Deck 16: Cenozoic Earth History the Paleogene and Neogene Periods

Question 1

The majority of methane hydrates are found along the eastern margin of North America.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

The San Andreas Fault system formed in response to the migration of triple junctions as the North American plate moved along the Pacific plate.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Placer gold deposits were accumulated by stream processes.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Salt domes are frequently associated with hydrocarbon deposits.

Question 5

Japan separated from mainland Asia due to spreading in a back-arc basin, which is now the Sea of Japan.

Question 6

The high altitudes of the Himalaya indicate that the crust-mantle boundary is relatively shallow in this part of the world.

Question 7

Late Cretaceous to early Paleogene coal deposits have higher sulfur content than the Pennsylvanian age deposits found in the eastern United States.

Question 8

Although the Appalachian Mountains formed during the Paleozoic Era, the present topographic features are a result of Cenozoic geologic activity.

Question 9

As lava cools and contracts, geometric columnar joints may form.

Question 10

During Basin and Range faulting, debris from uplifted blocks are deposited in adjacent basins.

Question 11

The Basin and Range Province is the site of crustal uplift and thinning.

Question 12

During the past 70 million years, India has moved south from its original position.

Question 13

Volcanic and plutonic rocks are abundant in the Andes Mountains.

Question 14

The Himalayan orogeny is the result of a collision between Africa and Eurasia.

Question 15

Oil shale is a rock that contains clay particles, carbonate minerals, and kerogen.

Question 16

The continental United States, excluding Alaska, is not presently bordered by any examples of subduction zones.

Question 17

The Himalayas are no longer tectonically active.

Question 18

The western margin of North America is an active subduction zone except for the zone along the Cascade Range, which is a transform fault boundary.

Question 19

The Himalayas have experienced extreme uplift because continental masses are too buoyant to subduct.

Question 20

The Cascade Range in North America is predominately volcanic and plutonic in character.

Question 21

Folds formed by the upward movement of salt domes are responsible for structural traps in which hydrocarbons can accumulate.

Question 22

At one point, India was moving at 15-20 cm/year. This is well within the average rate of movement for a tectonic plate.

Question 23

The orogenic event of the North American Cordillera, which began in the Late Cretaceous and extended into the Cenozoic, is the ____.

A) Laramide
B) Sevier
C) Nevadan
D) Antler
E) Caledonian

Question 24

What is an example of a continental-continental convergent plate margin?

A) Himalayas
B) Andes Mountains
C) East African Rift
D) Marianas Trench
E) Atlantic Coast of North America

Question 25

Devils Tower probably represents ____.

A) a sedimentary debris flow
B) the eroded neck of a volcano
C) vertically tilted metamorphic rocks
D) a granite batholith
E) a salt dome

Question 26

The Cascade Range is related to ____.

A) Pliocene to Recent subduction
B) Pliocene to Recent extension
C) Pleistocene to Recent glaciation
D) Basin and Range extension
E) Basin and Range subduction

Question 27

The present-day formation of the Himalayas is most like the formation of the ____ in the Late Paleozoic.

A) Appalachian mountains
B) Andes mountains
C) Cascade mountains
D) island of Japan
E) Sierra Nevada

Question 28

The present-day distribution of oceans and continents is due to ____.

A) the continuation of Mesozoic rifting of Pangaea
B) the Pleistocene Ice Age
C) an overall increase in the rate of volcanism
D) an increase in the rate of plate movement in the Cenozoic
E) a decrease in the rate of plate movement in the Cenozoic

Question 29

The Alpine orogeny was caused by the collision of ____.

A) the African plate with the Arabian Plate
B) the African plate with the Australian plate
C) Africa and Arabia with Eurasia
D) India with Asia
E) India with Africa

Question 30

Orogenic activity during the Cenozoic was concentrated in the ____.

A) Cordilleran region of North America
B) Appalachian region of North America
C) Andean region of South America
D) Himalayan region of India
E) Jura region of Spain

Question 31

The breakup of Pangaea and the formation of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans were responsible for the shrinking of the Pacific Ocean.

Question 32

The Panthalassa Ocean eventually became the present-day ____ Ocean.

A) Atlantic
B) Indian
C) Arctic
D) Pacific
E) Mediterranean

Question 33

The Columbia River volcanic field can be described as ____.

A) andesitic stratovolcanoes
B) voluminous basalt lava flows
C) voluminous rhyolite tuff eruptions
D) granite batholiths
E) layered mafic intrusions

Question 34

The Columbia River volcanic field is related to ____.

A) Miocene lava flows
B) Eocene subduction
C) a  recent mantle plume
D) Oligocene extension
E) Miocene subduction

Question 35

With the exceptions of Alaska and Hawaii, the United States has no active volcanoes.

Question 36

The Alpine orogeny resulted in the formation of which mountains?

A) Alps, Himalaya, and Atlas
B) Alps, Atlas, and Pyrenees
C) Jura, Alps, and Atlas
D) Andes, Alps, and Atlas
E) Jura, Andes, and Alps

Question 37

The periods of the Cenozoic Era, in order from oldest to youngest, are ____.

