Student Center | Instructor Center | Information Center | Home

Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e

William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Environmental Geology

Practice Quizzing


1	Earth's largest mountains are found
		A)	under the sea.
		B)	in the Indian subcontinent.
		C)	forming the mountainous backbone of western South America.
		D)	in the western U.S. and Canada.


2	The most dense component of the earth is the
		A)	crust.
		B)	mantle.
		C)	core.
		D)	tectonic plates.


3	The most common element in the earth's crust is
		A)	iron.
		B)	oxygen.
		C)	nickel.
		D)	aluminum.


4	When the sea floor of oceanic plates collides with a continent
		A)	the oceanic plate usually dives beneath the continent and becomes part of the earth's core.
		B)	the oceanic plate usually dives beneath the continent and becomes part of the earth's mantle.
		C)	the continental plate dives beneath the oceanic plate.
		D)	a deep trough or oceanic trench results.


5	Rocks formed from solidified magma are known as _____ rocks.
		A)	sedimentary
		B)	igneous
		C)	metamorphic


6	Sediment is the product of weathered
		A)	sedimentary rocks.
		B)	igneous rocks.
		C)	metamorphic rocks.
		D)	rocks of all types.


7	Weathering of rocks results from
		A)	wind.
		B)	water.
		C)	temperature change.
		D)	all of the above.


8	______ rocks most typically occur in layered formations.
		A)	Sedimentary
		B)	Igneous
		C)	Metamorphic
		D)	Mineral composed


9	Forces of weathering are most directly responsible for _____ rocks.
		A)	sedimentary
		B)	igneous
		C)	metamorphic


10	Rocks formed most directly in response to heat and pressure are called
		A)	sedimentary.
		B)	igneous.
		C)	metamorphic.


11	Strategic minerals are those that
		A)	are essential for national defense.
		B)	have unique physical and chemical properties.
		C)	a nation needs but does not produce itself.
		D)	are essential for computer and medical applications.


12	Environmental hazards associated with mining include
		A)	subsidence of old excavated spaces.
		B)	production of toxic runoff from surface wastes.
		C)	production of airborne pollution particles.
		D)	all of the above.


13	A lesson from the Nauru mining experience is that mineral exploitation can
		A)	produce great wealth but at great social and environmental cost.
		B)	be done in an environmentally sound way.
		C)	significantly improve the health and well being of indigenous people.
		D)	actually enhance the biotic resources of a region.


14	Heap leach extraction
		A)	is used to remove gold from low grade ore.
		B)	involves spraying a cyanide solution onto crushed ore.
		C)	has a very high potential for water pollution.
		D)	is characterized by all of the above.


15	Minimills produce steel
		A)	from scrap steel and iron.
		B)	at less than half the cost of conventional mills.
		C)	with one third the energy consumption of conventional mills.
		D)	with all the above characteristics.


16	Tsunamis are the most devastating type of
		A)	earthquake.
		B)	seismic sea swells.
		C)	volcanic eruptions.
		D)	landslide.


17	Converting raw ore into products such as aluminum, steel, and copper requires ______ energy than/as producing these materials from scrap.
		A)	much more
		B)	somewhat more
		C)	about the same amount of
		D)	less


18	Earthquakes result from earth's tectonic plates bumping into one another.
		A)	True
		B)	False


19	The continents are the lightest part of earth's crust.
		A)	True
		B)	False


20	A rock is an inorganic material with a definite chemical composition and regular internal crystal structure.
		A)	True
		B)	False


21	Mechanical weathering changes both the physical and chemical composition of rocks.
		A)	True
		B)	False


22	U.S. mining law allows miners to stake claims on public lands and remove minerals without compensating the public coffers.
		A)	True
		B)	False


23	Existing U.S. mining law is based on legislation passed in 1872.
		A)	True
		B)	False


24	A rock from which useful metal can be obtained is called a mineral.
		A)	True
		B)	False


25	Using recycled materials utilizes about as much energy as required to process virgin ore.
		A)	True
		B)	False


26	Demand for selected minerals and metals can diminish as new, less expensive substitute materials are discovered.
		A)	True
		B)	False


27	Volcanoes move material from earth's mantle to earth's crust.
		A)	True
		B)	False

2003 McGraw-Hill Higher Education
Any use is subject to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education is one of the many fine businesses of The McGraw-Hill Companies.