ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology (FG) Practice Exam

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• Groundwater that flows through different sized pores at different rates along flow paths and perpendicular to flow paths is caused by
• Which clay mineral forms from weathering of feldspar in temperate environments?
• Modifications of the dam need to be undertaken to reduce the level of the phraetic line. Which statement best summarizes the recommended action?
• Till is described as which of the following?
• Bentonite is formed from the alteration of which material?
• SW soil class is defined as which?
• In natural gas production, what is the purpose of injecting sand?
• Throw is defined as which type of distance across an offset bed?
• The Kaibab formation, formed during the Permian, consists of a sandy limestone. How would it be depicted on a lithologic log?
• What is the most important reason to use GIS data?
• To determine recency of fault activity, which dating method would be best for dating undisturbed soils on top of the fault trace?
• Which mineral is commonly used to date the oldest rocks on Earth due to its long-lived isotopes?
• In the USCS, the most logical engineering geologic classification of a till would be which of the following options?
• The best index fossils are which type of organisms?
• What would be the most likely mineral assemblage observed in a granite?
• In the zone of illuviation (B Horizon), what happens to dissolved constituents?
• What type of fault is characterized by left-lateral slip?
• A rock described as a well-sorted sandstone with less than 10% argillaceous matrix and relatively simple composition is called?
• The in-place granular disintegration product of granite is called
• What directions do geologists use for strike direction in the United States?
• An outcrop pattern comprised of parallel zig-zag contacts on a geologic map represents what kind of structure?
• Soils are highly plastic when the liquid limit is greater than 50 and have low plasticity when the liquid limit is less than 50. What lab test is used on fine-grained materials to determine the liquid limit?
• Which of the following best represents the scale interpretation for a map described as 1 inch equals 500 feet?
• Amphibolite is described as regionally metamorphosed and nonfoliated, consisting principally of which minerals?
• Compared to Greenschist facies, Blueschist facies is characterized by
• A site with permeable material and a fast-moving contaminant plume requires monitoring with the least expensive drilling method. Which method would you recommend?
• Which geomorphic process yields elliptical ponds, hummocky terrain, and springs?
• Between aragonite and calcite, which is more stable at Earth's surface due to diagenetic transformation?
• Which statement is not true under low pH conditions?
• Gossan or rust is formed at the surface due to the hydration of iron oxides in areas underlain by mineralized sulfides. Which technique is particularly suited for investigating these ore bodies?
• Soils described as a CH would be ______
• The process through which wood becomes lithified is called:
• As defined by Richter on a Wood-Anderson seismograph, what is the difference in amplitude between a magnitude 6 and magnitude 8 earthquake?
• Enargite belongs to which mineral class?
• Which group of organisms is typically used as index fossils due to wide distribution and short geological range?
• Ocean water that is relatively rich in 18O indicates that 16O has been trapped in ice sheets. Which statement best describes this process?
• In soil testing, Atterberg limit tests relate to which property of soils?
• What topographic/geomorphic features would you observe in an area of alpine glaciation?
• In an area with limited surface outcrops, a large overturned anticline composed of an incompetent bed bounded by two competent beds. How would you determine which limb is overturned?
• A Rock Mass Rating value above 60 indicates which condition of the rock mass?
• A nonfoliated metamorphic rock consisting principally of hornblende and plagioclase is called
• Blueschist facies rocks form under metamorphic conditions characterized by which combination of temperature and pressure?
• Interpretation of stereo-paired aerial photographs is NOT helpful when evaluating a site for
• Where would you expect to find a large LNAPL spill in a well?
• In addition to alkaline igneous rocks, which other group is enriched in rare earth elements?
• Atterberg limit tests define which parameter of soils?
• Before a field investigation in a region of complex geology, the most reliable way to determine magnetic declination at your location is to:
• Garnet as a hydrothermal mineral provides evidence for formation under which conditions?
• Which area of the United States has the greatest earthquake hazard?
• Low plastic clay, high porosity but low permeability corresponds to which soil class?
• Solution in the vadose zone of fractured limestone during heavy precipitation results in pathways for the transportation of rainwater to the permanent water table. Where does the most solution occur?
