Introduction to Physical Geology Practice Exam

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• Earth materials are organized by which property?
• Which of the following is NOT part of the lithosphere?
• Which statement best describes observations?
• Which statement describes a positive climate forcing scenario?
• The statement that an increase in average annual temperature will lead to a decrease in precipitation across the United States is true.
• A large earthquake occurred along a fault and a smaller earthquake occurred at the same location the next day. A seismograph station 300 km away recorded both events. True or false: P-waves would have traveled to the station more quickly after the larger earthquake?
• Which of the following is a way minerals form?
• What is the major outcome of continent-continent convergence?
• If air moves south from the equator, the Coriolis effect deflects it in which direction?
• How would the total amount of insolation change at the equator if Earth's axis was vertical instead of tilted?
• Which property describes a mineral's internal arrangement?
• Which set lists the four outer, gaseous planets?
• As sediments are transported from mountains toward shorelines, how do grain size, sorting, and mineral variety typically change?
• Which hazards are commonly associated with stratovolcanoes?
• Sedimentary rocks form in horizontal layers called beds. A change in beds indicates which of the following?
• Why is the Mediterranean Sea saltier than the rest of the Atlantic Ocean?
• Which combination of magma characteristics would most likely lead to a more explosive eruption?
• What is a typical volcanic hazard shown by shield volcanoes?
• How are chemical sedimentary rocks formed?
• The greenhouse effect helps maintain Earth's average surface temperature near which value?
• Which statement describes volcanic domes?
• Around 4.0 billion years ago, which major events occurred?
• What kind of faults are most common at convergent boundaries?
• Surface waves compared to body waves are:
• Which rock is formed from granite by high-grade metamorphism?
• The claim that warming leads to reduced US precipitation is true.
• Which volcano type is typically characterized by steep sides and explosive eruptions due to high-viscosity magma?
• Are earthquake magnitude and intensity always correlated?
• What describes metamorphism in the ductile zone?
• Which of the following is NOT listed as an earthquake hazard?
• Which of the following is NOT a criterion to be a mineral?
• What process leads to melting at a divergent boundary?
• Around 4.5 to 4.0 billion years ago, what process led to a hot, molten Earth?
• What is the most common group of minerals?
• What term describes the wobble of Earth's rotation axis?
• Where would you expect to find the thickest crust on Earth?
• Between 3.5 and 1.5 billion years ago, what happened to iron in Earth's oceans?
• Convection does what?
• During 542–520 million years ago, which major event followed Snowball Earth?
• Once continents formed around 3.5 billion years ago, complex life on land was ready to flourish.
• The statement that climate models predict a drop in precipitation with higher average temperatures across the US is true.
• Sediment is transported by which agents?
• What kind of faults most commonly produce tsunamis?
• Deep earthquakes occur at which boundary type?
• Why are large underwater mountain ranges found where crust spreads apart?
• Which is a main surface feature on Earth formed by plate tectonics?
• Which isotope is lighter and tends to evaporate more readily?
• Without the greenhouse effect, the average global temperature would be _____.
• Which magma properties are most associated with explosive eruptions?
• What is the current overall climate feedback type of Earth's system?
• Long-term climate variations are influenced by which of the following?
• Oceans' role in Earth's climate includes which of the following?
• According to climate models, rising average annual temperature will cause decreased precipitation across the United States.
• Metamorphism occurs predominantly in which deformation zone?
• Which hazard poses a greater threat if you live about 30 miles from a stratovolcano?
• What two elements make up 99% of dry air?
• Recurrence interval is defined as which of the following?
• Which boundary is associated with volcanic activity along the edge of a continent (the overriding plate in an oceanic-continental setting)?
• True or False: we're not really sure how much warming has been caused by humans.
• Volcanic rocks tend to have small crystals because they cool rapidly at the surface.
• The term Greenhouse Earth is associated with which interval?
• What instrument network records earthquakes to determine epicenters?
• Negative climate forcing occurs when solar radiation is more:
• The assertion that an increase in mean temperature leads to lower precipitation across the United States is true.
• Felsic rocks have lower melting temperatures than mafic rocks.
• Compared with continental crust, oceanic crust is
• What primarily moves the tectonic plates?
• If water behaved like most substances, the solid form would _____.
• The statement that warmer average temperatures will result in diminished US precipitation is true.
• At plate boundaries, which process is most closely associated with mountain building?
• If a rock has experienced 2 half-lives for a particular isotope, its age is:
• Which statement best describes the lithosphere's mechanical behavior?
• Elevation changes are listed as an earthquake hazard related to ground deformation.
• The claim that increasing average annual temperature will lead to decreased precipitation across the United States is true.
