Deck 12: Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources

Question 1

The change of rocks from one type to another is known as

A)metamorphism
B)the rock cycle
C)petrography
D)consolidation
E)hydrogeology

Answer 1

the rock cycle

Question 2

Lava is an example of ____ rock.

A)metamorphic
B)igneous
C)sedimentary
D)mineralized
E)crystal

Answer 2

igneous

Question 3

Which of the following rocks is most likely to be formed from compacted plant remains?

A)coal
B)limestone
C)rock salt
D)marble
E)granite

Answer 3

coal

Question 4

Which of the following is true of the lithosphere?

A)It is a combination of crust, mantle, and molten rock.
B)It is completely composed of molten rock.
C)It is a combination of crust and mantle.
D)It is a combination of solid rock and molten rock.
E)None of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Gold is removed from the rock that contains it by a series of leaching operations that all involve the use of

A)suluric acid
B)nitric acid
C)arsenic
D)highly toxic cyanide salts
E)mercury

Question 6

Which of the following rocks is most likely to be formed from compacted shells and skeletons?

A)coal
B)limestone
C)rock salt
D)marble
E)granite

Question 7

The movement of lithospheric plates is significant because it

A)explains the formation of waterfalls and river canyons
B)predicts where earthquakes are likely to occur
C)explains the formation of ocean currents
D)predicts where endangered species might be found
E)explains the formation of weather

Question 8

Tsunamis are best described as

A)a series of large waves generated when the ocean floor moves up or down as the result of an underground earthquake
B)a series of waves caused by an underground volcano
C)a series of powerful waves generated by lunar eclipses that occur only once every several hundred years
D)Tsunamis can actually be caused by any one of the processes listed.
E)none of these answers

Question 9

Tectonic plates can slide and grind past each other at a(n)

A)ocean ridge
B)convection cell
C)transform fault
D)subduction zone
E)seam fault

Question 10

Which of the following is true?

A)A portion of the mantle is solid rock and a portion of it is molten.
B)The inner core is liquid, whereas the outer core is solid.
C)Extreme pressure makes the interior of the Earth liquid.
D)The core of the Earth occupies most of its volume.
E)The thickest zone is the crust.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a characteristic of a mineral?

A)crystal structure
B)organic
C)naturally occurring
D)solid
E)inorganic

Question 12

Lignite and bituminous coal are ____ rocks.

A)metamorphic
B)igneous
C)tectonic
D)ore
E)sedimentary

Question 13

Slate, anthracite, and marble are ____ rocks.

A)primary
B)secondary
C)metamorphic
D)igneous
E)sedimentary

Question 14

The majority of earthquakes and volcanoes occur

A)in the interior of continents
B)on oceanic islands
C)along the edge of plate boundaries
D)in the open ocean
E)in the U.S.

Question 15

The asthenosphere is

A)the outer atmosphere
B)the inner core of Earth
C)a plastic region in the crust
D)a plastic region in the mantle
E)a solid region in the mantle

Question 16

Heat and pressure convert

A)igneous rock into sedimentary rock
B)sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock
C)metamorphic rock into igneous rock
D)sedimentary rock into igneous rock
E)metamorphic into sedimentary rock

Question 17

One of the reasons the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean caused so much devastation and death is

A)the lack of attention to dire predictions from emergency warning centers
B)the fact that early detection systems indicated the tsunami was not very powerful
C)the lack of buoys or gauges in place to signal the danger to human settlements
D)more than one of these answers is correct
E)none of these answers

Question 18

The process of plate tectonics is responsible for all of the following except

A)the production of mountains
B)the production of ocean trenches
C)the production of volcanoes
D)the production of island chains
E)All of these are explained by plate tectonics.

Question 19

The spill of cyanide into the Tisza and Danube Rivers in 2000 occurred because:

A)The dam holding the cyanide leach pond water was not strong enough to hold it.
B)No backup collection pond existed to contain leakage.
C)An earthquake broke the dam.
D)All of these answers
E)Only two of these answers are correct.

Question 20

All of the following are broad classes of rock except

A)sedimentary
B)igneous
C)metamorphic
D)crystal
E)limestone

Question 21

A technique for extracting gold that has been outlawed in the United States is

A)contour strip mining
B)hydraulic mining
C)mountaintop removal
D)subsurface mining
E)All of these mining methods are still legal for extracting gold in the United States.

Question 22

Which statement best fits as a description of the U.S. a.General Mining Law of 1872?

