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Geology 1410 Final Review
R. DeHon Final Review Cards Geology 1410
185
Geology
Undergraduate 2
05/06/2012

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Term
The Difference in arrival time of P and S waves is related to what?
Definition
Distance to the earthquake from the seismic station
Term
We know what the mantle is made of because of what?
Definition
samples of the shallow mantle are brought up in some volcanoes
Term
What is a prominent ridge formed by differential erosion of a resistant layer of dipping strata?
Definition
Hogback
Term
What is a flat topped hill that usually indicates flat lying strata?
Definition
Mesa
Term
A sea large wave created by an earthquake is called what?
Definition
Tsunami
Term
If a deformed body recovers its original shape as stress is released it is what?
Definition
Elastic
Term
If the surface exposures (map views) of folded beds resemble V's or horseshoes, then the folds must be
Definition
Plunging
Term
What is not a characteristic of an anticline?
Definition
Horizontal Limbs
Term
A structural basin is simply a circular
Definition
Syncline
Term
The block of material overlying an inclined fault plane is the what?
Definition
Hanging wall
Term
When crust is shortened perpendicular to the fold axis, what type of deformation is this?
Definition
Deformation by folding
Term
If a hanging wall has moved down, what type of fault is this?
Definition
Normal
Term
A bed that dips due east, must strike
Definition
North-south
Term
The san andreas fault system is what type of fault?
Definition
Strike-slip
Term
Geologic structures (faults and folds) are important in oil and gas exploration because
Definition
Structures can trap oil and gas
Term
What is a fracture in bedrock along which movement has taken place?
Definition
Fault
Term
Which direction do the limbs of an overturned fold dip?
Definition
in the same direction
Term
If the fault dips toward the up-thrown block, the fault is what?
Definition
Reverse
Term
If a sequence of beds gets younger toward the east, then they must be dipping to the ___?
Definition
East
Term
The Rift Valleys of East Africa are what ?
Definition
Diverging plate boundry
Term
The Himalayan Mountains formed by what?
Definition
Continent - Continent convergence
Term
Fractures in rock without movement along the fractures are called what?
Definition
Joints
Term
Most of the worlds largest mountain belts were formed in response to what?
Definition
Compressional Stress
Term
The Basin and Range Province of the western united states are characteriszed by a large number of what?
Definition
Fault Block mountains
Term
The Low-standing plains between horst-blocks are
Definition
Graben
Term
According to the concept of _______. "floating" mountains adjust their elevation in response upward buoyancy as surface material is removed.
Definition
Isostasy
Term
The Alps, himalayas, and Appalachians are what?
Definition
folded Mountains
Term
The compass direction formed by the intersection of a dipping surface and a horizontal plane is the -
Definition
Strike
Term
The Stable Interior of the continent is known as its
Definition
Craton
Term
The Red Sea is interpreted as what?
Definition
A Flooded Rift Valley
Term
Source materials for the sedimentary rocks in the Appalachian Mountains was located in what direction of the present day mountains?
Definition
East
Term
The Andes Mountains of South America are an example of mountains formed by what?
Definition
Ocean Plate-Continental Plate Convergence
Term
The basin and range topography of western USA is related to -
Definition
Stretching the crust
Term
The Coast Ranges of Washington, Oregon, and northern Cali are formed by what?
Definition
Volcanoes
Term
The Texas Hill Country and Ozark Mountains are examples of mountain or hilly terrain formed by -
Definition
dissection by stream erosion
Term
The Core of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Smoky Mountains exposes -
Definition
Igneous Rock
Term
The North American continent has grown progressively
Definition
Larger by continental accretion
Term
the term "Orogeny" refers to -
Definition
Mountain Building
Term
The oldest rocks in North America can be found in -
Definition
Canada
Term
The Carbonate Composition depth is at what level?
Definition
below which seawater is not saturated with carbonate ions
Term
A submerged, flat topped, seamount risint 1km or more above the sea floor is a what?
