GEOL100 Practice Exam 3 Answers

According to the evidence compiled by the IPCC, natural forcings alone account for surface temperature observations since 1960.

• True

• False

False

How does the arrangement of continents on the surface of the planet affect climate?

• Land masses clustered at the south pole lead to a cooler planet

• Land masses clustered at the equator lead to a cooler planet

• Land masses clustered at the equator lead to a warmer planet

• Land masses clustered at the north pole lead to a cooler planet

Land masses at clustered at the south pole lead to a cooler planet

Ice core data show that atmospheric CO₂ concentrations were higher during each of the major glacial periods and lower during the warmer interglacial periods.

• True

• False

False

The greenhouse effect represents

• alteration of climatic patterns by global warming

• particularly intense solar radiation

• anthropogenic global warming

• “trapping” of heat by atmospheric gases

"trapping” of heat by atmospheric gases

The two most abundant gases in the atmosphere are:

• carbon dioxide and oxygen

• carbon dioxide and nitrogen

• hydrogen and oxygen

• nitrogen and oxygen

• hydrogen and carbon dioxide

nitrogen and oxygen

The burning of wood, coal, and natural gas produces

 

• carbon dioxide

• oxygen

• nitrogen

• methane

carbon dioxide

Even if we stop putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, warming and sea-level rise will most likely occur anyway

 

• True

• False

True

How might global warming exacerbate coastal hazards?

• global warming will likely be accompanied by sea level rise

• warmer water is more highly erosive on coastlines

• ocean currents will be stronger in a warmer world

• under warmer conditions, waves are likely to be substantially larger

global warming will likely be accompanied by sea level rise

Ice is a substance with a high albedo, which means it __________.

• absorbs most of the light that falls on it

• requires heat to raise its temperature by 1°C

• reflects most of the light that falls on it

• strongly refracts(bends) light that falls on it

reflects most of the light that falls on it

Some areas of the Atacama Desert in Chile have not had measurable rainfall in over 400 years. What type of desert is the Atacama?

 

• polar

• subtropical

• rain shadow

• midlatitude

• coastal

coastal

What type of desert region includes the Sahara Desert of north Africa?

 

• polar

• subtropical

• rain shadow

• midlatitude

• coastal

subtropical

When solar ultraviolet radiation interacts with the Earth’s surface, it

 

• is re-radiated as energy in the infrared spectrum

• is re-radiated as energy in the visible light spectrum

• is absorbed to a greater degree by the land surface than by the oceans

• is absorbed to a greater degree by ice than by the land surface

• is contributing to the hole in the ozone layer

is re-radiated as energy in the infrared spectrum

Which of the following is NOT part of the definition of a desert?

 

• high temperatures

• mean annual rainfall of less than 25 centimeters per year

• dry with the capability to evaporate more water than falls as precipitation

• incapable of supporting abundant life

• all of the choices

high temperatures

Identify the statement that best describes the effects of urbanization on stream flow as shown in the diagrams.

• Diagram A illustrates that there is more infiltration after urbanization, and therefore less water reaches the stream channel.

• Diagram A shows water from the storm getting into the stream channel faster than it does in diagram B.

• Diagram A must show the situation after urbanization of an area.

• Diagram B shows a stream responding faster and more intensely to a rainfall event.

• Flooding potential for a stream is less after urbanization than before.

On the stream diagram, identify the:

• oxbow lake — location C

• cutbank - location B

• stream channel — location D

• pointbar — location A

The sediment load of a stream consists of only those grains that are fine enough to stay in suspension.

 

• True

• False

False

The stream in the diagram flows at a velocity of 6 meters per second. Its discharge is:

• About 30 cms

• About 600 cms

• About 1800 cms

• About 66 cms

• About 180 cms

About 180 cms

Which of the following statements about the hydrologic cycle is false?

 

• There is an exchange of water among oceans, land, and atmosphere.

• Water that manages to infiltrate the land is lost to the cycle.

• Sheetwash is a thin film of water that moves down slopes.

• Meteoric water can fall directly into a stream, accumulate in a standing body, become sheetwash, or infiltrate the soil.

• Surface snow and ice is part of this cycle.

Water that manages to infiltrate the land is lost to the cycle.

Within a stream meander, where is sediment most likely to be deposited?

