ESCI111: INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL GEOLOGY & PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Recommended Textbook:   
Tarbuck, E.J. and Lutgens, F.K. (2008). Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 9^th Edition

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course identifies and describes the geologic materials that make up the earth’s crust and explains the role of past and present geologic processes in changing the character of the earth surface over geologic time.

COURSE OBJECTIVE:

In this course students should be able to:

• recognize the common minerals and rocks of the earth crust
• understand the place of plate tectonics and other geologic processes in the development of the landscape
• understand the geologic time scale and the methods of its derivation

COURSE OUTLINE
TOPICS	SUBJECT MATTER	CHAPTERS TO READ
1	Introduction to Geology	ch. 1, 1-33
2	Interior of the Earth and Rock Bodies	ch. 12, 325-347
3	Introduction to Plate Tectonics	ch. 2, 35-69; ch. 13 & 14, 340-399
4	Matter and Minerals	ch. 3, 71-99
5	Igneous Activity and Igneous Rocks	ch. 4 & 5, 101-163
6	Weathering and Sedimentary Rocks	ch. 6 and 7, 165-219
7	Metamorphic Rocks	ch. 8, 221-245
8	The Geologic Time Scale	ch. 9, 247-271
9	Earth Surface Processes: Mass Wasting	ch. 15, 401-421
10	Earth Surface Processes: Running Water and Landforms	ch. 16, 423-455
11	Earth Surface Processes: Groundwater Processes	ch. 17, 457-481
12	Earth Surface Processes: Glaciers and landforms	ch. 18. 483-513

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LECTURE NOTES & ASSIGNMENTS:
 (Power Point Presentations):
Click on the link for the topic you like to view the slide show

ASSIGNMENTS:
Assignment One
Assignment Two

LECTURE NOTES:

Topic 1:  Introduction to Geology

Topic 2:  Interior of the Earth 

Topic 3:  Introduction to Plate Tectonics

Topic 4:  Matter and Minerals

Topic 5:  Igneous Activities and Igneous Rocks

Topic 6:  Weathering and Sedimentary Rocks

Topic 7:  Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks   

Topic 8:  The Geologic Time Scale

Topic 9:  Earth Surface Processes: Mass wasting

Topic 10: Earth Surface Processes: Running Water and landforms

Topic 11:  Earth Surface Processes: Groundwater Processes

Topic 12: Earth Surface Processes: Glaciers and Glaciation   

REVIEW QUESTIONS

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR QUIZ 1

1.         Physical geology is the science of the earth focusing on:

A.         The chronology of geologic events
B.         The structural materials of the earth
C.         Geologic processes 
D.         Asking and answering when questions about the earth 
E.         B and C

2.         The earth's moon and the planet mercury are described as primitive bodies because:

A.         Their basic surface features have remained unchanged shortly after their
            formation 
B.         Of the lack of internal heat to drive any major internal geologic processes early in
            their history
C.         Of the lack of the hydrological cycle and effective atmosphere to drive external
            geologic processes early in their history
D.         Of the rotation of the bodies
E.         A, B, and C

3.         The most dominant gas in the earth's atmosphere by percentage volume is:

A.         Oxygen     B.     Helium     C.     Nitrogen     D.     Hydrogen

4.         Internal layers of the earth based on composition consist of:

A.         Asthenosphere, core, crust, mesosphere
B.         Crust, mantle, core
C.         Lithosphere, crust, mantle, mesosphere
D.         Mesosphere, core, asthenosphere, lithosphere
E.         Crust, shield, mantle, asthenosphere

5.         Submarine canyons are most numerous and best developed on the:

A.         Continental slopes          B.        Continental rise     C.     Abyssal region
D.         Continental shelf             E.        Oceanic ridge

6.         The thermal layers of the earth's atmosphere consist of the following, except:

A.         Troposphere     B.     Mesosphere     C.     Ionosphere    D.    Thermosphere 
E.         Stratosphere

7.         The zone of soft plastic rock beneath the lithosphere is called the:

A.         Magnetosphere     B.     Thermosphere     C.     Mantle    D.    Outer core 
E.         Asthenosphere

8.         Most of our knowledge of the interior of the earth comes from

A.         information derived from deep oil wells
B.         Density measurements
C.         Deep mines
D.         Behavior of seismic waves passing through the Earth

9.         Which of the following is the most appropriate path of water from the ocean to the
            continent in the hydrological cycle?

