APSC 151 Final

Compared to the age of the Universe of about 14 billion years, the currently accepted age of Earth is about ________ years as determined by using radioactivity for dating rocks and minerals.


A) 4.6 thousand

B) 4.6 billion

C) 5.4 million

D) 13.7 billion

B - 4.6 billion

The \________ division of the geologic time scale is an era of the Phanerozoic Eon.
A) PaleoceneB) PaleozoicC) PermianD) Proterozoic

B - Paleozoic

The Earth's core was formed from \________.
A) a massive nickel iron asteroid that was the nucleus upon which Earth condensed
B) high density radioactive carbon
C) the left over nickel and iron that would not fit into the earlier formed crust and mantle
D) molten iron and nickel that separated from silicates and sank due to its higher density

D - molten iron and nickel that separated from silicates and sank due to its higher density

Pangaea was \________.
A) a large, ocean basin that opened in the Triassic and closed in the Paleocene
B) a large, Precambrian shield area in Africa and South America that broke apart late in the Proterozoic Eon
C) a huge mountain range that formed when Africa pushed northward into Europe in Eocene time
D) a super continent that formed in the late Paleozoic and broke apart in Triassic time

D - a super continent that formed in the late Paleozoic and broke apart in Triassic time

The oceanic crust is made of mafic rock called \________ and is about \________ thick on average
A) basalt, 7 kmB) marine sedimentary rocks, 25 kmC) basalt, 70 kmD) granite, 35-40 km

A - basalt, 7 km

The composition of the upper mantle of Earth is thought to be
A) basaltB) graniteC) peridotiteD) iron-nickel alloy

C - peridotite

Which one of the following statements is not correct?
A) Metamorphic rocks may melt to magma.B) Sedimentary rocks may weather to igneous rocks.C) Magmas crystallize to form igneous rocks.D) Igneous rocks can undergo metamorphism

B - sedimentary rocks may weather to igneous rocks

\________ rocks form by crystallization and consolidation of molten magma
A) SedimentaryB) IndigenousC) PrimaryD) Igneous

D - igneous

\________ rocks always originate at the surface of the Earth.
A) SecondaryB) IgneousC) MetamorphicD) Sedimentary

D - sedimentary

The top of the asthenosphere is closest to the surface \________.
A) along a mid-ocean ridgeB) along the length of a deep mantle plumeC) along a transform faultD) along a subduction zone

A - along a mid-ocean ridge

Deep ocean trenches are surficial evidence for \________.
A) rifting beneath a continental plate and the beginning of continental drift
B) sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at subduction zones
C) rising of hot asthenosphere from deep in the mantle
D) transform faulting between an oceanic plate and a continental plate

B - sinking of oceanic lithosphere into the mantle at subduction zones

Plates are sliding past one another horizontally along a \________ plate boundary.
A) TransformB) convergentC) divergentD) subduction

A - transform

The true colour of a mineral as seen in its powdered form is called it's \________.
A) BirefringenceB) chatoyancyC) iridescenceD) streak

D - streak

Which one of the following minerals has the greatest hardness on the Mohs hardness scale?
A) FeldsparB) calciteC) gypsumD) topaz

D - topaz

Which of the following best defines a mineral and a rock?
A) A rock has an orderly, repetitive, geometric, internal arrangement of minerals; a mineral is a lithified orconsolidated aggregate of rocks.
B) A mineral consists of its constituent atoms arranged in a geometrically repetitive structure; in a rock, the atoms are randomly bonded without any geometric pattern.
C) In a mineral the constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of minerals.
D) A rock consists of atoms bonded in a regular, geometrically predictable arrangement; a mineral is a consolidatedaggregate of different rock particles.

C - in a mineral constituent atoms are bonded in a regular, repetitive, internal structure; a rock is a lithified or consolidated aggregate of minerals

When elements or compounds combine in the same proportions but in more than one structuralarrangement, relative to each other, those mineral structures are called \________.
A) AmorphousB) bimorphsC) isotopesD) polymorphs

D - polymorphs

Which of the following will react readily with acids such as hydrochloric?
A) calciteB) quartzC) diamondD) talc

A - calcite

The ion at the centre of a silicon-oxygen tetrahedron is surrounded by \________.
A) 4 oxygen ionsB) 6 oxygen ionsC) 4 sodium ionsD) 6 sodium ions

A - 4 oxygen ions

Which of the following minerals are silicates?
A) hematite, magnetite, and corundumB) muscovite, hornblende, and plagioclaseC) calcite, aragonite, and dolomiteD) anhydrite, gypsum, and barite

