GEOLOGY 1301 Final Exam UPDATED
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What are the 4 spheres of the Earth? Be able to describe them and give examples. - CORRECT
ANSWER Geosphere- Solid Earth, center of the core to the outer crust
Atmosphere- The gaseous layer above earth's surface, mostly nitrogen and oxygen
Hydrosphere-All of earth's water
Biosphere-all forms of life on earth
What is the age of the Earth? - CORRECT ANSWER 4.6 billion years old
Name and describe the 3 main concentric zones of the Earth? Which are solid? Which are liquid? -
CORRECT ANSWER Crust, Mantle, and Core
Crust and upper mantle are solid
lower mantle and outer core are liquid
inner core is solid
What are the lithosphere and asthenosphere and how do they relate to plate tectonics? I.e what are the
plates made up of? How do they move around? - CORRECT ANSWER Lithosphere- crust and
uppermost portion of the mantle
Asthenosphere- bottom of mantle and outermost layer of core
Plates move over the asthenosphere because they float over the puttylike substance
In the plate tectonic theory, how many large plates is the Earth broken into? - CORRECT ANSWER
Seven
In the hydrosphere, what amount of water on Earth is saline? - CORRECT ANSWER 97%
What are the main gases in the atmosphere? How far out from the Earth (in km) is most of the
atmosphere found? - CORRECT ANSWER Nitrogen, and oxygen
30 km
, What key concepts of geology is James Hutton known for? - CORRECT ANSWER James
Hutton came up with the rock cycle, formulated "uniformitarianism" aka gradualism slow change
along a long time period
What 4 characteristics must a mineral have in order to be called "mineral"? - CORRECT ANSWER
1. naturally occurring
2.Inorganic
3.definite chemical compound
4. solid crystalline structure
Know at least 7 main properties used to identify minerals. Is color a reliable distinguishing property? -
CORRECT ANSWER Cleavage-break along flat surfaces
Fracture- the way a mineral breaks other then cleavage
Hardness- Moh's Hardness scale
Luster-clearness
Color-obvious but limited use
Streak-the mark it leaves
Magnetization- is it a magnet
color is not very reliable it can narrow it down but is not 100 (ex quartz is lots of colors)
What is cleavage? - CORRECT ANSWER A mineral that splits easily along flat surfaces
Know what Mohs hardness scale is used for? What is the hardest mineral on it? What is the softest? -
CORRECT ANSWER It is used to test the hardness of minerals
Hardest is Diamond at a 10
softest is Talc at 1
What are the 3 main rock types on Earth? How are each formed? - CORRECT ANSWER
Igneous-from magma
Sedimentary-from weathering
Metamorphic-from pressure or heat
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS
What are the 4 spheres of the Earth? Be able to describe them and give examples. - CORRECT
ANSWER Geosphere- Solid Earth, center of the core to the outer crust
Atmosphere- The gaseous layer above earth's surface, mostly nitrogen and oxygen
Hydrosphere-All of earth's water
Biosphere-all forms of life on earth
What is the age of the Earth? - CORRECT ANSWER 4.6 billion years old
Name and describe the 3 main concentric zones of the Earth? Which are solid? Which are liquid? -
CORRECT ANSWER Crust, Mantle, and Core
Crust and upper mantle are solid
lower mantle and outer core are liquid
inner core is solid
What are the lithosphere and asthenosphere and how do they relate to plate tectonics? I.e what are the
plates made up of? How do they move around? - CORRECT ANSWER Lithosphere- crust and
uppermost portion of the mantle
Asthenosphere- bottom of mantle and outermost layer of core
Plates move over the asthenosphere because they float over the puttylike substance
In the plate tectonic theory, how many large plates is the Earth broken into? - CORRECT ANSWER
Seven
In the hydrosphere, what amount of water on Earth is saline? - CORRECT ANSWER 97%
What are the main gases in the atmosphere? How far out from the Earth (in km) is most of the
atmosphere found? - CORRECT ANSWER Nitrogen, and oxygen
30 km
, What key concepts of geology is James Hutton known for? - CORRECT ANSWER James
Hutton came up with the rock cycle, formulated "uniformitarianism" aka gradualism slow change
along a long time period
What 4 characteristics must a mineral have in order to be called "mineral"? - CORRECT ANSWER
1. naturally occurring
2.Inorganic
3.definite chemical compound
4. solid crystalline structure
Know at least 7 main properties used to identify minerals. Is color a reliable distinguishing property? -
CORRECT ANSWER Cleavage-break along flat surfaces
Fracture- the way a mineral breaks other then cleavage
Hardness- Moh's Hardness scale
Luster-clearness
Color-obvious but limited use
Streak-the mark it leaves
Magnetization- is it a magnet
color is not very reliable it can narrow it down but is not 100 (ex quartz is lots of colors)
What is cleavage? - CORRECT ANSWER A mineral that splits easily along flat surfaces
Know what Mohs hardness scale is used for? What is the hardest mineral on it? What is the softest? -
CORRECT ANSWER It is used to test the hardness of minerals
Hardest is Diamond at a 10
softest is Talc at 1
What are the 3 main rock types on Earth? How are each formed? - CORRECT ANSWER
Igneous-from magma
Sedimentary-from weathering
Metamorphic-from pressure or heat