A.         Evaporation, precipitation, condensation, runoff
B.         Precipitation, evaporation, runoff, condensation
C.         Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff
D.         Runoff, precipitation, evaporation

10.        The term "maria" is currently used to describe which of the following features on the
            earth's lunar surface?

A.         Impact craters     B.     Lava plains     C.     Luna volcanoes    D.    Dry river valleys 
E.         Plateau surfaces

11.        The rock forming the mantle layer of the earth's interior is:

A.         Granite     B.     Basalt     C.     Gabbro    D.    Quartzite     E.     Peridotite

12.        Most of the earth's continental landscape was formed by

A.         Glacial processes    B.    Stream erosion    C.    Volcanism    D.    Wind erosion
E.         Ground water actions

13.        Which of the following is Not true about the asthenosphere?

A.         It is close to its melting point
B.         It occurs within the upper mantle
C.         It is part of the crust
D.         It is a "weak" layer below the lithosphere
E.         Seismic wave velocity is drastically reduced in this layer

14.        The density of the earth's core is:

A.         About the same as that of the crust
B.         More than that of the crust
C.         Less than that of the crust
D.         Less than that of the mantle
E.         About the same as that of the mantle

15.        The lithosphere is:

A.         The outermost solid layer of the earth
B.         A layer above the asthenosphere
C.         A rigid layer that is about 100 km thick
D.         In continuous motion
E.         All of these answers

16.        The major wind system operating between latitude 30^oN and 60^o N is:

A.         Northeast trade winds     B.        Southeast trade winds    C.    Westerlies 
D.         Polar Easterlies

17.        Continental shields are composed of:

A.         Younger rocks associated with mid-oceanic ridge
B.         Horizontal sedimentary rock
C.         Intensely deformed metamorphic rocks and igneous intrusions
D.         Mainly basaltic rocks
E.         Folded lava overlain by sedimentary rocks

18.        A stable platform is a region characterized by

A.         No vertical crustal movement until recent times
B.         A complete lack of deformed rocks at any depth
C.         Numerous folds and faults
D.         Horizontal sedimentary rocks overlying the crystalline Basement Complex rocks
E.         Extensive exposures of igneous and metamorphic rocks

19.        Which of the following statements concerning the oceanic ridge is NOT true?

A.         It has a series of parallel folds like the Appalachian Mountains
B.         It has a rift valley along its central axis
C.         It extends continuously into all major oceans of the world
D.         It is cut by numerous fracture zones (transform faults)
E.         It is a broad, up-arched region of the ocean basin

20.        The deepest portion of the ocean basin is in the Mariana Trench with a depth of about:

A.         -2.32 km     B.     -8.84 km     C.     -11.03 km     D.     -840 m

21.        Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A.         Equatorial diameter of the earth is longer than the polar diameter by about 27 miles
B.         P-waves cannot pass through liquid medium of the outer liquid core of the earth
C.         Oceanic crust is referred to as SIMA rocks while continental crust are referred to as
            SIAL
D.         Africa is the second continent while North America is the smallest continent on earth
E.         95% of total land is said to the opposite water bodies on the globe thereby exhibiting an
            antipodal relationship

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR QUIZ 2

1.         The three most abundant elements in the earth crust by percentage weight are:
A.        Chlorine, sodium, hydrogen
B.        Oxygen, silicon, aluminum
C.        Aluminum, hydrogen, carbon
D.        Silicon, magnesium, sodium
E.         Aluminum, chlorine, helium

2.         Which of the following is a silicate complex ion?
A.        (CO₃)^2-             B.         (SO₄)^2-             C.        (NO₃)^-             D.        (SiO₄)^4-
E.         (PO₄)^3-
3.        The color of a mineral in its powdered form is called
A.        Luster       B.     Cleavage     C.     Streak    D.    Crystal form    
E.        Mineraloid

4.         According to Moh's hardness scale, which of the following minerals is the softest?
A.    Gypsum     B.     Quartz     C.     Diamond     D.     Apatite    E.    Orthoclase

5.         The sum of protons and neutrons present in an atom is called
A.    Atomic number     B.     Atomic mass number     C.     Isotope   
D.     Anion                  E.     Nucleus

6.         Which of the following compounds exhibits covalent bonding?
A.    Halite     B.     Diamond     C.     Graphite    D.    Water     E. B and D

7.         Which of the following features develop where plates converge and one descends
            into the mantle?
A.        a mid-oceanic ridge
B.        a seamount chain
C.        an abyssal plain
D.        a trench
E.        a fracture system

8.         At a convergent boundary, tectonic plates
A.        slide past each other
B.        move away from each other
C.        move toward each other
D.        move over spreading centers
E.        do not move

9.         Which of the following represents the earliest stages of continental rifting?
A.        the Atlantic Ocean
B.        the rift valleys of East Africa
C.        the Red Sea
D.        the Aleutian Trench
E.        the North Sea

10.       The movement of lithospheric plates is believed to be driven primarily by
A.        solar energy                  B.         Earth's rotation             C.        isostacy
D.        mantle convection         E.         geomagnetism

11.       Which of the following was not used as evidence to support Wegner's continental
            drift hypothesis but used to support the theory of plate tectonics?
A.        geometric fit of the shorelines of South America and Africa
B.         fossils of the same land animals and plants are found on widely separated
            continents
C.        ice sheets that covered portions of India and the southern continents 250 million
            years ago
D.        coalfields of United States, Europe, Antarctica and Asia
E.         paleomagnetic stratigraphy

12.       Which of the following plates is composed entirely of oceanic crust?
A.        African plate         B.     Nazca plate            C.     North American plate
D.        Australian plate     E. South American plate

13.       Which of the following pairs of minerals are polymorphs of FeS₂?
A.        pyrite and calcite         B.     quartz and aragonite    C.     graphite and opal
D.        pyrite and marcasite    E. aragonite and opal

14.       Which of the following statements is not correct?
A.        A mineral is naturally occurring inorganic solid with specific composition and
            crystal structure
B.         A chemical bond in which ions are closely packed because electron sharing
            occurs in the inner electron shell is a common feature of metallic bonding
C.        earthquake activity is commonly associated with transform faults
D.        Plates containing continental crust move down into the asthenosphere at deep-sea
            trenches and are consumed.
E.         Silicate complex ions are the most important in the formation of rock minerals

15.       Crystallization of a mineral from a solution
A.        requires a proper pressure
B.        requires a proper concentration of specific atoms or ions
C.        occurs by the addition of atoms to a crystal face
D.        requires a proper temperature
E.         all of these answers

16.       Which of the following common minerals is NOT a silicate mineral?
A.        muscovite (mica)     B.    potassium feldspar     C.    garnet
D.        gypsum                   E.    hornblende

17.       Which of the following statements about silicates is NOT TRUE?
A.        95% of the earth crust is made of silicate minerals
B.        All silicate minerals have a common building block or backbone called silicon-
           oxygen tetrahedron or the (SiO₄)^4- complex ion
C.        Feldspars are the most abundant of all silicate minerals
D.        Ferromagnesian silicate minerals are dark in color because of the presence of iron
           and magnesium in their chemical composition
E.        White mica is a ferromagnesian silicate

18.       Black mica is:
A.        Olivine     B.     Muscovite     C.     Augite     D.     Biotite    E.     Quartz

19.       Carbon with atomic mass number of 13 has:
A.        6 protons and 7 neutrons
B.        7 protons and 6 neutrons
C.        8 protons and 5 neutrons
D.        9 protons and 4 neutrons
E.        All of the above

20.       Which of the following is not a correct statement about minerals:
A.        They are naturally occurring
B.         They are inorganic solids
C.        Most have a regular internal crystal structure
D.        They have definite chemical composition
E.         They are inorganic liquids and gases

21.       At a transform boundary, tectonic plates
A.        slide past each other
B.         move away from each other
C.        move toward each other
D.        move over spreading centers
E.         move vertically

22.       In addition to continental Africa, the Africa plate includes the:
A.        eastern half of the south Atlantic ocean crust and western portion of Indian ocean
            crust
B.         western half of the south Atlantic ocean crust and eastern portion of the Indian
            ocean crust
C.        Cocos plate and Nazca plate
D.        eastern half of the Pacific Ocean crust
E.         the mid-oceanic ridge

23.       The strips of high-intensity magnetism represent zones where the paleomagnetism
            of the oceanic crust is of the
A.        reverse polarity                         B.         normal polarity        C.     neutral polarity
D.        polar wandering type                E.         A and B

24.       Ionic substitution is
A.        substitution of similar crystal structures in a mineral
B.         substitution of ions within the mineral without a change in a crystalline structure
C.        substitution of an ion for an electron
D.        a change from an atom to an ion
E.         a change in crystal structure

25.       Which of the following is an example of a single chain silicate mineral?
A.     Olivine     B.     Quartz     C.     Pyroxene    D.    Chlorite     E. Clay minerals

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Makeup Take Home Test:

NOTE:  I forgot to distribute this in class today - Friday, November 20, 2009. This  makeup test is due on December 4, 2009. Please, follow the instructions below.

INSTRUCTIONS:     Answer TWO questions.  Each answer MUST NOT exceed
THREE typed pages. Read the class textbook, class notes and other sources before attempting the questions.

1.         (a)        Draw a diagram of the internal structure of the Earth and briefly describe its core,

                        mantle and core.

(b)        What is paleomagnetic anomaly of the ocean floor rocks?

2.         Write all you know about the following:

(a)        silicate minerals (diagrams required)                  (b)        chemical bonds

3.         Describe the concept of continental drift and outline its major weaknesses

4.         Describe the major landform features and processes associated with:

(a)        subduction plate boundaries                              (b)        spreading center

5.         Describe Mount St. Helen and explain how its volcano is related to plate tectonics (Diagrams are required).

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REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR QUIZ 3

1.         Which of the following statements is false?

A.    mafic magma contains less than 50% silica and usually low in viscosity
B.     Andesitic magma contains about 60% silica and usually of medium viscosity
C.         Felsic magma contains large quantity of silica (>70%) and flows very slowly
D.     Bowen Series shows the order of crystallization of silicate minerals as magma cools
E.     Extrusive igneous activities on Hawaii Islands are due to submarine mid-oceanic
         ridge volcanic activities

2.          Which of the following is not the result of vent eruption?
A.     Shield volcano     B.         Cinder cone      C.        Strato-volcano
D.     Volcanic neck       E.         Pillow basalt

3.            Lithification process involving the transformation of organic materials into solid carbon
         called coal is known as:
A.     Cementation        B.         Compaction      C.        Weathering
D.     Re-crystallization  E.         Magmatism

4.                  The March-April, 2000 volcanic eruptions of Mount Usu in Northern Japan are
            good examples of:
A.                 Plate margin or subduction zone volcanism
B.         Basaltic lava floods on submarine hotspots
C.                 Mid-Oceanic ridge volcanism
D.             Basaltic lava floods on continental hotspots
E.              Intra-plate continental hotspot volcanism

5.                  The most universal feature of sedimentary rocks is
A.        cementing material                    B.         uniform grain siz e
C.                stratification                              D.        fossils
E.                 mud cracks      

6.                  Sedimentary rocks
A.        form by compaction and cementation of loose sediment.
B.             are widespread on the continents and ocean floor.
C.             are common on the stable platforms of all continents.
D.             may be found in folded layers in mountain belts.
E.              all of the above.

