What is the primary focus of applied geology?
a) Studying celestial bodies
b) Exploring historical artifacts
c) Applying geological knowledge to solve practical problems
d) Analyzing genetic data
What is the main purpose of geological mapping?
a) Mapping weather patterns
b) Identifying mineral resources
c) Creating topographical maps
d) Studying ocean currents
Which of the following is a common tool used in field geology?
a) Microscope
b) GPS device
c) Telescope
d) Spectrometer
What does ‘stratigraphy’ study?
a) The structure of the Earth
b) The layers of rock and their relationships
c) The chemical composition of minerals
d) The physical properties of soil
Which type of rock is formed from molten magma?
a) Sedimentary rock
b) Metamorphic rock
c) Igneous rock
d) Fossil rock
What does a ‘seismograph’ measure?
a) Magnetic fields
b) Earthquakes
c) Water levels
d) Atmospheric pressure
What is the process of rock formation from sediment called?
a) Metamorphism
b) Erosion
c) Sedimentation
d) Volcanism
Which mineral is the hardest on the Mohs scale?
a) Quartz
b) Talc
c) Diamond
d) Feldspar
What is the study of fossils called?
a) Petrology
b) Mineralogy
c) Paleontology
d) Geophysics
Which rock type is most likely to contain fossils?
a) Igneous
b) Metamorphic
c) Sedimentary
d) Volcanic
What is the term for molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface?
a) Lava
b) Magma
c) Basalt
d) Granite
Which process describes the transformation of sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock?
a) Erosion
b) Deposition
c) Metamorphism
d) Melting
What is the main agent of chemical weathering?
a) Wind
b) Water
c) Temperature
d) Ice
Which of the following best describes ‘aquifers’?
a) Rock layers that store groundwater
b) Volcanic craters
c) Large mineral deposits
d) Eroded river valleys
What type of geological structure is formed by the bending of rock layers?
a) Fault
b) Fold
c) Joint
d) Dike
What is the principle of superposition in geology?
a) Older layers are on the bottom, younger layers are on top
b) Younger layers are on the bottom, older layers are on top
c) Layers are arranged based on density
d) Layers are formed horizontally
Which type of fault is characterized by vertical movement?
a) Strike-slip fault
b) Normal fault
c) Reverse fault
d) Oblique-slip fault
What is an anticline?
a) A type of mineral deposit
b) A fold in rock layers that arches upward
c) A downward fold in rock layers
d) A type of volcanic eruption
Which mineral is primarily composed of calcium carbonate?
a) Quartz
b) Feldspar
c) Calcite
d) Mica
What is the main cause of tsunamis?
a) Hurricanes
b) Underwater earthquakes
c) Volcanic eruptions
d) Glacier melting
What type of volcanic rock is rich in silica and has a high viscosity?
a) Basalt
b) Andesite
c) Rhyolite
d) Gabbro
What is the term for the process by which sediments are compacted and cemented into sedimentary rock?
a) Lithification
b) Crystallization
c) Metamorphism
d) Weathering
Which geological era is known as the “Age of Reptiles”?
a) Cenozoic
b) Paleozoic
c) Mesozoic
d) Precambrian
What is the name of the boundary between the Earth’s crust and mantle?
a) Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho)
b) Lithosphere
c) Asthenosphere
d) Core-mantle boundary
Which type of rock is formed under extreme heat and pressure?
a) Sedimentary
b) Igneous
c) Metamorphic
d) Fossiliferous
What is the primary component of granite?
a) Olivine
b) Basalt
c) Quartz
d) Shale
Which term describes the measure of a mineral’s resistance to scratching?
a) Hardness
b) Luster
c) Streak
d) Cleavage
What type of rock is formed from cooled lava?
a) Sedimentary
b) Metamorphic
c) Extrusive igneous
d) Intrusive igneous
Which of the following processes is part of the rock cycle?
a) Erosion
b) Photosynthesis
c) Evaporation
d) Respiration
What is the primary force driving plate tectonics?
a) Gravitational pull from the Moon
b) Ocean currents
c) Heat from the Earth’s interior
d) Solar radiation
Which type of soil horizon is rich in organic material?
a) O horizon
b) A horizon
c) B horizon
d) C horizon
What is the term for a naturally occurring, solid mass of mineral or mineral-like matter?
a) Mineral
b) Rock
c) Crystal
d) Fossil
What is the name of the process by which rocks are broken down by chemical reactions?
a) Physical weathering
b) Biological weathering
c) Chemical weathering
d) Mechanical weathering
Which rock is typically associated with fossil fuels?
a) Sandstone
b) Limestone
c) Coal
d) Basalt
What is the name of the theory that describes the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates?
a) Continental Drift
b) Plate Tectonics
c) Seafloor Spreading
d) Volcanic Activity
What type of stress causes a rock to be compressed?
a) Tensile stress
b) Compressive stress
c) Shear stress
d) Torsional stress
What is the name of the fault where the hanging wall moves down relative to the footwall?
a) Normal fault
b) Reverse fault
c) Strike-slip fault
d) Thrust fault
Which of the following is an example of a sedimentary rock?
a) Granite
b) Marble
c) Limestone
d) Basalt
What is the primary factor that determines the size of crystals in igneous rocks?
a) Chemical composition
b) Cooling rate
c) Pressure
d) Water content
Which geologic period is known for the first appearance of abundant hard-shelled organisms?
a) Cambrian
b) Ordovician
c) Silurian
d) Devonian
What is the name of the process that transports weathered materials?
a) Deposition
b) Erosion
c) Lithification
d) Cementation
Which mineral property involves the way a mineral reflects light?
a) Streak
b) Hardness
c) Luster
d) Cleavage
What is the most common gas released during a volcanic eruption?
a) Carbon dioxide
b) Sulfur dioxide
c) Methane
d) Water vapor
Which type of rock is formed by the alteration of pre-existing rock by heat and pressure?
a) Igneous
b) Sedimentary
c) Metamorphic
d) Volcanic
What is the main mineral component of limestone?
a) Quartz
b) Feldspar
c) Calcite
d) Mica
What is the term for the preserved remains or traces of ancient life?
a) Minerals
b) Fossils
c) Rocks
d) Crystals
Which geological process results in the formation of mountains?
a) Erosion
b) Deposition
c) Tectonic activity
d) Weathering
What type of rock is shale?
a) Igneous
b) Metamorphic
c) Sedimentary
d) Volcanic
Which mineral is known for its characteristic smell of rotten eggs when struck?
a) Quartz
b) Feldspar
c) Pyrite
d) Sulfur
What is the term for a break or fracture in the Earth’s crust along which movement has occurred?
a) Fold
b) Joint
c) Fault
d) Cleavage