• What would be the proper stratigraphic reference for the Kaibab limestone formation deposited during the end of the Permian?
• Pathfinder elements are useful in geochemical exploration primarily because they:
• Settlement calculations are based on data obtained from which laboratory test?
• In the WE equation, if actual drawdown is twice the theoretical drawdown, what is WE?
• Which statement best describes the effect of doubling the vertical scale on the apparent dip angle in a cross-section?
• A braided stream usually indicates that the stream
• Which statement best describes amphibolite?
• The triple junction offshore the west coast is formed by which plates?
• In which soil horizon would you find hardpan?
• Which process is associated with higher 18O content in ocean water during glaciation?
• Cable tool drilling would provide the best quality groundwater data under which condition?
• What term describes a soil deposit developed at the intersection of the oxbow and the new main channel?
• If Ps overlies Pi, which is older?
• A fenster is best described as which feature?
• An area with a collection of closed depressions, some of which are filled with water, is NOT likely the result of which process?
• Stratified serpentine-shaped deposits are known as?
• Slug tests are particularly useful for assessing which subsurface property in a localized area?
• Which glacial feature describes a chain of small lakes connected by stream in a trough?
• What is the term for the in-place granular disintegration product of granite?
• In a temperate semi-arid environment, granite would weather to which sediment type?
• Which statement about sedimentary facies is true?
• A trellis drainage pattern is indicative of which geological condition?
• Which statement best describes why Landsat remote sensing is useful for investigating gossan-bearing ore bodies?
• Coarse-grained material porosity is typically:
• Caves in limestone form primarily by dissolution by groundwater enriched in carbon dioxide, a process occurring below the water table. Which process is responsible?
• Reidel fractures are described as which of the following?
• Which feature is most likely to expose younger rocks beneath the thrust sheet?
• Which tool would provide continuous rock cores for vertical exploration?
• The earliest warm-blooded animals to evolve were which group?
• A tunnel-like structure created by a burrowing animal and filled with soil material from another horizon is called a
• A reverse fault is typically formed under which stress regime?
• Sole marks form at the contact between sand and the underlying sediment. Which description matches the formation?
• Each magnitude releases how much more energy than the previous magnitude?
• Under what environmental conditions would you expect to find the thickest vadose zone?
• The Kaibab Limestone deposition is associated with which geologic age?
• Which mineral produces the most clay minerals during chemical weathering processes?
• You are planning the tunnel alignment for a subway project in a major metropolitan area with several active faults. What is the best orientation of the tunnel when it intersects the fault?
• In what type of terrain would you expect to find sinkholes, long dry valleys and disappearing streams?
• Carbonate Compensation Depth (CCD) is the depth at which which process balance occurs?
• The transformation of wood into lithified material is known as:
• Which geomorphic feature is more likely to be associated with normal faulting than strike-slip faulting?
• In a lithologic log, how would a sandstone interlayer within limestone be depicted?
• Members of the phyllosilicate group are:
• A fault with strike NE; The strike line trends toward which direction?
• Which metric is used to quantify vertical displacement in offset beds?
• Which contaminant poses the greatest health risk at a concentration of 0.005 mg/L?
• According to Bowen's Reaction Series with decreasing temperature
• When a groin is placed perpendicular to up-current longshore currents, what is the expected long-term beach effect?
• Which of the following is NOT true of a sedimentary facies?
• Which geomorphic feature is least likely to be associated with landslide activity?
• Which statement correctly describes clays in terms of porosity and permeability?
• An unconformity is defined as?
• Ores of Cu, Pb, Zn, Au, and Ag are commonly found at which tectonic boundary types?
• What type of water has never circulated in the hydrologic cycle?
• Which of the following would indicate the greatest health hazard?
• In geotechnical investigations, what is the most important portion of a rock core log?
• The Sierra Nevada pluton in California is composed primarily of granite and granodiorite. What are the extrusive compositional equivalents of these rocks?
• Which is the inverse order of evaporite deposition?
• In granitic terrain with tailings piles, what would be a good indicator of gold-rich veins in the subsurface?
• Which deposit is most closely associated with rare earths?
