Questions and Answers
What is sandstone primarily composed of?
Which plate boundary is least likely to be dangerous to humans?
Which of the following is evidence for continental drift?
According to the Wilson Cycle, what process is most likely to occur after a collision?
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What paradigm shift in geology changed the way geologists view the world?
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Which state is known to be the driest in the United States?
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What evidence did Galileo find that proved the Earth could not be the center of the universe?
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How do we determine the location of an earthquake?
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Why did Aristotelian empiricism fall out of favor as science advanced?
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In the scientific method, which step typically follows experimentation and sharing of results?
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Which of these scales is a qualitative measure of seismic shaking?
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What is required for liquefaction to occur during an earthquake?
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What distinguishes continental plates from oceanic plates?
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Which large chunk of geologic time is characterized by a lack of easily found fossils?
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Which of the following is NOT evidence Wegener used to construct the idea of Continental Drift?
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What type of seismic wave is most damaging?
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Which of these is NOT consistent with uniformitarianism?
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What features or processes are common in hot spots?
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Which tectonic setting places the asthenosphere farthest from the surface?
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An increase of one on the Richter scale is equivalent to an increase in actual energy released of:
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How did scientists first figure out that plates could sink into the interior of the planet?
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What feature is associated with crustal divergence?
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Why is science normally a slow process?
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As a rift forms on a continent, what feature can form next?
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What is an advantage of inductive reasoning compared to deductive reasoning?
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What does a water budget compare?
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Study Notes
Geology and Earth Science Concepts
- Sandstone primarily consists of quartz, making it a common sedimentary rock.
- Divergent boundaries, like mid-ocean ridges, are generally less dangerous compared to convergent boundaries and transform boundaries due to lower seismic activity.
- Evidence for continental drift includes matching coastlines and fossil distributions across continents, demonstrating that landmasses once were connected.
- The Wilson Cycle predicts rifting as a likely process following tectonic collision, leading to new geologic features.
- The paradigm shift in geology from continental drift to plate tectonics revolutionized the understanding of Earth's dynamic systems.
Physical Geography and Natural Phenomena
- Nevada is identified as the driest state in the U.S., affecting its climate and ecology.
- Galileo’s discovery of the phases of Venus provided critical evidence against the geocentric model of the universe.
- Earthquake location is determined primarily through triangulation methods involving data from multiple seismograph stations.
- Aristotelian empiricism lost influence due to its reliance on observable evidence alone, without the incorporation of mathematical modeling.
Scientific Method and Earthquake Measurement
- Peer review usually follows the experimentation and sharing of results in the scientific method, enhancing research credibility.
- The Mercalli scale is a qualitative measure of seismic shaking, assessing the intensity of an earthquake's effects on people and structures.
- Liquefaction during earthquakes requires saturated unconsolidated sediment, which leads to the potential ground failure.
- Continental plates differ from oceanic plates in that they are less dense, leading to distinct geologic features.
Geological Time and Fossil Evidence
- The Precambrian era is marked by the scarcity of easily found fossils, notable in the study of Earth's early history.
- Evidence not used by Wegener for Continental Drift includes mid-ocean ridges, which were discovered later.
- Surface waves are recognized as the most damaging type of seismic wave, producing significant ground movement.
- Uniformitarianism's principles are contradicted by the assertion of catastrophic events like large asteroid impacts.
Tectonics and Geosciences
- Hot spot features commonly include volcanism, revealing the dynamics of Earth's interior.
- The asthenosphere is farthest from the surface in continental collisions, affecting tectonic plate interactions.
- An increase of one on the Richter scale corresponds to an energy release increase of approximately 32 times.
- Scientists determined that tectonic plates can submerge into the Earth's interior by studying the patterns of deep earthquakes near trenches.
Geographic Features and Processes
- Crustal divergence is commonly associated with the formation of ocean basins, altering global seascapes.
- Scientific progress is often slow due to the necessity of verifying results and clearing misinformation.
- As rifts develop on continents, they can evolve into ocean basins, demonstrating dynamic surface processes.
- Inductive reasoning is advantageous for its observational focus, often leading to new hypotheses and theories.
Hydrology
- A water budget compares precipitation against evaporation and discharge, crucial for understanding water resource management.
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Description
Test your knowledge of geology with this quiz that covers topics including sandstone composition, plate boundaries, and evidence for continental drift. Answer multiple-choice questions to see how well you understand the fundamental concepts in geology.
