Geology 101 - Physical Geology » Fall 2020 » Death Valley

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

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