1. Which produces earthquakes:
a. brittle deformation of rocks
b. ductile deformation of rocks
c. Mercalli scaling
d. seiche
e. seismographs

2. ________ is force applied to an object; ______ is movement caused by that force.
a. strike-slip; dip-slip
b. fault creep; fault scarp
c. strain; stress
d. stress; strain
e. brittle, ductile

3. A magnitude 8 earthquake (Richter Scale) is ________ times stronger than a magnitude 7 earthquake
a. 2
b. 3
c. 10
d. 1/8 = 12.5%
e. 1/7 = 14.3%

4. The place in the earth where a rock ruptures, releasing energy, to produce an earthquake.
a. epicenter
b. lahar
c. tsunami
d. foot wall
e. focus

5. The fastest moving type of seismic wave is a ________ wave.
a. Rayleigh
b. Love
c. Shear
d. S
e. P

6. Prograde metamorphism refers to
a. metamorphism that occurs as a rock is being heated and squeezed
b. metamorphism that occurs as a rock comes up to the surface of the earth
c. metamorphism that involves the formation of new minerals
d. a change in rock composition due to reaction with hot water
e. the opposite of amateur grade metamorphism

7. Which type of rock typically shows foliation?
a. gneiss
b. marble
c. quartzite
d. isograd
e. granite

8. Metasomatism refers to
a. metamorphism that occurs as a rock is being heated and squeezed
b. metamorphism that occurs as a rock comes up to the surface of the earth
c. metamorphism that involves the formation of new minerals
d. a change in rock composition due to reaction with hot water
e. the opposite of amateur grade metamorphism

9. The term "foliation" in metamorphic rocks refers to:
a. the inclusion of fossilized plant remains in rocks
b. a quantitative measure of the degree of metamorphism
c. folding of the rock by lateral pressure
d. a consistent orientation of the mineral grains
e. the size of the lineations

10. The type of metamorphism that results entirely from the heat of magma and from hot circulating fluids is:
a. contact metamorphism
b. regional metamorphism
c. dynamothermal metamorphism
d. shock metamorphism
e. butterfly metamorphism

11. Blueschist facies rocks are formed:
a. around intruding igneous rocks such as batholiths
b. within shallower parts of subduction zones
c. under the deepest parts of subduction zones, well below the roots of mountains
d. within transform faults as a result of heat produced by
friction
e. where a meteor impacts the earth

12. Which low-grade metamorphic rock, composed of extremely fine-sized mica and other mineral grains, typically exhibits well-developed rock cleavage?
a. schist
b. hornfels
c. slate
d. gneiss
e. quartzite

13. Which response has rocks in the correct order from (left to right) low-grade and fine grain size to high-grade and coarse grain size?
a. slate=>phyllite=>schist
b. phyllite=>slate=>schist
c. schist=>slate=>phyllite
d. slate=>schist=>phyllite
e. (wrong answer)

14. If a metamorphic rock contains lots of carbonate minerals, what was it before it was metamorphosed?
a. quartzite
b. shale or mudstone
c. a plutonic rock
d. limestone or dolostone
e. bauxite

15. Which of the following types of rocks can become metamorphic rocks?
a. sedimentary rocks only
b. sedimentary or igneous rocks only
c. sedimentary or metamorphic rocks only
d. sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic rocks
e. (bluff answer)

16. Schist can be distinguished from other metamorphic rocks by:
a. its large flakes of mica
b. its dark and light mineral bandsc. its metallic sheen
d. its slaty cleavage
e. the presence of garnet, pyroxene or amphibole

17. The rock that results from the metamorphosis of relatively pure limestone is:
a. hornfels
b. quartzite
c. gneiss
d. marble
e. all of the above

18. A volcanic dome forms when:
a. a large volcanic mountain is rounded off by erosion
b. a shield volcano takes on a relatively symmetrical
c. rising magma causes a bulge in the side of a volcano
d. rising magma cools and hardens within a volcano's crater
e. a stratovolcano erupts explosively

19. What is the main reason why we are unable to predict volcanic eruptions with more accuracy?
a. we haven't developed adequate technology
b. we don't understand the inner workings of volcanoes
c. volcanoes give no warnings when they are about to erupt
d. it is economically infeasible to adequately monitor all potentially volcanic areas on continuous basis
e. some volcanoes don't produce lava when they erupt

20. Which of the following are common cements in sedimentary rocks?
a. calcite
b. quartz
c. iron oxide
d. all three of the above
e. none of the above

21. What is the difference between conglomerate and breccia?
a. conglomerates are made of sand, breccias are made of clay
b. conglomerates are fissile, breccias are not
c. conglomerates are coarser grained than breccias
d. breccias contain angular clasts, conglomerates do not
e. breccias are finely bedded, conglomerates are coarsely bedded

22. What is the primary difference between weathering and
erosion?
a. Weathering is the breaking down of rocks by mechanical means; erosion occurs by chemical means.
b. Weathering is the breaking down of minerals; erosion is the breaking down of rocks.
c. Weathering is the breaking down of rocks; erosion is the transportation of rock fragments.
d. Weathering and erosion are synonymous and may be used
interchangeably.
e. They are both inorganic processes.

