EARTH SCIENCE MCQ PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR ENTRANCE EXAMS (BARC/ONGC/IOCL/CIL/TATASTEEL/VEDANTA)

 EARTH SCIENCE MCQ PRACTICE QUESTIONS 

1) The ice sheet that covered northeastern United States came from which of the following locations? 

w) Labrador center in eastern Canada 

x) Keewatin center in central Canada 

y) Cordilleran center in the Rocky Mountains 

z) Greenland 

2) A volcano which is composed of lava flows and pyroclastic material and which is steep-sided and very tall is known as: 

w) Syncline 

x) Composite cone 

y) Anticline 

z) none of these

3) In geological studies, a dome shaped intrusion is called a: 

w) volcanic neck 

x) laccolith 

y) nuee ardente 

z) caldera

4) Shiprock in New Mexico is a: 

w) laccolith 

x) volcanic neck 

y) cinder cone 

z) caldera

5) Iceland has a great deal of volcanic activity. The reason for this is: 

w) it was formed above a mid-ocean rift. 

x) it is part of the "Ring of Fire". 

y) two tectonic plates are rubbing against each other under Iceland. 

z) the American plate is diving under the European plate in this region. 

6) Of the following, the rock that is most resistant to both chemical and mechanical weathering is: 

w) shale 

x) limestone 

y) marble 

z) quartzite

7) What percentage of the earth's atmosphere does O2 comprise? 

w) 75% 

x) 18% 

y) 21% 

z) 32%

8) The tanning rays of the sun are called: 

w) infrared rays 

x) visible light 

y) ultraviolet rays 

z) gamma rays

9) While many different gases are found in the atmosphere, a number do NOT contribute significantly to solar heating of the atmosphere. Which TWO of the following gases do NOT absorb much heat? 

w) carbon dioxide 

x) nitrogen 

y) water vapor 

z) oxygen

10) In geological studies, all of the following are TRUE of P waves except that they: 

w) are body waves 

x) travel like sound waves 

y) can pass through liquids 

z) are slower than S waves

11) Which of the following terms is used to describe the appearance of a mineral in transmitted light? Is it: 

w) diaphaneity  

x) translucence 

y) opaqueness 

z) porosity

12) In geological studies, arkose contains which of the following minerals which gives it a reddish color? 

w) orthoclase 

x) calcite 

y) aragonite  

z) quartz

13) Which of the following minerals is noted for its one perfect cleavage? 

w) calcite 

x) muscovite 

y) quartz 

z) pyrite

14) Which of these pairs of minerals are always found in granites?

 w) muscovite and calcite 

x) quartz and orthoclase 

y) hornblende and talc 

z) augite and magnetite

15) An example of a rock whose minerals have been crushed into thin sheets or bands is: 

w) shale 

x) schist 

y) conglomerate 

z) granite

16) The hydrolysis of orthoclase results in the formation of: 

w) shale 

x) kaolinite

y) monmorillonite 

z) hydrochloric acid

17) This sedimentary rock was used to build the Pantheon and the Colossium: 

w) marble 

x) travertine 

y) sandstone 

z) ironstone

18) We know that the OUTER core is liquid because: 

w) P waves pass through it 

x) S waves pass through it 

y) P waves cannot pass through it 

z) S waves cannot pass through it

19) Field capacity represents the maximum quantity of water held:

w) in the soil against the force of gravity 

x) in the ground water zone 

y) in the intermediate zone 

z) below the water table

20) Which physical phenomenon or principle is most often applied in the search for petroleum reservoirs? 

w) gravitational attraction 

x) magnetic field distortions 

y) natural radioactive decay of minerals 

z) acoustic wave transmission and reflection

21) Which of the following time periods describes the age of the coal deposits of the Eastern United States? 

