Florida International University

GLY 1010: Introduction to Earth Sciences

Midterm 2 Examination (Fall 2009) :  Full points = 100

1) The three oldest periods of Paleozoic era are: A)Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous B)Permian, Mississippian and Pennsylvanian C)Cambrian, Ordovician and Devonian D)Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian

2) A rock formed with 1,000 atoms of a radioactive parent element, but only contains 250 radioactive parent atoms today.  If the half life for the radioactive element is one million years, how old is the rock?   A)  250,000 years old   B)  500,000 years old   C)  1,000,000 years old   D)  2,000,000 years old

3) The oldest eon in the earth is called A) Archean B) Phanerozoic C) Cenozoic D) Hadean

4) A nonconformity is ___________.   A)  a rock unit that is different than units above or below it   B)  a gap in the geologic record bounded below by metamorphic or igneous rocks and bounded above by sedimentary rocks  C)  a rock unit that does not contain fossils   D)  a sequence of rocks that does not contain any gaps in the geologic record

5) Which of the following is true about an unconformity A)It is a surface of no deposition B) It is a break in sedimentary record C)It represents a time interval D)All of the above

6) Pleistocene is a __________ in the Quaternary____________ A) period, era B)eon, era          C) epoch, period D) period, epoch

7)  In the diagram below the igneous intrusion I is A)the oldest unit present in the area B)is younger than K but older than L and J C) Of the same age as the intrusion D
D) Older than J but younger than L and K

8)  In the same diagram the line L represents A)a strike slip fault B)a normal fault C)a thrust fault D)an unconformity

9)  In the same diagram Line J represents A) Angular Unconformity B) Disconformity C) Nonconformity D) None of the above

10. The ¹⁴C/¹²C ratio in a piece of ancient wood is 1/8 th of the ratio on a living tree. How old is this piece of ancient wood. A) 5730 years B) 11460 years C) 17190 years D) 22920 years

11. What type of fault is a thrust fault?   A)  a low-angle normal fault   B)  a low-angle reverse fault   C)  a low-angle strike-slip fault   D)  a low-angle oblique fault

12. What type of faulting mechanism is shown by earthquakes that occur along transform faults?   A)  normal   B)  reverse   C)  strike-slip   D)  none of these

13. . Which of the following favors brittle deformation? A)High Temperature B)High Pressure C) High Strain-rate D)None of the above

14. An axial plane A)divides a fold as symmetrically as possible B)is a fault plane along the mid-oceanic ridges C)is a plane of easy fracture in a mineral D)plane along which magma rises to the surface

15. A fold in which the youngest rocks occupy the core is  A) a syncline B) an anticline C) an overturned fold D) a dome

16. Which of the followings is a dip-slip fault? A) Normal Fault B) Reverse Fault C) Thrust Fault D) all of the above

17. Which of the following is true for a recumbent fold? A) a steeply plunging fold with a vertical axial plane, B) a steeply plunging fold with nearly horizontal axial plane C) a non-plunging fold with nearly horizontal axial plane D) a non-plunging fold with a vertical axial plane?

18. Which of the following lists is arranged  in the proper order according to the grade of metamorphism: A) chlorite-sillimanite-garnet B) Garnet-sillimanite-chlorite C) Sillimanite-Garnet-Chlorite D) Sillimanite-chlorite-garnet

19. A metamorphic rock where the foliation is defined by large mica crystals visible with naked eye: A) Slate B) Schist C) Phyllite D) Gneiss

20. Mylonites are product of what kind of metamorphism? A) Regional B) Contact C) Hydrothermal D) Cataclastic

21. Hornfels facies is associated with what kind of metamorphism? A) Regional B) Conatct C) Hydrothermal D) cataclastic

22. Which of the following minerals are found only in contact metamorphic rocks? A) Kyanite B) garnet C) wollastonite D) Biotite.

23.  Line on a map representing the first appearance of an index mineral is known as A) index line B) isochron C) isograd D) isotope

24. Presence of calcite in the soil profile is indicative of what kind of climate? A) Dry B) Hot and humid C) Temperate D) any of the above

25.  Arrange the following minerals according to their resistance to chemical weathering:  A) Feldspar, Olivine, Iron Oxide, Halite B)  Olivine, Halite, Iron Oxide, Feldspar  C)  Iron Oxide, Olivine, Halite, Feldspar  D)  Iron Oxide, Feldspar, Olivine, Halite

26. Red colored soil typical of very hot and humid regions:?  A) Regolith B)  Pedalfer C)  Humus D)  Laterite

27. China clay, also known as Kaolin (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄) is produced by chemical weathering of A) Potassium Feldspar (KAlSi₃O₈) B)  Pyroxene( (Fe,Mg)SiO₃) C)  Calcite (CaCO₃) D)  None of the above

28. Peeling of flat parallel slabs of rocks from outcrops is called  A) Exfoliation B)  Spheroidal  Weathering C)  Oxidation D)  Frost wedging

29. Clastic sedimentary rock made up of calcite grains of 5 mm diameter : A) Limestone  B)  Sandstone C)  Siltstone D)  conglomerate

30. Most likely environment of deposition of a well rounded, well sorted quartz sandstone A) glaciers B)  Deep Ocean C)  Ocean beach D)  Desert Lake

31. Oolites are indicative of _____________  A)  long transportation of clastic sediments B)   deposition in shallow marine environment  C)  deposition in deep marine environment   D)  deposition in a desert environment.

32. Clastic sedimentary particles between .0625 and .0039 mm in diameter are known as __________A) sand B)  pebble C)  clay D)  none of the above

33. Which of the following best describes Chert?  A) a fine grained biogenic sedimentary rock formed by the accumulation of dead foraminifera shells B)   a fine grained silica rich clastic rock. C)  a fine grained silica rich biogenic sedimentary rock. D)  a fine grained sedimentary rock formed by the evaporation of sea-water

34. Principle of superposition says that A) newer hypotheses are always better than older hypotheses B) Complex life forms always succeed simpler life forms C) parent isotopes are replaced by daughter isotopes d) a sedimentary layer in an undisturbed sequence of layers is always older than the layer above.

35. Which of the following structures does not indicate the direction of current? A) Symmetrical ripple B) asymmetric ripples C) Cross bedding D) all of them indicate the  current direction

36. Which of the following geothermal gradient is most likely to be present in a convergent plate boundary (like in a mountain belt)? A) 5 ºC/km B) 10 ºC/km C) 30 ºC/km D) 100 ºC/km

37. Which of the following does not take place during diagenesis?  A) cementation B) Sorting C) recrystallization D) All of them occur during diagenesis.

38.  Which of the following represent  high pressure-low temperature metamamorphism? A) Blue schist B) green schist C) White schist D) none of the above

39. Which soil horizon is known as the zone of leaching? A) A B) B C) C D) R

40. Regolith is the name for ____ A) organic matter in soil B) blanket of weathered material found on the surface C) soil of dry climate D) rocks formed by retrogressive metamorphism