G202 PHYSICAL GEOLOGY EXAM 1
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED. JUST
RELEASED
1. Which of the following best describes the rheological behavior of the asthenosphere?
A. Rigid and brittle solid
B. Liquid iron-nickel alloy
C. Plastic or ductile solid capable of flow
D. Gaseous plasma
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: The asthenosphere is a solid layer of the mantle that behaves
plastically due to high temperatures near its melting point, allowing for mantle convection.
2. What is the primary compositional difference between the continental crust and the
oceanic crust?
A. Continental crust is basaltic; oceanic is granitic
B. Continental crust is granitic; oceanic is basaltic
C. Continental crust is ultramafic; oceanic is mafic
D. There is no compositional difference, only thickness differences
,Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: Continental crust is generally more felsic (granitic) and less
dense, while oceanic crust is mafic (basaltic) and denser.
3. According to the Big Bang Theory, how long ago did the universe begin to expand?
A. 4.6 billion years ago
B. 100 million years ago
C. 13.8 billion years ago
D. 20 billion years ago
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Current cosmological evidence suggests the Big Bang occurred
approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
4. Which layer of the Earth is responsible for generating the planet’s magnetic field?
A. Inner Core
B. Outer Core
C. Lower Mantle
D. Lithosphere
Answer: B
, Conceptual Explanation: The liquid outer core’s convection of molten iron generates the
Earth’s magnetic field through the geodynamo effect.
5. The ‘Curie Point’ is significant in geology because it represents the temperature at which:
A. Rocks melt into magma
B. Silicate structures break down
C. Metamorphism begins
D. Minerals lose their magnetic signature
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The Curie Point is the temperature above which a ferromagnetic
material loses its permanent magnetism.
6. Which piece of evidence was NOT used by Alfred Wegener to support his Continental Drift
hypothesis?
A. Glacial striations in tropical regions
B. The fit of the continental margins
C. Matching fossil records across oceans
D. Paleomagnetic striping on the seafloor
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Paleomagnetic striping was discovered in the 1950s and 60s,
long after Wegener proposed his theory in 1912.
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS 100% VERIFIED. JUST
RELEASED
1. Which of the following best describes the rheological behavior of the asthenosphere?
A. Rigid and brittle solid
B. Liquid iron-nickel alloy
C. Plastic or ductile solid capable of flow
D. Gaseous plasma
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: The asthenosphere is a solid layer of the mantle that behaves
plastically due to high temperatures near its melting point, allowing for mantle convection.
2. What is the primary compositional difference between the continental crust and the
oceanic crust?
A. Continental crust is basaltic; oceanic is granitic
B. Continental crust is granitic; oceanic is basaltic
C. Continental crust is ultramafic; oceanic is mafic
D. There is no compositional difference, only thickness differences
,Answer: B
Conceptual Explanation: Continental crust is generally more felsic (granitic) and less
dense, while oceanic crust is mafic (basaltic) and denser.
3. According to the Big Bang Theory, how long ago did the universe begin to expand?
A. 4.6 billion years ago
B. 100 million years ago
C. 13.8 billion years ago
D. 20 billion years ago
Answer: C
Conceptual Explanation: Current cosmological evidence suggests the Big Bang occurred
approximately 13.8 billion years ago.
4. Which layer of the Earth is responsible for generating the planet’s magnetic field?
A. Inner Core
B. Outer Core
C. Lower Mantle
D. Lithosphere
Answer: B
, Conceptual Explanation: The liquid outer core’s convection of molten iron generates the
Earth’s magnetic field through the geodynamo effect.
5. The ‘Curie Point’ is significant in geology because it represents the temperature at which:
A. Rocks melt into magma
B. Silicate structures break down
C. Metamorphism begins
D. Minerals lose their magnetic signature
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: The Curie Point is the temperature above which a ferromagnetic
material loses its permanent magnetism.
6. Which piece of evidence was NOT used by Alfred Wegener to support his Continental Drift
hypothesis?
A. Glacial striations in tropical regions
B. The fit of the continental margins
C. Matching fossil records across oceans
D. Paleomagnetic striping on the seafloor
Answer: D
Conceptual Explanation: Paleomagnetic striping was discovered in the 1950s and 60s,
long after Wegener proposed his theory in 1912.