Definition
Guyot
Term
Submarine Canyons are usually found wher?
Definition
on the continental shelf
Term
Hydrothermal fluids are spewing out into ocean depth at what?
Definition
Black Smokers
Term
The Ocean crust is formed where?
Definition
Rift zones
Term
are manganese nodules a possible economic product associated with salt domes?
Definition
Naw, they arent.
Term
Marine limestones found in the central USA are evidence of what?
Definition
former shallow seas covering the continent
Term
El Capitan in west texas is an example of an ancient what?
Definition
reef
Term
Texas State university is situated on what?
Definition
Balcones fault zone
Term
Where does pillow basalt form?
Definition
on the ocean floor (looks like pillows)
Term
Which of the following is most susceptible to the chemical weathering by dissolution?
Definition
Calcite
Term
Feldspar weathers to what?
Definition
Clay
Term
In which region of the US are pedalfers most likely to form?
Definition
Southeast US
Term
What is Enchanted Rock?
Definition
a granite exfoliation dome
Term
Iron Oxide is common at the surface of the earth because it forms by the weathering of what?
Definition
Iron-bearing silicates
Term
well-rounded and well-sorted, sand-sized grains in a sandstone is suggestive of what?
Definition
long distance of transport
Term
the process by which dissolved mineral matter precipitates in the pore spaces of a sediment and binds it together is an example of what?
Definition
Cementation
Term
The most abundant sedimentary rocks are what?
Definition
Mudstones and shales
Term
The grain size of igneous rocks is determined by what?
Definition
Cooling rate of magma
Term
Coquina is a rock formed of what?
Definition
Broken shell fragments and stuff
Term
Igneous rocks form from what?
Definition
Cooling Magma
Term
The rock seen in road cuts in the hill country is what kind of rock?
Definition
Limestone
Term
Playa (dry) lakes of the southwest US are sites of deposition of what?
Definition
evaporates
Term
A sedimentary rock formed by repeated flooding of lowland next to a river is probably what?
Definition
Shale
Term
A sedimentary rock formed by accumulation of altered plant remains is what?
Definition
Coal
Term
Clay particles stick together to form shales and mudstones by what process?
Definition
Compaction
Term
Which of the following is most likely to dissolve away in semi-humid climates?
Definition
Gypsum
Term
The colors red, yellow and brown in sedimentary rocks are produced by what?
Definition
Iron oxides/hydroxides
Term
finely divided (microscopic grains) pyrite in shale does what?
Definition
turns the rock black
Term
Black in limestone is usually due to the presence of what?
Definition
Carbon
Term
Which of the following is an indication of an alternating wet and dry enviroment such as a tidal flat?
Definition
Mud Cracks
Term
which of the following can be used to determine paleocurrent direction
Definition
cross-bedding
Term
the most abundant mineral group at the earth's SURFACE is/are what?
Definition
Clay-minerals
Term
The Caliche horizon of an ancient pedocal may be seen as a thin layer of what?
Definition
limestone
Term
Changes in sediment that occur after deposition are called what?
Definition
diagenesis
Term
Shield volcanoes are built of what?
Definition
Basalt
Term
The steps to the library are made from blcks of what?
Definition
Granite
Term
Which metamorphic rock contains the same basic minerals as an igneous rock?
Definition
Gneiss (NICE!)
Term
Heat from an igneous intrusion is the primary agent of change in what type of metamorphism?
Definition
Contact
Term
Mylonites are formed by what type of metamorphism?
Definition
Cataclastic
Term
what is a metamorphic rock that displays a foliated texture?
Definition
Schist
Term
A thin, discoid-shaped, concordant igneous intrusion is probably a what?
Definition
Sill
Term
A sedimentary rock composed of angular pebbles is called what?
Definition
Breccia
Term
Phenocrysts are evidence of what?
