The Exam

• Section A: Wednesday, December 17^th, 2008, 9:30am-11:10am in 108 Tomanek Hall
• Section B: Monday, December 15^th, 2008, 10:30am-12:10pm in 108 Tomanek Hall
• Section C: Thursday, December 18^th, 2008, 10:30am-12:10pm in 106 Tomanek Hall

My exams are designed to test more than just your ability to memorize the definitions of new terms and concepts (though, of course, that is important as well). Often I try to ask questions that test your ability to critically think about the relation between topics that we have discussed or to synthesize facts into a more complete whole. In short, I'm trying to get at not just your knowledge of geology, but more importantly your understanding of geology. This is not always easy to do on a multiple choice exam. My multiple choice questions are intended to have one best answer, but often a number of plausible wrong answers. I am not trying to be tricky - rather I'm trying to get an idea of how fully you understand the material. The ability to think critically and synthesize ideas is the essence of good education. Keep this in mind as you study the material.

Also, please understand that this study guide is not intended to be exhaustive (read as: there will be material on the exam that is not specifically covered in this study guide). To best prepare for the exam I recommend that you:

• Read the assigned chapters in Essentials of Geology, 9th ed.. Make sure you understand the material (especially the concepts and terminology). Some students find it helpful to outline the material in the chapters.
• Review your lecture notes. Compare them with the lecture outlines on the class website. It may be useful to discuss the lecture material with a classmate and compare notes.
• Work through the entire Exam Study Guide. Look up things that you're not sure of. Break down the style of my exam questions and try to anticipate how I might vary these questions to cover different material.
• If there's anything that you don't fully understand then seek assistance. I'm happy to help during office hours or any other time you can find me to ask a question. E-mail me your questions if you like. There's also a free tutor available for the class. Contact the Kelly Center to schedule an appointment.

Some sample multiple choice questions: (there will be 40 on the test)

1. Sinkholes:
   1. result from the collapse of underground caverns
   2. are caused by geothermal energy and associated with hot springs
   3. are most common in humid areas where the bedrock is limestone or marble
   4. A & B
   5. A & C

2. The water table is _________________.
   1. a piece of furniture from a Kevin Costner movie that flopped at the box office
   2. the boundary between the saturated and unsaturated zones
   3. the bottom of an aquifer
   4. the hydrologic equivalent of the periodic table
   5. a fixed boundary that is not affected by rainfall

3. An unfractured pumice generally has __________ porosity and __________ permeability.
   1. low; low
   2. low; high
   3. high; low
   4. high; high
   5. no; no
   

4. What type of glacial feature is illustrated in the picture at right?
   1. a drumlin
   2. a terminal moraine
   3. a U-shaped valley
   4. a hanging valley
   5. an arete

5. Which of the following is not an alpine glacial feature.
   1. col
   2. arete
   3. horn
   4. U-shaped valley
   5. drumlin

6. The landform illustrated at right is a(n):
   1. alluvial fan
   2. meandering river
   3. bajada
   4. barchan dune
   5. yardang

7. A linear dune that is aligned with the prevailing wind direction is a _____________ dune.
   1. transverse
   2. longitudinal
   3. barchan
   4. blowout
   5. star (composite)

8. During the last Ice Age ______________________________.
   1. sea level was higher than it is today
   2. glaciers completely covered all of Earth's landmasses
   3. annual global temperature averaged less than 0oC
   4. all of the above
   5. none of the above
   

9. The dark lines running through the middle of the glacier in the photo at right are ___________________.
   1. lateral moraines
   2. medial moraines
   3. terminal moraines
   4. recessional moraines
   5. medieval moraines

10. Three features caused by glacial erosion are:
    1. U-shaped valleys, striations, moraines
    2. moraines, drumlins, eskers
    3. hanging valleys, striations, outwash plains
    4. cirques, fjords, U-shaped valleys
    5. striations, kettle lakes, till

11. A roche moutoneé is formed when ______________________.
    1. winds blow sand into a dune that is horseshoe shaped with the horns pointing downwind
    2. glaciers carve valleys on two sides of a ridge, leaving a jagged profile
    3. glaciers polish a smooth bedrock surface in the upstream direction and plucks rock fragments on the opposite side
    4. rivers in arid regions flow out of confined valleys and deposit their sediment in a fan-shaped deposit
    5. waves erode a headland until it is basically a bedrock island connected to the mainland by only a sandy spit

12. _____________are caused by the gravitational force of the moon and __________ are caused by winds and storms over the oceans.
    1. Winds, tides
    2. Tides, longshore currents
    3. Tides, waves
    4. Waves, tides
    5. Tidal waves, tidal waves
    

13. The landform in the photo at right is a(n) _________________________ and results from _______________________.
    1. baymouth bar; liquor sales by the harbormaster
    2. angle of repose; sediment oversteepening and avalanching of loose sediment
    3. tombolo; sand connecting at rocky headland with the mainland
    4. spit; longshore drift from the top toward the bottom of the field of view
    5. spit; excess phlegm or saliva ejected from the mouth

In addition, here's a list of terms/topics that you should understand:

• Groundwater: porosity vs. permeability, saturated vs. unsaturated zones, water table, recharge vs. discharge, influent vs. effluent streams, unconfined vs. confined aquifers, aquicludes, perched water tables, cone of depression, saltwater intrusion. How is water quality affected by bedrock/soil interactions? What are some sources of groundwater contamination?
• Caves & Karst: How are limestone caves formed? What is the role of acid rain? What is the role of groundwater? Stalagmites vs. stalactites, sinkholes, disappearing streams
• What is a glacier? What is the difference between continental, alpine (valley), and piedmont glaciers? What conditions are necessary for the formation of glaciers?
• Explain the differences in the conditions that cause glaciers to form in: a) the mountain peaks of the Andes Mts. near the equator, b) the coastal valley and piedmont glaciers of southeastern Alaska, and c) the polar ice cap in Antarctica.
• By what processes do glaciers grow and retreat? What are some different features that are related to the movement of ice?
• Recognize and understand the origin of the following glacial landforms/processes (particularly whether they are erosional or depositional in origin and whether they are associated with continental or alpine glaciation or both): plucking, abrasion, striations, roche moutonee, fjord, horn, arete, cirque, tarn, U-shaped valley, hanging valley, till, moraines (5 types), drumlin, esker, kame, kettle lake, outwash plain, erratic boulder, varves
• Explain how glaciation effects sea level. Explain the isostatic changes that accompany the advance and retreat of continental ice sheets.
• Describe some possible causes of climate change on Earth. What geologic evidence bears on the questions of global climate change? Where are we headed, climatically speaking?
• How are deserts defined and where do they occur?
• What are the causes of winds and deserts?
• Why are the effects of wind erosion and deposition so prominent in desert regions and coastal regions?
• Recognize and understand the origin of the following desert landforms/processes (particularly whether they are erosional or depositional in origin): evaporation, deflation, desert pavement, yardangs, ventifacts, sand ripples, sand dunes (4 types), loess, desert varnish, arroyos, flash floods, playas, alluvial fans, bajadas, mesas
• Explain the origin of waves and tides. What is their impact on coastal regions? How do waves change as they approach a shoreline?
• Explain how wave refraction is related to: a) longshore drift and b) the erosion of a headland and formation of seastacks.
• Identify how scientific, economic, and political interests intract in a barrier island setting. Know the parts of a shore profile and understand the inputs and outputs of a sand budget.
• Recognize and understand the origin of the following coastal/shoreline landforms/processes: headlands, coves, tombolos, seastacks, wave-cut terraces, spits, baymouth bars, tidal inlets, lagoons