B - muscovite, hornblende, plagioclase

What is the name of dark-coloured mica?
A) CalciteB) biotiteC) quartzD) olivine

B - biotite

Which one of the following mineral groups exhibits a sheet-like silicate structure?
A) CarbonatesB) pyroxenesC) claysD) feldspars

C - clays

Which of the following minerals crystallize early in Bowen's reaction series?
A) BiotiteB) quartzC) olivineD) muscovite

C - olivine

Mafic rocks like basalt and gabbro \________.
A) are major constituents of the continental crustB) are very low in their iron and magnesium contentsC) form mainly in continental mountain beltsD) make up most of the ocean floor and volcanic island chains

D - make up most ocean floor and volcanic island chains

Name the texture that requires a magnifying glass or microscope to see individual mineral grains
A) AphaniticB) porphyriticC) phaneriticD) pegmatitic

A - aphanitic

In general, which of the following types of magma will be more likely to erupt explosively?
A) a highly viscous felsic magmaB) a relatively low viscosity mafic magmaC) an intermediate andesitic magma with a low water contentD) a very fluid komatiitic magma

A - a highly viscous felsic magma

Which one of the following is made of abundant pyroclastic materials?
A) rhyolite domeB) basaltic shield volcanoC) composite volcano or stratovolcanoD) fissure-related flood basalts

C - composite volcano or stratovolcano

The aphanitic equivalent of granite is
A) RhyoliteB) andesiteC) basaltD) komatiite

A - rhyolite

Which kind of eruptive activity is most likely to be highly explosive?
A) lava flows from a large shield volcano on an oceanic island
B) fissure eruptions feeding lava to flood basalt accumulations
C) eruptions of big, continental margin, composite volcanoes
D) lava flows from a large cinder cone complex

C - eruptions of big, continental margin, composite volcanoes

Which one of the following statements is the best description of erosion?
A) disintegration and decomposition of rocks and minerals at the surface
B) movement of weathered rock and regolith toward the base of a slope
C) the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transportedelsewhere
D) the combined processes of leaching, eluviation, and mass wasting

C - the process by which weathered rock and mineral particles are removed from one area and transported elsewhere

\________ is the dissolution or decomposition of minerals and rocks
A) Chemical weatheringB) HydrolysisC) Mechanical weatheringD) Rendering

A - chemical weathering

What two factors speed up rates of chemical reaction and weathering in rocks and soils?
A) low temperatures; very dryB) low temperatures; very moistC) high temperatures; very dryD) warm temperatures; very moist

D - warm temperatures, very moist

What is the drop in water surface elevation divided by the distance the water flows?
A) stream dischargeB) hydraulic capacityC) hydrologic resistanceD) stream gradient

D - stream gradient

A stream begins at an elevation of 200 metres and flows a distance of 400 kilometres to the ocean. Whatis the average gradient?
A) 2 m/kmB) 2 km/mC) 0.5 m/kmD) 0.5 km/in

C - 0.5 m/km (200m/400km)

Which statement below best describes how narrow valleys form?
A) Stream water dissolves the bedrock along a narrow swath of soluble bedrock.
B) Stream cuts vertically along soft fault gouge.
C) Streams tend to flow down abandoned mine shafts.
D) Stream cuts vertically, but valley sides cave in due to weathering and mass wasting

A - stream water dissolves the bedrock along a narrow swath of soluble bedrock

A radial drainage pattern would most likely develop \________.
A) on an active, growing volcano
B) in areas underlain by horizontal strata
C) in areas where the bedrock is cut by sets of fractures at right angles
D) in areas of folded and tilted strata with varying resistances to erosion

A - on an active, growing volcano

The process of turning a sediment into a sedimentary rock is called \________.
A) ConglomerationB) crystallizationC) lithificationD) redeposition

C - lithification

Which of the following best describes bedded gypsum and halite?
A) detrital sedimentary rocksB) varieties of dolostoneC) varieties of coal and peatD) evaporites; chemical sedimentary rocks

D - evaporites, chemical sedimentary rocks

\________ is typically formed by metamorphism of a mature sandstone.
A) MarbleB) SlateC) AmphiboliteD) Quartzite

D - quartzite

What type of environment is typified by brittle deformation?
A) deep burial with great confining pressure
B) intermediate depths with long slow heating and gradual strain rates
C) shallow, low temperature settings with high strain rates
D) shallow very high temperature settings as in contact metamorphism

C - shallow, low temperature settings with high strain rates

The main direct geologic effect(s) of glaciers is (are) to \________.
A) erode the continental landscape and to transport and deposit sediments
B) reduce high latitude marine sedimentation by reducing biologic productivity
C) warm the global climate by absorbing more solar radiation
D) raise global sea level by depressing the crust