Definition
Two. periods. of cooling
Term
When sea water evaporates, the last mineral to precipitate is
Definition
Halite
Term
What refers to the process of fossilization where the internal cavities and pores of the original organism are filled with precipitated mineral matter.
Definition
Petrification
Term
Low temperature and high pressure metamorphism (as in subduction zones) is the ____ facies?
Definition
blueschist
Term
Metamorphic rock formed from limestones is what?
Definition
Marble
Term
Thin, sheet-like concordant igneous intrusions are what?
Definition
Sills
Term
Natural glass formed by rapid cooling of lava is called what?
Definition
obsidian
Term
Steep-sided, classic, Volcano shaped cones are called what?
Definition
stratovolcanoes
Term
pyrclastic rocks from by what?
Definition
violent, explosive volcanic eruptions
Term
Dolostone is formed by the addition of what to calcite in limestone
Definition
magnesium
Term
Alluvial Fan
Definition
A fan-shaped wedge of sediment that typically accumulates on land where a stream emerges from a steep canyon onto a flat area. In map view it has the shape of an open fan. Typically forms in arid or semiarid climates.
Term
Alluvium
Definition
An unconsolidated accumulation of stream-deposited sediments, including sands, silts, clays or gravels.
Term
Aquiclude
Definition
A subsurface rock, soil or sediment unit that does not yield useful quanties of water.
Term
Aquifer
Definition
A subsurface rock or sediment unit that is porous and permeable. To be an aquifer it must have these traits to a high enough degree that it stores and transmits useful quantities of water.
Term
Aquitard
Definition
A layer of rock having low permeability that stores groundwater but delays its flow.
Term
Arroyo
Definition
A flat-bottom gully with steep sides that is a channel for an intermittent stream.
Term
Aquifer (artesian)
Definition
An aquifer that is bounded above and below by impermeable rock or sediment layers. The water in the aquifer is also under enough pressure that, when the aquifer is tapped by a well, the water rises up the well bore to a level that is above the top of the aquifer. The water may or may not flow onto the land surface.
Term
Barchan
Definition
A sand dune that is crescent-shaped in map view. Barchan dunes form in areas of limited sand supply. They move across the desert floor with their gently sloping convex sides facing upwind and their steeply sloping concave sides facing downwind.
Term
Base Level
Definition
The lower limit of erosion by a stream. Sea level is the ultimate base level. However, lakes can serve as a temporary base level in upstream areas.
Term
Colluvium
Definition
The name for loose bodies of sediment that have been deposited or built up at the bottom of a low-grade slope or against a barrier on that slope, transported by gravity.
Term
Debris Avalanche
Definition
The sudden downslope movement of rock and soil on a steep slope.
Term
Delta
Definition
A deposit of sediment that forms where a stream enters a standing body of water such as a lake or ocean. The name is derived from the Greek letter "delta" because these deposits typically have a triangular shape in map view.
Term
Desert Pavement
Definition
A ground cover of granule-size and larger particles that is typically found in arid areas. This ground cover of coarse particles is a residual deposit - formed when the wind selectively removes the sand-, silt- and clay-sized materials.
Term
Dune
Definition
mound or ridge of wind-blown sand. Typically found in deserts and inland from a beach. Many dunes are moved by the wind.
Term
Aeolian
Definition
A term used in reference to the wind. Aeolian materials or structures are deposited by or created by the wind.
Term
Flood Plain
Definition
An area of alluvium-covered, relatively level land along the banks of a stream that is covered with water when the stream leaves its channel during a time of high flow.
Term
Graded Stream
Definition
A stream in which, over a period of years, slope is adjusted to yield.
Term
Ground Water
Definition
Water that exists below the water table in the zone of saturation. Ground water moves slowly in the same direction that the water table slopes.
Term
Karst
Definition
A landscape that is characterized by the features of solution weathering and erosion in the subsurface. These features include caves, sinkholes, disappearing streams and subsurface drainage.
Term
Lag Gravel
Definition
Residual accumulations of particles that are coarser than the material that has blo.
