Deck 15: The Rock Cycle

Question 1

A fine-grained sedimentary rock that contains calcite is

A) shale.
B) basalt.
C) granite.
D) limestone.

Answer 1

limestone.

Question 2

Rocks that have formed by cooling from a molten state are called

A) igneous rocks.
B) sedimentary rocks.
C) metamorphic rocks.
D) precipitated rocks.

Answer 2

igneous rocks.

Question 3

The rapid cooling of lava on the earth's surface produces a rock characterized by

A) fine mineral grains.
B) coarse mineral grains.
C) soft mineral grains.
D) foliation.

Answer 3

fine mineral grains.

Question 4

Mica is not found in

A) shale.
B) schist.
C) gneiss.
D) marble.

Question 5

A coarse-grained igneous rock that contains quartz is

A) shale.
B) basalt.
C) granite.
D) limestone.

Question 6

Of the following rocks, the one that does not originate in sediments laid down by water, wind, or ice is

A) shale.
B) conglomerate.
C) marble.
D) sandstone.

Question 7

The most abundant mineral in the earth's crust is

A) quartz.
B) mica.
C) feldspar.
D) calcite.

Question 8

Cleavage, the tendency of certain minerals to split along specific planes, is conspicuous in

A) quartz.
B) mica.
C) chalk.
D) chert.

Question 9

A mineral that does not contain silicon is

A) feldspar.
B) calcite.
C) quartz.
D) mica.

Question 10

A general characteristic of igneous rocks is

A) fine gains.
B) coarse grains.
C) random arrangement of grains.
D) grains arranged in layers.

Question 11

A crystalline form of silicon dioxide is

A) quartz.
B) mica.
C) feldspar.
D) calcite.

Question 12

Marble is the result of the metamorphosis of

A) shale.
B) basalt.
C) granite.
D) limestone.

Question 13

A mineral never found in igneous rocks is

A) quartz.
B) feldspar.
C) mica.
D) calcite.

Question 14

The dark-colored silicate minerals all contain

A) iron.
B) sulfur.
C) calcium.
D) aluminum.

Question 15

The two most abundant elements in the earth's crust are

A) aluminum.
B) carbon.
C) oxygen.
D) silicon.
E) Both C and D

Question 16

The light-colored silicate minerals all contain

A) iron.
B) sulfur.
C) calcium.
D) aluminum.

Question 17

Below a thin sedimentary layer, the ocean floors consist of

A) basalt.
B) granite.
C) marble.
D) chert.

Question 18

Which one of the following statements concerning minerals is not true?

A) Each mineral has crystals of a distinctive shape.
B) Minerals are crystalline solids.
C) Minerals have specific chemical compositions.
D) Most of the known minerals are common in nature.

Question 19

The clay minerals occur in the form of

A) large crystals easily split into sheets.
B) large, hard crystals.
C) long, narrow crystals.
D) soft, tiny crystals.

Question 20

The metamorphosis of shale may produce

A) marble.
B) sandstone.
C) slate.
D) granite.

Question 21

The volume of the earth's core is

A) less than 1/5 of the earth's volume.
B) about 1/3 of the earth's volume.
C) about 1/2 of the earth's volume.
D) about 3/4 of the earth's volume.

Question 22

The majority of surface rocks are

A) sedimentary.
B) metamorphic.
C) igneous.
D) found in the mantle as well.

Question 23

Each step of 1 on the Richter scale of earthquake magnitude corresponds to a change in energy release of a factor of about

A) 2.
B) 30.
C) 100.
D) 1000.

Question 24

An earthquake occurs far from an observing station.

A) The last waves to arrive are P waves.
B) The last waves to arrive are S waves.
C) The last waves to arrive are surface waves.
D) All the waves arrive at the same time.

Question 25

The reasons why the earth's core is believed to consist mainly of molten iron do not include the

A) density of iron.
B) relative abundance of iron in the universe.
C) magnetic properties of iron.
D) electrical conductivity of iron.

Question 26

The earth's crust

A) has an approximately constant thickness of about 100 m.
B) has an approximately constant thickness of about 5 km.
C) has an approximately constant thickness of about 35 km.
D) varies in thickness from about 5 km under the oceans to about 35 km under the continents.

