The movement of rock fragments by wind or water

BMST - Basic Math and Science Earth's Geological Cycles Questions and Answers 2 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: What type of rock is formed from cooled magma or lava?

Igneous (Correct answer)
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Mineral

Correct answer: Igneous

Igneous rocks form when molten rock (magma below surface, lava above) cools and solidifies.

Igneous rocks are one of three main rock types, formed from the cooling and crystallization of magma (underground) or lava (on the surface). Intrusive igneous rocks (like granite) cool slowly underground, forming large crystals. Extrusive igneous rocks (like basalt) cool quickly at the surface, forming small crystals or glassy textures.

Question 2: Which layer of the Earth is composed of liquid iron and nickel?

Outer core (Correct answer)
Inner core
Mantle
Crust

Correct answer: Outer core

The outer core is a liquid layer of iron and nickel that generates Earth's magnetic field.

Earth has four main layers: the crust (solid, thin), mantle (mostly solid, convecting), outer core (liquid iron and nickel, ~2,200 km thick), and inner core (solid iron and nickel, ~1,220 km radius). The liquid outer core is responsible for generating Earth's magnetic field through convection currents of electrically conducting liquid metal (the geodynamo effect).

Question 3: What drives the movement of tectonic plates?

Convection currents in the mantle (Correct answer)
The rotation of the Earth
Gravitational pull from the Moon
Wind patterns on the surface

Correct answer: Convection currents in the mantle

Heat from Earth's interior creates convection currents in the mantle that push and pull plates.

Tectonic plates move primarily due to convection currents in the mantle. Heat from the Earth's core causes mantle material to rise, spread laterally, cool, and sink back down. This convective circulation, along with ridge push (at mid-ocean ridges) and slab pull (from subducting plates), drives the movement of lithospheric plates at rates of a few centimeters per year.

Question 4: What is weathering?

The breakdown of rocks by physical, chemical, or biological processes (Correct answer)
The movement of rock fragments by wind or water
The formation of mountains
The cooling of lava

Correct answer: The breakdown of rocks by physical, chemical, or biological processes

Weathering breaks down rocks in place, while erosion transports the broken material.

Weathering is the in-place breakdown of rocks and minerals at Earth's surface. Physical (mechanical) weathering includes freeze-thaw cycles, root growth, and abrasion. Chemical weathering involves reactions with water, oxygen, and acids that alter rock composition. Biological weathering is caused by organisms. Weathering produces sediment that erosion then transports to new locations.

Question 5: What is the rock cycle?

The continuous process of rocks transforming between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types (Correct answer)
The movement of rocks down a slope
The process of erosion only
The formation of fossils

Correct answer: The continuous process of rocks transforming between igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic types

The rock cycle describes how rocks change from one type to another through geological processes over time.

The rock cycle is a continuous process where rocks transform between three types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Igneous rocks weather into sediments that form sedimentary rocks. Heat and pressure transform any rock into metamorphic rock. Melting and cooling creates igneous rock. Any rock type can become any other type through various geological processes over millions of years.

Question 6: What geological feature forms at a convergent plate boundary?

Mountain ranges or deep ocean trenches (Correct answer)
Mid-ocean ridges
Rift valleys
Transform faults

Correct answer: Mountain ranges or deep ocean trenches

When plates collide, they can form mountains (continent-continent) or trenches (oceanic-oceanic or oceanic-continental).

At convergent boundaries, plates move toward each other. When two continental plates collide, they form mountain ranges (like the Himalayas). When an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, the denser oceanic plate subducts, forming a deep ocean trench and volcanic mountain range. Mid-ocean ridges form at divergent boundaries, and transform faults form at lateral boundaries.

BMST - Basic Math and Science Earth's Geological Cycles Questions and Answers 2

What type of rock is formed from cooled magma or lava?