A - erode the continental landscape and to transport and deposit sediments

What glacial landform is responsible for a large portion of the water resources for metropolitan Toronto?
A) the remnants of glacial Lake Bonneville
B) the drumlin field near Guelph and Peterborough
C) the Oak Ridges moraine and its included channel fills of coarse glacial outwash
D) pingoes and blocks of buried ice mined from glacial sediments between Toronto and Muskoka

C - the Oak ridges moraine and its included channel fills of coarse glacial outwash

Drumlin fields contain \________.
A) smooth, tapering, asymmetric ridges of till usually formed and shaped beneath a continental ice sheet
B) bowl-shaped depressions eroded largely by frost action and glacial plucking
C) mounds of outwash deposited by meltwater streams at the snout of a glacier
D) smooth, striated, bedrock ridges shaped and polished by a glacier's erosive action

A - smooth, tapering, asymmetric ridges of till usually formed and shaped beneath a continental ice sheet

What are the three types of differential stress in the Earth's lithosphere?
A) compression, shear, and tensionB) confined, unconfined, and directedC) hydrostatic, lithostatic, and vibratoryD) upwards, downwards, and sideways

A - compression, shear, tension

A syncline is \________.
A) a fold in which the older central strata dip away from the axis
B) a fold with only one limb
C) a fold in which older flanking strata dip toward the axis
D) a paralytic drunken fold characterized by recumbent limbs

C - a fold in which older flanking strata dip toward the axis

Due to tectonic compression, the Andes in central Chile are narrowing by 40mm/yr across a currentwidth of 200km. Over the next 1000 years the additional contractile (compressive) strain will be:
A) 0.0002B) 0.04 percentC) 0.02mmD) 1/80th

A - 0.0002 = (40/200,000)

A 1 litre jar full of lead pellets is melted down and cooled to form 750ml of solid lead. What was theporosity of the original jar of pellets?
A) 33%B) 0.25C) 250 mlD) 3:1

B - 0.25 = (1-(750/1000))

A 10cm cube of basalt is compressed 1mm in the vertical direction by a large compression machine. TheElastic Modulus of Basalt is 80000MPa. How much stress in MPa does the machine apply over the cube'supper surface?
A) 800B) 0.4C) 80D) 80000

A - 800 (E=stress/strain = (F/A)/(delta L/L)

A cylindrical rock sample with a diameter of 50mm fails under a vertical compressive load (aligned withthe cylinder) of 98kN. What is its compressive strength in MPa?
A) 500B) 5C) 50D) 4900

B - 5

Two joint planes in a rock cliff intersecting in a line pointing down and out of the cliff face form:
A) Toppling FailureB) Planar Sliding FailureC) Slump FailureD) Wedge failure

D - wedge failure

Which of the following is not a physical property?
A) Boiling PointB) StiffnessC) ReactivityD) Magnetism

C - reactivity

A cube of rock with a horizontal joint plane in the middle is being tested. At a normal stress of 1 MPa applied to the joint plane, an appled shear stress of 1MPa is achieved before slip failure. For a friction coefficient of 0.5, what is the shear strength achieved at a normal stress of 3MPa.
A) 3 MPaB) 1.5 MPaC) 2 MPaD) 0.5 MPa

C - 2 MPa

Water pressure acting on a joint plane in a mass of rock
A) Increases the cohesion
B) Decreases the Cohesion
C) Reduces the effective normal stress acting on the solid area of joint contact
D) Reduces the material friction coefficient

C - reduces the effective normal stress acting on the solid area of joint contact

Which of these is not an effective way to stabilize a slope failure in rock?
A) Drainage of Water from the slopeB) Building a rock pile above the SlopeC) Retaining WallsD) Mechanical Stabilization

B - building a rock pile above the slope

Draping Mesh over a rock slope
A) Prevents major circular slump failure
B) Prevents rock blocks from moving
C) Catches small blocks of falling rock and redirects them into a ditch
D) Holds back water within the slope

C - catches small blocks of falling rock and redirects them into a ditch

Rotational Slump Failures occur in
A) Strong layered rockB) Massive hard rock slopesC) Soil or weathered rock massesD) Sensitive clay slopes

C - soil or weathered rock masses

Which of the following statements is not true?
A) An Earthquake is a vibration caused by rapid release of energy
B) An Earthquake always results in a break in the Earth's surface
C) An Earthquake's energy is derived from the release of shear strain
D) An Earthquake creates more vibration amplitude in soil than in rock