• Groundwater contamination from non-hazardous landfill operations is regulated under which framework?
• A stream is at grade when
• In an urban woodland undergoing development, what approach should you take to assess landslide risk before accepting land?
• Blueschist metamorphism is characterized by which combination of temperature and pressure?
• When constructing an isopach map you
• Name three main physical properties of rocks which are not logged by wirelines.
• Which horizon is commonly referred to as subsoil; lighter layer below topsoil, mostly minerals with little to no organic matter?
• Which metamorphic facies is formed at low pressure and very high temperature?
• Bastnaesite, Didymium, Loparite, and Monazite indicate the presence of which elements?
• What happens in an oxidation-reduction reaction?
• Paraconformity is defined as?
• In what environment would you expect to find placer deposits of gold, platinum, and titanium?
• Which phenomenon explains why eastern U.S. earthquakes are felt over longer distances than California earthquakes of similar size?
• A braided stream forms when the sediment load exceeds channel capacity due to regular floods and variable flow. Which option best describes this process?
• Which symbol is used to denote a benchmark for elevation control?
• Which isotope is commonly used for dating groundwater?
• Abundant feldspar in a sedimentary rock most strongly suggests rapid deposition associated with tectonic activity. Which option best fits this interpretation?
• In USCS soil classification, which designation corresponds to high plasticity clays?
• When volcanic ash chemically reacts with lake salts, what is formed?
• The assemblage of albite, chlorite, actinolite, and calcite is most characteristic of which metamorphic facies?
• If vertical scale is exaggerated by 2x in a geological cross-section, what happens to the apparent dip?
• The mining method most appropriate for a disseminated ore in relatively weak and fractured rock is:
• Albite conditions exist at what range of temperatures and pressures?
• How does the thickness of the aquifer affect its storage capacity?
• A rock stratigraphic or lithostratigraphic unit is defined as what?
• An aquifer has storativity 0.002, porosity 0.4, hydraulic conductivity 10 gpd/ft^2. Is this aquifer confined or unconfined?
• Which method is described as the best and cheapest to estimate the thickness of unit Ps?
• Talus is best described as which feature?
• What type of contact is found between limestone and cross-bedded sandstone in a uniformly dipping sequence?
• Which rock is most likely to contain plagioclase, quartz, biotite, and hornblende?
• A commonly used trilinear diagram in hydrogeology is used to present data on natural water. What does it show?
• Which of the following soils classified by the Unified Soil Classification System would be the best aquitard?
• A high phraetic line within an earthfill dam would indicate which of the following?
• A long, narrow, sinuous ridge of stratified sand and gravel of glacial origin is known as
• Plagioclase, quartz, biotite and hornblende would most likely be found in which rock type?
• A soil sample with 75% finer than No. 4, 61% passing No. 200, a liquid limit of 62, and high dry strength is most consistent with deposits formed in a:
• Effective porosity is equal to the sum of which two components?
• A braided stream usually has a greater load than capacity - why?
• Evaporitic deposition sequence (limestone, gypsum, halite) indicates deposition in which setting?
• Which sediment type is most consistent with lake bed deposits given significant fines and plasticity?
• The maximum age of oceanic crust is approximately
• A lithostratigraphic unit is primarily defined by which criterion?
• In a meandering stream with a large sediment load, sediment deposition forms what feature on the interior of bends?
• The vadose zone transmits water and other substances from the surface to the groundwater. Is this an effective filter for all substances?
• On a USGS map, what is the recommended reference point to determine elevations in the field?
• Layered intrusions form mostly due to
• If a field map is dated 1954 and shows a magnetic declination of 16 degrees west of north, can you use it for field work?
• What type of problem would you expect from using chert as an aggregate in concrete?
• Which soil horizon is characterized by organic matter?
• Trilobites are most characteristic of which geologic period?
• Which method is the best and cheapest way to estimate the thickness of the unit Ps?
• When evaluating the impact of an engineered structure, such as a jetty or groin, on a beach, one would expect that a groin placed perpendicular to the longshore currents of the up-current would cause what long-term effect?
• Which statement about strike direction in the United States is true?
• Which landform is elongated ellipsoidal hillsides?
