i. ASBOG Fundamentals
of Geology Exam
Spring Questions and
Answers Updated
2026
WhatBisBGeology?B-BAnswerInBitsBbroadestBsense,BgeologyBisBtheBstudyBofBEarthB—
BitsBinteriorBandBitsBexteriorBsurface,BtheBrocksBandBotherBmaterialsBthatBareBaroundB
us,BtheBprocessesBthatBhaveBresultedBinBtheBformationBofBthoseBmaterials,BtheBwaterB
thatBflowsBoverBtheBsurfaceBandBliesBunderground,BtheBchangesBthatBhaveBtakenBplace
BoverBtheBvastnessBofBgeologicalBtime,BandBtheBchangesBthatBweBcanBanticipateBwillBt
akeBplaceBinBtheBnearBfuture.
IgneousBrocksBforBfrom?B-BAnswermagma
ABmineralBisBaB?B-
BAnswernaturallyBoccurringBcombinationBofBspecificBelementsBthatBareBarrangedBinBaBp
articularBrepeatingBthree-dimensionalBstructureBorBlattice
DifferenceBbetweenBaBmineralBandBaBrock?B-
BAnswerABmineralBisBaBpureBsubstanceBwithBaBspecificBcompositionBandBstructure,Bwhi
leBaBrockBisBtypicallyBaBmixtureBofBseveralBdifferentBmineralsB(althoughBaBfewBtypesBo
fBrockBmayBincludeBonlyBoneBtypeBofBmineral)
Earth'sBcoreBconsistsBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerEarth'sBcoreBconsistsBmostlyBofBiron
TheBouterBcoreBisBaBsolidBorBaBliquid?B-BAnswerliquid
, TheBinnerBcoreBisBhotterBthanBtheBouterBcore,BbutBisBitBaBliquid?B-
BAnswerNo,BtooBmuchBpressure
TheBmantleBisBmadeBupBof?B-
BAnswerTheBmantleBisBmadeBupBofBironBandBmagnesiumBsilicateBminerals.
MostBofBtheBmantleBisBsolid,Bliquid,BorBsomethingBinBbetween?B-
BAnswerTheBbulkBofBtheBmantle,BsurroundingBtheBouterBcore,BisBsolidBrock,BbutBisBpla
sticBenoughBtoBbeBableBtoBflowBslowly.
IsBtheBasthenosphereBmolten?B-BAnswersomeBareas
ContinentalBcrustBisBcomposedBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerGranite
OceanicBcrustBisBcomposedBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerBasalt
TheBlithosphereBis?B-BAnswerTheBcrustBandBoutermostBrigidBmantle
whatBsectionBofBtheBEarthBareBtheBtectonicBplates?B-BAnswerLithosphere
TheBgeothermalBgradientBisB~?B-
BAnswertheBrateBofBtemperatureBincreaseBisBaboutB30°C/km
TheBunitBMaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswermillionsBofByears
TheBunitBGaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswerbillionsBofByears
TheBunitBkaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswerthousandsBofByears
TheBPhanerozoicBEonBstarted?B-BAnswer542BMa
of Geology Exam
Spring Questions and
Answers Updated
2026
WhatBisBGeology?B-BAnswerInBitsBbroadestBsense,BgeologyBisBtheBstudyBofBEarthB—
BitsBinteriorBandBitsBexteriorBsurface,BtheBrocksBandBotherBmaterialsBthatBareBaroundB
us,BtheBprocessesBthatBhaveBresultedBinBtheBformationBofBthoseBmaterials,BtheBwaterB
thatBflowsBoverBtheBsurfaceBandBliesBunderground,BtheBchangesBthatBhaveBtakenBplace
BoverBtheBvastnessBofBgeologicalBtime,BandBtheBchangesBthatBweBcanBanticipateBwillBt
akeBplaceBinBtheBnearBfuture.
IgneousBrocksBforBfrom?B-BAnswermagma
ABmineralBisBaB?B-
BAnswernaturallyBoccurringBcombinationBofBspecificBelementsBthatBareBarrangedBinBaBp
articularBrepeatingBthree-dimensionalBstructureBorBlattice
DifferenceBbetweenBaBmineralBandBaBrock?B-
BAnswerABmineralBisBaBpureBsubstanceBwithBaBspecificBcompositionBandBstructure,Bwhi
leBaBrockBisBtypicallyBaBmixtureBofBseveralBdifferentBmineralsB(althoughBaBfewBtypesBo
fBrockBmayBincludeBonlyBoneBtypeBofBmineral)
Earth'sBcoreBconsistsBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerEarth'sBcoreBconsistsBmostlyBofBiron
TheBouterBcoreBisBaBsolidBorBaBliquid?B-BAnswerliquid
, TheBinnerBcoreBisBhotterBthanBtheBouterBcore,BbutBisBitBaBliquid?B-
BAnswerNo,BtooBmuchBpressure
TheBmantleBisBmadeBupBof?B-
BAnswerTheBmantleBisBmadeBupBofBironBandBmagnesiumBsilicateBminerals.
MostBofBtheBmantleBisBsolid,Bliquid,BorBsomethingBinBbetween?B-
BAnswerTheBbulkBofBtheBmantle,BsurroundingBtheBouterBcore,BisBsolidBrock,BbutBisBpla
sticBenoughBtoBbeBableBtoBflowBslowly.
IsBtheBasthenosphereBmolten?B-BAnswersomeBareas
ContinentalBcrustBisBcomposedBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerGranite
OceanicBcrustBisBcomposedBmostlyBof?B-BAnswerBasalt
TheBlithosphereBis?B-BAnswerTheBcrustBandBoutermostBrigidBmantle
whatBsectionBofBtheBEarthBareBtheBtectonicBplates?B-BAnswerLithosphere
TheBgeothermalBgradientBisB~?B-
BAnswertheBrateBofBtemperatureBincreaseBisBaboutB30°C/km
TheBunitBMaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswermillionsBofByears
TheBunitBGaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswerbillionsBofByears
TheBunitBkaB(time)Bis?B-BAnswerthousandsBofByears
TheBPhanerozoicBEonBstarted?B-BAnswer542BMa