Environmental Geology
Third
Exam-Sample QuestionS
Select
the letter of the choice that BEST answers the question. Each question has ONLY ONE correct answer. Answers will be provided a day or two
before the first exam.
1. Most properly,
GROUNDWATER is defined as:
a.
water only in the
saturated zone
b.
all subsurface water
c.
water only in the
vadose zone
d.
soil moisture only
e.
all water near the
surface of the earth
2. Of
which of the following does the United States have the best supply of reserves,
relative to demand?
a.
zinc
b.
aluminum
c.
platinum
d.
iron
e.
diamonds
3. Which
of the following energy sources is particularly associated with plate
boundaries?
a.
nuclear fusion power
b.
hydropower
c.
geothermal power
d.
tidal power
e.
fossil fuel deposits
4. Primary oil
recovery:
a.
occurs every four
years during Presidential elections
b.
is no longer
practiced because it is inefficient
c.
typically leads to extraction
of about 80 percent of the oil in the reservoir
d.
refers to extraction
of oil principally under its own pressure or simple pumping
e.
involves injecting
steam into the oil deposit
5. Soil
erosion from farmland can be reduced by all of the following methods EXCEPT:
a.
use of windbreaks
b.
terracing of fields
c.
contour plowing
d.
careful, complete
clearing of fields after harvest
e.
minimum tillage
farming
6. Where
abundant groundwater percolates through limestones, __________may be formed:
a.
artesian wells
b.
aquicludes
c.
perched water tables
d.
drip coffee
e.
sinkholes
7. When soil is eroded
from farmland:
a.
sediment pollution
of streams may increase
b.
crop yields and crop
nutritional quality may be reduced
c.
more fertilizers are
needed to replenish lost nutrients
d.
the nutrient-rich
topsoil is most severely affected
e.
all of the above
8. If
demand forces metal prices up, all of the following can be expected EXCEPT:
a.
development of
lower-grade ore deposits
b.
significant rapid
increased in total world meta RESOURCES
c.
disturbance of more
land area for mineral extraction
d.
reclassification of
some resources as reserves
e.
the amount of
world-wide RESERVES probably will increase
9. Most of the water in
the hydrosphere is in __________.
a.
rivers and lakes
b.
the oceans
c.
the atmosphere
d.
aquifers
e.
the polar ice caps
10. Dense
minerals, like magnetite and native gold, may be concentrated in a
crystallizing magma chamber by __________.
a.
gravity
b.
gases
c.
porosity
d.
panning
e.
fluids
11. Oil
shale and tar sand share each of the following environmental problems EXCEPT:
a.
the need for a great
deal of water in processing
b.
they produce carbon
dioxide (CO2) when burned thereby increasing the greenhouse effect
c.
the need to mine the
rock to extract the fuel
d.
the production of
quantities of ash when the fuel is burned
e.
the production of
large volumes of waste rock from processing
12. High
temperatures generally increase the rate of:
a.
biological
weathering only
b.
mechanical
weathering only
c.
biological and
mechanical weathering
d.
biological and
chemical weathering
e.
tanning and sweating
13. Possible
consequences of excessive groundwater withdrawal include:
a.
surface subsidence
b.
reduced permeability
c.
compaction of
aquifer rocks
d.
salt water intrusion
if near the ocean
e.
all of the above
14. In a
petroleum trap:
a.
the oil is found
dissolved in pore water under pressure
b.
gas and oil may be
found, one atop the other, contained by impermeable rocks above
c.
the oil and gas are
found in impermeable rocks
d.
it is best to hit
the ball with a nine iron
e.
either oil or gas
will be found, but not both
15. Coal is formed
from:
a.
graphite under high
pressure
b.
the remains of
marine microorganisms
c.
the remains of land
plants
d.
diamonds under low
pressure
e.
heavy oils like
asphalt
16. Generation
of electricity using photovoltaic cells:
a.
is not
technologically possible at present
b.
how can I answer
this question if I canÕt even pronounce Òphotovoltaic!Ó
c.
causes some
pollution because toxic chemicals are released as the electricity is produced
d.
would involve
commitment of considerable land and material for large-scale use
e.
is most practical
for large industrial consumers
17. Ore
deposits of dense minerals concentrated by stream action are called__________.
a.
duncites
b.
placers
c.
evaporites
d.
hydrothermal
e.
metamorphic
18. What
limitation(s) do wind and solar energy share?
a.
both entail a
storage problem
b.
both are very
dispersed energy sources
c.
both vary in
intensity regionally
d.
none of the above
e.
all of the above
(except d)
19. The
process by which large atomic nuclei are split into smaller ones is called
__________:
a.
breeding
b.
geothermal
c.
cracking
d.
fission
e.
fusion
20. The sun
generates its tremendous energy output by __________:
a.
burning fossil fuels
and wood
b.
nuclear fission
c.
combustion
d.
geothermal energy
e.
nuclear fusion