A) Paleocene, Eocene, and Pleistocene
B) Neogene, Paleogene, and Quaternary
C) Eocene, Pleistocene, and Neogene
D) Paleogene, Neogene, and Quaternary
E) Paleocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene

Question 38

What is an example of a transform plate margin?

A) Andes Mountains
B) San Andreas Fault
C) Himalaya
D) Atlantic Coast of North America
E) Cascade Ranges

Question 39

During rifting, crust becomes stretched and thinned.

Question 40

Formation of Basin and Range mountains is a result of ____.

A) thrust faulting
B) folding and faulting
C) normal faulting
D) volcanism
E) reverse faulting

Question 41

________________________ ________________________ are former water gaps where streams no longer flow.

Question 42

As you move from the Appalachian mountains towards the Atlantic Ocean, the depositional layers of sediments beneath you ____.

A) remain a constant thickness
B) gradually become thicker
C) gradually become thinner
D) rapidly become thicker
E) rapidly become thinner

Question 43

Florida is the site of active ____________________ deposition.

Question 44

A(n) ______________________________ ______________________________ forms where oil and petroleum reservoirs accumulate due to the various properties of rock layers.

Question 45

One component of oil shale is ____________________, an organic compound from which combustible gasses and liquid oil can be extracted.

Question 46

One possible reason for present-day geothermal activity at Yellowstone National Park and the extensive flood basalts of the Columbia River plateau is ____.

A) an ancient meteorite impact that generated an enormous volume of lava
B) present day subduction along the west coast of California
C) continued orogenic activity in the Cordilleran orogen
D) a hot spot
E) rifting in the Basin and Range province

Question 47

Late Neogene uplift formed some North American ranges, and such uplift still continues in the ___________________ in Wyoming.

Question 48

Canyons formed due to stream erosion from the uplift of the Appalachian mountains are called __________________ __________________.

Question 49

In the Cenozoic, the western margin of North America ____.

A) changed from a subduction zone to a transform boundary
B) changed from a transform boundary to a subduction zone
C) changed from a subduction zone to a passive margin
D) changed from a subduction zone to an divergent zone
E) remained stable and unchanged

Question 50

The Great Plains formed from ____.

A) scouring of retreating glaciers
B) erosion of sediments from the Laramide uplifts
C) subsidence during marine transgressions
D) subsidence due to advancing glaciers
E) isostatic rebound after the retreat of glaciers

Question 51

A(n) ______________________________ ______________________________ forms where oil and petroleum reservoirs accumulate due to folds and other geologic trends.

Question 52

The Atlantic continental margin is presently a(n) ____________________ margin.

Question 53

Sedimentary facies of the Gulf Coastal plain developed primarily in response to ____.

A) transgression of the Zuni sea
B) regression of the Zuni sea
C) transgression of the Tejas sea
D) regression of the Tejas sea
E) regression of the Gulf of Mexico

Question 54

The rapid northward movement of ____, resulted in the formation of the ____ mountains.

A) Africa; Andes
B) Africa ; Jura
C) India ; Andes
D) India ; Apennine
E) India ; Himalayan

Question 55

How did orogens in the Pacific region differ from the Himalayan orogeny?

A) Both orogenies were due to subduction, but volcanism was much more extreme in the Himalayan regions.
B) The Pacific orogenies resulted from continental-continental collisions.
C) The Himalayan orogeny resulted from subduction.
D) The Pacific orogenies resulted from subduction.
E) Both orogens were the result of continental-continental collisions, but the Himalayan mountains are much taller.

Question 56

The Basin and Range Province located in the ____ is characterized by ____ faults.

A) central United States; reverse
B) western United States; reverse
C) central United States; normal
D) eastern United States; normal
E) western United States; normal

Question 57

The San Andreas Fault is an example of a(n) ____________________ plate margin.

Question 58

The present topography of the Appalachian mountains is due to ____.

A) Cenozoic orogenies
B) Mesozoic volcanism
C) Cenozoic uplift and erosion
D) Cenozoic volcanism
E) glacial retreat

Question 59

Because it is a pluton, Devils Tower is a(n) ____________________ rock.

Question 60

Which plate is a remnant of the Farallon plate?

A) Pacific plate
B) Cascade plate
C) Ranier plate
D) Juan de Fuca plate
E) Lassen plate

Question 61

Discuss the various phases of orogenic activity that are part of the Cordilleran orogeny.

Question 62

Why are granitic rocks found in Tibet? Why are shallow marine sedimentary rocks present in the higher parts of the Himalaya?

Question 63

Discuss the Alpine orogeny.

Question 64

Compare and contrast Himalayan- and Andean-type orogenies.

Question 65

What type of continental margin is presently represented by the eastern edge of North America? How did it form? What types of sedimentation is this margin experiencing?

Question 66

Discuss the formation of the Andes Mountains in terms of plate tectonics.

Question 67

What kinds of Paleogene and Neogene deposits are found in North America's continental interior? What was the source of these sediments?

Question 68

Discuss the formation of the Basin and Range Province of North America. How is it different from typical orogenic belts?

Question 69

Discuss the origins of the Himalayas in terms of plate tectonics. What type of plate boundary is represented?

Question 70

Discuss the geological resources of the Eocene Green River Formation and how they formed.