B - an Earthquake always results in a break in the Earth's surface

If an earthquake occurred 2400 km away from a seismic station, how long after the earthquake wouldthe station detect the arrival of a P-wave travelling at 8000m/s?
A) 5 minutesB) 3 minutesC) 30 secondD) 5000 seconds

A - 5 minutes (2400000/8000 = 300s = 5 mins)

The Mercalli Scale is a scale from \________.
A) 1 to 12 that rates the energy required for faulting to occur
B) 1 to 10 that rates the energy released by an earthquake
C) I to XII that rates the structural damage due to an earthquake
D) I to X that rates the total energy released during the main quake and all aftershocks

C - I to XII that rates structural damage due to an Earthquake

Approximately how much more energy is released in a 6.5 Richter magnitude earthquake than in onewith magnitude 5.5?
A) 3200 timesB) 100 timesC) 32 timesD) 10 times

C - 32 times (1 interval = 32x)

Why was building damage so extensive in the 1985 Mexico City quake?
A) The epicentre was right in the city.
B) The Richter magnitude was 8.8, and the focus was only 25 kilometres from the city.
C) Much of the city is built on lake silts and formerswampland that amplified the incoming surface waves.
D) The steel frame buildings were rigid and lacked the flexibility to withstand lateral swaying during even amoderate magnitude quake.

C - Much of the city is built on lake silts and former swampland that amplified incoming surface waves

Which periods did not end with a Mass Extinction?
a) neo-archeanb) cretaceousc) siluriand) permian

C - silurian

A \_______ is a near surface, intrusive, igneous rock body that results from local inflation of a horizontal sill
a) laccolithb) batholithc) volcanic neckd) dike

A - laccolith

What is the direct control on whether a volcano will erupt violently or quietly send out a few flows
a) what the total volume of the volcano has at time of the eruptionb) the duration of the quiet interval since its last violent eruptionc) the composition of the magma, its temperature, and dissolved gas content

B - the duration of the quiet interval since its the last violent eruption

Which of the following sedimentary rocks would you expect to have originally been deposited by fast-moving streams?
a) mudstoneb) oolitic limestonec) wacked) conglomerate

D - conglomerate

Normal and reverse faults are characterized mainly by \___________
a) horizontal slipb) oblique slipc) strike slipd) dip slip

C - strike slip

The best isotope for dating early human settlements in North America after the last ice age would bea) Uranium - 235/238b) Potassium-40c) Rubidium-87d) Carbon-14

D - carbon-14

A reserve is
a) an aggregate of minerals that are of valueb) a mass of minerals that can be extracted and usedc) a confirmed portion of a mineral deposit that can be extracted at a profitd) an anomalous concentration of metallic minerals

C - a confirmed portion of a mineral deposit that can be extracted at a profit

Diamonds are found in rare ultramafic volcanic pipes calleda) pyroclastiteb) rhyolitesc) kimberlited) volcanite

C - kimberlite

A void where ore is moved from the surrounding rock mass is called a
a) driftb) stopec) shaftd) raise

B - stope

The rich orebodies near Sudbury formed as the result of
a) an asteroid impactb) a super-volcanoc) tectonic riftingd) placer deposition

A - an asteroid impact

Which of the following foundation materials is most stable during earthquake shaking?
a) sand and mudb) bedrockc) unconsolidated moist soild) water-saturated sand

B - bedrock

Rock slides are caused by
a) intersecting sets of joints planesb) intact blocks of rock on steep joint or bedding planesc) overhanging rock blocksd) poor quality rock or soil under heavy rainfall

C - overhanging rock blocks

DNAPLS
a) adhere to the soil particlesb) travel down until they hit an aquitardc) dissolve into the groundwaterd) float on the water table

B - travel down until they hit an aquitard

What portion of canada's drinking water is supplied by groundwater aquifiers?
a) halfb) 80%c) one tenthd) 30%

D - 30%

Three types of groundwater contaminants are
a) soluble, dense insoluble, light insolubleb) PCB, ANCPL, DULPLc) biological, radiogenic, stratisphericd) caustic, respiratory, contact

A - soluble, dense insoluble, light insoluble

Which materials are listed in ascending order of density?
a) pumice, granite, iron, goldb) gold, mantle rock, iron, pumicec) wood, quartz, chalk, leadd) salt, platinum, sandstone, cement

A - pumice, granite, iron, gold

Which of the following stress situations results in folding of flat-lying sedimentary strata?
a) vertically directed, extensional or stretching stressesb) horizontally directed, compressive stressesc) vertically oriented digital stressesd) horizontally directed, extensional stresses