w) Jurassic and Cambrian 

x) Mississippian and Pennsylvanian 

y) Pliocene and Miocene 

z) none of these

22) In geological studies, a fault in the earth's surface in which the hanging wall has moved UP relative to the footwall is termed: 

w) overthrust fault 

x) reverse fault 

y) tear fault 

z) none of these

23) In geological studies, a fault in the earth's surface along which primarily horizontal movement has taken place is termed: 

w) overthrust fault 

x) strike-slip fault 

y) reverse fault 

z) none of the above

24) In studies of the surface of the earth, a reverse fault having a dip between 10 and 45 degrees is known as a: 

w) thrust fault 

x) normal fault 

y) strike-slip fault 

z) neither of these

25) A circular cavity ground out of bedrock by running water is called a: 

w) cave 

x) pothole 

y) sinkhole 

z) kettle hole

26) A yazoo stream flows through which of the following? 

w) gorge 

x) divide 

y) backswamp 

z) water gap

27) What percentage of the earth's water is fresh water?

w) 50%

x) 22%

y) 7%

z) 3%

28) The chemical union of iron, oxygen and water forms

w) magnetite

x) hematite

y) limonite

z) pyrite

29) Give the term that describes different crystalline modifications of the same chemical substance. Is it:

w) polymorphism

x) isomorphism

y) tetrahedral

z) perovskite

30) Which of the following are barchans?

w) deflation basins

x) oases

y) crescent-shaped dunes

z) sand storms

31) A type of lava characterized by a blocky appearanc is termed:

w) Pillow Lava

x) Aa

y) Vessicular

z) none of these

32) A type of volcano composed of mainly pyroclastics is termed:

w) cinder cone

x) shield cone

y) composite cone

z) none of these

33) An example of a typical shield volcano is:

w) Washington's Mount Rainier

x) Hawaii's Mauna Loa

y) Ecuador's Mount Cotopaxi

z) Japan's Mount Fuji

34) The jet-stream lies between which two layers of th earth's

atmosphere?

w) thermosphere and ionosphere

x) mesosphere and thermosphere

y) troposphere and stratosphere

z) stratosphere and mesosphere

35) In geological studies, a breccia contains particle that have which of the following shapes?

w) rounded

x) angular

y) square

z) spheroidal

36) A specialized form of concordant igneous intrusion that is characterized by a dome in the country rock and a nearly planar floor is called a:

w) lopolith

x) laccolith

y) batholith

z) stock

37) The metamorphic rock which forms from pure limestone is:

w) slate

x) gneiss

y) schist

z) marble

38) The nickname, "Fool's Gold," refers to which of th following?

w) calcite

x) apatite

y) fluorite

z) pyrite

39) Which of the following names is given to the supercontinent thought to have existed in the Cambrian period? Is it:

w) Pangaea

x) Afrasia

y) Gondwanaland

z) Europia

40) Which of the following time periods includes part of the geologic

range of dinosaurs?

w) Mississippian

x) Devonian

y) Jurassic

z) none of the above

41) On the Phanerozoic time scale, which of the following geologic

periods occurred approximately 65 to 136 million years ago? Is it:

w) Cambrian

x) Ordovician

y) Carboniferous

z) Cretaceous

42) Angiosperms developed during the:

w) Precambrian period

x) Cenozoic era

y) Paleozoic era

z) Mesozoic era

43) : Which of the following terms is used to describe the angular difference between TRUE north and magnetic north on a topographic map? Is it:

w) Magnetic field

x) Magnetic intensity

y) Magnetic inclination

z) Magnetic declination

44) In geological studies, a fault in the earth's surface in which the

hanging wall has moved down relative to the footwall is termed:

w) normal fault

x) reverse fault

y) upthrust fault

z) none of these

45) The San Andreas fault in California is a classic example of which of the following types of faults?

w) tear fault

x) upthrust fault

y) dip-slip fault

z) strike-slip fault

46)  Large streams that enter a standing body of water produce which of the following geological features at their mouths?

w) deltas

x) load casts

y) braided streams

z) sync

47) The available incoming solar radiation is known as:

w) reflection

x) insolation

y) reradiation

z) absorption

48) What type of map projection is most appropriate for navigation

charts?

w) Conic

x) Mercator

y) Polar

z) Cartesian

49) On the Richter scale, a magnitude 6 earthquake is how much larger than a magnitude 4 earthquake?

w) 1.5 times

x) 4 times

y) 15 times

z) 100 times

50) The air around a high pressure area circulates:

w) clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

x) counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

y) clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

z) in either direction regardless of hemisphere