• MTBE was detected in the unconfined aquifer. Which hydrogeologic unit is this?
• Geomorphic features observable in aerial photographs such as linear ponds, lineations in an alluvial deposit, and notches or saddles in the ridges are characteristic of which process?
• Evaporites are sediments formed by the evaporation of seawater. Which statement best characterizes them?
• Which statement best describes Mississippi Valley-type base metal deposits?
• Granite weathering yields which material?
• In a granitic rock composed of amphibole, biotite, albite, andesine, and quartz, which mineral would weather first?
• Which of the following rocks makes poor aggregate for use with Portland cement?
• How large of an earthquake is needed to create a tsunami?
• A hanging valley is defined as which?
• An elongated ellipsoidal feature ranging from CL to a deposit containing many large rock fragments clustered near terminal moraines and resulting from the flow of ice around an obstruction and deposition of soil and rock materials on the downstream side of the obstruction is called what?
• Which instrument is used to measure fluid transmission properties of the vadose zone?
• In area of moderate relief, the outcrop pattern has a V pointing downstream as it crosses the stream. Which statement about bed dips is correct?
• Stream capacity is defined as
• A strike direction of NW indicates the strike line trends toward which direction?
• Which statement best describes an unconformity?
• Gossan is an iron-bearing weathering product that can indicate what underlying feature?
• Granulite is described as having which level of foliation?
• What does a slug test measure?
• Which of the following is a correct association of depositional environment and fossil assemblages?
• What is the oldest age of typical oceanic crust?
• Sanidinite facies is characterized by which P-T conditions?
• A map at a scale of 1:62500 with a cross-section drawn at 10x vertical exaggeration: what will the vertical scale be?
• Which expression is correct for void ratio e in terms of porosity n?
• Continental convergent plate margins are characterized by Mélanges of feldspathic sandstone, siltstone, and shale. Which of the following best describes these margins?
• Basins and domes have similar outcrop patterns in map view. What distinguishing characteristics would you look for to determine one from the other in a map view with no legend?
• A sandstone in contact with limestone has inclusions of limestone within its basal portion. Which is older?
• Rare earth element deposits are most commonly associated with which rock type?
• Which statement best describes the process of oxidation-reduction reactions?
• Which statement about magnetic declination is true according to the material?
• Soft sediments are best sampled with a ______ to obtain undisturbed samples.
• Coal rank is based on the degree of metamorphism (coalification) and is based on heat value, fixed carbon and volatile matter in the coal. With increased rank one would expect
• Which statement correctly describes S waves generated by an earthquake?
• Is a 1:250,000 base map scale appropriate for plotting field data to determine coal bed thickness and extent over a 50,000 acre site?
• The ratio of the volume of water retained against gravity to the total volume is called?
• Which mineral is commonly an accessory mineral in granite?
• In flat-ground areas, earthquakes are commonly associated with which type of ground movement?
• When dilatancy occurs in granitic rock, which statement best describes the change in the rock?
• During the Devonian transgression, coastal deposits formed as which of the following?
• A dacite is the volcanic equivalent to which plutonic rock?
• Which formula expresses apparent dip as part of finding it?
• Which mineral in a granite is likely to weather first?
• CL clay class is described as which combination?
• Hardpan is most commonly found in which soil horizon?
• A nonconformity is?
• An electrical resistivity survey would NOT be used to differentiate which of the following?
• A moraine is described as which?
• Which term describes vertical displacement across a fault offset bed?
• Which horizon is described as partially altered parent material?
• Amphibolite is regionally metamorphosed, nonfoliated metamorphic rock consisting principally of which minerals?
• Neutron logs are used to determine which properties?
• In a hydrologic context, the deposition of bed-load in rivers is primarily governed by which factors?
• A trilinear diagram is commonly used to present data on natural water. Which data does it display?
• If cost is not a concern and you need high-quality groundwater data from deep aquifers, which drilling method is most appropriate?
• In USCS, SP describes which sediment type?
• On a USGS topographic base map, a closed contour with small tick marks on the inside indicates:
• Which region in the United States is recognized for the greatest earthquake hazard?
