This Is Probably The Hardest Geology Test!

53 Questions | By Shopkin6 | Updated: Mar 22, 2022 | Attempts: 3358

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This Is Probably The Hardest Geology Test! - Quiz

This is probably the hardest geology test! The earth is an exciting place in our solar system, and through geology, we understand some of the rocks, minerals, volcanoes, and even shifts with the earth’s rocks. Do you think you can pass what has come to be known as the most challenging geology quiz? Take it up and get to share the score you get to see if you do understand the geology.

Questions and Answers

1.

In order to produce a commercially viable oil deposit, there must be a source rock, a reservoir rock, a seal rock, and a ____________.
- A.
  
  Trap—a geologic configuration that forces oil to pool up and denies it passage to the surface
- B.
  
  Heater rock—an intrusive igneous rock beneath the source rock to heat the oil and give it buoyancy
- C.
  
  Large fracture connecting the reservoir rock to the surface of the Earth, so the oil can move freely toward the surface
- D.
  
  Filter rock—a rock of intermediate permeability located between the source and reservoir rocks to remove impurities
2.

Chemically, oil and gas are both ____________
- A.
  
  Hydrocarbons
- B.
  
  Carbohydrates
- C.
  
  Pure forms of carbon
- D.
  
  Carbonate minerals
3.

Which fossil fuel, oil or natural gas, is found at greater depths within Earth, and why?
- A.
  
  Gas, because it is more stable at high temperatures
- B.
  
  Oil, because it is more stable at low pressures
- C.
  
  Oil, because it is more stable at high temperatures
- D.
  
  Gas, because it is more stable at low pressures
4.

Shale, salt, and fine-grained limestone that is not fractured are all good candidates to serve as ____________ within an oil field.
- A.
  
  Either a source or reservoir rock
- B.
  
  A seal rock
- C.
  
  A reservoir rock
- D.
  
  A source rock
5.

The oil window (temperature range wherein organic matter is converted to petroleum without destroying it) lies between ____________.
- A.
  
  200 to 350 °C
- B.
  
  100 to 250 °C
- C.
  
  90 to 160 °C
- D.
  
  30 to 60 °C
6.

Most coal is mined from ____________, which develop and preserve the thick sedimentary sequences necessary for deep burial.
- A.
  
  Shields
- B.
  
  domes
- C.
  
  Basins
- D.
  
  Active margins
7.

U-235, the isotope of uranium commonly utilized in nuclear power plants, is ____________.
- A.
  
  The most common of the naturally occurring isotopes of that element
- B.
  
  Rare even in uranium oxide deposits, and thus usable reactor fuel must be enriched with respect to this isotope
- C.
  
  Heavier than the other well-known isotope of uranium
8.

The first ores which were widely smelted by humans to produce metal were those of ____________.
- A.
  
  Bronze
- B.
  
  Copper
- C.
  
  Gold
- D.
  
  Iron
9.

Commercial ore deposits are most likely to be found associated with ____________.
- A.
  
  Thick basinal sandstones and shales
- B.
  
  Blueschists
- C.
  
  Evaporite sequences
- D.
  
  Igneous rocks
10.

Mineral-rich veins within plutons, deposited by hot groundwater into fractures within the rock, characterize ____________.
- A.
  
  Residual mineral deposits
- B.
  
  Hydrothermal deposits
- C.
  
  Placer deposits
- D.
  
  Sedimentary deposits
11.

Which ore minerals are commonly found in ancient sedimentary deposits that are 2 billion years old?
- A.
  
  Aluminum oxides
- B.
  
  iron oxides
- C.
  
  Copper sulfides
- D.
  
  Copper oxides
12.

Which mineral resources are considered renewable?
- A.
  
  Nonmetallic minerals only
- B.
  
  Iron and aluminum ores
- C.
  
  Base metals only
- D.
  
  No mineral resources are renewable
13.

The United States has active mines within its boundaries that are sufficient to maintain a steady supply of all strategically important metals.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
14.

As suggested by the name “earthquake” the release of seismic energy as waves is unique to our planet and has not been found to occur in any other body of our solar system.
- A.
  
  True
- B.
  
  False
15.

If, during an earthquake, a hanging wall slides upward relative to a footwall, the fault is termed ____________ if the fault is steep (closer to vertical than horizontal).
- A.
  
  Thrust
- B.
  
  Reverse
- C.
  
  Normal
- D.
  
  Abnormal
16.

An earthquake occurs with an epicenter in the town of New Madrid, Missouri, in the interior of the North American Plate. Where might the hypocenter of this earthquake plausibly be found?
- A.
  
  20 km beneath New Madrid
- B.
  
  20 km south of New Madrid
- C.
  
  200 km beneath New Madrid
- D.
  
  In New Madrid ("hypocenter" and "epicenter" mean precisely the same thing)
17.

Earthquake waves which pass through the interior of Earth are termed ____________.
- A.
  
  Surface waves
- B.
  
  Interior waves
- C.
  
  R-waves
- D.
  
  Body waves
18.

Surface waves ____________.
- A.
  
  Produce most of the damage to buildings during earthquakes
- B.
  
  Travel more rapidly than body waves
- C.
  
  Are the first waves initially produced in an earthquake
- D.
  
  Are the first waves to arrive at a seismograph station after an earthquake
19.

Earthquakes that occur in a band called a ____________ can be used to track the motion of subducted oceanic lithosphere.
- A.
  
  Seismic gap
- B.
  
  Wadati-Benioff zone
- C.
  
  Trench
- D.
  
  Wegener belt
20.

Long-term prediction of earthquake behavior ____________.
- A.
  
  Is based on past earthquake activity
- B.
  
  Works on the principle that zones of past seismicity will be active in the future
- C.
  
  Includes the notion of seismic gaps—places where an earthquake is “overdue”
- D.
  
  All of the above
21.

Which of the world’s major cities has suffered tremendous earthquake damage in the past not because it is located at a plate boundary (it is not), but rather because it is built atop a basin of ancient lakebed sediments that rhythmically rock back and forth when agitated by seismic waves of a characteristic frequency?
- A.
  
  New Madrid
- B.
  
  Los Angeles
- C.
  
  Tokyo
- D.
  
  Mexico City
22.

Seismic rays follow curve paths in Earth's interior due to ____________.
- A.
  
  The influence of abrupt changes in density associated with major contrasts in rock type at depth
- B.
  
  The arcuate nature of trenches at subduction zones, where most earthquakes are generated
- C.
  
  The spheroidal nature of the Earth itself
- D.
  
  Gradual changes in density with depth beneath the surface
23.

Seismologist know that the outer core is liquid due to the presence of ______________.
- A.
  
  a high-velocity zone for seismic waves traveling in the outer core
- B.
  
  A P-wave "shadow" zone for seismometers situated between 104° and 140° from earthquake hypocenters
- C.
  
  A low-velocity zone (LVZ) at a depth of 200 km where about 2% of the rock may be melted
- D.
  
  A S-wave "shadow" zone for seismometers situated on the far side of the Earth from earthquake hypocenters
- E.
  
  Both D and B
24.

The word "metamorphism" literally refers to
- A.
  
  A concept in existential philosophy.
- B.
  
  Change in the chemical composition of a rock.
- C.
  
  Moving toward the middle.
- D.
  
  Change.
25.

When rocks are metamorphosed,
- A.
  
  The original minerals are recrystallized in the solid state, and they are sometimes replaced by a new set of minerals.
- B.
  
  They always develop a strong foliation.
- C.
  
  They always melt and then recrystallize upon cooling.
- D.
  
  They always turn green, which is why they are called greenschists.