Who is considered the "father" of continental drift?
J. Tuzo Wilson
Alfred Wegner
Robert Dietz
Charles Darwin
No, Wilson was instrumental in identifying fault structure in the 1960s
Yes, Wegner's detailed work in 1910 laid the groundwork for continetal drift. His work was widely criticized and not accepted until the late 1960s.
No, Dietz proposed sea-floor spreading to eplain the patterns of magnetic anamolies.
No, while his work was crucial for work Paleontology, Darwin was the father of evolutionary theory.
2
Continental Drift
You've found purple, translucent mineral that you can scratch with a knife but not with a penny. What might it be?
talc
topaz
fluorite
quartz
No, talc has a hardenss of 1 so it would be scratched by the penny (hardness=3).
No, topaz has a hardness of 9 and could not be scratched by either.
Yes! Fluorite's hardenss is 4, so the knife (h=6) would scratch it while the penny (h=3) would not.
No. Quartz has a hardenss of seven so you would not be able to scratch it with the knife.
3
Mineral Hardness Test
What is the best explanation for the great height of the Himalaya Mountains?
Convergent plate boundary
Erosion
Volcanoes
Mantle Upwelling
Yes. The collision of the Autralian and Asian plates has doubled crustal thickness.
No. Erosion is a process that actually wears down mountainous terrain.
No. The rocks of the Himalaya are not volcanic in origin; they are mostly sedimentary.
No. The mantle has no effect here on the height of mountains.
1
Himalaya Mountains
Why do so many earthquakes occur in Japan?
Poor building codes
Atmospheric turbulence
It is above a subduction zone
Weak Soil
No. While this can be a problem after earthquakes, this would not cause earthquakes.
No. The atmosphere does not control the movement of the earth.
Yes. The plunging of the Pacific plate creates friction and trmendous earth movement.
No. Earhquakes form much deeper in the earth.
3
Earthquakes
Which of might represent an ancient aeolian environment?
Large sets of cross bedded, well sorted sandstones
Ripple folds in schist
Relict glacial scours
Rounded Gravel
Yes. The wind sorts sand uniformly and large crossbeds may represent dunes
No. Schist is formed by tremendous heat and pressure that would destroy any evidence of previous environments
No. Aeolian means a desert environment; glaciers represent times of great ice sheets
No. The wind would not be able to transport large gravel particles.
1
Aeolian Environments
Which is the largest volcano?
Mauna Loa
Olympus Mons
Mount St Helens
Vesuvius
No. This Hawaii volcano may be the largest volcano on Earth (as measured from the bottom of the sea floor).
Yes. This structure on Mars is 27 km (17 mi) high and its width would extend from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
No. Although it is remembered for erupting violently in 1980, Mount St Helens is pretty puny.
No. This volcano that destroyed the city of Pompeii in 79 AD is not very large.
2
Volcano
Sublimation is...
The process of going from a solid to a gas
The process of going from a gas to a liquid
The process of going from a liquid to a solid
The process of going from a solid to a liquid
Yes. Dry ice when exposed to air turns immediately to vapor.
No. This is Liquification or Condensation (steam beading up as droplets when cooled).
No. This is Evaporation such as when boiling water.
No. This is Melting, such as when heating ice to water.
1
States of Matter
Which is an example of a batholith?
Yellowstone
The Sierra Nevada
Long Valley Caldera
Appalachian Mountains
No. Yellowstone is a volcanic plateau overlying a mantle "hit spot."
Yes. The Sierra Nevada is an uplifted immense block of granite that had intruded the upper Crust.
No. Long Valley is a circular depression formed by the eruption of a large volume of magma. The volcanic activity is linked to the same forces that form batholith.
No. The Applachian Mountains are an eroded core of old sedimentary and metamorphic rocks
2
Batholiths
Which rock type would be the best aquifer?
Basalt
Shale
Sandstone
Schist
No. Basalts are very fine grained and do not allow much water to move across units.
No. Shales are generally too fine grained to allow much movement of water. In fact, they are largely impermeable and are thus "aquicludes."
Yes. Sandstones are generally around 30-40 percent porosity, with well connected networks that can hold and much groundwater.
No. Most metamophic rocks are so compact that their porosity is only 2-3%.
3
Aquifer Rocks
What is the significance of the fossil Archaeopteryx?
It was the first land dwelling vertebrate
It was Charles Darwin's first find
It was a link between dinosaurs and birds
It was the first mammal.
No. The first land dwelling mammal was of the reptile family.
No. Darwin was not a paleontologist per se, and he never found these fossils
Yes. The fossils indicate reptilian teeth, clasw, tail as well as crude wings and evidence of feathers.
No. The first mammals are unknown descendants of reptiles but marsupials were pretty early in the game.