• One of the first steps in identifying the type of fuel contamination would be to
• Given a strike of N35W, what is the azimuth of the strike measured clockwise from north?
• The extrusive compositional equivalents of granite and granodiorite are which rocks?
• Ground-penetrating radar is most commonly used to determine:
• Copper ores are typically found in which group of minerals?
• Which of the following is NOT typically associated with magmatic segregation deposits?
• A structural feature with parallel exposures of the same sedimentary formations dipping toward each other is called?
• Granular exfoliation describes which process?
• In USCS, what do the letters GM and GC signify in describing soil?
• A meandering stream carrying a large sediment load will drop that load where?
• Blueschist facies is associated with which P-T combination?
• What type of deposit is associated with iron ores?
• Which horizon is best described as subsoil, a lighter layer below the topsoil with mostly minerals and little organic matter?
• Which statement about glacial deposits is true?
• Low altitude stereo-paired aerial photographs are often used in which of the following types of investigations?
• If two bed parts are separated vertically by a throw of 8 meters, which option correctly expresses the throw?
• Sphalerite, willemite, and smithsonite are all which type of ores?
• In a temperate semi-arid environment, the weathering of granite most commonly produces which sediment size?
• Which horizon is primarily composed of organic matter and forms the surface layer in soil profiles?
• Sole marks indicate
• A clay whose shear strength is decreased to a fraction of its former value by remolding is called?
• Layered intrusives may result from
• In a site investigation, MTBE is present in the unconfined aquifer under the site. What is the best way to determine the likely source location for MTBE?
• Gossan formation is associated with which process involving iron oxides?
• In sands and gravels labeled SW or GW, what does this indicate about sorting?
• What type of coastal deposits developed during the early Devonian seas transgression across the United States?
• What geometric condition would most likely expose an older geologic unit on a hillside that lies above a younger unit?
• Which feature forms a ridge between two cirque valleys?
• Pegmatites are associated with which deposit type?
• What would indicate the direction an anticline is plunging?
• The most reliable source of elevation on a topographic map is
• The first warm-blooded animals to evolve were?
• Destructive tsunamis are most commonly produced by earthquakes along which tectonic setting?
• The mining method best suited for a disseminated ore body in weak, fractured rock is:
• What does specific storage measure in hydrogeology?
• In hydrogeology, storativity is a measure of how much water an aquifer releases from storage per unit decline in head. A very small storativity indicates which type of aquifer?
• Why would groundwater that remains in one place and does not circulate not result in a cave in limestone?
• Which geophysical technique is less likely to be used to investigate a massive sulfide ore body?
• Which pairing is used for strike direction in the United States?
• In a fluvial environment, deposition of the bed load is dependent on which factors?
• Which geologic law explains the relative ages of rocks when the units are roughly parallel and not overturned?
• What measure helps reduce soil erosion in a dam by managing seepage at the downstream toe?
• Which of the following best represents the standard reference used to determine elevations on a map (as described in the source material)?
• Which mineral assemblage is representative of magmatic segregation deposits?
• In igneous petrology, layered intrusions are most commonly attributed to which process?
• A fossil assemblage including brachiopods, pelecypods, and bryozoans indicates which environment?
• What are oscillatory waves in inland bodies of water called?
• A dacite is the volcanic equivalent to which plutonic rock?
• What is the equation for well efficiency?
• Amphibolite facies corresponds to which range of pressure and temperature?
• Which dating method is typically used to date very old igneous and metamorphic rocks?
• A slug test is used to determine localized values of what property?
• What would be the expected sequence of rock units from oldest to youngest for a transgressive sequence?
• For regional planning, which base map scale is typically used to balance area coverage and detail?
• A distance-drawdown curve flattening at a distance from the pumped well indicates which boundary condition?
• Which minerals are typical of Mississippi Valley base metal deposits?
• What is heave defined as in stratigraphy?
• What is juvenile water?
• Seismic refraction surveys are based on which principle?
• A 4:1 slope has what grade and angle?
• Which property is defined by Sy = Vw drained / total volume ×100%?
• In a magnitude change, how much does the quantity increase for each step in magnitude?