Term
Loess
Definition
Deposits of silt that have been laid down by wind action
Term
Meander
Definition
bend in a sinuous watercourse or river
Term
Natural Levee
Definition
A mound of sediment that parallels a stream channel forming a levee-like deposit. When flood waters leave the normal stream channel and enter the flood plain there is a reduction of velocity that causes suspended sediments to fall to the bottom, producing this deposit.
Term
Oxbow Lake
Definition
A crescent-shaped lake that forms when a meandering stream changes course. Such changes in course frequently occur during flood events when overbank waters erode a new channel.
Term
Parabolic Dune
Definition
A horseshoe-shaped dune having a concave windward slope and a convex leeward slope
Term
Permeability
Definition
A measure of how well a material can transmit water. Materials such as gravel, that transmit water quickly, have high values of permeability. Materials such as shale, that transmit water poorly, have low values. Permeability is primarily determined by the size of the pore spaces and their degree of interconnection. Permeability measures are expressed in units of velocity, such as centimeters per second, and assume a gradient of one vertical foot of drop per linear foot.
Term
Porosity
Definition
The volume of pore space in a rock, sediment or soil. Usually expressed as a percentage. This pore space can include openings between grains, fracture openings and caverns
Term
Rockslide
Definition
A type of mass wasting in which a large volume of rock debris slides down a slope under the influence of gravity.
Term
Saltation
Definition
The transport of sediment in short jumps and bounces above the stream bed or ground by a current that is not strong enough to hold the sediment in continuous suspension.
Term
Seif Dune
Definition
A large sand dune that forms parallel to the direction of a strong wind that blows in a consistent direction throughout the year. Also called a longitudinal dune.
Term
Sinkhole
Definition
A depression in the land surface that results from the collapse or slow settlement of underground voids produced by solution weathering. The rock being dissolved is normally limestone but can also be salt, gypsum or dolostone.
Term
Slump
Definition
A form of mass wasting that occurs when a coherent mass of loosely consolidated materials or rock layers moves a short distance down a slope.
Term
Stalactite
Definition
A conical or roughly cylindrical speleothem formed by dripping water and hanging from the roof of a cave; usually composed of calcium carbonate.
Term
Stalagmite
Definition
a deposit, usually of calcium carbonate, more or less resembling an inverted stalactite, formed on the floor of a cave or the like by the dripping of percolating calcareous water.
Term
Star dunes
Definition
pyramidal sand mounds with slipfaces on three or more arms that radiate from the high center of the mound. They tend to accumulate in areas with multidirectional wind regimes.
Term
Suspension
Definition
Transport of sediment by wind or water currents that are strong enough to keep the sediment particles continuously above the stream bottom or ground.
Term
Traction
Definition
Transport of sediment by wind or water in which the sediment remains in contact with the ground or bed of the stream, moving by rolling or sliding.
Term
Transverse Dunes
Definition
Sand dunes that are oriented at right angles to the direction of the prevailing wind. These form where vegetation is sparse and the sand supply is abundant.
Term
Vadose Zone
Definition
A subsurface zone of soil or rock containing fluid under pressure that is less than that of the atmosphere. Pore spaces in the vadose zone are partly filled with water and partly filled with air. The vadose zone is limited by the land surface above and by the water table below.
Term
Valley Flat
Definition
small plain at the bottom of a narrow valley with steep sides.
Term
Water Table
Definition
A level beneath the Earth's surface, below which all pore spaces are filled with water and above which the pore spaces are filled with air. The top of the zone of saturation in a subsurface rock, soil or sediment unit.
Term
Zone of Saturation
Definition
The zone beneath the water table where all pore spaces are completely filled with water. Water that exists within this zone is known as "ground water".
Term
Magnetic stripes of the sea floor refer to what?
Definition
Evidence of polar reversal
Term
The earth's core is inferred to be what?