A)Land could be purchased at market price for purposes of extracting minerals.
B)A statement had to be made by the prospective owner that the land likely contains hard rock miners.
C)A statement had to be made by the prospective owner that $500 would be spent to improve the land for mineral development.
D)$120 per year had to be paid each year for a 20-acre parcel.
E)All of these except land could be purchased at market price for purposes of extracting minerals.

Question 23

When a resource has been economically depleted, we can

A)recycle or reuse what has already been extracted
B)cut down on unnecessary waste of the resource
C)find a substitute
D)do without
E)all of these answers

Question 24

Mountaintop removal has been used extensively in the state of _____ where over _____ have been removed.

A)Michigan, 100
B)Colorado, 50
C)West Virginia, 300
D)Virginia, 400
E)Kentucky, 300

Question 25

Mineral resources are best categorized as which of the following?

A)renewable resources
B)nonrenewable resources
C)alternative energy resources
D)subduction resources
E)organic resources

Question 26

All of the following are problems with subsurface mining except

A)cave-ins of land into the mine
B)10 times as much land disturbance as strip mining
C)prolonged inhalation of mining dust, which causes black lung disease in miners
D)subsidence of land, which causes damage to manmade structures
E)explosions in mines

Question 27

Which of the following is an environmental impact associated with common mining practices?

A)deforestation
B)groundwater contamination
C)subsidence of land above mines
D)air pollution
E)all of these answers

Question 28

The most widely used nonmetallic minerals are

A)nitrates and phosphates
B)aluminum and steel
C)carbon and chlorophyll
D)sand and gravel
E)rock and ore

Question 29

As nonrenewable mineral resources are depleted, experts are particularly concerned about manganese, cobalt, chromium, and platinum, which are

A)trace metal resources
B)strategic metal resources.
C)biogenic metal resources
D)magma metal resources
E)trace metal resources.

Question 30

Metals such as gold, iron, and copper are often mined via this method.

A)mountaintop removal
B)area strip mining
C)subsurface mining
D)open pit mining
E)minimum impact mining

Question 31

Which of the following statements is false?

A)Market prices clearly reflect dwindling mineral supplies.
B)High prices would encourage recycling and reuse.
C)Low mineral prices are caused by failure to include the external costs of mining.
D)Low prices encourage waste and faster depletion.
E)Two of these choices are false.

Question 32

Which of the following is not a problem associated with extracting mineral resources from the ocean?

A)Many of the mineral resources that are found in seawater are in low concentrations.
B)This can be extremely expensive given current technologies.
C)There might be ecological impacts associated with aquatic life.
D)There might be disagreement as to who has legal access and rights to certain resources.
E)There are no valuable mineral resources in the ocean.

Question 33

Surface mining techniques are used to extract ____% of the coal used in the United States.

A)20
B)40
C)60
D)80
E)100

Question 34

Environmental impact would be greatest mining for ____ ore.

A)a high-grade
B)a moderate-grade
C)a low-grade
D)a plentiful
E)a low- to moderate-grade

Question 35

Which of the following is true of the current materials revolution that is occurring?

A)New materials are being created that act as ideal replacements for many materials.
B)Nanotechnology is likely to be a large component of the materials revolution.
C)Many new materials are more efficient and cost-effective than their counterparts.
D)The production and use of many new materials are far less environmentally damaging.
E)All of these answers are true.

Question 36

Advantages of using microorganisms for mining include all of the following except reduced

A)land disturbance
B)air pollution
C)water pollution
D)time to remove minerals
E)none of these answers

Question 37

The U.S. a.General Mining Law of 1872 was in effect until

A)1873
B)1900
C)1950
D)1995
E)This law is still in effect today.

Question 38

The basic concept of supply and demand affecting prices does not often apply in developed countries where supply, demand, and prices of minerals are influenced by

A)subsidies
B)import tariffs
C)taxes
D)regulations
E)all of these answers

Question 39

High-strength plastics and composite materials strengthened by carbon and glass fibers are advantageous because they

A)are stronger than metal
B)cost less to produce
C)are easily molded into any shape
D)don't need painting
E)all of these answers

Question 40

Extracting, processing, and using mineral resources

A)requires enormous amounts of energy
B)causes land disturbance and erosion
C)produces solid and hazardous wastes
D)releases toxic chemicals into the atmosphere
E)all of these answers

Question 41

What would an industrial ecosystem hope to accomplish?