• Magnetic declination is indicated on USGS topographic maps. The map you are using for field mapping in a rural area of slow geologic change is dated 1954. The magnetic declination noted on this map is 16 degrees west of north. Can you use this map?
• What geologic condition would produce slow drainage within the cone of depression of an unconfined aquifer?
• Storage coefficient or storativity in an unconfined aquifer is equal to:
• Thrust faults can cause repetition of stratigraphic beds in a vertical cross-section. What term describes the resulting pattern?
• Which statement correctly describes porosity and permeability for clays?
• Why does slowly circulating water just below the water table promote cave formation in limestone?
• Mass wasting refers to
• You are mapping a transgressive sequence that is dipping down slope steeper than the ground surface. Would you expect the limestone unit to be found upslope or downslope?
• Bowen's Reaction Series includes which mineral as part of the sequence Olivine, Pyroxene, Amphibole, Biotite, Potassium Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz?
• Kyanite, Andalusite, and Sillimanite are what type of minerals?
• Which of the following iron minerals is least stable in a humid temperate climate?
• Which horizon is partially altered parent material?
• The surface exposure of weathered sulfide deposits that has a distinctive color of the soil at the surface is called what?
• Which minerals are listed as indicators of rare earth element deposits?
• Though calcite and aragonite form together and in similar environments, ancient limestones generally are all calcite. Why is this?
• Increasing pore pressure on a slope would most likely:
• What does a seismic refraction survey primarily determine?
• Trilobites are important to dating rocks between the Cambrian and the Permian because they define the lower boundary of which intervals?
• Volcanogenic deposits formed near the hydrothermal source would be
• Which trap is not exclusively a stratigraphic trap for petroleum?
• You are mapping over four city blocks in an area of complex geology. The maps provided are at a scale of 1:24,000. Is this an appropriate scale and if not what would be better?
• A bed with an orientation of N65W, 25S has which attitude?
• If a fault offset bed has a vertical separation of 12 meters between segments, the throw is ...
• Which glacial landform is a large mound of sediment deposited along the front of a slowly melting or stationary glacier?
• Your base map has a scale of 1 inch equals 500 feet. If aerial photos were taken from a height of 3,000 feet with a 6-inch focal length, what is the scale of the map?
• Kettle lakes are caused by?
• Low altitude stereo-paired aerial photographs are often used in which investigations?
• Which horizon is humus, partly decomposed organic material with mixed mineral soil?
• A fossil assemblage including brachiopods, pelecypods, and bryozoans indicates which environment?
• If the south side of a fault is up relative to the north side, what fault type does this indicate?
• Which mineral is NOT a phyllosilicate?
• Which distance is not used to describe throw?
• How many major chrons were there in the Quaternary?
• Which statement describes throw?
• Regolith encompasses which part of the Earth's surface?
• In karst topography studies of groundwater contamination, which factor is least important?
• Which mineral is listed second in the Bowen's Reaction Series sequence?
• Which aggregate is best for concrete that will be exposed to the elements?
• Which statement is true?
• What is the optimum pH range for fish in freshwater streams and lakes?
• Continental convergent margins are characterized by mélanges of which rock types?
• In which tectonic environment are you most likely to find Carbonatites and Kimberlites?
• In which plane must fault slip be measured?
• Trilobites fossils help date rocks between the Cambrian and Permian and define the lower boundary of which interval?
• GIS is a very useful tool for geologists. Which statement best describes its primary purpose?
• Grus refers to rock fragments lying at the base of steep slopes. Which term describes this concept?
• What term is defined as the ratio of the volume of water drained due to gravity to the total volume?
• Which statement is true about porosity?
• What would NOT be the expected origin of a mercury deposit?
• What is throw in structural geology?
• Surface exposure of aluminum silicate minerals such as feldspar in a temperate environment would most likely result in the development of which clay mineral?
• In the Unified Soil Classification System, the symbol CL refers to
• A soil material with a porosity of 50% would be classified as which USCS symbol?
• Which metamorphic rock is nonfoliated and dominantly composed of hornblende and plagioclase?
• What geophysical method would be most effective in delineating the lateral extent of a 2000 ft deep metallic sulfide deposit containing Pb, Zn, and Ag?
