Geology Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 96
What is the name of a soft black mineral derived from the Greek word meaning 'to write'?
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graphite
In geology, what does the term pluvial refer to a prolonged period of?
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rain
What is the name of the mineral that is called rock crystal when it is transparent?
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quartz
What is the term for any naturally occurring material from which a valuable mineral can be extracted?
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ore
What mineral, along with feldspar, primarily composes the grains of sandstone?
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quartz
What soft mineral is soapstone usually made of?
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talc
Which period of the Mesozoic Era is named after the Jura Mountains in Europe?
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jurassic
What mineral primarily composes the sand that forms sandstone?
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quartz
In geology, fossils can remain in this type of rock even after it undergoes metamorphosis into marble. What is this rock called?
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limestone
Which substance causes calcite to form bubbles during a test?
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acid
Which mineral is ranked as No. 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness?
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diamond
What type of rock is known as Carrera from Italy, Pentelic from Greece, and Yule from Colorado?
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marble
What metal, in addition to iron, is believed to make up the Earth's inner core, which is as hot as 9,000�F?
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nickel
What do geologists call a large rounded piece of rock more than 256 mm in diameter?
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boulder
What is the form of silica that is the main constituent of both sand and flint?
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quartz
What is the name of the 'powdery' mineral that ranks as number 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness?
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talc
What term describes molten rock that cools beneath the earth's surface and forms igneous rock?
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magma
The Getty Center includes 16,000 tons of Italian travertine, a type of which 'stone' that also forms marble?
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limestone
What form of silica is commonly found as one of the main constituents of sand along with feldspar?
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quartz
What is the solid rock layer just below the Earth's crust that is 1800 miles thick?
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mantle
What type of rock is the Rock of Gibraltar, composed primarily of calcite, a form of calcium carbonate?
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limestone
What is the most abundant volcanic rock that is also the main volcanic rock found in the oceans?
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basalt
What sedimentary rock is characterized by sinkholes and tunnels in karst regions on the Adriatic?
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limestone
What -OLOGY is the scientific study of rocks, despite its name suggesting a connection to oil?
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petrology
What is the name for a flat-topped hill smaller than a mesa, originating from the French word for 'hillock'?
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butte
Which type of mica was named after the capital of Russia and was once used for windowpanes?
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muscovite
What is the term for soil that consists of sand, clay, and silt in nearly equal proportions?
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loam
What is the property called when a mineral glows under ultraviolet light?
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fluorescence
What rock is formed from shale through metamorphosis and also by changing 2 letters in its name?
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slate
What is the soft mineral called in its solid form as steatite or soapstone?
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talc
What is the name of the clay containing iron and manganese that is used to make a brown pigment and is sometimes described as burnt?
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sienna
Emeralds and aquamarines are varieties of which mineral?
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beryl
What color is malachite, an ornamental stone?
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green
What name did Alfred Wegener give to the single supercontinent that eventually split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland?
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pangaea
What is the name of the geologic era that means 'middle life' and saw the emergence of early mammals?
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mesozoic
What common mineral, besides feldspar, is a major component of granite and gneiss?
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quartz
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