A)Allow for industries to interact through resource exchange webs.
B)Limit overall wasted consumption of valuable resources.
C)Reuse the wastes of one industry as a valuable resource for another.
D)Use resources more efficiently.
E)All of these answers.

Question 42

Underwater mountains or ridges usually form at the subduction zone, where two oceanic plates collide.

Question 43

Mountaintop removal is more damaging to the environment than subsurface mining.

Question 44

Volcanoes are normally associated with transform faults.

Question 45

You have decided on a career of designing eco-industrial parks. a.Your title will be that of

A)environmentalist
B)industrial ecologist
C)restoration ecologist
D)city planner
E)industrial environmentalist

Question 46

Important nonrenewable mineral resources in the Earth's crust are distributed relatively evenly across the planet.

Question 47

The San Andreas fault in California is an example of a transform fault.

Question 48

It is economically feasible to extract some valuable mineral resources that are dissolved in seawater.

Question 49

A resource exchange web is a(n)

A)website for the exchange of recycled materials by private citizens
B)program instituted by the Chinese government to save resources
C)system whereby the wastes of one manufacturer become the raw materials for another manufacturer
D)another way of describing a food web
E)none of these answers

Question 50

The dirt wall left after contour mining is called a spoil.

Question 51

Mangrove forests can be helpful in damping down the effects of tsunamis.
a.However, coral reefs do not have any beneficial role in the face of a tsunami.

Question 52

Iron ore is a kind of rock that contains an abundance of iron.

Question 53

Surface mining can result in deforestation.

Question 54

The amount of ground movement in a 5.0 earthquake is 20 times greater than in a 3.0 earthquake.

Question 55

The Pollution Prevention Pays program was initiated by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M) in 1975. a.Which of the following are actions that have been taken by 3M as part of this program?

A)There has been less use of hazardous raw materials.
B)Nanotechnology has replaced heavy metals used in production.
C)Overall waste production has not increased, but stayed level through 1998.
D)All of these answers.
E)Nanotechnology has replaced heavy metals used in production and nanotechnology has replaced heavy metals used in production.

Question 56

Which of the following is a method by which to achieve more sustainable use of nonrenewable mineral resources?

A)Reduce waste, recycle, and reuse.
B)Slow population growth.
C)Find substitutes.
D)Reduce mining subsidies.
E)All of these answers are correct.

Question 57

Biomining is faster than nanotechnology due to the fast reproduction time of bacteria.

Question 58

Plate tectonics has helped to promote global biodiversity over geologic time.

Question 59

Recycling aluminum cans, compared to mining and processing aluminum, can be said to

A)produce 95% less air pollution
B)produce 97% less water pollution
C)use 95% less energy
D)all of these answers
E)produce 97% less water pollution and use 95% less energy

Question 60

Nonrenewable mineral resources renew over millions to billions of years.

Question 61

The bulk of the Earth's crust is formed by metamorphic rock.

Question 62

The purpose of the 1872 U.S.
a.General Mining Law was to make public lands generate income for the citizens of the West.

Question 63

Squabbles over who owns the resource is one factor that has prevented extraction of minerals from the ____________________.

Question 64

Earthquakes and volcanoes are caused by ____________________as they separate, collide, and slide past one another.

Question 65

A volcano is created when ____________________ rises in a plume through the lithosphere.

Question 66

Granite is a type of ____________________ rock.

Question 67

The ____________________ concentrates the Earth's mineral resources into three types of rock.

Question 68

Heating ores to release the metals they contain is called ____________________.

Question 69

One potential source of metals that lies on the ocean floor are potato-sized ____________________.

Question 70

The external process that results in the breaking down of rocks into smaller particles is best described as ____________________.

Question 71

Most rocks consist of two or more minerals.

Question 72

____________________ forms when a preexisting rock is subjected to high temperatures.

Question 73

One of the environmental problems with gold mining is the leach ponds that contain ____________________.

Question 74

The inner portion of the mantle is the ____________________, a zone of hot, partly melted flowing pliable rock.

Question 75

The Richter scale measures the amplitude of ____________________.

Question 76

Slate and shale are types of sedimentary rock.

Question 77

Of the actions recommended for preserving our supply of nonrenewable metals and minerals, the one that has the lowest environmental impact is to____________________.

Question 78

So far ____________________ methods are economically feasible only with low-grade ores for which conventional mining methods are too expensive.

Question 79

A(n) ____________________ is an element or inorganic compound that occurs naturally in the Earth's crust.

Question 80

Nanotechnologists envision that in the future garbage can be turned into edible food.