Geology 101 - Physical Geology » Fall 2020 » Death Valley

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Question #1
What can move by itself in Death Valley?
A.   Joshua Trees
B.   700 pound rocks
C.   70 pound rocks
D.   400 pound rocks
E.   7 pound rocks
Question #2
What was the environment of Death Valley about 1.2 billion years ago?
A.   An underwater marine setting because of the presence of limestone
B.   A harsh desert because of the presence of sandstone
C.   A volcano because of the prevalence of the rock basalt
D.   A harsh desert because of the presence of limestone
E.   An underwater marine setting because of the presence of sandstone
Question #3
What happened to the seas that used to dominate Death Valley?
A.   They were pushed back by volcanoes
B.   They were altered by a large meteorite impact
C.   They were frozen over by massive glaciers
D.   They drained away due to a rapid increase in temperature
E.   No one knows
Question #4
What tells us that at one time Death Valley was a subduction zone?
A.   The presence of basalt
B.   The occurrence of subductionite
C.   Veins of granite
D.   Veins of uranium
Question #5
How do the turtlebacks form?
A.   Turtlebacks are shiny rocks that were formed at high temperature and pressure within the earth
B.   Turtlebacks are shiny rocks that were formed at low temperature and pressure within the earth
C.   Turtlebacks are deformed rocks that were formed at low temperature and pressure at the surface
D.   Turtlebacks are deformed rocks that were formed at high temperature and pressure within the earth
Question #6
How old are they?
A.   20 million years
B.   7 million years
C.   3 million years
D.   13 million years
E.   1 million years
Question #7
How thick is the continental crust in Death Valley? How is that different from the average thickness of the continental crust?
A.   A round the globe it averages 20 miles thick. The continental crust in Death Valley is 20 miles thick so it is the same.
B.   Around the globe it averages 18 miles thick. The continental crust in Death Valley is 16 miles thick so it is a little thinner due to the stretching of the plain.
C.   Around the globe it averages 16 miles thick. The continental crust in Death Valley is 16 miles thick so it is the same.
D.   Around the globe it averages 25 miles thick. The continental crust in Death Valley is 16 miles thick so it is much thinner due to the stretching of the plain.
Question #8
What can you only witness at Badwater, Death Valley NP?
A.   The birth of a new mountain chain
B.   The formation of the ocean floor because it is 282 feet below sea level
C.   The ritual tea kettle pileup on the first Thursday in November
D.   Continental crust being pulled apart at a faster rate and magnitude anywhere on Earth
Question #9
What is the white gold of the desert?
A.   Borax
B.   Gold
C.   Sulfur
D.   Halite
E.   Clay
Question #10
What does borax presence indicate?
A.   It shows there was once an ocean in Death Valley.
B.   It shows there were once many dinosaurs in Death Valley.
C.   It shows there was once fresh water in Death Valley.
D.   It shows there was once a glacier in Death Valley.
Question #11
What can shingling tell us?
A.   The direction of wind flow.
B.   The direction of a meteorite impact.
C.   The direction of animal tracks.
D.   The direction of water flow.
E.   The direction of the lava flow.
Question #12
How big was Lake Manly?
A.   About 300 square miles over 300 feet deep.
B.   About 10 square miles over 10 feet deep.
C.   About 70 square miles over 100 feet deep.
D.   About 800 square miles over 700 feet deep.
E.   About 600 square miles over 400 feet deep.
Question #13
What causes the popping at Devil’s Golf Course?
A.   Frequent earth tremors cause the salt to move and then settle resulting in a pop.
B.   No one knows.
C.   Lava flows at shallow depth cause the surface to pop.
D.   The sun sucking out the last of the moisture from the surface. The salt crystals expand and contract from the heat which causes the popping.
Question #14
How did the salt crust form at Death Valley?
A.   Tortoises secrete salt from their nasal glands and over millions of years it piles up to the salt we see.
B.   It occurs after snowfalls. The ice will melt leaving salt on the valley floor.
C.   Rain water comes in and, the moment the water starts to evaporate, salt crystals start to form.
D.   Lava boiled off Lake Manly giving rise to the salt we see today.
Question #15
What do the three distinct mountain ranges to the west of Death Valley cause?
A.   The mountains block birds and pollen from getting into Death Valley, known as the anti-animal shearing effect
B.   The mountains block moisture from getting into Death Valley, known as rain shadow effect
C.   The mountains block birds and pollen from getting into Death Valley, known as the Coriolis effect
D.   The mountains channel moisture into Death Valley, causing the great floods
Question #16
What does the boulder of Mosaic Canyon tell us?
A.   That volcanoes hurled large rocks many miles from their craters
B.   The force of the water that comes down the canyons during a flash flood from sudden rain.
C.   That tribes used to build giant head statues in the area
D.   That glaciers used to be in the valley
E.   That ice causes large rocks to slide
Question #17
What causes the polished rock in the canyon?
A.   Fine material that comes down in a flash flood
B.   Ice from an old glacier
C.   Lava flows
D.   Boulders that comes down in a flash flood
Question #18
  
A.   Long groove trails in the Earth left behind the movement of rocks.
B.   Flat surfaces people can run on
C.   The only know breeding area of the whooping crane in North America. The males compete for females by racing each other on the tracks. The oldest, wisest male tends to win because he can maintain his footing for the longest on the slippery surface.
D.   Glacier paths that leave a smooth polished surface
Question #19
Have we witnessed how the racetracks form?
A.   No
B.   Yes
Question #20
What could happen in the future of Death Valley?
A.   The area could be separated from the rest of the US by a sea.
B.   It could release enough groundwater to reform Lake Manly
C.   It could start to isostatically rebound by a 1/10th of an inch per year
D.   It could start to isostatically rebound by a half an inch per year
E.   It could start to isostatically rebound by an inch per year
Question #21
What is the sinking rate of Death Valley?
A.   1 inch per year.
B.   1/10 of an inch per year.
C.   1/2 of an inch per year.
D.   1/20 of an inch per year.
E.   1/5 of an inch per year.

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