

Question 9

In the diagram, the mantle is labeled as

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 10

Which of the following statements is false?

A) Earthquakes occur along faults
B) Tsunamis are generally caused by volcanic eruptions
C) The largest North American earthquake in recorded history occurred in Missouri
D) Human activities can trigger earthquakes

Question 11

In the diagram, the densest part of the Earth is labeled as

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 12

Forces of weathering are most directly responsible for __________ rocks.

A) sedimentary
B) igneous
C) metamorphic

Question 13

Volcanoes move material from earth's mantle to Earth's crust.

Question 14

A lesson from the Ducktown, Tennessee mining experience is that mineral exploitation can

A) produce great wealth but at great social and environmental cost.
B) be done in an environmentally sound way.
C) significantly improve the health of local people.
D) actually enhance the biotic resources of a region.

Question 15

In the diagram, the semisolid part of the Earth is labeled as

A) A
B) B
C) C
D) D
E) E

Question 16

Underground coal mines have a high risk of fires, which can burn for many years.

Question 17

Rocks formed from solidified magma are known as ________ rocks.

A) sedimentary
B) igneous
C) metamorphic

Question 18

Existing U.S. mining law is based on legislation passed in 1872.

Question 19

Landslides and mudslides are examples of

A) mass wasting.
B) geologic processes in which materials are moved downslope by force of gravity.
C) geologic processes that only occur after volcanic eruptions.
D) mass wasting and geologic processes in which materials are moved downslope by force of gravity.

Question 20

Using recycled materials utilizes about as much energy as required to process virgin ore.

Question 21

Water, wind, and glaciers are examples of forces that cause

A) Chemical weathering
B) Mechanical weathering
C) Abrasion
D) Sedimentation
E) Metamorphosis in rocks

Question 22

The fundamental characteristic(s) that distinguish(es) a mineral is/are its _______.

A) Grain size
B) Crystal structure only
C) Organic materials.
D) Chemical composition only
E) Chemical composition and its crystal structure

Question 23

_______ is an example of an igneous rock.

A) Basalt
B) Shale
C) Marble
D) Sandstone
E) Limestone

Question 24

The word "igneous" comes from a Latin word meaning

A) Water
B) Fossil
C) Sediment
D) Fire
E) Compressed

Question 25

Crude oil is derived from____________.

A) Vast forests
B) Phytoplankton and algae
C) All plant matter
D) Lava

Question 26

The selective removal or alteration of specific components of a rock that leads to its weakening is called

A) The rock cycle
B) Sedimentation
C) Chemical weathering
D) Mechanical weathering
E) Abrasion

Question 27

A break or weakness in the continuity of the crust of the Earth is called a ________.

A) Fault
B) Subduction zone
C) Volcano
D) Tectonic plate

Question 28

Which of the following statements regarding tectonics is true?

A) Because of tectonic movements, Europe and Africa are drifting slowly toward the Americas
B) When continental plates collide with continental plates, both plates usually subside
C) When oceanic plates collide with continental plates, the continent usually rides up over the seafloor
D) Because of tectonic movements, California is slowly increasing in size
E) When oceanic plates collide with continental plates, the oceanic plate usually rides up over the continental plate

Question 29

The "ring of fire" is the source of more earthquakes and volcanic activity than any other place on earth. What causes the ring of fire?

A) The subduction of Pacific plates under continental plates
B) The drift of Europe and Africa away from the Americas
C) The collision of two continental plates
D) Mid-oceanic ridges
E) The conduction currents in the hot magma

Question 30

The physical breakdown of a rock into smaller pieces is called

A) The rock cycle
B) Sedimentation
C) Chemical weathering
D) Mechanical weathering
E) Abrasion

Question 31

Which of the following is NOT a major type of rock?

A) Sedimentary
B) Metamorphic
C) Igneous
D) Bituminious

Question 32

A mineral is composed of

A) Other minerals
B) Noncrystalline elements
C) Inorganic elements
D) A metal and a crystal
E) Organic material

Question 33

Rock formed from magma extruded to the surface through volcanic vents is classified as

A) Sedimentary
B) Igneous
C) Metamorphic
D) Weathered rock
E) Lava

Question 34

Coal is derived from __________ compressed and hardened over millennia.

A) Vast forests
B) Lava
C) Phytoplankton
D) Plant material from swamps

Question 35

The basic material of rocks is a cohesive group of

A) One or more minerals
B) Any noncrystalline elements
C) One or more inorganic elements
D) A metal and a crystal
E) One or more organic elements

Question 36

Subduction is the process of a tectonic plate

A) Falling freely into the mantle
B) Being forced below another plate
C) Melting without moving
D) Sliding alongside another plate
E) Being sucked into the outer core

Question 37

________ in the mantle and core make tectonic plates move.

A) Conduction movements
B) Earthquakes
C) Radioactive decay
D) Convection currents
E) Concurrent currents

Question 38

The fundamental characteristic(s) that distinguish(es) a mineral is/are its

A) Chemical composition
B) Crystal structure
C) Organic materials
D) Grain size
E) Chemical composition and its crystal structure

Question 39

Which of the following bodies of water is growing due to tectonic movement?

