Geology 102 Practice Exam 2
1. Define sediment.
2. What are three ways that sediments are created?
3. A rock formed by the accumulation and consolidation of sediment is.
A. Metamorphic rock
B. Mineral
C. Igneous Rock
D. Sedimentary Rock
4. What are the three types of sediments?
5. What are sediments composed of animal and plant remains?
A. Biogenic
B. Chemical
C. Clastic
6. What are sediments composed of broken fragments of rock produced by weathering?
A. Biogenic
B. Chemical
C. Clastic
7. What are sediments formed by minerals precipitating from solution (an inorganic
process only)?
A. Biogenic
B. Chemical
C. Clastic
8. All of the following are examples of sedimentary rocks formed chemically in terrestrial
environments, except for?
A. Gypsum
B. Anhydrite
C. Carbonates
D. Halite
9. Which of the following is a sedimentary rock that forms chemically in a marine
environment?
A. Anhydrite
B. Coal
C. Halite
D. Carbonates
10. What is the difference between poorly and well sorted sediments?
11. Define metamorphism.
12. All of the following are factors that influence metamorphism, except for?
A. Pressure
B. Time
C. Pore fluid
D. Mineral Composition
E. Temperature
13. Below what temperature are most minerals stable with little to no metamorphism
(Temperatures are in Celsius)?
A. 300
B. 200
C. 250
D. 150
14. Above what temperature will the reaction rate increase as temperature increases and
minerals begin to form (Temperatures are in Celsius)?
A. 150
B. 200
C. 500
D. 300
15. Above what temperature will some minerals begin to melt and transition into igneous
rocks?
A. 150
B. 200
C. 450
D. 600
16. What are the three types of metamorphism and their differences?
17. How do you name a clastic sedimentary rock?
18. Which depositional environment would you find coal?
A. Source
B. Swamp
C. Downstream
D. Offshore
19. What are the different ways to sort sediments?
20. Changes that occur to a rock while it is solid and does now melt, is known as.
A. Lithification
B. Foliation
C. Crystallization
D. Recrystallization
21. What is the parent rock of marble?
A. Shale
B. Gneiss
C. Limestone
D. Slate
22. What is the difference between a transgression and a regression?
23. What is the difference between a foliated and nonfoliated metamorphic rock?
24. True or false, the farther a rock clast travels the better rounded and sorted it is.
25. How is coal made?
26. True or false, limestone and coquina are not made from the remains of marine
organisms.
27. Which depositional environment are breccia and conglomerate rocks found?
A. Beach
B. Playa
C. Downstream
D. Near the source
28. Which depositional environment would you find Quartz sandstone and coquina?
A. Beach
B. Playa lakes
C. Offshore
D. Near Source
29. Which depositional environment would you find arkose and lithic sandstone?
A. Beach
B. Near Source
C. Downstream
D. Swamp
30. Which depositional environment would you find evaporates?
A. Beach
B. Playa lakes/basin
C. Offshore
D. Downstream
31. Which depositional environment would you find siltstone, shale, and limestone?
A. Beach
B. Downstream
C. Swamp
D. Offshore
32. What type of metamorphism occurs in areas of mountain building along convergent
plate boundaries and the rocks become foliated by differential pressure?
A. Contact
B. Burial
C. Regional
D. Low grade
33. Which type of metamorphism occurs where there is high heat, low pressure, and the
rocks are in contact with magma? Nonfoliated rocks are found here.
A. Contact
B. Burial
C. Regional
34. What are the heat and pressure conditions for burial metamorphism?
35. What are the heat and pressure conditions for regional metamorphism?
36. Why are contact metamorphic rocks nonfoliated?
37. What is the main difference between a breccia and a conglomerate?
A. They are the same
B. Breccia have angular grains, while conglomerates have rounded grains
C. Conglomerate have angular grains, while breccia have rounded grains
D. They both form in different depositional environments
38. Clastic sediment sizes are.
A. Gravel, sand, and silt
B. Gravel, sand, and mud
C. Gravel, mud, and silt
39. What is the parent rock of quartzite?
A. Limestone
B. Sand
C. Slate
D. Quartz sandstone
40. What is the parent rock of slate?
A. Shale
B. Siltstone
C. Clay
D. Limestone
41. What type of metamorphism forms rocks at low temperatures and pressure, with
microscopic crystals, have a dull luster, are composed of clay and mica minerals, and are
foliated?
A. High grade
B. Intermediate grade
C. Low grade
42. What type of metamorphism forms rocks at intermediate temperatures and pressure,
with small crystals, has a shiny luster, composed of mostly mica minerals, and is
foliated?
A. High grade
B. Intermediate grade
C. Low grade
43. What type of metamorphism forms rocks at high temperatures and pressure, with large
crystals, is composed of mica minerals, and is foliated?
A. High grade
B. Intermediate grade
C. Low grade
44. What theory describes the formation of the universe?
45. How old is the universe?
A. 4.6 billion years old
B. 4.6 million years old
C. 13.7 million years old
D. 13.7 billion years old
46. What theory describes the formation of the solar system?
47. Define planetary differentiation.
48. True or false, schist is the parent rock of gneiss.
49. All of the following are reasons why Earth is unique from other planets, except for?
A. Only planet with three states of water
B. Life
C. Only planet that is differentiated
D. Tectonic processes
50. What is the difference between a terrestrial and Jovian planet?
51. The present is the key to the past best describes which principle?
A. Principle of catastrophism
B. Principle of Unconformities
C. The Big Bang Theory
D. Principle of Uniformitarianism
52. What are the three types of systems and what are their differences?
53. What is the difference between relative and absolute dating?
54. Layering of sedimentary rocks is known as.
A. Columns
B. Rows
C. Stratum
D. Temples
55. A surface between rock layers that represents missing time and occurs due to erosion or
non-deposition is known as.
A. Disconformity
B. Nonconformity
C. Unconformity
D. Inclusions
56. An unconformity that occurs between parallel layers of sedimentary rocks is known as.
A. Nonconformity
B. Disconformity
C. Angular unconformity
57. An unconformity that occurs between eroded igneous or metamorphic rocks and
overlaying sedimentary rock layers is.
A. Nonconformity
B. Disconformity
C. Angular unconformity
58. An unconformity that occurs between lower rocks which have been tilted and then
eroded with overlying sedimentary rock layers is.
A. Nonconformity
B. Disconformity
C. Angular unconformity
59. How old is the Earth?
A. 4.6 billion years old
B. 4.6 million years old
C. 13.7 billion years old
D. 13.7 million years old
60. Define radioactive decay.
61. What is the difference between alpha and beta radioactive decay.
62. Define an isotope.
63. Be able to calculate the half-life of an isotope.