Question 27

A moraine is a pile of rock debris left by a

A) river.
B) waterfall.
C) glacier.
D) volcano.

Question 28

The earth's magnetic field probably originates in

A) electric currents in the core.
B) magnetized iron in the core.
C) magnetized iron minerals in the mantle.
D) magnetized iron minerals in the crust.

Question 29

Earthquakes are least likely to occur

A) in California.
B) along the west coast of South America.
C) in Japan.
D) in Russia.

Question 30

Earthquake P waves

A) are longitudinal vibrations like sound waves.
B) are transverse waves like waves in a string.
C) cannot pass through the earth's core.
D) always travel in straight lines through the earth's interior.

Question 31

Temperatures inside the earth

A) are constant below the crust.
B) increase with depth.
C) decrease with depth.
D) vary constantly.

Question 32

Which one or more of the following statements apply to earthquake S waves?

A) They are back-and-forth vibrations like sound waves.
B) They are transverse vibrations like waves in a taut string.
C) They travel in straight lines through the earth's interior.
D) They can pass through the earth's core.

Question 33

Most earthquakes are caused by

A) volcanic eruptions.
B) shifts of crustal rocks.
C) landslides.
D) lightning strikes.

Question 34

Coral reefs are composed of

A) granite.
B) shale.
C) quartzite.
D) limestone.

Question 35

A stream's ability to transport debris depends on all of the following except the

A) stream's slope.
B) volume of water that flows.
C) amount and kind of debris.
D) water temperature.

Question 36

Which of the following minerals is most resistant to weather?

A) mica
B) quartz
C) feldspar
D) calcite

Question 37

Rivers are not responsible for

A) alluvial fans.
B) flood plains
C) deltas
D) water tables

Question 38

Earthquakes often occur in regions where

A) the mantle reaches the surface.
B) the oceans are deepest.
C) glaciers are found.
D) volcanoes are found.

Question 39

Most of the heat of the earth's interior is believed to

A) com from solar radiation absorbed by the crust.
B) come from chemical reactions in the core.
C) come from radioactive materials.
D) be left over from its formation.

Question 40

Most mechanical weathering is the result of

A) the freezing of water in crevices in rock.
B) the growth of plant roots.
C) wave action.
D) rain.

Question 41

A wall of igneous rock that cuts across existing rock layers might consist of

A) marble.
B) slate.
C) granite.
D) mica.

Question 42

In their early stages, river valleys exhibit characteristic

A) U-shaped cross sections.
B) V-shaped cross sections.
C) water tables.
D) moraines.

Question 43

On a worldwide basis, glaciers carve landscapes

A) to a smaller extent than streams.
B) to about the same extent as streams.
C) to a greater extent than streams.
D) only during the ice ages.

Question 44

The number of volcanoes active today is about

A) 50.
B) 500.
C) 50,000.
D) 500,000.

Question 45

A body of porous rock through which groundwater moves is called an)

A) water table.
B) aquifer.
C) moraine.
D) batholith.

Question 46

The most common volcanic rock is

A) pumice.
B) obsidian.
C) andesite.
D) basalt.

Question 47

Stalactites are found hanging from

A) the roofs of limestone caves.
B) the ends of glaciers.
C) water tables.
D) alluvial fans.

Question 48

Most caves are due to

A) gas bubbles in volcanic deposits.
B) rapid cooling of molten rock.
C) the solvent action of groundwater.
D) erosion by running water.

Question 49

Batholiths are not

A) very large plutons.
B) associated with mountain ranges.
C) formed by precipitation from groundwater.
D ) largely granite.

Question 50

Volcanic gases do not include

A) hydrogen.
B) carbon dioxide.
C) ozone.
D) water vapor.

Question 51

The greatest amount of freshwater is found in

A) groundwater.
B) the atmosphere.
C) lakes and rivers.
D) ice caps and glaciers.

Question 52

Magma is

A) molten rock underground.
B) molten rock on the surface.
C) hardened lava.
D) formed by the lintification of clay.

Question 53

Material deposited by groundwater in cracks in rocks forms

A) veins.
B) dikes.
C) batholiths.
D) stalactites.