Geology Practice Exam & Answer Key

Geology Practice Exam

Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is the primary constituent of the Earth's core?
a) Silicon
b) Iron
c) Aluminum
d) Oxygen

2. Which theory proposes that the Earth's lithosphere is divided into rigid plates
that move over the semi-fluid asthenosphere?
a) Seafloor spreading
b) Continental drift
c) Plate tectonics
d) Rock cycle

3. Which type of plate boundary is characterized by plates moving apart from
each other?
a) Convergent boundary
b) Divergent boundary
c) Transform boundary
d) Subduction boundary

4. What type of seismic waves are the fastest and can travel through solids,
liquids, and gases?
a) Surface waves
b) P-waves (primary waves)
c) S-waves (secondary waves)
d) Love waves

5. Which type of volcano is characterized by gentle slopes and basaltic lava
flows?
a) Stratovolcano
b) Shield volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Composite volcano

6. What type of rock forms from the cooling and solidification of magma or lava?
a) Sedimentary rock
b) Metamorphic rock
c) Igneous rock