Name: ________________________
Study Sheet - Exam 3 – Geology 2 – Chapters 5, 6, 7
The source of energy that drives Earth's external processes is __________.
____________ weathering involves the complex processes that break down rock
components and internal structures of minerals.
The physical removal of material by mobile agents such as water, wind, or ice is
referred to as __________.
In nature, both types of weathering usually work simultaneously.
Examine the information on weathering at this site. What type of weathering
produces the "rounding" of a rock?
The physical breakdown and chemical alteration of rock at or near Earth's surface
is called erosion.
Of the two types of weathering, ________ weathering is accomplished by physical
forces that break rock into smaller and smaller pieces without changing the rock's
mineral composition.
Mechanical weathering includes __________.
The process called ________ weathering gives a rock a more rounded shape by
attacking the corners more readily than the edges and faces.
Frost wedging is most effective in the polar latitudes.
Biological activity has little influence on the process of weathering.
When granite is chemically weathered, quartz __________.
Oxidation is an important mechanism in decomposing such ferromagnesian
minerals as olivine, pyroxene, and hornblende.
Based on your knowledge of how rapidly different minerals weather, which of
these rock types would provide the most suitable foundation base for a home
built in the tropics?
Quartz is less resistant to chemical weathering than feldspar.
Which of the following minerals is most resistant to weathering in the conditions
found on Earth's surface?
What factor(s) control the rate of weathering?
In Bowen's reaction series, the minerals that form last are the most susceptible
to chemical weathering.
Rain is naturally acidic because it contains weak ______ acid.
Soils formed from bedrock are called residual soils.
The B horizon of a soil is also called the topsoil.
Which of the following is a component of soil?
About fifty percent of the total volume of a good quality soil consists of pore spaces.
Eluviation and leaching are most active in the E horizon.
The most influential factor controlling soil formation is _____.
In general, the greater the slope, the thicker the soil.
2
Climate is the most influential control of soil formation.
The layer of rock and mineral fragments produced by weathering is referred to as ______.
The O and A horizons of a soil make up what is commonly called the subsoil.
The same parent material will always produce the same type of soil.
The optimum environment for chemical weathering is a combination of warm
temperatures and abundant moisture.
Removing vegetation will generally increase the rate of soil erosion.
The greatest amount of soil erosion is caused by wind.
Excessive clay in soil will result in poor drainage.
In chronological order, which of the following lists the processes that a rock
must go through to become a sedimentary rock?
Compaction, cementation, and recrystallization typically increase the pore space
within a sedimentary rock.
Lithification refers to the processes by which unconsolidated sediments are
transformed into solid sedimentary rocks.
Shale is far more common than other sedimentary rocks.
What is the primary basis used to classify detrital sedimentary rocks?
The sedimentary rock conglomerate consists of large angular particles.
Which of these sedimentary rocks is composed primarily of silt and clay?
Very thin layers of silt and clay that often occur in shale are frequently referred
to as __________.
What is the predominant mineral in most sandstones?
Mineral composition is the primary basis for distinguishing among the various
detrital sedimentary rocks.
Which of these statements is NOT true of chemical sedimentary rocks?
Limestone, composed chiefly of the mineral calcite, is the most abundant
chemical sedimentary rock.
Limestone deposits __________.
What is the main criterion for classifying chemical sedimentary rocks?
Chert consists of _________.
During the formation of coal, oxygen-deficient stagnant swamp water prevents
the complete decay of plant material.
Remembering what you learned about the process of weathering, which of these
sedimentary rocks could result from the weathering and erosion of granite?
Match each sedimentary rock with the most likely size of the particles that
compose it.
Which one of the following is NOT a component of evaporite deposits?
A sedimentary rock that contains randomly distributed clay, sand, and pebble
clasts is referred to as being __________.
3
There are locations on Earth where sediment composed of green olivine sand
exists. Where would you expect to find such a deposit?
Identify the indicated sedimentary rock by selecting the correct response.
