Alessandro Grippo's Geology pages

Alessandro Grippo, Ph.D.

Sample questions from previous tests:
 
geology 1 - physical geology Last Updated  •  November 21, 2017

True/False
  1. Volcanic activity occurs at every plate boundary
  2. Cross-bedding is usually found in sandstones
Multiple Choice
  1. The typical rock that forms at a mid-ocean ridge is a:
            a. granite     b. basalt     c. limestone     d. sandstone    e. none of the previous
  2. Oolites are:
            a. marine limestones     b. terrestrial limestones     c. cherts     d. sandstones    e. evaporites
Short Essay
  1. Describe the kind of volcanic activity that occurs at a divergent boundary
  2. Explain why carbonate shelves tend to develop in warmer climates
 
geology 4 - physical geology (with lab)Last Updated  •  November 21, 2017

Geology 4 is the equivalent of geology 1, but with the addition of a lab.
Most of the questions I would ask are the same or similar, but I would ask other questions regarding our lab activity and/or exercises.

True/False
  1. Quartz hardness is greater than Calcite hardness
  2. All minerals that contain Fe are magnetic
Multiple Choice
  1. You had granitic rocks in your hands during the lab on igneous rocks. Based on what you learned, you can say that a common mineral present in granite is:
            a. calcite     b. dolomite     c. hematite     d. quartz    e. all of the previous
  2. Features that form in a sedimentary rock at the time of deposition or immediately after are called:
            a. sedimentary features     b. sedimentary structures     c. geopetal structures     d. horizontal bedding    e. sedimentary rocks
Short Essay
  1. Describe what you, or your group, did during the lab on Minerals
  2. Describe the mineral properties of luster, cleavage, and crystal habit
 
geology 5 - earth historyLast Updated  •  November 21, 2017

True/False (Lecture)
  1. Deposition is always continuous and steady
  2. A realtive rise in sea level is called a transgression
True/False (Lab)
  1. Clastic sediments are classified by their chemical composition
  2. The maximum range zone of Ammonites extends from the base of the Jurassic to the top of the Cretaceous
Multiple Choice (Lecture)
  1. Eras are part of:
        a. an epoch     b. an eon     c. a stage     d. all of the previous     e. none of the previous
  2. The theory of uniformnitarianism was outlined by:
        a. Darwin     b. Steno     c. Hutton     d. Oppel     e. Lyell
Multiple Choice (Lab)
  1. In a triangle for the mineralogical classification of sandstones, the three corners (apices) indicate the content of quartz, feldspar and lithic fragments. What is the content of quartz if your sample is located on the feldspar apex?
            a. 100%     b. 50%     c. 33.33%     d. 0%     e. none of the previous
  2. A microscopic grain of limestone, filling in the space between bigger size grains. we are talking about:
            a. sparite     b. micrite     c. oolite     d. travertine     e. dolomite
Short Essay (Lecture)
  1. Explain how we can understand past glaciations from oxygen isotopes studies
  2. How would deep ocean sedimentation change during a greenhouse interval?

Short Essay (Lab)
  1. Describe all kinds of unconformities we have studied, and explain how they develop
  2. Explain faults and folds in the context of plate tectonics
 
geology 31 - oceanographyLast Updated  •  November 21, 2017

True/False
  1. The high heat capacity of water indicates that when water is heated, it reaches a high temperature quickly
  2. Among all swimming organisms, only fish can be classified as nekton
Multiple Choice
  1. Manganese nodules contain large amounts of the metals Manganese (Mn) and:
            a. Cobalt (Co)     b. Iron (Fe)     c. Carbon (C)    d. Copper (Cu)     e. Nickel (Ni)
  2. The sedimentary rocks that are deposited in deep ocean waters, below the Carbonate Compensation Depth, are:
            a. limestones     b. red clays     c. sandstones    d. conglomerates       e. none of the previous
Short Essay

  1. Explain and define what a calorie is
  2. Explain the relationship between the density and the temperature of water in an interval between -5°C and +5°C
 
geology 35 - field geologyLast Updated  •  November 21, 2017

Geology 35 usually does not require students to take tests; there could be simple quizzes based on the main geological features of the area the class will visit, or based on the features actually seen and experienced in the field.
An example, relative to a trip to Death Valley National Park, is as follows:

True/False
  1. The most important sedimentary feautures of Mosaic Canyon are of the consequence of the action of the wind
  2. Ubehebe Crater is a cinder cone
Multiple Choice
  1. The sand in the Mesquite Sand Dunes was:
            a. sorted      b. arkosic      c. unsorted      d. all of the previous      e. none of the previous
  2. In order to find the youngest rocks in Death Valley National park, I would go and look:
            a. in the Panamint mountains         b. in the Racetrack Playa       c. in the walls of Mosaic canyon         
            d. at Artists' Palette                       e. at Zabriskie Point
Short Essay
  1. Describe the general geology of Death Valley National Park
  2. Describe the origin of sediment in a playa lake in general, and at Badwater in particular

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© Alessandro Grippo, since 1994
Los Angeles, California