SOE 101 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS VERIFIED ANSWERS
What kind of minerals is earth made of? - answers - silicate minerals
Why is the rock cycle not unidirectional? - answers - it is like a web of processes rather
than a cycle
What kinds of rocks are found in the west coast? - answers - igneous rocks
Why are igneous rocks typically found on the west coast? - answers - presence of
volcanoes due to convergent boundary
What kinds of rocks are found in the east coast? - answers - metamorphic rocks
Why are metamorphic rocks typically found on the east coast? - answers - formation of
the appalachian mountains allowed for rocks to experience heat and pressure
What kinds of rocks are found within the majority of na? - answers - sedimentary rocks
Why are sedimentary rocks found in the midwest, great plains, and in the south? -
answers - this region is stable and flat, allowing for sediments to lithify and form new
rock over time
What are the two subcategories of igneous rocks? - answers - intrusive and extrusive
(plutonic and volcanic)
What are plutonic rocks characterized by? - answers - large, visible crystals
What are volcanic rocks characterized by? - answers - fine grains or glassy texture
What is the only extrusive igneous rock surrounding us? - answers - basalt
How much silica do mafic rocks have - answers - lowest % of silica
Is magma a homogenous mixture? - answers - no
What is magma a mixture of? - answers - molten rock and solid mineral crystals all w/
different melting points
What is the physical structure of magma/lava compared to? - answers - a slushie
Why is the physical structure of magma/lava comparable to a slushie? - answers - it's
composed of both solid and liquid material
, Partial melting - answers - when only some solid rock melts into liquid magma; like a
chocolate chip cookie
What is the composition of the mantle? - answers - ultramafic
What is ultramafic rock composed of? - answers - high iron and magnesium, low silica
When ultramafic rock goes through partial melting, what does it become? - answers -
mafic rock
What occurs w/ metamorphic rocks? - answers - reshaping and altering
What factors can metamorphose rocks? - answers - pressure and heat
Contact metamorphism - answers - increasing temperature (not pressure) causes
minimal changes; like bread to toast
Regional metamorphism - answers - increasing pressure and temperature causes lots
of change; complete chemical alteration
Does location influence the type of metamorphism? - answers - no
What kind of metamorphism causes foliation/bands in igneous rock? - answers -
regional metamorphism
Sedimentary rocks - answers - preserve information (i.e. What animals lived there) of
environment where it forms
Clastic rocks - answers - formed from weathered pieces of other rock
Biochemical rocks - answers - formed from the remains of organisms (plants and
animals)
Chemical rocks - answers - is formed by the precipitation of seawater
Diagenesis - answers - the physical and chemical changes occurring during the
formation of sedimentary rock
When does diagenesis occur? - answers - at low temperatures and pressure
How does diagenesis contrast to metamorphism - answers - metamorphism occurs in
high temperature and/or pressure, while diagenesis occurs to sedimentary rocks in low
temperature and pressure
Weathering - answers - the process of breaking down rocks and minerals
What kind of minerals is earth made of? - answers - silicate minerals
Why is the rock cycle not unidirectional? - answers - it is like a web of processes rather
than a cycle
What kinds of rocks are found in the west coast? - answers - igneous rocks
Why are igneous rocks typically found on the west coast? - answers - presence of
volcanoes due to convergent boundary
What kinds of rocks are found in the east coast? - answers - metamorphic rocks
Why are metamorphic rocks typically found on the east coast? - answers - formation of
the appalachian mountains allowed for rocks to experience heat and pressure
What kinds of rocks are found within the majority of na? - answers - sedimentary rocks
Why are sedimentary rocks found in the midwest, great plains, and in the south? -
answers - this region is stable and flat, allowing for sediments to lithify and form new
rock over time
What are the two subcategories of igneous rocks? - answers - intrusive and extrusive
(plutonic and volcanic)
What are plutonic rocks characterized by? - answers - large, visible crystals
What are volcanic rocks characterized by? - answers - fine grains or glassy texture
What is the only extrusive igneous rock surrounding us? - answers - basalt
How much silica do mafic rocks have - answers - lowest % of silica
Is magma a homogenous mixture? - answers - no
What is magma a mixture of? - answers - molten rock and solid mineral crystals all w/
different melting points
What is the physical structure of magma/lava compared to? - answers - a slushie
Why is the physical structure of magma/lava comparable to a slushie? - answers - it's
composed of both solid and liquid material
, Partial melting - answers - when only some solid rock melts into liquid magma; like a
chocolate chip cookie
What is the composition of the mantle? - answers - ultramafic
What is ultramafic rock composed of? - answers - high iron and magnesium, low silica
When ultramafic rock goes through partial melting, what does it become? - answers -
mafic rock
What occurs w/ metamorphic rocks? - answers - reshaping and altering
What factors can metamorphose rocks? - answers - pressure and heat
Contact metamorphism - answers - increasing temperature (not pressure) causes
minimal changes; like bread to toast
Regional metamorphism - answers - increasing pressure and temperature causes lots
of change; complete chemical alteration
Does location influence the type of metamorphism? - answers - no
What kind of metamorphism causes foliation/bands in igneous rock? - answers -
regional metamorphism
Sedimentary rocks - answers - preserve information (i.e. What animals lived there) of
environment where it forms
Clastic rocks - answers - formed from weathered pieces of other rock
Biochemical rocks - answers - formed from the remains of organisms (plants and
animals)
Chemical rocks - answers - is formed by the precipitation of seawater
Diagenesis - answers - the physical and chemical changes occurring during the
formation of sedimentary rock
When does diagenesis occur? - answers - at low temperatures and pressure
How does diagenesis contrast to metamorphism - answers - metamorphism occurs in
high temperature and/or pressure, while diagenesis occurs to sedimentary rocks in low
temperature and pressure
Weathering - answers - the process of breaking down rocks and minerals