((using the Sedimentary Rock Classification Chart)
Common examples of rocks with nonclastic textures are those deposited when
seawater evaporates.
Lignite and bituminous coals are sedimentary rocks, however, anthracite is a
metamorphic rock.
Rock salt and rock gypsum are examples of evaporites.
Turbidity currents are generally associated with which one of the following
sedimentary features?
Facies is a collective term for all of the chemical, physical, and biological changes
that take place after sediments are deposited during and after lithification.
Marine depositional environments are divided according to depth.
Select the most likely sedimentary rock associated with each of the
environments indicated on the diagram. (using the Diagram)
Bituminous coal
Shale
Rock gypsum
Limestone
Conglomerate
Sandstone
Tidal flats, lagoons, and deltas are examples of transitional environments.
Which one of the following is considered a transitional sedimentary environment?
Of all the rock types, sedimentary rocks are most likely to contain fossils.
Which of these sedimentary rocks would most likely form in the deepest water?
Features found in sedimentary rocks that give clues to past environments
include ripple marks, mud cracks, and graded bedding.
Match each of the following sedimentary rocks with the most appropriate response.
Shale
cave deposits
Arkose
poorly cemented shells
Coquina
fissility
Gypsum
calcium-magnesium carbonate
Dolostone
chemically altered plant structures
Travertine
evaporite
Flint
feldspar
Coal
microcrystalline silica
Each sedimentary environment is characterized by a particular combination of
geologic processes and environmental conditions.
The origin and history of sandstone can often be deduced by examining the
sorting, roundness, and mineral composition of its constituent grains.
The single most common and characteristic feature of sedimentary rocks are
layers, called strata, or beds.
Metamorphism literally means to "change form."
Which of the following is an agent of metamorphism?
The agents of metamorphism include heat, pressure, and chemically active fluids.
Most metamorphism takes place __________.
Contact, or thermal, metamorphism occurs in association with igneous intrusions.
4
What type of stress is illustrated in the following figure?
Hydrothermal solutions are responsible for producing large-scale regional
metamorphism.
A zone of alteration that often surrounds an emplaced magma is called a(n) ___.
The most important agent of metamorphism is heat.
The force exerted on a buried rock by the weight of material above is called ____.
During extreme metamorphism, the transformation may be so complete that the
parent rock cannot be determined.
__________ solutions are ion-rich fluids associated with large magma bodies
that eventually may form a variety of economically important mineral deposits.
The parent rock of a marble is __________.
Which of these is NOT a common type of schist?
Using the material provided in these Georgia Perimeter College class notes, what
is the approximate temperature and depth of formation of most slate?
According to the information at the site referenced in Question 15, the largest
skarns are of what type?
Examine the information on skarns at this Washington State University site.
What two minerals are most commonly present in a skarn?
According to the information in the site referenced in Question 17, the parent
rock of "soapstone" (talc/chlorite) is __________.
According to the skarn Web page in Question 17, a skarn is a __________
metamorphic deposit.
When rocks exhibit ductile behavior, their mineral grains tend to flatten and
elongate when subjected to differential stress.
When shale is subjected to low-grade metamorphism, its minerals align
themselves and the metamorphic rock __________ is formed.
Mineral alignment in a metamorphic rock usually gives the rock a foliated texture.
Following high-grade metamorphism, the segregation of minerals into separate
bands is referred to as __________.
When subjected to pressure, metamorphosed rocks often exhibit a layered or
banded texture called __________.
Most regional metamorphism occurs __________.
Listed in order of increasing metamorphic grade, a shale could be
metamorphosed into __________.
One type of metamorphic rocks that form in fault zones are termed _________.
The various types of foliation depend upon the grade of metamorphism and the
mineralogy of the parent rock.
Which of the following minerals is most associated with high-grade
metamorphism?
Migmatites serve to illustrate the fact that some rocks are transitional and do
not clearly belong to any one of the three basic rock groups.
Regional metamorphism produces the greatest volume of metamorphic rock.