B - horizontally directed, compressive stresses

Which platy, parallel mineral grains are the most visual aspect of foliated metamorphic rock?a) micasb) quartzc) feldsparsd) carbonates

A - micas

\_________ forms from the metamorphism of limestone or dolostone
a) migmatiteb) amphibolitec) quartzited) marble

D - marble

What is the major source of heat for contact metamorphism?
a) deep burial and heat from Earth's interiorb) heat from a nearby magma bodyc) heat from grinding and shearing on faultsd) heat from the spontaneous decomposition of micas and feldspars

B - heat from a nearby magma body

Bone Fish were the stars of the animal kingdom during the \_____________ perioda) holoceneb) devonianc) pescacened) precambrian

B - devonian

In the search for oil, seismic exploration is primarily looking for
a) hydrocarbon signaturesb) changes in porosityc) fluid concentrationsd) geological and stratigraphic structure

C - fluid concentrations

In order to replace the energy needs of the planet with biodiesel from soy beans we would need
a) the entire land surface of the earthb) a landmass equal to the USAc) 6 million hectares of landd) minimal space as this fuel has a very small footprint

A - the entire land surface of the Earth

LNAPLS are
a) associated with gas station leaksb) less soluble than 25g/m3c) contaminants with S.G.

D - associated with gas station leaks, less soluble than 25g/m3, contaminants with S.G.

The first living cells to appear in the archean has what key components?
a) organelles, DNAb) chloroplasts, flagellumc) closed phospholipid layer, RNAd) phospholipid layer, mitochondria

C - closed phospholipid layer, RNA

Which reservoir of the hydrosphere has the largest fraction of earth's liquid freshwater?
a) lakes and reservoirsb) groundwaterc) glaciers and ice sheetsd) soil moisture

C - glaciers and ice sheets

One possible catalyst for the early genesis of RNA molecules could be:
a) olivene crystalsb) cytoplasmc) phospholipid capsulesd) montmorillonite clay

D - montmorillonite clay

The elastic rebound theory for the origin of earthquakes was first proposed by \____________ following the \____________ earthquake.
a. Reid; 1906, San Franciscob. Giuseppe; 1925, Pizza Lakec. Richter; 1989, Loma Prietad. Mohorovicic; 1964, Anchorage

A - Reid, 1906, San Francisco

When an earthquake occurs, energy radiates in all directions from its source. The source is also referred to as the \__________.a. inertial pointb. epicenterc. focusd. seismic zone

C - focus

Which one of the following statements is correct?
a. P waves travel through solids; S waves do not.b. P and S waves travel through liquids, but P waves do not travel through solids.c. S waves travel through solids and P waves travel through liquids.d. P and S waves travel through liquids, but S waves do not travel through solids.

C - S waves travel through solids, P waves travel through liquids

\____________ have the highest velocities.a. Primary wavesb. Secondary wavesc. Surface wavesd. Refracted S waves

A - primary waves

Which one of the following is true regarding tsunamis?
a. they travel as deep-water waves at speeds greater than surface seismic waves but slower than Swaves
b. their wave heights decrease and wavelengths increase as they move into shallower water
c. they are started by fault-induced, horizontal shifts in the sea floor that suddenly propel great massesof water in opposite directions
d. they occur in the open ocean, wavelengths are many miles or kilometers and wave heights are only a few feet

D - they occur in open ocean, wavelengths are many miles or km, wave heights are only a few ft

The amount of destruction caused by earthquake vibrations is affected by \__________.
a. design of structuresb. intensity and duration of the vibrationsc. nature of the surface materiald. all of these

D - design of structures, intensity and duration of vibrations, nature of the surface material

On a typical seismogram, \____________ will show the highest amplitudes.a. P wavesb. S wavesc. surface wavesd. body waves

C - surface waves

Major earthquakes are often followed by somewhat smaller events known as \__________.a. aftershocksb. foreshocksc. tremorsd. hyposhocks

A - aftershocks

The \____________ magnitude scale is a measure of the energy released. It does not directly measure the extent of building damage.
a. Gutenbergb. Reidc. Mercallid. Richter

D - richter

The instrument which records earthquake events is termed a \__________.a. polygraphb. thermographc. seismographd. barograph

C - seismograph

\____________ is the maximum possible damage designation on the Mercalli scale.
a. XIIb. 12c. Xd. 10

A - XII

The position on Earth's surface directly above the earthquake source is called the \__________.a. epicenterb. inertial pointc. focusd. seismic zone

A - epicenter

The mechanism by which rocks store and eventually release energy in the form of an earthquake is termed \__________.
a. elastic reboundb. seismic reboundc. fault displacementd. stress fracture

A - elastic rebound