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How Does Earth Work?, 2e (Smith/Pun)
Chapter 11 Deformation of Rocks

11.1 Multiple Choice and True False Questions

1) The oldest rocks are exposed along the axis of

A) a syncline.
B) an anticline.
C) a dip.
D) a plunging fold.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

2) A(n) ________ forms where rocks both fold and tilt.

A) syncline
B) anticline
C) dip
D) plunging fold
Answer: D
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

3) The distinction between a joint and a fault is

A) the separation distance.
B) the distance that rock moves on each side of the line.
C) joints do not involve breaking rock and faults do.
D) joints are filled in with precipitated mineral crystals and faults are not.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

4) Why are some faults named "reverse" faults?

A) The rock moves in one direction, then reverses and moves in another direction.
B) The rock moves in opposite directions on each side of the fault.
C) The rock on the hanging wall moves opposite to the direction it does in a normal fault.
D) The rock on the hanging wall moves perpendicular to the direction of a thrust fault.
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.1

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5) Faults that show a combination of dip-slip and strike-slip movement are
A) reverse faults.
B) strike-dip faults.
C) oblique-slip faults.
D) diagonal-strike faults.
Answer: C
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

6) Which piece of measured evidence would not help geologists produce geologic cross sections
in order to interpret subsurface geology?
A) subsurface layers
B) orientation of rock layers
C) orientation of folds
D) faults
Answer: A
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.1

7) Which option describes a possible oil and gas trap?

A) an anticline made entirely of sandstone with an organic earth covering
B) a reverse fault with a sandstone layer and a shale layer underneath
C) an anticline with a sandstone layer and a shale layer on top
D) a syncline with a coal layer at the bottom, a sandstone middle, and a shale layer on top
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.2

8) If a geologist creates a geologic map of an area and then draws a cross-section of that area,
what type of scientific process is shown?
A) interpretation
B) observation
C) conclusion
D) experimentation
Answer: A
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.2

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9) Choose the option that correctly orders the fluids from the one that sits at the bottom of a
sandstone reservoir to the one that is closest to the low-porosity shale at the top of the reservoir.
A) oil, gas, water
B) gas, water, oil
C) water, gas, oil
D) gas, oil, water
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.2

10) Which of the following occurs as a result of compression?

A) elongation
B) strain
C) shortening
D) strength
Answer: C
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.3

11) Which term is defined as a measure of the amount of stress that a material can endure before
it fails by breaking or flowing?
A) elongation
B) strain
C) shortening
D) strength
Answer: D
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.3

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 Figure 11.13

12) According to Figure 11.13, which option correctly describes the movement of two pins on
either side of a plane in a block of clay submitted to tensional stress?
A) They remain in the same position.
B) They move farther from the plane.
C) They move closer to the plane.
D) They slide along at the same distance from the plane in opposite directions.
Answer: B
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.3

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13) According to Figure 11.13, which option correctly describes the movement of two pins on
either side of a plane in a block of clay submitted to shear stress?
A) They remain in the same position.
B) They move farther from the plane.
C) They move closer to the plane.
D) They slide along at the same distance from the plane in opposite directions.
Answer: D
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.3

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 Figure 11.14

14) In a sandbox with a crankable division, which of the following may be illustrated?
A) Normal faults fold in the area under compression and reverse faults form where the sand is
pressed together.
B) Normal faults fold in the area under tension and reverse faults form where the sand is given
more space.
C) Normal faults fold in the area under compression and reverse faults form where the sand is
given more space.
D) Normal faults fold in the area under tension and reverse faults form where the sand is pressed
together.
Answer: D
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.3

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 Figure 11.16

15) Which is not a reason for the hydraulic fluid around the cylinder in the experimental
apparatus for measuring rock strength (as in Figure 11.16)?
A) to imitate tectonic stresses within Earth
B) to imitate surrounding rock pressures
C) to imitate pressures of depth
D) to imitate deep, confining pressures within Earth
Answer: A
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.4

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16) Deformation under low stress, below yield strength, is often
A) elastic.
B) plastic.
C) irreversible.
D) compressive.
Answer: A
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.4

17) A brittle deformation

A) is a shattering motion that occurs at a fault.
B) is a break that occurs at a relatively small strain.
C) is a plastic deformation that occurs under high pressure.
D) is a deformation that may reverse to its original form.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.4

18) Choose the option that places the rock types in order from most brittle at surface temperature
to most plastic.
A) rock salt, schist, basalt
B) granite, limestone, marble
C) quartzite, mudstone, sandstone
D) shale, basalt, sandstone
Answer: B
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.4

19) At greater depths, rocks are

A) stronger and more brittle.
B) weaker and more plastic.
C) weaker and more brittle.
D) stronger and more plastic.
Answer: D
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.4

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 Figure 11.20

20) Which option would incorrectly complete the following statement?