• Oceanic crust minerals are described as which combination?
• True or False: an increase in solar output is partially responsible for recent warming.
• The name of the supercontinent centered on the South Pole about 700 million years ago was ____.
• Which volcano type is built from low-viscosity mafic lava that creates broad, gently sloped profiles?
• Approximately what portion of Earth's atmosphere is carbon dioxide?
• What is the first element to form after the Big Bang?
• (Warm interglacial periods / Cold glacial periods) are longer in duration.
• During which climatic periods would sea levels be lowest?
• Increasing the tilt of Earth's axis would cause insolation at the equator to do what?
• If gases escape easily, lava viscosity is?
• Iceland's unique geology is primarily due to its location on a ______ boundary.
• Which type of metamorphism involves large-area pressure and temperature increases, producing foliation?
• The proposition that higher average temperatures would result in less precipitation nationwide is true.
• In radioactive decay, what is the typical trend of parent and daughter isotopes over time?
• Milankovitch cycles consist of how many main components, and what are their names?
• Slow cooling below the surface results in?
• Which volcano type is small, steep-sided, built from tephra and cinders?
• Which factor listed as contributing to Earth's habitability relates to gravity and a protective atmosphere?
• Oceanic crust forms mafic magma.
• What must happen to the tilt angle of Earth's axis in order to have vertical rays of sunlight strike the surface in Connecticut during the summer solstice (June 21)?
• The assertion that higher temperatures will lead to lower precipitation across the United States is true.
• Which rock type would a magnetically capable superhero move most easily?
• Which factor most directly controls the amount of water flowing down a river at a given time?
• Which of the following doesn't explain why there are different types of volcanoes?
• Ocean crust is formed at which plate boundary?
• Which combination of factors can increase the impact of an earthquake?
• The Cenozoic Era is the Age of which organisms?
• Which statement describes the distinction between inner and outer planets?
• At a subduction zone, melting occurs due to what combination of factors?
• By about 3.5 billion years ago, what developments occurred on Earth?
• The belief that an increase in average annual temperature will lead to reduced precipitation across the United States is true.
• Decompression melting at a divergent boundary produces which type of magma and forms which rocks?
• What is the lithosphere?
• Why is the Mariana Trench deeper than other oceanic trenches?
• Chalk is classified as which type of sedimentary rock?
• At an oceanic-continental convergent boundary, which surface features are typically formed?
• The greenhouse effect is which of the following?
• What feature separates drainage basins?
• Which fault is characterized by a hanging wall moving upward relative to the footwall?
• What is a drainage basin?
• The claim that rising mean temperature leads to less precipitation across the United States is true.
• Metamorphism can cause which of the following?
• Which of the following is a tectonic activity?
• Which factor is listed as influencing river discharge by supporting plant life and water uptake from the land?
• What is a hypothesis?
• Which volcano type is a mound formed by the extrusion of viscous lava near the vent?
• The Cambrian Explosion is best described as a period of:
• What is the half-life in radioactive decay?
• Low silica content leads to what kind of structure?
• If the sun were the size of an NBA basketball, how big would the Earth be?
• Earth's formation is described as?
• True or False: The probability of a certain discharge occurring in any given year can change over time.
• Which climate-state term describes Earth's climate with relatively high global temperatures and abundant greenhouse gases?
• Where is the footwall located relative to a fault plane?
• How is the age of a rock estimated using radioactive decay?
• Which sequence describes the greenhouse effect process correctly?
• In a reverse or thrust fault, the hanging wall moves in which direction due to compressional stress?
• Which phenomenon provided the key basis for developing plate tectonics?
• Which list of inner rocky planets corresponds to the order given in the material?
• The organism responsible for oxygenating our atmosphere can still be found on Earth today.
• What is a prediction?
• Which of the following is NOT listed as a factor affecting long-term climate cycles (millions of years)?
• If a nucleus loses 2 protons and 2 neutrons, what happens to its atomic number and mass number?
• Which boundary type typically forms an island arc?
• What does the principle of original horizontality state about sediment deposition?
• Which factors are associated with faster weathering rates?
• What does precession (wobble of Earth) change the most?
• The asthenosphere is weaker and lies below the uppermost mantle. This means it is _______.
• The Tropic of Capricorn is located at approximately which latitude?
• The Moho stands for which of the following?
• Which three factors are used to classify clastic sedimentary rocks?
• If the width of a river doubles while depth and velocity stay the same, discharge will:
• Igneous rocks are primarily characterized by their texture and composition.
• Which statement correctly describes chemical sedimentary rocks?
• Shield volcanoes are typically built from which lava composition?
