Deck 12: Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Question 1

Which organic substance is produced by black organic shale at temperatures below (cooler than)the oil window?

A)natural gas
B)coal
C)kerogen
D)keratin

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which sequence shows an increase in coal rank from lowest to highest?

A)anthracite,bituminous,lignite
B)lignite,bituminous,anthracite
C)bituminous,lignite,anthracite
D)bituminous,anthracite,lignite

Answer 2

B

Question 3

You are a landowner looking to develop a coal mine on your property.You determine that a surface mine is the best option,as the coal seam you are targeting is close to the surface.The cost to start the mine is $20 million and the annual cost to operate is $16 million.You estimate that you can remove 450,000 tons of coal a year and sell the coal for $38.50 per ton.How long will it take before you pay off your investment and start to make a profit?

A)15 months
B)15 years
C)1.15 years
D)115 months

Answer 3

B

Question 4

At which geologic setting are you most likely to find anthracite coal forming?

A)bottom of sedimentary basins
B)edges of mountain ranges
C)margins of igneous plutons
D)bottom of swampy areas

Question 5

________ is/are an example of conventional hydrocarbon sources.

A)Shale gas
B)Tar sands
C)Oil shale
D)Crude oil

Question 6

Which of the following would make the best reservoir rock in a conventional hydrocarbon system?

A)high-porosity,high-permeability rock
B)low-porosity,low-permeability rock
C)high-porosity,low-permeability rock
D)low-porosity,high-permeability rock

Question 7

Why are source rocks always sedimentary?

A)Sedimentary rocks are the only rocks that contain fossils.
B)Sedimentary rocks are most abundant at the surface.
C)Sedimentary rocks contain pores for plankton to live in.
D)Sedimentary rocks are the only rocks formed in the ocean.

Question 8

A black,organic-rich shale could likely serve as either of which two necessary types of rocks within oil fields?

A)source rock or seal rock
B)reservoir rock or seal rock
C)source rock or reservoir rock
D)reservoir rock but not source rock

Question 9

A reservoir rock contains ________ porosity and permeability,while a seal rock contains ________ porosity and permeability.

A)higher;lower
B)lower;higher
C)no;high
D)no;low

Question 10

If the average geothermal gradient in an area is 15°C/km,how deep must oil shale be buried in order for it to transform into oil?

A)greater than 10 km but no more than 15 km
B)greater than 3 km but no more than 6 km
C)greater than 6 km but no more than 15 km
D)greater than 6 km but no more than 10 km

Question 11

Shale,salt,and fine-grained limestone are all good candidates to serve as ________ within an oil field.

A)a reservoir rock
B)a seal rock
C)a source rock
D)either a source rock or a reservoir rock

Question 12

Coal is formed when heat and pressure alter deposits of ancient ________.

A)kerogen
B)plankton
C)terrestrial plants
D)tar

Question 13

Chemically,oil and gas are both ________.

A)pure forms of carbon
B)carbohydrates
C)hydrocarbons
D)carbonate minerals

Question 14

If oil shale is buried deep enough to attain a temperature of 200°C,what is formed?

A)gas
B)oil
C)graphite
D)kerogen

Question 15

In the subsurface,nonbiogenic natural gas ________.

A)consists of longer carbon chains as compared to oil
B)is denser than oil and thus will float
C)is generated at higher temperatures than oil
D)is generated at higher temperatures than graphite

Question 16

________ create(s)an easy route for oil to follow from the rock to a well.

A)Hydrofracturing
B)Seismic reflection
C)Drilling mud
D)Pumps

Question 17

Which of the following would make the best reservoir rock in a conventional hydrocarbon system?

A)poorly cemented shale
B)hydrofractured shale
C)poorly cemented sandstone
D)well-cemented sandstone

Question 18

A large portion of the coal reserves in the world formed during the ________ period.

A)Jurassic
B)Silurian
C)Carboniferous
D)Permian

Question 19

The classification of coal is based on the concentration of carbon in the rock.Which of the following chain of processes causes the concentration of carbon to increase?

A)burial à decay of plant matter à release of organic molecules à concentration of carbon
B)burial à chemical reactions à release of gases à concentration of carbon
C)decay of plant matter à burial à release of gases à concentration of carbon
D)chemical reactions à burial à release of gases à concentration of carbon

Question 20

A buried body of rock that is induced by heat to exude oil is termed a ________ rock.

A)reservoir
B)seal
C)source
D)trap

Question 21

The high electrical conductivity associated with metallic bonds is found in ________.

A)all minerals
B)metal alloys only
C)native metals
D)magnetic minerals only

Question 22

________ power uses flowing water to produce energy.

A)Wind
B)Geothermal
C)Hydroelectric
D)Nuclear

Question 23

Consult the figure below.In what kind of terrain would you expect to find a placer deposit?

A)a dry lake bed
B)a mountain peak
C)the ocean floor
D)a streambed

Question 24

The stereotypical gold rush prospector panning for gold in a streambed is an example of exploiting ________ deposits.

A)magmatic
B)placer
C)residual mineral
D)sedimentary

Question 25

Nuclear fission produces a large yield of energy;however,this energy is not in the form of electricity.What form of energy is produced by fission?

A)mechanical
B)thermal
C)chemical
D)gravitational

Question 26

________ occurs when a neutron strikes a radioactive atom.

A)Fusion
B)Fission
C)Enrichment
D)Atomic splicing

Question 27

The image below is of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in Southern California,which was shut down in 2012 due to safety concerns.Which of the following alternative energy resources could be used in this environment to replace the energy generated by the nuclear power plant?

