Quiz 12: Crustal Formation

The nucleus of old crystalline rock in each of the principal continental masses is called a A)basalt mass. B)craton. C)mountain mass. D)composite zone. E)terrane.

A craton is best described as A)the product of active folding and faulting. B)the surface accumulation of molten rock. C)the stable remains of ancient tectonic activity. D)a landform undergoing constant tectonic activity. E)Earth's youngest landform.

Most cratons date to the A)Precambrian eon. B)Paleozoic era. C)Devonian period. D)Paleocene epoch. E)Mesozoic era.

A large region where a craton is exposed at the surface is known as a A)mountain mass. B)composite zone. C)terrane. D)continental platform. E)continental shield.

Which of the following properly describes the formation of continental crust? A)All continental crust was formed millions of years ago.There is no active continental crust being formed. B)The formation of continental crust is independent of the formation of oceanic crust,involving only volcanism over the land masses. C)The formation of continental crust involves the entire sequence of seafloor spreading,subduction,remelting of oceanic crust,and subsequent rise of the remelted material. D)New continental crust is formed essentially in the same many as oceanic crust - from upwelling at mid-continental ridges. E)Continental crust,unlike oceanic crust,forms along transform plate boundaries where small amounts of magma are able to upwell to the surface,slowly forming new continental crust.

Terranes refer to A)the topography of a tract of land. B)subducted oceanic crust that is melted and later reaches the surface in volcanic eruptions or cools in the subsurface as an intrusive body. C)fragmented crustal material from one plate and accreted to another plate. D)a large region where a craton is exposed at the surface. E)the formation of new oceanic crust along mid-ocean ridges.

Which of the following is not correct regarding terranes? A)They are smaller-scale migrating crustal pieces;i.e. ,microplates. B)They may accrete onto continents and thereby increase the size of the continents. C)They are framed by fracture zones. D)They are very similar in composition to the continents to which they attach. E)They can move thousands of miles from their place of origin.

The Wrangellia terranes refer to A)a former volcanic island arc that migrated 10,000 km (6200 mi. )to its present location along the western margin of North America. B)a terrane in southern Tibet that migrated to the region during the Paleozoic from Australia. C)a mountain range that became part of the Himalayas. D)pieces of crust that moved with the Pacific plate to their present location near Japan. E)an exotic terrane that migrated west across the Pacific Ocean and attached to the Asian land mass.

Which of the following is incorrectly matched? A)tension - normal fault B)compression - shortening or folding C)tension - stretching or faulting D)shearing - stretching or faulting E)folding - compressional stress

Strain,the amount of deformation undergone by an object,is expressed in rocks by A)metamorphism. B)breaking and removal. C)folding or faulting. D)bending. E)resistance.

If one were to stack layers of thick fabric on top of one another and then push the opposite ends towards each other,resulting in bending and rumpling,this would illustrate what physical process? A)faulting B)folding C)shear D)tension E)subducting

Types of folds and their features Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests.The layers near the crest (i.e. ,the upward fold)form A)a syncline. B)a tension zone. C)an anticline. D)a thrust fault. E)shear.

Types of folds and their features Folded layers of rock can form a wavelike pattern of troughs and crests.The layers near the trough (i.e. ,downward fold)form A)a syncline. B)a tension zone. C)an anticline. D)a thrust fault. E)shear.

Types of folds and their features The horizontal line that defines the portion of the anticline or syncline with the maximum curvature is known as the A)valley. B)hinge. C)trough. D)basin. E)ridge.

Folded mountains at the edge of the Zagros Crush Zone,Iran The Zagros mountains of Iran is an example of A)a series of faulted mountain blocks. B)a zone of tension. C)a zone of shearing motions. D)a zone of compression and folding. E)a zone of horizontal bending.

An area of uplifted rock strata resembling an anticline that have been heavily eroded overtime is known as a A)terrane. B)craton. C)dome. D)basin. E)monocline.

A forms when an area resembling a syncline is uplifted and then eroded over time. A)terrane B)craton C)dome D)basin E)monocline

causes continental crust to arch upward as if pushed from below. A)Broad warping B)Tension C)Shear D)Subduction E)Spreading

The principles of buoyancy and balance,when applied to Earth's crust,helps us to explain fluctuations in Earth's outer crust,a property known as A)folding. B)Moho effect. C)isostasy. D)orogenesis. E)faulting.

The process of isostatic adjustment is most closely associated with which of the following? A)plate collisions B)volcanic activity C)sea-floor spreading. D)buoyancy E)subduction

Glaciers that once covered the Hudson Bay area melted 8,000 years ago.As a result of this,the bay is gradually rising.In another 10,000 years or so,it will have risen above sea level and become dry.This process can best be considered an example of A)catastrophism. B)isostasy. C)accretion. D)orogenesis. E)shear.

When rock strata are strained beyond their ability to remain an intact unit,displacement occurs in a process known as A)folding. B)faulting. C)broad warping. D)stressing. E)shearing.

A(n)is displacement of the ground surface caused by faulting. A)fracture zone B)escarpment C)dome D)anticline E)hanging wall

Fault types are differentiated by A)the tilt and orientation of the fault plane. B)the amount of movement along the fault plane. C)the amount of energy liberated during movement. D)the type of rock material in which they occur. E)the angle of repose.

Types of faults Tensional stress along a fault can result in a dropped hanging-wall block relative to the footwall side,producing a A)reverse fault. B)thrust fault. C)normal fault. D)strike-slip fault. E)lateral fault.

Normal faults are associated with A)tensional forces. B)compressional forces. C)plate convergence. D)lateral shearing. E)folding.

Types of faults A occurs when convergent motion forces rocks to move upward along the fault plane. A)reverse fault B)lateral fault C)normal fault D)strike-slip fault E)shear fault

A occurs when the fault plane forms a low angle relative to the horizontal,resulting in the overlying block being shifted over the underlying. A)lateral fault B)thrust fault C)normal fault D)strike-slip fault E)shear fault.

Types of faults When lateral shear causes horizontal movement along a fault plane,the resulting fault is called a A)lateral fault. B)thrust fault. C)normal fault. D)strike-slip fault. E)folded fault.

The San Andreas system in California is an example of A)a strike-slip fault,only. B)a transform fault,only. C)a thrust fault,only. D)both a strike-slip and transform fault. E)a strike-slip fault,a transform fault,and a thrust fault.

Orogenesis refers to A)the beginning of extensive faulting. B)a general term for a mountain-building episode that thickens continental crust. C)a general thinning of the crust. D)eroding away of surface material to expose a craton (continental shield). E)the creation of an escarpment during normal faulting.

Which of the following shows the general sequence of an orogeny? A)thickening of crust through accretion or magma intrusion-uplift-weathering and/or erosion B)uplift-thickening of crust through accretion or magma intrusion-weathering and/or erosion C)weathering and/or erosion-uplift-thickening of crust through accretion or magma intrusion D)thickening of crust through accretion or magma intrusion-weathering and/or erosion-uplift E)erosion-uplift-thickening of crust through accretion or magma intrusion-weathering

The Appalachians formed as a result of the A)Laramide orogeny. B)Alleghany orogeny. C)Cordilleran orogeny. D)Alpine orogeny. E)Sierra Nevadan orogeny.

At this convergent boundary,a subduction zone forms as the result of density differences of the converging plates. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

The Andes of South America formed as a result of the Nazca plate subducting beneath the South American plate.This is an example of collision. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

At this convergent boundary,volcanic island arcs form where on plate is subducted under another. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

The "Ring of Fire" is a volcanic island arc extending from the southwestern Pacific through Indonesia.The island arc formed as a result of collision. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

At this convergent boundary,neither plate is subducted,rather folding,faulting,and uplift occurs. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

The Himalayas formed as a result of the ongoing collision of the Indian and Eurasian plates.This is an example of collision. A)oceanic plate-continental plate B)oceanic plate-oceanic plate C)continental-plate-continental plate D)continental shield-craton E)terrane-craton

An earthquake is best described as A)the point within the Earth where seismic waves originate. B)the sharp release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. C)the amount of ground displacement along a fault. D)the amount of stress rocks along plate boundaries experience. E)an effusive explosion of magma.

Under pressure,rocks can bend and deform,and then spring back to their initial shape after pressure is released.This is known as A)plate tectonics. B)continental drift. C)orogeny. D)folding. E)the elastic-rebound theory.

The subsurface area where the motion of seismic waves is initiated along the fault plane is called the A)epicenter. B)Moho. C)Richter zone. D)focus,or hypocenter. E)Mercalli point.

The area at the surface directly above the subsurface location where seismic waves are initiated is termed the A)epicenter. B)fault area. C)Richter zone. D)focus,or hypocenter. E)Mercalli point.

An instrument used to record vibrations in the crust is the A)land barometer. B)seismograph. C)the Richter scale. D)tiltmeter. E)sextant.

The scale would use Roman numerals to qualitatively describe an earthquake based actual effects experienced at the exact time and location of the quake. A)Richter B)Modified Mercalli Intensity C)Beaufort D)Mohs E)Moment Magnitude

A description,such as "considerable-to-serious damage to buildings," would be used in the scale. A)Richter B)Modified Mercalli Intensity C)Beaufort D)Mohs E)Moment Magnitude

The process whereby ground shaking disrupts and loosens the structure of the soil causing it flow is known as A)creep. B)solifluction. C)slump. D)gelification. E)liquefaction.

The energy released by a magnitude 8 quake on the Richter scale is how many times greater than that of a magnitude 6 quake? A)3.15 B)31.5 C)63 D)992 E)31,255

Which of the following is correct regarding the moment magnitude scale-a scale which quantifies the amount of energy released by an earthquake? A)It is a scale of magnitude based on arithmetical progressions (1,2,3,4,etc. ). B)It is a closed scale that begins at 0.0 and ends at 10.0. C)It considers the amount of fault slippage produced by the earthquake,the size of the surface (and subsurface)area that ruptured,and the nature of the materials that faulted. D)It is the same as the Mercalli scale. E)It is the same as the Richter scale.

Which of the following is not used to rate an earthquake on the moment magnitude scale? A)the amount of fault slippage that occurred B)the size of the subsurface or surface area that ruptured C)the amount of death and destruction that occurred D)the nature of the ground materials affected by the quake E)extreme ground acceleration

What is the expected number of M 8.0 earthquakes per year? A)120 B)800 C)1 D)13,000 E)1,319

What is the expected number of M 5-5.9 earthquakes per year? A)1 B)1,319 C)134 D)13,000 E)120

The study of plate boundaries and the frequency of past earthquakes in order to forecast earthquakes is known as A)dilatancy. B)paleoseismology. C)paleontology. D)geodesy. E)moment magnitude.

Earthquake hazard map for the United States. Within the United States,which area has the highest earthquake hazards? A)West Coast B)East Cost C)Gulf coast D)mid-continent E)upper Midwest

An earthquake that occurs in association with anthropogenic activity,such as waste water injection wells,is known as A)tectonic seismicity. B)induced seismicity. C)a tectonic earthquake. D)injection quake. E)megathrust earthquake.

Mounting evidence indicates that the dramatic increase in the number of earthquakes in the central United States is caused by A)global climate change. B)the re-awakening of a long dormant fault. C)geothermal energy production. D)large wind turbine farms. E)deep wastewater injection wells.

An active volcano is defined as one that A)has erupted at least once within the past decade. B)has erupted at least once within the past century. C)has erupted at least once within recorded history. D)has erupted at least once within the past 50 years. E)exhibits activity indicative of an imminent eruption.

Which of the following is not a location in which volcanoes typically occur? A)subduction zones B)cratons C)sea-floor spreading centers D)hot spots E)continental rift zones

Molten rock that pours forth on Earth's surface is called A)metamorphic. B)magma. C)intrusive. D)lava. E)pyroclastics.

Pulverized rock and clastic materials ejected violently during an eruption are called A)cinders. B)explosive debris. C)tephra,or pyroclastics. D)volcanic ash. E)scoria.

Rough,sharp-edged lava is known as A)pahoehoe. B)obsidian. C)peridotite. D)scoria. E)aa.

Lava that forms ropy cords in twisted folds is called A)pahoehoe. B)obsidian. C)peridotite D)scoria. E)aa.

Small,circular surface depressions usually found at or near the summit of a volcano are known as A)cinder cones. B)craters. C)calderas. D)domes. E)shield volcanoes.

Small conical-shaped hills with truncated tops that formed during moderately explosive volcanic eruptions are known as A)cinder cones. B)craters. C)calderas. D)domes. E)plutons.

Large,basin-shaped depressions that form when summit materials on a volcanic mountain collapse inward after an eruption or loss of magma are known as A)cinder cones. B)craters. C)calderas. D)domes. E)plutons.

Effusive eruptions are not related to which of the following? A)magma rich in iron and magnesium B)low-viscosity magma C)magma rich in silica and aluminum D)gently sloping shield volcanoes E)relatively gentle eruptions

A gently sloping mountain landform built from effusive eruption is known as a A)cinder cone. B)crater. C)caldera. D)shield volcano. E)pluton.

Explosive eruptions tend to build up A)shield-shaped volcanoes. B)plateau basalts. C)composite volcanoes. D)many subsequent lava flows. E)basalt pools.

An effusive eruption ,whereas an explosive eruption . A)is an outpouring of low-viscosity magma onto the ground;is a violent explosion of magma,gas,and pyroclastics B)produces composite volcanoes;produces shield volcanoes C)is a violent explosion of magma,gas,and pyroclastics;produces shield volcanoes D)produces composite volcanoes;is an outpouring of low-viscosity magma onto the ground E)results from magma produced by subducting oceanic plates;originates in the asthenosphere and upper mantle

Which of the following most accurately describes the current status of volcano forecasting? A)Currently,volcanic forecasting is not feasible due to high costs associated with the necessary equipment. B)Reliable indications usually precede volcanic eruptions. C)Scientists have hypothesized that early warning systems are possible,but none have been developed yet. D)It is primarily the private sector interested in volcano forecasting,with governments doing little in this regard. E)Forecasting volcanoes is not possible given the abrupt nature of explosions.

Increased seismicity in Colorado,New Mexico,and Oklahoma has been linked to A)a rift valley hot spot in the mid-continental region. B)injection wells associated with hydraulic fracturing. C)a continental plate-continental plate subduction zone. D)a strike-slip fault. E)hot spots.

Describe the typical formation and characteristics of a continental shield.

Discuss the process and causes of folding,and distinguish between anticline and syncline.

Describe the creative forces and typical characteristics of the three major types of faults.

Discuss the three types of convergent plate boundaries and their typical orogenies.

Define and distinguish between the following: epicenter,focus,foreshock,aftershock.

What are the different ways of measuring the intensity and/or effects of earthquakes? Which do you think is best,and why?

Discuss common volcanic landforms.