• What are observations?
• In a vertical sequence of beds, which beds are oldest?
• Which plate tectonic setting is most likely to promote the formation of metamorphic rocks?
• Which element is the most abundant in Earth's entire composition?
• Where is the hanging wall located relative to a fault plane?
• The Tropic of Cancer is located at which latitude?
• How do the lithosphere and asthenosphere differ?
• The East African Rift Valley formed as a result of what type of plate boundary?
• Which mechanism is most closely associated with plate motion at mid-ocean ridges?
• Earth remains warm enough to support life mainly because which mechanism operates in the lower atmosphere?
• What is the formula for calculating recurrence interval?
• Predict what would happen to global sea levels if the oceans were the same size but the oldest ocean floor was 300 million years old (rather than 180 million years old). Sea level would be (lower/higher) than today.
• The lithosphere consists of which components?
• Which factor explains why the Mississippi River's discharge is much greater than the Nile's despite similar basin sizes?
• What did the evidence for seafloor spreading mean?
• Deep earthquakes exceeding 20 kilometers in depth occur at which tectonic setting?
• Which type of fault movement is most closely linked to tsunami generation?
• What happens at an oceanic-continental convergent boundary?
• Which statement best describes the Tropic of Cancer?
• During lithification of clastic sediments, which processes reduce pore spaces and cement grains together?
• Discharge is commonly measured in which unit?
• During alpha decay, what is emitted from the nucleus?
• What are the three main types of sedimentary rocks?
• During which event is the sun directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer?
• We are currently in which climate state described by the terms Greenhouse Earth and Icehouse Earth?
• Weather vs climate: which statement is true?
• Which is an example of a continental rift valley?
• Why is it colder in winter (January) and warmer in summer (July)?
• In a normal fault, the hanging wall moves in which direction due to tensional stress?
• The Mediterranean Sea is saltier than parts of the Atlantic because evaporation exceeds precipitation. Which statement best supports this?
• Which sequence correctly describes the formation of clastic sedimentary rocks?
• What is the relative distribution of the Earth's core, mantle, and crust?
• About 4.5 billion years ago, what major event occurred in the solar system?
• Since 1950, global oil consumption has increased and global oil discovery has decreased.
• Mantle minerals are characterized by stability under which conditions?
• Which statement best describes a hypothesis?
• Which of the following is not a listed method to monitor volcanic activity?
• Which sequence correctly describes how scientists locate an earthquake epicenter?
• Which list of outer gaseous planets corresponds to the order given in the material?
• Which boundary type involves the creation of new oceanic crust as plates move apart?
• Mafic rocks have low silica content.
• Continental crust minerals are generally described as which combination?
• During the ice age, the climate alternated between glacials and interglacials. Which description correctly matches their typical durations and temperature differences?
• Greenhouse gases influence Earth's energy balance by which mechanism?
• Which feature marks the boundary where one oceanic plate sinks beneath another?
• High silica content leads to what kind of structure?
• Which factor is most essential for life as we know it?
• What is a primary feature developed during metamorphism that indicates the direction of stress?
• Which factor does not explain why there are different volcano types?
• Approximately when did continents form?
• Can metamorphic rocks form at Earth's surface?
• Is ice a mineral?
• Which earthquake hazard involves loss of soil strength and fluid-like behavior in saturated sediments?
• Which statement about lava viscosity and eruptions is correct?
• Which of the following is NOT a mechanism by which rocks melt?
• What is the primary cause of seasonal temperature changes in mid-latitudes?
• What happened to all the iron that was in Earth's oceans?
• If the probability of a 20-year flood is 1 in 20 per year, what does this imply about its frequency?
• The Paleozoic Era is the Age of which organisms?
• Which boundary marks the transition from crust to mantle?
• What led to the end of the Snowball Earth?
• Which process is a recognized way minerals form?
• According to the principle of superposition, which layer is youngest in an undisturbed sequence?
• Which human-made structure is designed to inhibit or control river water flow?
• What kind of faults are more likely to form at divergent boundaries?
• For any given river, what is the probability that a 20-year flood will occur in 2018?
• The Mesozoic Era is the Age of which organisms?
• Which proxy is commonly used to infer past temperatures in paleoclimatology by analyzing isotopes?
• Who first proposed the idea of continental drift?
• Which factor commonly causes floods in the western United States?
• Which factor is a common cause of floods in the eastern United States and Gulf Coast?
• In a magnetism-related thought experiment, which rock type would be moved more easily?
• An increase in average annual temperature will reduce precipitation across the United States.
• Which statement about hot spots is correct?
• Milankovitch cycles change the distribution of solar radiation on Earth's surface.
