ENSC3009: Geomechanics

Tutorial 01: Introduction to Geology

Page 1 of 6 Yuxia Hu
The University of Western Australia
School of Civil & Resource Engineering
ENSC3009-GEOMECHANICS, TUTORIAL #1, 2014
(For completion and submission in Tutorial Class by 9.45am 7/3/2014)
Introduction to Geology

(For multiple choice questions, choose all that apply)

1. Plate tectonics is a result of the earths internal heat engine, powered by
(choose all that apply) :
(a) the sun
(b) gravity
(c) heat flowing from the earths interior outward
2. What tectonic plate are you presently on? What types of plate boundaries
does it have and where are they?
We are on Indian-Australian plate.
North: divergent boundary with Antarctic plate;
South and East: convergent boundaries with Eurasian plate an Pacific
plate;
West: Transform boundary.

3. What are the mantle, the crust, the asthenosphere, and the lithosphere?
What are their relationships?
The mantle is the largest part of earth. It is underneath the earth crust;
The crust is the top part of earth, like skin on an apple;
The asthenosphere is the upper mantle underlying he lithosphere;
The lithosphere is made of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.
The lithosphere is relatively rigid; and the asthenosphere is soft and
therefore flows. It provides a lubricating layer over which the lithosphere
moves.

4. What would the surface of the earth be like if there were no tectonic
activity? Why?
Without tectonic activity, the earth surface would be flat, since the
weathering will breakdown large rocks to sediments and wind and water
will transport them to lower ground until all grounds are flat.

5. Explain why cavemen never saw a dinosaur.
Human appeared 3 million years ago while dinosaur extinction was 65
million years agon.

6. The largest zone of the earths interior by volume is the
(a) crust
(b) mantle
(c) outer core
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Tutorial 01: Introduction to Geology
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(d) inner core

7. Oceanic and continental crust differ in
(a) composition
(b) density
(c) thickness
(d) none of the above
8. The forces generated inside the earth that cause deformation of rock as
well as vertical and horizontal movement of portions of earths crust are
called
(a) erosional forces
(b) gravitational forces
(c) tectonic forces
(d) all of the above

9. Which is a type of a plate boundary?
(a) divergent
(b) transform
(c) convergent
(d) none of the above
10. The lithosphere is
(a) the same as the crust
(b) the layer beneath the crust
(c) the crust and upper mantle
(d) part of mantle
11. Erosion is a result of the earths external heat engine, powered by
(a) the sun
(b) gravity
(c) heat flowing from the earths interior outward
(d) none of the above

12. Compare mafic magmas with silicic magmas: which type of magmas tends
to reach surface more often ? and why ?
Mafic magma tends to reach surface more often since mafic magma is low
in viscosity and easier to flow when compared with silicic magma.

13. How do you distinguish andesite from a diorite ? and why ?
Andersite has finer grains than diorite, since andersite is extrusive igneous
rock and diorite is intrusive igneous rock.

14. Tick all the rocks that are intrusive igneous rock: (a) gabbro; (b) diorite;
(c) granite; (d) andesite; (e) rhyolite; (f) basalt.


15. The major difference between intrusive igneous rocks and extrusive
igneous rocks is
(a) where they solidify;
(b) chemical composition;
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Tutorial 01: Introduction to Geology
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(c) type of minerals;
(d) none of the above.


16. The most common igneous rock of the continents is
(a) basalt
(b) granite
(c) rhyolite
(d) ultramafic.

17. The difference in texture between intrusive and extrusive rocks is primarily
due to
(a) different mineralogy
(b) different rates of cooling and crystallization
(c) different amounts of water in the magma.

18. Name the minerals, and the percentage of each, that you would expect to
be present in each of the following rocks: andesite, rhyolite, basalt.
Rhyolite: 0~37.5 quartz, 0~50% potassium feldspar; 5~70% Plagioclase
feldspar; 5~30% biotite.

Andersite: 50~70% plagioclase feldspar; 30~50% Amphibole.

Basalt: 0~50% plagioclase feldspar; 50~100% Pyroxene.

19. Whether volcanic eruptions are very explosive or relatively quiet is largely
determined by

(a) the amount of gas in the lava or magma
(b) the ease or difficulty with which the gas escapes to the atmosphere
(c) the viscosity of a lava
(d) none of the above.