A) Pacific Ocean
B) Atlantic Ocean
C) Black Sea
D) Indian Ocean
E) None of these are growing

Question 40

Rocks are classified according to their

A) Chemical composition
B) Physical properties
C) Internal structure
D) Mode of formation
E) All of these are correct

Question 41

In terms of mineral resources, recycling is ________ as raw materials become more _______ and ________ are more plentiful.

A) Slowly increasing; scarce; wastes
B) Slowly decreasing; scarce; environmental laws
C) Quickly increasing; expensive; environmental laws
D) Quickly decreasing; scarce; wastes
E) Staying about the same; expensive; environmental laws

Question 42

The metal(s) that is/are most important in global economies is/are

A) Marble
B) Cadmium
C) Halite
D) Iron
E) All are important metals in the global economy

Question 43

What gas is released in the process of smelting?

A) Carbon monoxide
B) Chlorine
C) Sulfur dioxide
D) Ammonia
E) Carbon dioxide

Question 44

Sinkholes and caverns can be produced by

A) Chemical weathering
B) Mechanical weathering
C) Abrasion
D) Plant growth and soil acidity
E) The loss of plant roots in the soil

Question 45

Heap-leach extraction removes gold from ore by

A) Pouring gravel into holding tanks
B) Spraying cyanide on a pile of ore gravel
C) Roasting ore to release the gold
D) High-pressure spraying of ore
E) Digging the gold out of the mountains

Question 46

The continental crust of the earth is thicker and lighter than the oceanic crust.

Question 47

Placer mining involves washing metals, minerals, and the gemstones from streambeds with a water cannon.

Question 48

Where do the toxic gases and leachates come from that are the result of mining for gold?

A) Sulfur compounds in the ore
B) Chlorine compounds in the ore
C) Carbon compounds in the ore
D) Cyanide used in the operation of mining for the gold
E) Heavy metals used in the operation of mining for the gold

Question 49

Rocks are _______ in the process called the rock cycle.

A) Moved from place to place
B) Incorporated into living organisms
C) Broken down and re-formed
D) Cycled through the core and mantle
E) Cycled through the crust and core

Question 50

______________ can lead to mass wasting.

A) Clearcutting on steep slopes
B) Building on the flood plain
C) Building flood walls for flood control
D) The overuse of our natural resources
E) All of these are practices that can lead to mass wasting

Question 51

A giant sea swell known as a tsunami is caused by

A) Typhoons
B) Earthquakes
C) Lunar gravity
D) Unusual tides combined with seasonal storms
E) A strong wave during an exceptionally high tide

Question 52

Salts such as halite are often produced as ____________ deposits.

A) Sedimentary
B) Igneous
C) Metamorphic
D) Mechanical weathering
E) Glacial

Question 53

A major environmental implication of the quest for more gold at lower concentrations in the ore compared to higher concentrations is that

A) About the same amount of toxic gas is released from digging out the gold
B) Less waste rock is produced
C) Less material has to be moved to get to the gold
D) More carbon dioxide is released as the gold is mined
E) More material has to be moved to get to the gold

Question 54

_______ is an example of metamorphic rock.

A) Basalt
B) Shale
C) Marble
D) Sandstone
E) Granite

Question 55

On average, it takes ______________ energy to produce steel from scrap metal compared to the energy of producing steel from raw ore.

A) About half as much
B) About twice as much
C) About one-twentieth as much
D) About the same
E) Slightly more

Question 56

Metamorphic rocks are produced when rocks are

A) Chemically weathered
B) Recrystallized by heat and pressure
C) Physically broken down
D) Melted in the mantle and recrystallized
E) Recrystallized through chemical processes

Question 57

Smelting ore, as in Ducktown, Tennessee, releases toxic chemicals in the form of

A) Gases, from baked ore
B) Liquids, from leaching processes
C) Dust, from grinding ore gravel
D) Solids, in the form of toxic waste
E) All of these are correct

Question 58

It takes _______________ energy to recycle waste aluminum (e.g., beverage cans) compared to the energy of extracting new aluminum from bauxite.

A) About half as much
B) About twice as much
C) About one-twentieth as much
D) About the same
E) Slightly more

Question 59

The biggest risk to communities surrounding mountain top removal is ___________.

A) infiltrating water flows through the rock debris and picks up toxic metals and chemicals, taking them to drinking water supplies.
B) the pure ugliness of a reclaimed mountain
C) plants are difficult to regrow on the tops of reclaimed mountains
D) landslides

Question 60

Reclamation of strip-mined land is difficult chiefly because

A) Nobody can afford the minimum reclamation costs of about $1000 per acre
B) Topsoil is mixed up and buried so topsoil must take time to develop again for plants to grow
C) There is no legal enforcement
D) No plants will grow in the spoil banks formed by the heavy load of dangerous chemicals
E) There are no subsidies that exist for mining, unlike other resource-based industries

Question 61

Fires are a major environmental risk of underground coal mines.

Question 62

Draw a diagram of the rock cycle. Be sure to include the following terms: igneous rocks, magma, metamorphic rocks, sedimentary rocks, sedimentation, weathering, heat, and pressure.

Question 63

The substitution of new materials (plastics, etc.) leads to reduced consumption of the mineral and metal resources.

Question 64

Earthquakes do not occur in the center of continents, only along the edges of tectonic plates.