• on the outer banks of the meander

• on the inner banks of the meander

• uniformly to either side of the meander

on the inner banks of the meander

For this fault, identify the hanging wall in the diagram:

block B

All islands along a hot-spot chain remain volcanically active for the lifetime of the mantle plume involved.

 

• True

• False

False

A tsunami at least as big as the 2004 Indian Ocean event can conceivably strike the east coast of the United States in the geologic future.

• True

• False

True

Bombs, ash, and cinders are all examples of ____.

• intrusive igneous rocks

• extrusive igneous rocks

• volatiles

• pyroclastic debris

pyroclastic debris

Do all earthquakes in the ocean cause tsunami?

 

• no, only some seismic waves can travel into water and cause tsunami

• no, not all ocean crust quakes have vertical displacement of the seafloor

• yes, seismic waves can travel into water and cause tsunami for all ocean quakes

• yes, all ocean crust quakes have seafloor displacement but most tsunami are small

no, not all ocean crust quakes have vertical displacement of the seafloor

How much stronger is the shaking in a M6 quake than a M3?

 

• 10 times stronger

• 100 times stronger

• 1000 times stronger

• 10000 times stronger

• 100000 times stronger

1000 times stronger

If you die in an earthquake, the most likely reason will be:

 

• You fell over during the shaking and bonked your head

• Your house fell on you

• You were buried in a landslide

• A fracture opened up underneath your feet and you fell in

Your house fell on you

In this diagram, the approximate lag time between the arrival of the P and S wave is _________.

• about 1.5 minutes

• about 3 minutes

• about 4 minutes

• about 6 minutes

about 1.5 minutes (?)

In this diagram, the approximate lag time between the P and S-waves in seismogram B is:

 

• 30 seconds

• 1 minute

• 1 minute 15 seconds

• 2 minutes

30 seconds

The arrival time of the P and S waves recorded at one seismic station can determine:

• the location of the earthquake

• the damage at the focus

• the distance to the earthquake

• the intensity of the earthquake

the distance to the earthquake

The earthquakes that occurred in 1811 in New Madrid were unusual because

• They were very large and produced enormous tsunami

• They were felt in California

• They were located on a fault far from a plate boundary

• They did not occur on a fault

They were located on a fault far from a plate boundary

The most destructive earthquake waves are the ______________; the fastest are the ______________.

• P-waves; P-waves

• S-waves; P-waves

• surface waves; Love waves

• surface waves; P-waves

• surface waves; S-waves

surface waves; P-waves

The most widely used scale for describing the energy released by earthquakes is the ________ scale.

• Richter

• modified Mercalli Intensity

• moment magnitude

• Community Intensity

Richter

The P-wave arrives after about 25 seconds and the S-wave arrives after about 48 seconds. How far is the seismograph from the epicenter of the earthquake?

 

• 100 kilometers

• 200 kilometers

• 300 kilometers

• 400 kilometers

• 500 kilometers

200 kilometers

The San Andreas Fault Zone in southern California is an example of a ____ plate boundary.

• convergent

• divergent

• transform

transform

This fault is a ____________ fault.

 

• normal dip-slip

• strike slip

• reverse dip-slip

• obtuse dip-slip

reverse dip-slip

Tsunami generated by the Japan 2011 earthquake resulted from ________.

• Seismic waves entering a body of water from the shaking of the shoreline

• Vertical displacement of the seafloor above a subduction zone

• Seismic waves entering a body of water from the solid oceanic crust

• Horizontal displacement of the seafloor above a transform fault

Vertical displacement of the seafloor above a subduction zone

Which earthquake would likely cause the most damage, given that all factors are the same?

 

• Magnitude 7.5, focus depth 15 km

• Magnitude 4.5, focus depth 20 km

• Magnitude 4.5, focus depth 10 km

• Magnitude 7.5, focus depth 10 km

• Magnitude 7.5, focus depth 20 km

Magnitude 7.5, focus depth 10 km

The difference between lava and magma is that ____.

 

• magma is light in color and lava is dark

• magma usually has mafic composition and lava usually has felsic composition

• magma is found beneath the Earth's surface, whereas lava has reached the surface

• magma flows more quickly than lava.

magma is found beneath the Earth's surface, whereas lava has reached the surface

Where did the oxygen in the atmosphere that we are breathing today come from?