• Which statement best describes the relationship between continental formation around 3.5 Ga and the later development of life on land?
• The deepest oceanic trench located in the western Pacific is the?
• Which statement reflects the principle of cross-cutting relationships?
• Subduction of one oceanic plate beneath another leads to the formation of which feature?
• The proposition that increasing average temperature causes a drop in precipitation across the United States is true.
• Which layer of Earth has the greatest variety of minerals?
• Which statement is not supported by the material?
• What kind of boundary does symmetry usually represent?
• Which factor is primarily responsible for the similarity in climate between coastal cities at different latitudes?
• Gas escapes more easily from which type of eruption?
• Biochemical sedimentary rocks are formed primarily by which process?
• Isotopic dating of rock containing fossils yields the rock's age, which is typically related to the fossil's age in which way?
• The proposition that climate models forecast lower precipitation nationwide as temperatures rise is true.
• Chalk is classified as which type of sedimentary rock?
• Which combination explains how Earth's surface water is thought to have formed?
• The Moho (Mohorovicic discontinuity) marks the boundary between which two Earth layers?
• Felsic rocks are rich in quartz and feldspar due to high silica content.
• A drainage basin is best described as:
• What is the depositional environment of coal?
• Mafic rocks are typically darker in color due to their mineral content.
• Trace amounts of other gases play a critical role in regulating climate. Which statement is true?
• Volcanic/extrusive rocks form when magma does what?
• Calderas are best described as what?
• Which sequence correctly describes the stages when continents begin to break apart?
• Where in the United States are earthquakes most likely to occur?
• Can metamorphic rocks form at Earth's surface? Which statement is correct?
• Which waves travel through Earth's interior and are among the first to arrive after an earthquake?
• What happens to stream velocity and discharge when the channel becomes narrower?
• Continental crust forms felsic magma.
• Which volcano type is formed by collapse of a magma chamber after eruption?
• A flood is best defined as which of the following?
• Igneous rocks are formed from what process?
• When two oceanic plates meet at a convergent boundary, which plate subducts?
• Which statement about oceanic divergent boundaries is true?
• Where do rivers get their water?
• Which element is the most abundant in Earth's crust?
• Which latitude receives the most heat from the sun on average?
• What are the primary types of weathering that contribute to sediment formation?
• Calculate the discharge (in cubic meters per second) for a 20 km long stream with velocity 2 m/s and a rectangular channel 10 m wide and 4 m deep.
• Around 1 billion years ago, what major continental-scale features were present?
• Rising concentrations of greenhouse gases alter Earth's radiative equilibrium by...
• What is the standard river discharge equation in metric units?
• At the top of Mount Everest, you would find fossils of what?
• Approximately 1.5 billion years ago, Earth is described as the Blue Planet due to its dominant feature of:
• By 4 billion years ago, Earth had evolved to a state similar to today.
• Body waves (P and S waves) are faster than surface waves and tend to cause less damage.
• Which boundary type is characterized by the formation of new oceanic crust?
• Discharge can be calculated using which variables for a rectangular channel?
• What mineralogical feature differentiates a diamond from granite?
• What minerals are found in Earth's core?
• The idea that climate change will cause the United States to become drier overall is true.
• Mafic rocks have melting temperatures that are
• Which layer of Earth contains molten material?
• Earthquakes occur in which rock deformation zone?
• Rock A formed from lava with lower viscosity. Which rock is associated with lower viscosity?
• Which set lists the four inner, rocky planets?
• What is the major type of volcano that makes up Hawaii?
• What is a key outcome of metamorphism regarding crystal size?
• Geologists observe two rocks that were originally formed from lava. Rock A is dark-colored and Rock B is light-colored. Which rock formed from lava with the higher viscosity?
• The outer rigid shell of the Earth is known as which term?
• Coal depositional environments are commonly associated with which setting?
• Why is Pluto no longer considered a planet?
• If air moves north from the equator toward the North Pole, which direction will it be deflected by the Coriolis effect?
• Limestone is an example of which rock type?
• Which elements are primarily combined to form silicate minerals?
• Radioactive decay dating can be used for which rock types?
• If two rivers have drainage basins of about equal size, the river with higher discharge is explained by what factor?
• Wegener's continental drift hypothesis was not widely accepted at first because _______.
• Earthquake magnitude and intensity are always correlated. True or False?
• Deserts are most commonly located near which latitude?
• Earth's biosphere modifies atmospheric gases by which action?
• Biochemical sedimentary rocks are commonly composed of which mineral?
• When mineral grains from shale are dated by isotopic analysis to determine the age of a fossil, the lab date is typically: