GEOLOGY 11
EXAM II - STUDY QUESTIONS
What is physical weathering? Chemical weathering? Hydrolysis?
What happens to iron as mafic silicate minerals weather?
What are the final end products of the complete weathering of all silicate minerals?
What are the three types of clastic sedimentary particles? They are defined by grain size, but do
they have characteristic grain shapes as well? How do their grain shapes affect their transport,
sorting and deposition?
What is traction and which sedimentary particles are transported in this way? Saltation?
Suspension?
What is the importance of the cohesive character of clay to the erosion of mud deposits?
Which are the extrabasinal sedimentary rocks and which are the intrabasinal? What does it mean
to be intrabasinal?
How does water, as an agent of transportation, sort sediments into separate mud deposits and
sand deposits?
What are the similarities and differences between alluvial and deltaic sedimentary deposition?
How might rocks from alluvial and deltaic environments differ?
How do continental shelves build up tabular layers of sediment? How do deltas build up tabular,
continuous layers of sediment?
What is regression? Transgression? What makes sea level rise and fall?
What characteristic sequence of sedimentary rocks is associated with sea level rise and why?
What is a joint? How do they arise?
What is relative dating and what are the principals on which it is based? (e.g. What is the Law of
Superposition?)
How can a structure such as a fault be dated relatively?
What are two methods of dating rocks? (each can be found on the Geologic Time Scale).
What is the scientific basis of each? What are the limitations of each?
Name three minerals that contain unstable, radioactive elements and that are useful for isotopic
dating of rocks. What are you dating when you date such a mineral?
What is a normal fault? reverse fault? thrust fault? strike-slip fault? How can you tell one from
the other?
How can you recognize the occurrence of a fault in the field? How can you determine the nature
of offset on a fault once you find it?
What is an anticline and what is a syncline? How can you tell one from the other? How can you
tell if they plunge and what way they plunge?
Which structures accomplish extension of the crust? Which accomplish shortening and
thickening?
Name someplace in the US where you could go to see each of these types of structures.
What conditions produce metamorphism?
What is metamorphism and what kind of changes occur to a rock during metamorphism? Are
these changes linked or independent? Can you explain your answer? What does it mean to be
high or low grade?
What is devolitilization and how and when does it occur in minerals?
Metamorphism occurs over a broad pressure and temperature range. How can we determine the
pressure and temperature at which a rock metamorphosed?
Where/How are rocks metamorphosed by high temperatures and low pressures? by high
pressures and low temperatures? by high pressures and temperatures?
What is contact metamorphism and how can it be distinguished from regional metamorphism?
The origin of granites is linked to the development of metamorphism in orogenic belts. How?
What is a metamorphic facies? an index mineral? an isograd?