23. In general, chemical weathering would occur most rapidly in a:
a. cool, moist climate
b. cool, dry climate
c. warm, moist climate
d. warm, dry climate
e. very hot dry climate

24. Metamorphism may occur when a rock is subjected to
a. pressure
b. temperature
c. chemically active fluids
d. stress
e. all of the above

25. In general, chemical weathering would occur most rapidly in a:
a. cool, moist climate
b. cool, dry climate
c. warm, moist climate
d. warm, dry climate
e. very hot dry climate

26. Which of the following transport media generally results in the most poorly sorted sediments?
a. wind
b. glaciers
c. rivers
d. landslides on land
e. undersea landslides

27. Sedimentary structures such as graded bedding, cross-bedding, and ripple marks occur:
a. before both deposition and lithification
b. during or after deposition but before lithification
c. after lithification
d. during any of the above stages
e. during diagenesis

28. Detrital sedimentary rocks are composed predominately of:
a. silicate minerals
b. carbonate minerals
c. oxide minerals
d. sulfide and sulfate minerals
e. salts

29. Which of the following statements concerning the formation of coal is NOT true?
a. the environment of deposition for coal is usually a swamp
b. coal is composed primarily of the remains of microorganisms
c. coal forms from the decomposition of organic matter in the absence of oxygen
d. because of heat and pressure, organic matter changes from peat, to lignite, to bituminous coal, and finally into anthracite
coal
e. coal deposits have formed in many places around the world

30. Quartz and clay are the two most common constituents in detrital sedimentary rocks. Why
a. Precambrian rocks are not found at the surface in most parts of the Earth
b. They are the typical end products of weathering for many rock types
c. Both are made of iron
d. Both have high solubility in water
e. all of the above

31. Which type of rock is most likely to contain fossils?
a. igneous rocks
b. metamorphic rocks
c. sedimentary rocks
d. sandstone
e. all of the above

32. The San Andreas Fault is an example of a/an __________________ fault.
a. strike slip
b. dip slip
c. thrust
d. over-thrust
e. reverse

33. "a small step on the ground surface where one side of a fault has moved vertically with respect to the other."
a. fault breccia
b. fault creep
c. fault gouge
d. fault scarp
e. fault block

34. The 1964 Good Friday Earth quake took place in ______.
a. San Francisco
b. Los Angeles
c. Alaska
d. Japan
e. San Andreas

35. ___________ faults are caused by compressional forces
a. normal
b. blind
c. reverse
d. diametric
e. strike-slip

36. Compared to worries about other faults, scientists worry about "blind" faults mostly because the pose risk of:
a. tsunamis
b. earthquakes in unexpected places
c. fault scarps
d. inactivity
e. fault creep

37. As sophisticated seismograph networks were developed, scientists found that along the edges of some continents there was a sloping band of seismicity where many intermediate and deep-focus quakes occurred. This sloping band, called _______________, is evidence for plate subduction.
a. a wave front
b. a Western Interior Seaway
c. a Wadati-Benioff Zone
d. a zone of aeration
e. Van Allen Belt

38. In the 1960s, the World Wide Seismic Station Network was developed because
a. we had a large number of earthquakes in the preceding decades
b. scientist predicted many earthquakes in the future
c. we were worried about meteor impacts
d. three "liberal" Congresses were elected in a row
e. of the Cold War

39. Rayleigh and Love waves are types of seismic waves that travel (slowly) along the surface of the Earth. We refer to these types of waves collectively as
a. body waves
b. surface waves
c. amber waves
d. compressional waves
e. shear waves

40. Which type of seismic wave will NOT pass through the molten part of the Earth?
a. body waves
b. P-waves
c. Love waves
d. compressional waves
e. S-waves

Tell me if each of the following are elements, sedimentary rocks, metamorphic rocks, or igneous rocks.

41. granite
42. sodium
43. basalt
44. sandstone
45. rhyolite
46. limestone
47. calcium
48. schist
49. iron
50. gneiss

Short/Medium Answer Questions

1. What sorts of sediments would you expect to find if you went scuba diving in the vicinity of the mouth of the Mississippi River? Describe the delta sediments using proper vocabulary, and tell me what kind of rocks they might turn into if we waited a real long time.

2. Why is the Pacific Ocean surrounded by volcano and earthquake activity, while the Atlantic Ocean is not?