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Student ID #________________________ CLOSED BOOK, NO NOTES

Geology 111G Exam #1

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Spring 2008

RULES: No headphones. No cellphones. No notes. No hoodies. No cowboy hats. No baseball hats (backwards is OK). No leaving the classroom during the exam.

Part 1: Multiple choice, 3 points each. USE SCANTRON.

1. The age of the Earth is:

A. 4.6 ka B. 3.8 Ga C. 4.6 Ga D. 4.6 Ma

E. I don't remember what Ga or Ma means.

2. Humans have been on Earth for ____of Earth’s history.

A. about 90% B. about 50% C. about 10% D. less than 1%

3. According to the theory of Plate Tectonics, the “plates” are made up of:

A. Continental crust B. Oceanic crust C. Asthenosphere D. Lithosphere

4. Which part of the Earth is liquid?

A. Asthenosphere B. mantle C. inner core D. Lower crust E. None of the above

5. What is the main heat loss mechanism for the earth?

A. Radiation. B. Conduction. C. Convection. D. Perspiration

(Choices for next 3 questions):

A. Divergent plate boundary B. Convergent plate boundary C. Transform plate boundary

6. Mid-Ocean Ridge is a:

7. Subduction Zones are found at:

8. Volcanoes are found at:

9. Strike-slip, or sliding faults, are found at:

(Choices for next 3 questions: A. Amphiboles B. Pyroxenes C. Micas D. Olivine

10. Single chains of silica tetrahedra define which group of minerals?

11. Double chains of silica tetrahedra define which group of minerals?

12. Three dimensional sheets of silica tetrahedra define which group of minerals?

13. The core of the earth is made up mostly of:

A. Iron and Nickel

B. Silicon and Oxygen;

C. Olivine and Pyroxene;

D. Unknown materials and elements because we can't sample the core

14. Which of the following layers is comparatively weak and consequently ductile as a result of its pressure and temperature conditions?

A. Lithosphere; B. Asthenosphere; C. Crust; D. Inner core

(Use the following sketch to answer question 29):

15. What elements could be represented by the spheres in the mineral structure depicted above?

A. sodium and chlorine; B. iron and magnesium; C. silicon and oxygen; D. carbon and oxygen

16. Which of the following minerals is not a form of Al₂O₃?

A. corundum B. diamond C. ruby D. sapphire

17. Which gem consists of one element only?

A. corundum B. diamond C. ruby D. sapphire

18. The earth’s heat is caused by:

A. volcanic activity and radioactivity B. solar heating and volcanic activity

C. impact events and radioactivity D. a large impact event and solar heating

19. Which list is written in order of increasing temperature (low to high)?

A. Sedimentation, metamorphism, diagenesis;

B. Diagenesis, sedimentation, metamorphism;

C. Metamorphism, diagenesis, sedimentation

D. Sedimentation, diagenesis, metamorphism

20. Which rock type is least abundant on the surface of the Earth?

A. Volcanic B. Chemical Sedimentary C. Metamorphic D. Clastic Sedimentary

21. Why did fossils suddenly become abundant during Cambrian time?

A. Volcanism died out, causing more species to survive

B. Meteorite impacts declined, causing more species to survive

C. Species evolved better defense mechanisms, causing more to survive

D. Species developed shells, resulting in better preservation

22. How do we know the composition of the Earth's core?

A. Theoretical modeling

B. Composition of meteorites

C. Composition of magmas that rise to the surface

D. Composition of lunar rocks brought back to Earth

23. What are planetesimals?

A. Small rocky planets

B. Large gaseous planets

C. Large rocky planets

D. Meteorites

24. The darker-colored regions of the moon are related to:

A. Dark debris from impacts

B. Oxidation of Iron minerals on the moon's surface

C. Non-icy parts of the moon, that reflect less

D. Lava flows

25. How do we know the composition of the mantle?

A. From meteorites

B. From mountain belts that have uplifted mantle rocks

C. From magma compositions

D. All of the A-C answers

E. None of the A-C answers

26. Continental shelves are:

A. Parts of the continents that are exposed at low tide

B. Parts of the continents exposed during ice-ages

C. Parts of the oceanic crust not exposed

D. Parts of the oceanic crust exposed during ice-ages

27. Density is:

A. volume/mass*gravity

B. volume * mass

C. mass/volume

D. mass/volume*gravity

28. Arrange these in order of high to low density:

A. water-quartz-iron-gold

B. gold-quartz-iron-water

C. quartz-water-iron-gold

D. gold-iron-quartz-water

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Short Answer (5 Points Each).

30. Complete the following chart, using the relative terms below each column heading:

Density Thickness Age

(high or low) (thick or thin) (old or young)

Continental ______________ ______________ _______________

Oceanic _______________ _______________ _______________

31. List the 4 terrestrial planets (4pts.). To kick the extra point, list them in order from the sun.

32. Sketch a cross-section (side view) of the following plate boundaries and indicate with an X the location of magma in each location

Convergent

Divergent

33. What are the qualities of certain minerals that makes them gemstones?

34. You are given the keys to a 1974 Chevy Nova automobile. You get in, and it doesn't start. Write out a hypothesis for the reason the car doesn't start, and suggest a specific experiment that you could do to test your hypothesis.

35. Explain the difference between the non-scientific vs. scientific meanings of “theory”:

36. Why are there more craters on the moon than on the earth?

37. Why are there more old craters than young craters on the moon?

38. List the three main layers of the earth from top to bottom based on composition

39. List the four main layers of the earth (top to bottom) based on mechanical behavior