 

• Comets

• Volcanoes

• Photosynthesis

• Sunlight interacting with atmosphere

• Chemical weathering

Photosynthesis

All islands along a hot-spot chain remain volcanically active for the lifetime of the mantle plume involved.

 

• True

• False

False

An air mass contains a set amount of water vapor. If the temperature of the air mass increases, what will happen to the relative humidity of that air mass?

 

• It will increase

• It will decrease

• It will remain the same

• It is impossible to tell without additional information

It will decrease

Convection occurs in the troposphere due to uneven heating of Earth's surface because:

• warming air expands, becomes less dense, and rises.

• warming air is pushed upward by the heat.

• cooling air expands, becomes less dense, and rises.

• convection due to uneven heating doesn't happen.

warming air expands, becomes less dense, and rises.

Ice is a substance with a high albedo, which means it __________.

 

• absorbs most of the light that falls on it

• requires heat to raise its temperature by 1°C

• reflects most of the light that falls on it

• strongly refracts(bends) light that falls on it

reflects most of the light that falls on it

Where is most of the ozone in the planet’s atmosphere found?

• troposphere

• stratosphere

• outer atmosphere

• volcanoes

• the oceans

stratosphere

Why are mathematical climate models important to the study of climate change?

 

• their mathematical character makes their conclusions and predictions completely accurate

• they are easier to use and more reliable than geologic data

• they have the ability to predict changes in the future

• they make monitoring of climatic conditions obsolete

• they aren’t important as they are highly unreliable and in need of major improvements

they have the ability to predict changes in the future

A flood hazard maps shows:

 

• the area that will be flooded just once per century.

• the boundaries of a river’s flood plain (unless decreased by adequate levee systems).

• land areas where there is 1 percent annual flood probability, and an 0.2 percent annual flood probability

• the elevations below which flood risk is great and above which flood risk is not great.

• areas where extremely high tides and tsunamis may cause flooding.

land areas where there is 1 percent annual flood probability, and an 0.2 percent annual flood probability

Choose the list that ranks the three types of sediment load in a stream from smallest to largest.

 

• bedload --> suspended load -->
  dissolved load

• suspended load --> dissolved load -->
  bedload

• dissolved load --> suspended load -->
  bedload

• dissolved load --> bedload --> suspended load

dissolved load —> suspended load —> bedload

How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by oceans?

71%

In terms of the hydrologic cycle, evaporation is:

 

• when water percolates into the subsurface

• when water flows across the surface and collects into streams

• when water falls as droplets from the atmosphere

• when water evaporates from the surface of the Earth

• when water evaporates from the surface of a plant

when water evaporates from the surface of the Earth

In the 13^th century, there is evidence that the oceanic conveyor belt slowed significantly or stopped in the North Atlantic probably due to a large influx of freshwater into the ocean basin. How did this affect the climate of the Northern Hemisphere?

 

• Glaciers and ice pack began to grow again

• Glaciers and ice pack began to shrink again 

• There was no significant difference in the ice pack

• The climate warmed significantly

• There was no measureable difference in climate over land but the ocean got colder

Glaciers and ice pack began to grow again

The Hawaiian-Emporer seamount chain is the only evidence of mantle plume activity currently active on the planet today.

• True

• False

False

Which factors control the cooling time of magma within the crust? Select all that apply.

• the depth at which magma cools

• the volume oft eh intruded magma

• the rate at which heat is absorbed from the surroundings

• the heat different between the magma and the surroundings

• surface water passing over the magma

• the depth at which magma cools

• the volume oft eh intruded magma

• the rate at which heat is absorbed from the surroundings

• the heat different between the magma and the surroundings

• (?)

In terms of the hydrologic cycle, evaporation is:

 

• when water percolates into the subsurface

• when water flows across the surface and collects into streams

• when water falls as droplets from the atmosphere

• when water evaporates from the surface of the Earth

• when water evaporates from the surface of a plant

when water evaporates from the surface of the Earth

A lahar like the one that occurred at Mt. Pinatubo is:

 

• a glowing cloud of pyroclastic grains and hot gas.

• a cinder cone.

• an enlarged volcanic crater.

• a volcanic mud and debris flow that resembles fluid concrete.

