Earth Materials, Processes and Environments

Exam 2 Review Sheet

 

Chapter 5

1.      Review the questions and answers for the “Ring of Fire” film.

2.      What is a volcano?

3.      List or describe the various solids, liquids and gases that come out of a volcanic vent.

4.      Describe how each of the following form: shield volcanoes, composite volcanoes, cinder cones, and lava domes.  Be sure to include a discussion of how the type of magma involved plays a role.

5.      What is a spatter cone?

6.      What are pillow lava and columnar jointing, and how does each form? 

7.      Basalt Plateaus and Pyroclastic Sheet Deposits are other types of volcanic landforms.  What sorts of eruptions make these landforms, and how are these different from traditional volcanic eruptions?

8.      Discuss the various volcanic hazards in terms of their potential short- and long-term impacts on humans.

9.      Discuss what is learned from a geologic investigation of a volcano.

10. What kinds of volcanic monitoring are done, and what do they tell us about the volcano that might make it possible to predict future eruptions?

11. What are “A-type” and “B-type” seismic events?  How are they related to volcanic activity?

12. In which regions do most volcanic activity occur? 

13. What is a hot spot?  Be able to give an example of one.

14. What is the VEI?  What is measured to determine it?

15. Answer questions 13, 15, 17 and 19 on page 131.

Chapter 6

16. Define weathering.  How is it different from erosion?

17. List or describe the main types of mechanical weathering.

18. How does biological activity contribute to both mechanical and chemical weathering?

19. List or describe the main types of chemical weathering.

20. Discuss the three factors that control the rate of chemical weathering.

21. In general, which minerals weather more slowly?

22. Which of the silicate minerals from Bowen’s reaction series weather the fastest?  The slowest?

23. Which minerals go readily into solution? Which mineral needs some acidity to go into solution?

24. Explain how spheroidal weathering occurs.

25. Define soil.  Why are soils important?

26. Soils have specific zones called horizons that develop as a soil matures.  Be able to describe the content of each horizon and draw an illustration showing this.

27. Soils can be residual or transported.  How are transported and residual soils different?  What types of soils form over various rock types in different climates?  Why are there different transported soils?

28. Residual soils can be characterized as a Pedocal or Pedalfer.  Under what climatic conditions does each form?

29. What is a laterite?  Under what conditions might a lateritic soil form?

30. What is the 7th Approximation?  According to the general soil orders, which type(s) of soils would we most likely find in SW Georgia?

31. Discuss the factors control the rate of soil development.

32. What is the relationship between climate and soil thickness?

33. What grain sizes are involved in the textural classification of soils?

34. Summarize the Geo-Focus on pp.148-149.

35. List three resources that are a direct result of weathering.

36. What is sediment?  How does sediment become a sedimentary rock?

37. Describe what happens to sediment as it is transported.

38. We identify sedimentary rocks by both texture and composition.  There are two types – detrital and chemical (or biochemical).  You should be able to name a sedimentary rock based upon a description.

39.  Compare the following sedimentary rocks to each: a) quartz sandstone and arkose; b) coquina and oolitic limestone; c) conglomerate and breccia; d) rock salt and chert.

40. Out of sandstone, shale and limestone, which would be resistant to weathering in a humid climate?  In a arid climate?  Explain.

41. Review the handout on depositional environments.  You should be able to match locations to sediment types found there, and eventual rock types.

42. What is a sedimentary facies?

43. What do vertical associations of particular sedimentary facies tell geologist about the rise or fall of sea level in the past?  You should be able to interpret one of these associations (see p.156).

44. Be able to describe/define the different types of sedimentary structures.  Which types of sedimentary structures allow for current directions to be inferred?  Which types allow for the “way up” to be determined?

45. What is a fossil?

46. Describe the three parts of the petroleum system. 

47. What are the two main types of petroleum traps?

48. Describe the different mineral resources associated with sedimentary rocks, and be able to list examples of non-energy and energy-related sedimentary resources.

49. Answer questions 13, 17 and 20 on page 165.