MSCI 112 EXAM 1 QUESTIONS VERIFIED ANSWERS
Lithospheric plates are destroyed
a. in deep sea trenches
b. in subduction zones
c. at mid-ocean ridges
d. along transform faults - Answers - b. in subduction zones
The most common rock-forming minerals in the crust are
a. carbonates
b. oxides
c. silicates
d. sulfides - Answers - c. silicates
Which of the following is not associated with divergent plate boundaries?
a. shallow earthquakes
b. deep-sea trenches
c. spreading centers
d. volcanoes - Answers - b. deep-sea trenches
Where would you expect to find the smallest crystals in the lava flow?
a. near the top surface of the flow
b. near of just below the center of the flow
c. near the bottom surface of the flow
d. throughout the flow - Answers - a. near the top surface of the flow
The North American Plate is bounded by _____ plate boundaries
a. convergent
b. transform
c. divergent
d. convergent, divergent, and transform - Answers - d. convergent, divergent, and
transform
Which of the following is commonly used to determine the age of the seafloor samples
recovered by the deep-sea drilling project?
a. carbon-14 dating
b. foraminifera fossils
c. chemical composition
d. gravity measurements - Answers - c. chemical composition
What drives plate tectonics?
a. slab pull and ridge push
b. mantle convection
c. volcanism
d. both a and b
, e. none of the above - Answers - d. both a and b (slab pull and ridge push and mantle
convection)
The two most common elements in the Earth's crust are
a. calcium and carbon
b. iron and sulfur
c. chlorine and sodium
d. oxygen and silicon - Answers - d. oxygen and silicon
The Earth's lithosphere is broken up into approximately _____ large pieces
a. 2
b. 5
c. 12
d. 20 - Answers - c. 12
The Great Rift Valley of East Africa is an early-stage
a. convergent boundary
b. divergent boundary
c. transform boundary
d. deep-sea trench - Answers - b. divergent boundary
The main type of plate boundaries are (proper names only):
a. transform, sliding-past, convoluted
b. convergent, colliding, crumbling
c. divergent, pull-apart, spreading
d. convergent, transform, divergent - Answers - d. convergent, transform, divergent
Rocks that form from the solidification of molten rock are called
a. metamorphic
b. sedimentary
c. igneous
d. chemical - Answers - c. igneous
For a rock of specific composition, which of the following statements is false?
a. the amount of partial melt decreases with increasing temperature
b. the melting temperature increases with increasing pressure
c. the melting temperature increases with increasing water content
d. A and C
e. all are true - Answers - d. a and c (the amount of partial melt decreases with
increasing temperature and the melting temperature increases with increasing pressure)
Where is the best place to explore the mid-ocean ridge as it comes on land?
a. Ireland
b. Iceland
c. Norway
d. Aynor, SC - Answers - b. Iceland
Lithospheric plates are destroyed
a. in deep sea trenches
b. in subduction zones
c. at mid-ocean ridges
d. along transform faults - Answers - b. in subduction zones
The most common rock-forming minerals in the crust are
a. carbonates
b. oxides
c. silicates
d. sulfides - Answers - c. silicates
Which of the following is not associated with divergent plate boundaries?
a. shallow earthquakes
b. deep-sea trenches
c. spreading centers
d. volcanoes - Answers - b. deep-sea trenches
Where would you expect to find the smallest crystals in the lava flow?
a. near the top surface of the flow
b. near of just below the center of the flow
c. near the bottom surface of the flow
d. throughout the flow - Answers - a. near the top surface of the flow
The North American Plate is bounded by _____ plate boundaries
a. convergent
b. transform
c. divergent
d. convergent, divergent, and transform - Answers - d. convergent, divergent, and
transform
Which of the following is commonly used to determine the age of the seafloor samples
recovered by the deep-sea drilling project?
a. carbon-14 dating
b. foraminifera fossils
c. chemical composition
d. gravity measurements - Answers - c. chemical composition
What drives plate tectonics?
a. slab pull and ridge push
b. mantle convection
c. volcanism
d. both a and b
, e. none of the above - Answers - d. both a and b (slab pull and ridge push and mantle
convection)
The two most common elements in the Earth's crust are
a. calcium and carbon
b. iron and sulfur
c. chlorine and sodium
d. oxygen and silicon - Answers - d. oxygen and silicon
The Earth's lithosphere is broken up into approximately _____ large pieces
a. 2
b. 5
c. 12
d. 20 - Answers - c. 12
The Great Rift Valley of East Africa is an early-stage
a. convergent boundary
b. divergent boundary
c. transform boundary
d. deep-sea trench - Answers - b. divergent boundary
The main type of plate boundaries are (proper names only):
a. transform, sliding-past, convoluted
b. convergent, colliding, crumbling
c. divergent, pull-apart, spreading
d. convergent, transform, divergent - Answers - d. convergent, transform, divergent
Rocks that form from the solidification of molten rock are called
a. metamorphic
b. sedimentary
c. igneous
d. chemical - Answers - c. igneous
For a rock of specific composition, which of the following statements is false?
a. the amount of partial melt decreases with increasing temperature
b. the melting temperature increases with increasing pressure
c. the melting temperature increases with increasing water content
d. A and C
e. all are true - Answers - d. a and c (the amount of partial melt decreases with
increasing temperature and the melting temperature increases with increasing pressure)
Where is the best place to explore the mid-ocean ridge as it comes on land?
a. Ireland
b. Iceland
c. Norway
d. Aynor, SC - Answers - b. Iceland
