Unit 4: Rocks and mass movements - Practice Quiz

1 Which type of rock forms when molten magma or lava cools and solidifies?

2 Which type of rock forms from the compaction and cementation of sediments?

3 Which type of rock is changed by heat and pressure?

4 Granite is commonly classified as which type of rock?

5 Which rock is commonly formed from layers of deposited sediment?

6 What is the main basis for classifying rocks into igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic groups?

7 What is weathering?

8 Which process involves the physical breaking of rock without changing its chemical composition?

9 Which process is an example of chemical weathering?

10 What causes frost wedging in rocks?

11 How can plant roots contribute to weathering?

12 Which landform is commonly associated with the chemical weathering of limestone?

13 What is exfoliation in weathering?

14 What is mass wasting?

15 Which mass-wasting process involves the free falling of rocks from a steep slope?

16 Which mass-wasting process is the very slow movement of soil downhill?

17 What is a landslide?

18 Which factor commonly increases the likelihood of mass wasting?

19 Which mass-wasting process involves a water-saturated mixture of soil and debris moving downhill?

20 What type of landform may develop at the base of a slope from repeated rockfalls?

21 A rock contains interlocking crystals of quartz and feldspar and shows no layering. Which origin is most likely?

22 Which field observation best supports the classification of a rock as sedimentary?

23 A shale is subjected to increasing heat and pressure without melting. Which rock could it become?

24 A volcanic rock cools rapidly at the surface and has a glassy texture. Which process best explains this texture?

25 Which sequence represents a possible path in the rock cycle?

26 Water enters a joint in granite, freezes, and widens the joint repeatedly. Which process is occurring?

27 A limestone region develops caves and sinkholes after prolonged contact with slightly acidic groundwater. Which process is most important?

28 A jointed granite dome develops curved outer slabs that peel away from the surface. Which weathering process most likely formed it?

29 Iron-rich minerals in a humid environment form a reddish-brown coating. Which process is primarily responsible?

30 Which setting would generally produce the deepest zone of chemical weathering?

31 Tree roots grow into a crack and eventually split a boulder. This is best classified as which type of weathering?

32 A desert rock surface becomes rough because softer minerals are removed faster than harder minerals. Which landform or feature results?

33 After intense rainfall, a saturated soil layer moves downslope slowly, leaving tilted trees and curved fences. Which process is most likely?

34 A coherent block of hillside slides along a curved surface and rotates backward. Which mass movement is indicated?

35 A dry, steep cliff releases individual boulders that fall and accumulate at its base. What landform develops?

36 A fast-moving mixture of volcanic ash, water, and rock fragments travels down a valley. Which process is this?

37 Which change would most directly increase the likelihood of a landslide on a steep slope?

38 In a cold region, waterlogged soil slowly flows over permanently frozen ground during summer thaw. Which process occurs?

39 A landslide moves as a relatively intact mass along a planar surface parallel to a bedding plane. Which type is most appropriate?

40 Which engineering measure would best reduce landslide risk on a road cut by lowering groundwater pressure?

41 A rock contains interlocking quartz, potassium feldspar, and biotite crystals, with no foliation. It formed from slowly cooled magma rich in silica. Which classification is most appropriate?

42 Which observation would most strongly distinguish a metamorphic rock from a sedimentary rock when both contain aligned platy minerals?

43 A volcanic rock has abundant phenocrysts of feldspar surrounded by a fine-grained groundmass. Which cooling history best explains this texture?

44 Which sequence represents a complete and geologically plausible transformation from granite to a sedimentary rock?

45 A sandstone is converted into quartzite without melting. Which change is most likely to occur?

46 Two igneous rocks have similar mineral compositions, but one has large crystals and the other has a glassy texture. What is the strongest inference?

47 A limestone landscape develops sinkholes, disappearing streams, and underground channels in a humid region. Which process is dominant?

48 A granite dome contains curved, sheet-like fractures parallel to its surface. Which explanation best accounts for this landform?

49 Which setting would most favor frost wedging rather than chemical weathering?

50 A tropical soil profile is intensely red and deeply weathered, with much of its silica removed. Which process and minerals are most consistent with this profile?

51 Why can a rock fragment weather more rapidly after being broken into smaller pieces, even if its composition remains unchanged?

52 A jointed sandstone cliff develops cavernous hollows beneath resistant ledges in a dry climate. Which interpretation is most defensible?

53 A saturated slope suddenly moves as a relatively coherent mass along a curved, concave-upward surface, leaving a head scarp and a bulging toe. Which process occurred?

54 A landslide moves along a relatively planar bedding surface that dips in the same direction as the slope. Which factor most directly increases the likelihood of failure?

55 Which combination most strongly favors a debris flow rather than a dry rockfall?

56 A talus cone accumulates at the base of a mountain cliff. Which process most directly supplies its angular fragments?

57 Which field evidence best indicates long-term soil creep rather than a single rapid landslide?

58 A slope remains stable for years, then fails shortly after prolonged rainfall. Which mechanism most plausibly explains the timing?

59 A steep road cut is made in weak, clay-rich material. Which engineering measure most directly reduces the risk of rainfall-triggered failure?

60 A rock avalanche travels unusually far across a valley floor despite originating on a steep mountain wall. Which explanation is most plausible?