7.                  A sedimentary rock that is made of clastic particles derived from weathering and
            erosion of the land is
A.        gypsum B.         rock salt           C.        limestone
D.        chert                 E.         sandstone

8.                  The length of time required for a solid rock to flow rather than fracture is
A.        Elasticity                       B.         Diapirism                      C.        Rheidity
D.        Foliation                       E.         Migmatism

9.                  The major constituent of most sandstone is
A.        quartz               B.         feldspar            C.        olivine               D.        garnet
E.              calcite

10.              Which of the following rocks is NOT sedimentary?
A.        gypsum             B.          limestone         C.        rhyolite
D.        sandstone                     E.                 conglomerate

11.              A clastic sedimentary rock composed of rounded to subrounded gravel is called
A.        coal         B.         shale     C.            breccia
D.        conglomerate E. sandstone

12.              Cross-bedding is commonly found in
A.        coal                              B.         shale                 C.        sandstone        
D.        rock gypsum                 E.                  rock

13.              In graded bedding, the size (diameter) of the sediment particles in a single layer
A.             is uniform from top to bottom
B.             ranges from coarsest at the top to finest at the bottom
C.        ranges from coarsest at the bottom to finest at the top
D.             ranges from fine to coarse to fine in a vertical sequence
E.              none of these answers

14.              Which of the following particles in sedimentary rocks is smallest in size?
A.        Silt                   B.         Clay     C.        Gravel 
D.        Sand

15.              Snake River-Columbian Plateau of the United States as well as the Deccan
            Plateau in India are examples of
A.             volcanism of island arcc
B.             Plate margin or subduction zone volcanism
C.             Basaltic lava floods on submarine hotspots
D.             Mid-Oceanic ridge volcanism
E.              Basaltic lava floods on continental hot spots

16.              Crater Lake in Oregon is an excellent example of a
A.        Caldera            B.         Cinder cone      C.        Shield volcano
D.        Basalt plateau   E.         Lava dome

17.              According to the Bowen Series, which of the following minerals crystallizes from
            a molten rock at very low temperature
A.        Olivine              B.         Muscovite                    C.        Quartz 
D.        Orthoclase

18.              Which of the following would NOT be expected in sedimentary rocks?
A.        fossils               B.         vesicles C.        ripple marks    
D.        mud cracks

19.        The material fro m which chemically-precipitated sedimentary rocks are made is
         transported to the place of deposition
A.     by wind                           B.         as silt                C.        as sediment particles
D.     as clastic particles           E.         in solution

20.              The shoreline sedimentary environment includes all but
A.        deltas                B.         beaches            C.        flood plains
D.        Barrier islands    E.         lagoons

21.              Well-sorted, fine-grained sand deposited in cross-bedded units several tens of feet
            thick would likely represent which of the following environments?
A.        deep marine                  B.         eolian               C.        fluvial
D.        shallow marine              E.         beach

22.              Fossil remains of ancient organisms are most commonly found in
A.        basalt               B.         granite              C.        metamorphic rocks
D.        gypsum            E.         sedimentary rocks

23.             Based on texture, which of the following rocks does NOT belong with the
            others?
A.                 halite                B.         limestone          C.        sandstone    D.         chalk          
E.         none of these, they all have similar textures

24.              Two stages of cooling are indicated by
A.                 aphanitic texture            B.         phaneritic texture          C.        glassy texture
D.                 porphyritic texture         E.         pyroclastic texture

25.             A rock with an aphanitic texture would indicate
A.                 magma generated at diverging plate margins
B.                 slow cooling of the magma
C.                 rapid cooling of the magma
D.                 two periods of cooling
E.         magma formed at converging plate margins       

REVIEW QUESTIONS FOR QUIZ 4

1.         Exposures of metamorphic rocks are most widespread in
A.               young mountains    B.               shields        C.               oceanic island
D.               plateaus                 E.                stable platforms

2.         Marble is metamorphosed from which of the following rocks?

                        A.     Shale                    B.         Quartz sandstone                      C.         Granite
D.    Limestone              E.    Siltstone

3.         Metamorphic transformations occur while a rock is in

                        A.      In the dissolved state         B.       the molten state            C.      the solid state  
D.      all of the above    

4.         Formation of metamorphic rock NEVER involves which of the following?
            A.   formation of new minerals from old
            B.  increase in density 
            C.  complete melting of the material from which it formed  
            D.   change in orientation of mineral from which it formed
            E.   change in shape of mineral grains

