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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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