• a lava lake in a summit crater.

a volcanic mud and debris flow that resembles fluid concrete.

All of the melt in the magma chambers beneath Yellowstone is felsic composition.

 

• True

• False

False

Based on the pattern and location of earthquakes on the diagram, which plate is subducting?

Plate A

Even if you don’t see displacement at the surface, every earthquake occurs on a plate boundary.

 

• True

• False

False

Fayal, an island in the Azores off the coast of Africa, is located on an oceanic divergent boundary. What composition lava erupts on the island?

 

• Rhyolite

• Andesite

• Basalt

Basalt

How would this diagram change if the seismic station were farther from the earthquake?

• the P-waves only would arrive later

• the S-waves only would arrive later

• there would be a larger gap between the arrivals of the P- and S-waves

• the S-waves would arrive before the P-waves

• all the waves would arrive later and there would be a larger gap between them

all the waves would arrive later and there would be a larger gap between them

If an area has shallow, intermediate, and deep earthquakes, what can you infer?

 

• it is near a subduction zone

• the shallow earthquakes will be closer to the trench than deeper ones

• the depth pattern of earthquakes can be used to determine which way the slab is inclined

• this area has the potential for large earthquakes

• all of the possible answers are correct

all of the possible answers are correct

If the volatile content of magma is increased, its viscosity will ____.

 

• increase

• decrease

• stay the same

decrease

If you feel the shaking of an earthquake and sometime later the water pulls back and the offshore reef is exposed, what should you do to ensure your best chance of survival?

 

• Go out to help the stranded fish

• Set up your camera on the beach

• Get to high ground

• Climb to the top of a really tall tree

Get to high ground

Lava flows are the greatest volcanic hazard to human life because they travel so fast.

 

• True

• False

False

Mt. Saint Helens erupted in 1980, sending out gas and pyroclastics. Geologists have found evidence of many eruptions of Mt. St. Helens, dating back 37,000 years. The mountain is huge and is composed of layers of lava and pyroclastics. Which of the following is most likely true?

 

• When lava flows, it will be basalt.

• It will not erupt again.

• It's a stratovolcano (or composite cone).

• It's on a transform plate boundary.

• It's a cinder cone.

It’s a stratovolcano (or composite cone).

Olympus Mons on Mars is a shield volcano. What composition lava is most likely to have formed it?

 

• Rhyolite

• Andesite

• Basalt

Basalt

Roughly 80% of the earthquake energy released on Earth comes in the continental collision zone where the Himalayas are still growing; the remaining 20% is scattered at random locations worldwide.

 

• True

• False

False

Shear seismic waves can be modeled by:

 

• sinusoidal curves

• pendulum motion

• spring motion

• parabolic curves

sinusoidal curves

The seismogram shows a local recording of the Sichuan earthquake that devastated eastern China at 2:28 pm on May 12th, 2008, what is the lag time?

 

• about 800 seconds

• about 3500 seconds

• about 2000 seconds

• about 1250 seconds

• about 1000 seconds

about 2000 seconds

Tonga, an island in the South Pacific, is above an ocean-ocean convergent boundary. What composition lava erupts from its volcanoes?

 

• Rhyolite

• Andesite

• Basalt

Andesite

Vesuvius erupted—a very violent explosion—in 79 C.E. and buried the residents of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash. On the basis of this information, which of the following would you least expect to find at Vesuvius?

 

• Basalt

• lapilli (cinders)

• welded tuff

• rhyolite domes

Basalt

Which magma would have the lowest viscosity?

 

• Low temperature mafic

• High temperature felsic

• High temperature mafic

• Low temperature felsic

High temperature mafic

Which of the following events is a warning sign of imminent eruption?

 

• earthquake activity

• bulges on the volcano's surface

• decrease in mass movement events

• a tsunami in the surrounding body of water

• earthquake activity

• bulges on the volcano's surface

Which of the following are characteristics of stratovolcanoes? Check all that apply.

 

• Formed from explosive eruptions.

• The type of volcanoes that formed Hawaii.

• Formed by a single eruption.

• Composed of solidified lava and pyroclastic debris.

• Referred to as "homogeneous volcanoes."

• Typically composed of a single material.

• Formed form explosive eruptions

• Composed of solidified lava and pyroclastic debris.