Weathering Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is a primary purpose of using GIS in geologic mapping?

To create physical rock samples

To measure rock elevation

To store, manipulate, and analyze geospatial data (correct)

To establish drilling locations

Which method is particularly effective in areas where rock units are covered by soil or sediment?

Aerial photography

Geologic hammer

Handheld lens

Geophysical methods (correct)

Which instrument is used to measure the inclination and tilt of rock formations?

Clinometer (correct)

Handheld lens

Geological hammer

Geographic Information System

What technological advancement has greatly improved the efficiency of identifying geological patterns?

Remote sensing and aerial imagery Signup and view all the answers

What is the essential function of a geological hammer in fieldwork?

To collect rock samples Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary process of chemical weathering that involves water reacting with minerals?

Hydrolysis Signup and view all the answers

Which type of weathering is caused by the disintegration of rocks due to biological activity?

Biological Weathering Signup and view all the answers

What type of erosion is specifically responsible for moving large amounts of rock and soil?

Glacial Erosion Signup and view all the answers

Which chemical weathering process involves the reaction of oxygen with minerals like iron?

Oxidation Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which eroded materials are moved from one location to another called?

Transportation Signup and view all the answers

Which agent of erosion is primarily responsible for transporting fine particles over long distances?

Wind Signup and view all the answers

Which chemical process involves carbon dioxide forming carbonic acid that can dissolve minerals like limestone?

Carbonation Signup and view all the answers

What natural force is responsible for landslides and rock faults due to pulling loose materials downslope?

Gravity Signup and view all the answers

What does paleomagnetism record in relation to the ocean floor?

The alignment of magnetic fields Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon is described by mountain ranges matching across oceans?

Continental drift Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of heat flow at mid-ocean ridges?

It measures three to four times the normal value Signup and view all the answers

In which situation do continent to continent convergence occur?

Plates collide but neither is subducted Signup and view all the answers

Who developed the theory of Plate Tectonics by combining various ideas?

Jogn Tuzo Wilson Signup and view all the answers

What occurs at transform plate boundaries?

Plates slide horizontally past each other Signup and view all the answers

Which substance primarily composes the ocean floor?

Basalt Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a feature of continental drift according to the context provided?

Uniform temperature in ancient climates Signup and view all the answers

What is the main characteristic of physical weathering?

It breaks down rocks into smaller pieces without altering their chemical structure. Signup and view all the answers

Which process causes rocks to break apart due to temperature fluctuations?

Thermal expansion Signup and view all the answers

What role do lichen and moss play in weathering?

They produce acids that chemically weather rocks. Signup and view all the answers

How does root expansion contribute to weathering?

By growing into cracks and expanding, causing rock breakage. Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between weathering and erosion?

Weathering breaks down rocks while erosion moves the debris. Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanical weathering process involves water freezing in rock cracks?

Frost wedging Signup and view all the answers

What action does abrasion have on rocks?

It grinds them down through friction. Signup and view all the answers

Which option describes exfoliation in weathering?

The peeling away of layers from rocks due to pressure release. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates according to Hess's hypothesis?

Thermal convection in the mantle Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic is NOT associated with the process of continental drift?

Static position of continents relative to each other Signup and view all the answers

What evidence supports the theory of seafloor spreading?

Youngest sea floor is found at mid-ocean ridges Signup and view all the answers

Who initially proposed the concept of continental drift?

Alfred Wegener Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following was a supercontinent that existed according to the idea of continental drift?

Pangea Signup and view all the answers

What happens to magma as it rises from the mantle according to the principles of seafloor spreading?

It solidifies to create oceanic crust Signup and view all the answers

Which natural feature is commonly associated with plate boundaries?

Volcanoes located along plate edges Signup and view all the answers

What was the significance of the fossil Mesosaurus in supporting continental drift?