• A bed has an attitude of N35W, 45NE. What is the apparent dip to the North?
• Which statement best describes Bowen's Reaction Series?
• In groundwater near a fractured, jointed fine-grained sandstone aquifer overlain by claystone and siltstone, where would elevated uranium concentrations most likely be found?
• Which tectonic setting is least likely to host magmatic segregation deposits?
• Two isotopes often used for groundwater dating are:
• Which statement about the vadose zone is true?
• A rock described as a well sorted sandstone, with less than 10% argillaceous matrix, and a relatively simple composition is called which?
• Which contributed to reduced shear strength in a potentially unstable slope?
• Which of the following is not a useful ratio in determining the age of rocks or sediments?
• What is used to date the oldest rocks on Earth?
• A mineral that has the same fibrous habit as asbestos is
• Scree is best described as which of the following?
• What are the two most important factors that contribute to the preservation of an organism in the fossil record?
• What type of slope failure would you expect to find in a well-cemented conglomerate overlying a shale in an area of high groundwater levels?
• What minimum horizontal distance is considered adequate to filter out bacteria from a septic system?
• In sandstone containing limestone fragments at its base, which statement best describes the age relationship?
• What type of faulting is most likely to lead to a destructive tsunami?
• What is the best way to establish an accurate elevation from USGS topographic maps for field surveying?
• In karst environments with fractured limestone, where do the most solution features develop during recharge?
• What would you do to prevent slope failure in a road-cut where you have a marine shale/clay in an area of high groundwater?
• Which mineral is commonly associated with granulite facies metamorphism?
• In the regressive sequence described, which unit would be the youngest?
• Limestone bedrock covered by clay soils may fail catastrophically and form a?
• Which geologic condition would produce slow drainage within the cone of depression of an unconfined aquifer?
• Which method would NOT be used to correlate beds that are widely distributed?
• Which mineral is a zinc ore?
• If porosity n = 0.25, what is the approximate void ratio e?
• Which phenomenon explains why the Mineral, Virginia earthquake in 2011 was felt over long distances whereas comparably sized earthquakes in California are not?
• What is connate water?
• Neutron logs are used to determine moisture content and porosity; which property would they not reliably provide?
• Greenschist facies corresponds to which P-T conditions?
• Soils described as a ML would have which of the following characteristics?
• Nonconformity can be described as which of the following?
• Which glacial deposit is stratified, serpentine-shaped?
• ML classification refers to which material property?
• A pile of rocks at the base of a steep slope is called?
• What is the primary mechanism behind most sinkhole formation?
• A sand or gravel that is well graded (SW or GW) is which in terms of sorting?
• Which horizon is not considered a regolith horizon?
• The use of halogenated aliphatic compounds such as TCE and their improper disposal result in serious groundwater contamination. Why?
• Which tectonic environment is associated with Carbonatites and Kimberlites?
• At a divergent tectonic boundary, what type of economic deposits would you expect?
• Pegmatite deposits are typically associated with which mineral assemblage?
• In a regressive sequence followed by delta development, what is the order from oldest to youngest?
• On a geologic map at a scale of 1:24,000 the outcrop of a geologic unit measures 0.4 inches perpendicular to strike. How many feet wide is the outcrop?
• Which statement about S waves is true?
• Trilobites are found in which geologic setting?
• When you have a situation where a high exit gradient is predicted at the downstream base of a dam what could be done to the dam design to reduce the exit gradient
• When is a gravel pack used in a well?
• In groundwater near a fractured sandstone overlain by claystone layers, where would elevated uranium concentrations be expected?
• From a fault map where Unit A is Cretaceous on one side and Unit C is Eocene on the other, what is the relative vertical movement of the south side?
• Porosity of a well-sorted sand is 0.35. The volume of the voids is 15 in^3. What is the void ratio e?
• In a stratigraphic section bottom to top, with cross-bedded sandstone, ripple-marked sandstone, claystone interbedded with thin sand lenses, what depositional environment is most probable?
• When mapping thickness variations in a sedimentary sequence, what does an isopach map depict?
• In a moderate relief area, a V-shaped outcrop crossing a stream indicates bed dips in which direction?