20. Why are some minerals stable several kilometers underground, but
unstable at the earth surface ? Describe two processes that mechanically
weather rock.
When rocks were formed deep underground, the minerals were formed
under high pressure and high temperature. When the minerals come to the
earth surface, the pressure is release and the temperature is dropped. The
minerals can be unstable at the earth surface.

Mechanical weathering includes frost wedging and pressure release.
Frost wedging is in a cold place. When rain water flows into rock joints, the
water volume expands when it is frozen. This volume expansion will push
the joint to open up and breakdown a large rock to smaller pieces.

Pressure release is when a rock is pushed up towards the earth surface,
the pressure it was subjected to is released. Under low pressure, sheet
joints will form and rock will breakdown to smaller pieces with each sheet.

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Tutorial 01: Introduction to Geology
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21. Describe what happens to each mineral within granite during the complete
chemical weathering of granite in a humid climate. List the final products
for each mineral.
Feldspar Clay mineral + Ions(Na
+
,Ca
++
,K
+
), SiO
2
Ferromagnesian
minerals Clay mineral + Ions(Na
+
, Ca
++
, K
+
, Mg
++
),
(including biotitemica) SiO
2
, Fe oxides
Muscovite mica Clay mineral + Ions(K
+
), SiO
2
Quartz Quartz grains (sand)


22. Explain what happens chemically when calcite dissolves. Show the
reaction in a chemical equation.
Calcite Carbon
dioxide
water
Calcium
ion
Bicarbonate
ion
CaCO
3
+ CO
2
+ H
2
O Ca
++
+ 2HCO
3
-


23. The single most effective agent of chemical weathering at the earths
surface is

(a) carbonic acid H
2
CO
3

(b) water H
2
O
(c) carbon dioxide CO
2

(d) hydrochloric acid HCl

24. How can mechanical weathering speed up chemical weathering?
Chemical weathering only occurs when acid reacts with rock surface.
Mechanical weathering can breakdown large rocks to smaller pieces.
Hence surficial area is increased. With the increased surficial area, the
chemical weathering process can be sped up.
25. Compaction and cementation are two common processes of
(a) erosion
(b) transportation
(c) deposition
(d) lithification

26. Name the three most common sedimentary rocks.
Limestone, sandstone, shale, coal (or any others correct)
27. Thick accumulations of graywake and volcanic sediments can indicate an
ancient (a) divergent boundary (b) convergent boundary (c) transform
boundary.
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Tutorial 01: Introduction to Geology
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28. Shale differs from mudstone in that
(a) shale has larger grains
(b) shale is visibly layered and fissile; mudstone is massive and blocky
(c) shale has smaller grains
(d) there is no difference between shale and mud stone
29. How do regional metamorphic rocks differ in texture from contact
metamorphic rocks?
Regional metamorphic rocks are formed under high pressure, they are
normally foliated. Contact metamorphic rocks are formed under lower
pressure, they are normally non-foliated.
30. Why is such a variety of combinations of pressure and temperature
environments possible during metamorphism? (using the convergent
boundary to explain this)
Oceanic crust
Sedimentary rock
Isothems
Continental crust
Gravitational
collapse and
spreading
Magma
Hotter
lithosphere
(mantle)
Asthenosphere
(mantle)
Asthenosphere
(mantle)
Zone of
intense shearing


From the figure above, it can be seen that the isotherms can vary greatly
along the convergent boundary. This has created a variety of combinations
of pressure and temperature environments. For example, at points A, B
and C, they have similar pressure conditions, but their temperatures can
vary from 300, to 900 to 600C. At the same time, if we look at one
isotherm, it represents different depth, thus different pressure conditions.
31. Why is Quartzite more durable than Marble?
Quartzite is a metamorphic rock from Quartz Sandstone. It has mineral of
silica. Marble is a metamorphic rock from Limestone. It has mineral of
calcite. Silica is a very strong mineral and it cant be weathering
chemically. Calcite is a mineral can be weathered completely chemically.
32. Metamorphic rocks are classified primarily on
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(a) texture the presence or absence of foliation;
(b) mineralogy the presence or absence of quartz;
(c) environment of deposition;
(d) chemical compostion.
33. Limestone is metamorphosed into
(a) hornfels
(b) marble
(c) quartzite
(d) schist
34. Quartz sandstone is metamorphosed into (a) hornfels (b) marble (c)
quartzite (d) schist