It demonstrated the connection of continents through similar species. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Weathering

Physical weathering breaks down rocks without changing their chemical composition.
- Frost wedging: Water freezes in cracks, expands, and breaks the rock.
- Thermal expansion: Repeated heating and cooling causes rocks to expand and contract, leading to fractures.
- Abrasion: Rocks and sediment grind against each other, wearing down surfaces.
- Exfoliation: Layers of rock peel away due to pressure release or thermal stress.
Chemical weathering breaks down rocks through chemical reactions that alter their mineral composition.
- Hydrolysis: Water reacts with minerals to form new minerals and soluble salts.
- Oxidation: Oxygen reacts with minerals, especially iron, to form oxides that weaken the rock.
- Carbonation: Carbon dioxide in water forms carbonic acid, which reacts with minerals like limestone, dissolving them.
- Solution: Minerals dissolve directly into water, especially those susceptible to acids.

Biological Weathering

Breakdown of rocks by biological activities.
Examples:
- Root expansion: Plant roots grow in cracks, expand, and break rocks.
- Lichen and moss: Produce acids that chemically weather rocks.
- Animal activity: Burrowing animals disturb rock structure, leading to mechanical breakdown.

Erosion

The process that wears away Earth’s surface by wind, water, or ice.
It moves rock debris or soil from one place to another.
Agents of erosion:
- Water: Rivers, steams, and rain erode rocks and soil.
- Wind: Transports fine particles, especially in arid regions.
- Ice: Glaciers erode large amounts of rock and soil.
- Gravity (Mass Wasting): Landslides and rock faults occur as gravity pulls loose material downslope.

Transportation

Movement erodible material from one place to another.
Natural forces like wind, water, and ice transport sediments, carrying them away from their original location.

Continental Drift

Idea that continents move freely over Earth’s surface, changing positions relative to one another.
Early evidence:
- Geographic fit of continents: Africa and South America seem to fit together.
- Similar fossils: Mesosaurus fossils found in different regions and continents.
- Coal seams: Found in polar regions, suggesting a different past position of continents.
- Matching mountain ranges: Similar rock layers and types across oceans.
- Glacial deposits: Found in tropical and desert regions, indicating that continents shifted to different climates.

Seafloor Spreading

Explains how new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and destroyed at deep ocean trenches.
Hess Hypothesis: Seafloor spreading is driven by deep mantle convection.
Supporting evidences:
- World seismicity: Earthquake distribution matches plate boundaries.
- Volcanism: Volcanoes are found along some plate boundaries.
- Age of sea floor: Youngest sea floors found at mid-ocean ridges; older sea floor farther away.
- Paleomagnetism: Minerals in the ocean floor record the alignment of magnetic fields surrounding oceanic ridges.
- Heat flow: Heat flow through bottom sediments is higher over mid-ocean ridges.

Plate Tectonics

Combines continental drift and seafloor spreading.
Earth’s surface is divided into large, mobile slabs of rock called plates.
Plate boundaries: Where plates interact.
- Divergent boundaries: Plates move apart, creating new crust (seafloor spreading).
- Convergent boundaries: Plates collide.
  - Oceanic-oceanic convergence: One plate subducts beneath the other, forming volcanic island arcs.
  - Oceanic-continental convergence: Oceanic plate subducts beneath the continental plate; forms an active continental margin.
  - Continent-continent convergence: Plates collide and crumple, but neither subducts.
- Transform boundaries: Plates move horizontally past each other.

Geological Mapping

Crucial for understanding the structure and composition of the Earth.
Used to identify reservoir rock units, understand trap structures, assess reservoir characteristics, and plan drilling operations.
Methods:
- Remote sensing and aerial imagery: Provide broad-scale geological patterns and structural features.
- Geophysical methods: Seismic surveys, ground-penetrating radar, and magnetic surveys provide information about the subsurface.
- GIS and digital mapping: Allow geologists to store, manipulate, and analyze geospatial data.
- Compass/Clinometer: Used for determining direction and measuring inclination.
- Geological Hammer: Tool for collecting rock samples.
- Handheld Lens: Used for initial analysis of rock samples.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the processes of weathering, including both physical and chemical weathering methods. Understand key concepts like frost wedging, abrasion, hydrolysis, and oxidation. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how rocks break down over time.