Chapter 1 An Introduction to Geology
1.1 Multiple-Choice Questions
1) Which one of the following is a natural disaster?
A) A hurricane forming in the Atlantic Ocean
B) A landslide striking San Francisco
C) A volcano erupting in the Aleutian Islands
D) An earthquake occurring in the Mojave Desert
Answer: B
Diff: 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Global Sci Out: 5 & 7
Section: 1.1 - Geology: The Science of the Earth
Focus/Concepts: 1.1
Earth Science LO: 8.1 - Natural hazards result from natural Earth processes.
2) Which culture recorded the earliest writings about topics such as fossils, earthquakes,
and gemstones?
A) Roman Empire
B) Renaissance Europe
C) Ancient China
D) Ancient Greece
Answer: D
,Diff: 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
Global Sci Out: 7
Section: 1.2 - The Development of Geology
Focus/Concepts: 1.2
Earth Science LO: 7.2 - Geology affects the distribution and development of human
populations.
3) Which of the following is not a geologic hazard?
A) Poor construction materials resulting in a cracked foundation
B) Volcanic eruptions sending lava flows toward a city
C) Deforestation on a floodplain increasing the severity of river floods
D) Climate change leading to sea level rise
Answer: A
Diff: 2
Bloom's Taxonomy: Comprehension
Global Sci Out: 5 & 7
Section: 1.1 - Geology: The Science of the Earth
Focus/Concepts: 1.1
Earth Science LO: 8.1 - Natural hazards result from natural Earth processes.
,4) The Principle of ________ states that the physical, chemical, and biological processes
at work shaping the Earth today have also operated in the geologic past.
A) Catastrophism
B) Plate Tectonics
C) Creationism
D) Uniformitarianism
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
Global Sci Out: 7
Section: 1.2 - The Development of Geology
Focus/Concepts: 1.2
Earth Science LO: 1.5 - Earth scientists use their understanding of the past to forecast
Earth's future.
5) What is the accepted age of the Earth?
A) 6,000 years
B) 1 million years
C) 4.6 million years
D) 4.6 billion years
Answer: D
Diff: 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
Global Sci Out: 7
Section: 1.2 - The Development of Geology
Focus/Concepts: 1.2
, Earth Science LO: 2.2 - Our Solar System formed from a vast cloud of gas and dust 4.6
billion years ago.
6) ________ was in important 18th century scientist who developed the idea of
Uniformitarianism to explain the slow, steady changes responsible for shaping the Earth.
A) Charles Lyell
B) Isaac Newton
C) James Hutton
D) Charles Darwin
Answer: C
Diff: 1
Bloom's Taxonomy: Knowledge
Global Sci Out: 7
Section: 1.2 - The Development of Geology
Focus/Concepts: 1.2
Earth Science LO: 1.5 - Earth scientists use their understanding of the past to forecast
Earth's future.