Definition
mostly Iron
Term
The premise that present day process have operated throughout geologic time is known as the principle of what?
Definition
uniformitarianism
Term
ocean-ocean convergence zones are marked by the occurrence of what?
Definition
Volcanic island arcs
Term
continental crust is what?
Definition
compressed and thickened at converging plate margins
Term
The mid oceanic ridges are sites of what?
Definition
sea floor spreading
Term
the earth is estimated to be how many years old
Definition
4.6 billionionion
Term
all plate margins are characterized by what?
Definition
high earthquake activity
Term
deep, oceanic trenches are found abow what?
Definition
subduction zones
Term
abundant fossils begin showing up in rocks that are how old?
Definition
545 millionionion
Term
the top layer of the ocean crust is composed of what?
Definition
Pillow basalt
Term
the upper mantle is composed of what?
Definition
peridotite
Term
an untested explanation of an occurrence in nature is known as what?
Definition
a Hypothesis
Term
in a stack of sedimentary rocks, the oldest rock layer is usually found at what portion of the stack?
Definition
bottom
Term
Rubies and saphires are gem quality varieties of what?
Definition
Corundum
Term
which of the following groups do most minerals in the earths crust belong?
Definition
silicates
Term
quartz si composed of what chemical?
Definition
silicon dioxide
Term
the tendency for some minerals to break along smooth, flat surfaces is known as what?
Definition
clevage
Term
the most abundant mineral group in the crust is what?
Definition
feldspars
Term
the most abundant mineral group at the earths surface is what?
Definition
clay minerals
Term
calcium carbonate is the mineral
Definition
calcite
Term
pyrozene minerals consists of what?
Definition
single silicate chains
Term
the ferro-magnesium silicates are ___ colored
Definition
dark
Term
alumnosilicates are mostly _____ colored
Definition
light
Term
which of these is not an alumnosilicate minera?
Definition
olivine
Term
Which is harder? quartz or topaz?
Definition
quartz
Term
Whats pangea
Definition
you know what pangea is
Term
the rock cycle implies what?
Definition
that any rock type can form from another rock type
Term
if you wanted to drill to the mantle, you would probably choose a location with thin crust, so where would you go?
Definition
out into the ocean
Term
hematite is what?
Definition
iron oxide
Term
the trench volcanic arc association is indicative of a ____ plate margin
Definition
convergent
Term
the earth's core is inferred to be what?
Definition
mostly iron
Term
the ocean crust is formed mostly of what?
Definition
basalt
Term
the japanese islands are an example of what?
Definition
island arc at a convergent margin
Term
new material is formed at the ___ boundry
Definition
divergent
Term
the lower steps to the library are made out of what?
Definition
limestone
Term
the earths crust is thickest at where?
Definition
continental volcanic arcs
Term
most of the sodium in rock forming minerals is found in what mineral?
Definition
feldspar
Term
aluminum is found in the _____ minerals
Definition
feldspars and micas
Term
the two sources of energy for the earth system are what?
Definition
heat and gravity
Term
how do you determine the quality of a diamond?
Definition
test its hardness with emery paper
Term
"One rock is the material for another" what might this be refferring to
Definition
The Rock Cycle
Term
teh driving mechanism of plate tectonics is what?
Definition
convection within the mantle
Term
the hawaiian islands are formed as a?
Definition
hot spot
Term
the san andreas fault is what type of plate margin?
Definition
transform
Term
what is the source lava for hawaii?
Definition
melting aboce a mantle plume
Term
the reddish mineral grains in the rock that make up the steps to the library are what?
Definition
orthoclase
Term
rocks composed of bit and pieces of pre existing rocks are what
Definition
sedimentary
Term
we have never drilled to the mantle of the earth but we find pieces of it where?
Definition
at some rare volcanoes
Term
we have never drilled into the core of the earth but we can conclude what its like by observing
Definition
iron meteorites and earthquack waves
Term
Whats a kettle?
Definition
a shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters.
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