• Seiches are oscillations most likely observed in which setting?
• Kyanite, Andalusite, and Sillimanite are what type of minerals?
• Which landform is described as an elongated ellipsoidal feature formed by glacial flow around an obstruction and deposition of materials on the downstream side?
• Granulite is a metamorphic rock with which level of foliation?
• What is the consequence when groundwater becomes saturated with CaCO3 in terms of limestone dissolution?
• Which mineral is typical of granulite facies metamorphism?
• Which factors would most significantly impact the economic feasibility of mining a coal bed?
• Clay plug is best described as what geological feature?
• If you drilled a vertical borehole through nearly horizontal beds offset by a thrust fault, what stratigraphic pattern would you expect with depth?
• A seismic refraction survey indicates a moderately large offset in bedrock overlain by uniform velocity soils. Which step would help evaluate recency of fault movement?
• Which factor leads to the highest acidity in water just below the water table, promoting dissolution in limestone?
• Which of the following is NOT typical of glacial deposits?
• Which rock type is most closely associated with rare earth elements?
• The triple junction offshore the west coast is created by which set of plates?
• Barchan dunes are characterized by?
• Caves found within limestone result from which process?
• Abundant feldspar in a sedimentary rock most likely indicates:
• Which hydrothermal mineral is indicative of formation at great depth and at high temperature?
• The storage coefficient and transmissivity are two important parameters calculated by using which equation?
• Stream competency is defined as which?
• What type of faulting is shown on the map running diagonally through the central portion?
• Compared with SP, SW sand is described as:
• Ripple marks exhibiting an asymmetrical shape with the longer, gentler slope on the west and the shorter, steeper slope on the east results from
• The scalloped nature of a shoreline is primarily caused by:
• An arete is defined as which feature?
• What is the last possible date of faulting?
• What is the best method to obtain local magnetic declination when using an old map?
• Which sediment type has the highest permeability according to the given descriptions?
• Which deposit is associated with swelling in the presence of water and is formed from the alteration of volcanic ash?
• In the inverse order of evaporite deposition, which mineral is deposited last?
• Which terrain feature is most typical of karst landscapes?
• Which term refers to a tunnel-like burrow filled with soil from another horizon?
• In the zone of eluviation, where constituents are leached out of the A Horizon and deposited to form hardpan or caliche, what is this deposition associated with?
• Which metamorphic facies is typically formed under moderate pressure and low temperature?
• Salt and gypsum underlie about ____% of the contiguous United States?
• Mass wasting is best described as which of the following?
• A stratigraphic sequence limestone, gypsum, halite indicates what type of environment?
• What is the preferred approach in order of accomplishment for preliminary aggregate source investigation for a dam feasibility study?
• Which parameter is used to determine flow pattern, type of flow, and whether a non-cohesive particle will settle through a water column?
• What scale of maps would be appropriate for presenting a geologic resource inventory of about one million acres?
• Hornfels is formed by which metamorphic process, and typically involves which minerals?
• If there is no vertical offset between two parts of an offset bed, the throw is?
• A circular feature on a geologic map in an area of moderate relief is most likely produced by which geological structure?
• Which region of the United States is most associated with features such as circular depressions, sinking creeks, and red clay soils?
• What geometric form do sole marks create on the underlying substrate?
• Soapstone is a metamorphic rock with which type of foliation?
• In a downhole SP and resistivity log, what would be a good indicator of a confined freshwater aquifer?
• A good index fossil is best described as having which combination of characteristics?
• If a rock has high porosity but low permeability, what does this imply about groundwater movement?
• Which approach is most effective for updating land-use information in a woodland area before development?
• Which mineral is last in the Bowen's sequence Olivine, Pyroxene, Amphibole, Biotite, Potassium Feldspar, Muscovite, Quartz?
• Which Mercalli intensity level is characterized by people may run outdoors, some chimneys may be broken, and considerable damage occurs to poorly built structures?
• Which statement about strike direction in the United States is true?
• Which soil horizon is humus, partly decomposed organic material with mixed mineral soil?
• Which term describes a long, winding ridge formed by glacial meltwater flowing beneath or within a glacier?