5.         Which of the following is NOT the result of metamorphism?

A.         growth of new materials

B.         development of alignment of minerals within the rock body

C.         re-crystallization of minerals

D.         deep weathering of feldspar-rich rocks

E.         conglomerate pebbles deformed into long elliptical shapes

6.         Metamorphic rocks are formed

A.   in the Earth's core

B.   under conditions of high temperature and pressure

C.   from molten rock

D.   by consolidation of weathered products of preexisting rocks

E.   all of these answers

7.         Which of the following is NOT foliated?

A.       gneiss                B.       schist     C.       slate       D.       marble

8.         Which of the following metamorphic rocks represents the highest intensity of
            metamorphism?

A.        slate    B.         quartzite C.        schist   D.        gneiss    E.      marble

9.         Metamorphic rocks may originate from

A.     shale    B.     basalt    C.     granite    D.     sandstone   E.      all types of rocks  

10.        Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about metamorphic rocks?

A.     The original rocks have been intensely altered.

B.     Grains commonly have a preferred orientation.

C.     They constitute a large part of the continental crust.

 D.        They are commonly strongly stratified.

11.        Which of the following pairs of parent rock and its metamorphosed equivalent is NOT
            correctly matched?

A.     sandstone-quartzite           B.     shale-slate            C.     limestone-schist

D.     granite-gneiss                    E.      conglomerate-metaconglomerate

12.        Which of the following metamorphic rocks is formed under very low pressure and low
            temperature?

A.     Zeolite                              B.         Blueschist                     C.         Greenschist      

D.  Granulite                              E.         Sanidinite

13.        Which of the following metamorphic rocks is formed under very high pressure and low
            temperature?

A.     Greenschist                                  B.         Blueschist                     C.         Zeolite  

D.  Granulite                                          E.         Sanidinite

14.        Which of the following metamorphic rocks is formed under very low pressure and high
            temperature?

A.     Greenschist                      B.         Blueschist                     C.         Granulite

D.   Zeolite                                E.         Sanidinite

15.        Which of the following metamorphic rocks is most likely to be formed at the oceanic trench where an oceanic crust is being subducted underneath another plate

A.     Greenscist facies                           B.         Granulite facies

C.   Eclogite facies                                 D.         Blueschist facies

E.      Sanidinite

16.        Early estimates of geologic time were based on the following except

A.      salinity of the ocean          B.       thickness of sediments

C.      heat loss                         D.      radiometric dating

17.        The principle which explains that in a sequence of undeformed sedimentary rock, the oldest bed is on the bottom and each higher bed is successively younger, is called the principle of

A.         crosscutting relations                 B.         superposition     C.         relative dating   

D.         faunal succession                      E.         inclusion

18.        Precambrian time refers to all geologic time older than approximately

A.         6 billion years                            B.         60 billion years

C.         60 million years                         D.         600 million years

E.         6000 years

19.        The Mesozoic Era is divided into the following periods in the geologic time scale

A.         Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian

B.         Triassic, Devonian, Cretaceous

C.         Neogene, Cretaceous, Permian

D.         Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous

E.       Jurassic, Cambrian, Mississippian

20.        Which of the following is unimportant in relative dating?

            A.         cross cutting relation      B.         radioactive dating           C.         inclusions

D.         fossils                           E.         superposition

21.        Determining the relative age of a rock body is based largely on

A.                 half-life measurements

B.                 carbon dating

C.                 principle of inclusion

D.                 radioactive dating

E.                  principle of superposition

22.        Rocks formed at the upper limits of metamorphism and showing evidence of small amount of melting plus a metamorphic portion are called

A.     Metasomatic rocks                        B.         Migmatites        C.         Lineation

E.     Schistositic rocks              E.         None

23.        Which of the following is out of place?

A.     Gneiss                  B.         Granite              C.         Slate                 D.   Marble
 E.   Hornfels

24.        What type of rock is most likely to be formed when a piece of rock is subjected to
            temperatures in excess of 900^oC and at very high pressure?

A.        Sedimentary rocks     B.         Igneous rocks    C.   Metamorphic rocks                          D.     A and B                   E.   B and C.

25.       The parallel re-alignment of rod-like minerals during metamorphism is described
            as:

A.         slaty cleavage                B.         schistocity        C.         banding
D.         lineation                        E.         foliation

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