A)geothermal
B)hydroelectric
C)biomass
D)fuel cells

Question 28

Geothermal energy is used extensively in Iceland and New Zealand due to the fact that both of these countries host multiple ________.

A)rivers
B)mountains
C)volcanoes
D)coastlines

Question 29

The principal concern with storing nuclear waste is ________.

A)allowing sufficient time for short-lived radioactive atoms to decay
B)ensuring access to groundwater to keep the waste cool
C)keeping spent fuel rods separated from other waste
D)making biodegradable waste containers

Question 30

________ energy is NOT as useful in the Pacific Northwest as it would be in Texas.

A)Wind
B)Solar
C)Nuclear
D)Geothermal

Question 31

The blocks of rock used in construction are termed ________.

A)dimension stone
B)gemstone
C)ore
D)lodestone

Question 32

If nuclear reactors are NOT regulated by the use of control rods that absorb ________ and thus decrease the amount of atoms undergoing ________,the system may become too hot and melt down.

A)radiation;decay
B)radiation;fusion
C)neutrons;fission
D)neutrons;fusion

Question 33

The primary challenge of hydrogen fuel cells is ________.

A)that hydrogen is in very limited supply
B)that they generate excessive pollution
C)designing them to store explosive gas in a safe way
D)that they are inefficient

Question 34

Solar energy uses sunlight to induce a flow of ________ between two wafers.

A)water
B)oxygen
C)light
D)electrons

Question 35

________ is a nonmetal mineral formed by evaporation and used to make drywall.

A)Sulfur
B)Gypsum
C)Zinc
D)Marble

Question 36

A mineral that consists of only metal atoms is known as a(n)________ metal.

A)native
B)ore
C)industrial
D)rare earth

Question 37

U-235,the isotope of uranium commonly utilized in nuclear power plants,is ________.

A)the most common of the naturally occurring isotopes of uranium
B)heavier than the other well-known isotope of uranium
C)rare even in uranium-rich deposits and must be enriched to use as fuel
D)only found in quartz veins in granite plutons

Question 38

In what types of rocks are ore minerals found?

A)only in igneous rocks
B)only in igneous and sedimentary rocks
C)only in igneous and metamorphic rocks
D)in igneous,sedimentary,and metamorphic rocks

Question 39

Fission occurs when nuclear bonds of atoms are broken,releasing massive amounts of ________.

A)protons
B)anions
C)energy
D)electrons

Question 40

The ability of a metal to be bent,molded,and stretched is termed ________.

A)tempering
B)cold working
C)malleability
D)dexterity

Question 41

Which of the following lists contains only fossil fuels?

A)coal,oil,natural gas
B)coal,geothermal,wind
C)nuclear,wood,natural gas
D)hydroelectric,geothermal,wind

Question 42

Stone used for buildings,chemicals in fertilizers,and sand used to make glass are all examples of mineral resources known as ________.

A)tailings
B)industrial minerals
C)clinker
D)slag

Question 43

Limestone is often used as diminution stone and as crushed stone.If you are working as a geologist for a mining company that wishes to establish a new limestone quarry,for what type of ancient depositional systems will you look?

A)deep marine
B)coastal estuaries
C)shallow marine
D)desert playa lakes

Question 44

Coal gasification has sometimes been referred to as "clean coal." Explain why coal gasification is not as "clean" as its name might suggest.

Question 45

Which of these is true about mineral resources?

A)They are renewable because they are naturally formed.
B)They are renewable because we use them at slower rates than they are formed.
C)They are nonrenewable because they are formed at slower rates than we use them.
D)They are nonrenewable because they are no longer formed.

Question 46

Which of the following nonmetallic resources has an igneous origin?

A)salt
B)granite
C)limestone
D)gypsum

Question 47

In 1900,the most commonly used source of energy in the United States was ________.

A)coal
B)oil
C)natural gas
D)hydrothermal

Question 48

Describe how oil is formed.Make sure to address what organisms must accumulate,in what environment they must be deposited,and how the oil window effects the formation.

Question 49

Gold is often found at the bottom of streambeds in placer deposits.Describe the process that forms these deposits.

Question 50

Despite the fact that nonrenewable energy resources will eventually run out and that many tend to be large sources of pollution,why are they still used so prevalently in our society?

Question 51

Most energy for human consumption in the industrial world comes from ________.

A)fossil fuels
B)wind
C)nuclear power
D)water

Question 52

The image below is of a limestone quarry in Illinois.On the wall at the very back of the quarry you can see layers that appear to curve upward.What do these layers represent?

A)lines made by the miners as they remove material
B)cross-bedding produced at eolian sand dunes
C)layers of deep marine,sedimentary basin deposits
D)layers of shallow marine,continental shelf deposits

Question 53

What are two renewable energy resources that could be used in your city/state? List both and describe A)how the energy is formed,B)the best geographic location for the energy source,and C)what the drawbacks of each energy source are.

Question 54

Nonrenewable resources are used much more prevalently today despite knowing that they pollute and will run out in the future.Why then are we NOT using more renewable resources?

A)Nonrenewables are not cost-effective to use.
B)Nonrenewables are complicated to use.
C)Nonrenewable use depends on location.
D)Nonrenewables have their own drawbacks.

Question 55

A resource is considered renewable if ________.

A)it is used at rates greater than it is naturally replaced
B)nature can replace it within a short time span relative to human life
C)nature can replace it within hundreds or thousands of years
D)nature can replace it within a million years