According to Figure 11.20, to shorten marble by five percent
A) requires one fewer kilobar if the material is wet than when it is dry.
B) requires about two fewer kilobars if the material is wet and hot than when it is dry at room
temperature.
C) requires about two fewer kilobars if it is hot and dry than when it is cold and dry.
D) requires about one fewer kilobar if it is hot and dry than when it is cold and dry.
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.4

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21) Tension results in strike-slip faults when
A) the fractures are parallel to the stress direction.
B) the fractures are perpendicular to the stress direction.
C) suitable reverse faults are acted upon.
D) suitable normal faults are acted upon.
Answer: A
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.5

22) The word "graben" originates from

A) the German word for "ditch."
B) the English word for "grab."
C) the German word for "tumble."
D) the Japanese word for "nest."
Answer: A
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.5

23) "Horst," meaning "nest," is a suitable word for the rock formation it describes because
A) these rock formations are also in ditches or valleys, like nests.
B) these rock formations are typically in protected valleys.
C) these rock formations are pushed up to a high place, and horsts are nests in high places.
D) these rock formations are circular and cupped like nests.
Answer: C
Skill: Evaluation
Objective: 11.5

24) Which of the following is not a factor that is considered when comparing the strength of the
oceanic and continental lithosphere?
A) laboratory rock-strength data
B) varying thickness of the continental and oceanic crust
C) chemical composition and water content
D) varying pressure under the ocean and the continents
Answer: D
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.6

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25) Strength
A) decreases with depth.
B) increases with depth because of pressure, then decreases at further depths because of
temperature.
C) increases with depth.
D) decreases with depth because of pressure, then increases at further depths because of
temperature.
Answer: B
Skill: Evaluation
Objective: 11.6

26) Put the steps in the correct order. 1. Stress exceeds rock yield strength. 2. Potential energy is
released as motion energy. 3. Strong rocks absorb large stresses during elastic strain. 4. Rock
breaks.
A) 3, 2, 1, 4
B) 3, 1, 2, 4
C) 3, 1, 4, 2
D) 3, 2, 4, 1
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.6

27) According to the elastic rebound theory, what may occur before a major earthquake?
A) minor shocks
B) deformation of rock in shear directions and bending rock
C) deformation and bending of rock into anticlines
D) deformation and bending of rock into synclines
Answer: B
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.7

28) An M7 earthquake has ________ times more energy than an M5 earthquake.

A) 2
B) 100
C) 32
D) 1024
Answer: D
Skill: Application
Objective: 11.8

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29) On the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, destroyed bridges, bent rails, and most buildings
destroyed are indicative of ________ intensity?
A) IV
B) VII
C) IX
D) XI
Answer: D
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.8

30) You are asleep and are awakened to hear dishes rattling, and you feel a sensation that
resembles a heavy truck striking your building. On the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale, what
intensity is the earthquake you've experienced?
A) IV
B) VII
C) IX
D) XI
Answer: A
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.8

31) What does earthquake intensity measure?

A) amplitude of seismic waves
B) reach of the quake from the epicenter in km
C) cost of reconstruction
D) damage and secondary effects of the quake
Answer: D
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.8

32) What action would geologists take when creating a Modified Mercalli Intensity map of an
earthquake?
A) analyze seismic instrument readouts
B) take core samples at several spots and from different distances from the epicenter
C) assess financial costs of rebuilding roads, buildings, and public areas in the quake zone
D) interview people who experienced the quake
Answer: D
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.8

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33) Which action would geologists take in order to determine the Richter magnitude of an
earthquake?
A) analyze seismic instrument readouts
B) take core samples at several spots and from different distances from the epicenter
C) assess financial costs of rebuilding roads, buildings, and public areas in the quake zone
D) interview people who experienced the quake
Answer: A
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.8

34) Earthquake damage occurs when

A) stress exceeds strain of materials.
B) stress exceeds strength of materials.
C) strain exceeds strength of materials.
D) strength exceeds strain of materials.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.9

35) Evaluate this statement: "Earthquake damage depends primarily on the magnitude of the
quake."
A) This statement is true.
B) This statement is true, but earthquake damage also depends on the proximity to the epicenter
and the characteristics of materials through which the earthquake passes.
C) This statement is false; the most important factor in earthquake damage is the quality of
building materials used.
D) This statement is false; the most important factor in earthquake damage is the location's
proximity to the epicenter.
Answer: B
Skill: Evaluation
Objective: 11.9

36) Liquefaction occurs when

A) rock heats enough that it behaves like a liquid.
B) rivers and water bodies overrun and dissolve earth materials during a quake.
C) grains of earth materials settle downward during shaking and wet ground becomes fluid.
D) grains rise up to the surface in groundwater during an earthquake and cause mass movement.
Answer: C
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.9

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37) "Tsunami" refers to
A) huge waves at sea that diminish somewhat and reach land.
B) a sudden buildup of wave amplitude in shallow water.
C) high-amplitude, high-frequency waves that reach shore.
D) a series of waves that reach the shore in fast succession, causing extreme damage.
Answer: B
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.9

38) What type of data to date is most useful for earthquake prediction?
A) study of rock types
B) study of earthquake patterns in other locations
C) monitoring known precursor events
D) monitoring world-wide seismic data and extrapolating patterns
Answer: C
Skill: Analysis
Objective: 11.9

39) Arched folds where limbs dip away from the hinge line are called
A) inclines.
B) anticlines.
C) synclines.
D) reclines.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

40) Arched folds where limbs dip toward the hinge line are called
A) synclines.
B) reclines.
C) anticlines.
D) inclines.
Answer: A
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

41) Cracks where very little or no displacement of rock has occurred are called
A) faults.
B) sills.
C) joints.
D) dikes.
Answer: C
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

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42) Cracks where displacement of rock has occurred are called
A) faults.
B) sills.
C) joints.
D) dikes.
Answer: A
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

43) The block of rock above an inclined fault plane is called the ________.
A) footwall
B) hanging-wall
C) strike-wall
D) dipwall
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

44) In a normal fault, the footwall moves ________ relative to the hanging-wall.
A) down
B) up
C) right
D) left
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

45) Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below. There is a link between
mining and faults because minerals precipitate from water percolating along faults.
A) The assertion is correct but the reason is incorrect.
B) The assertion is incorrect but the reason is correct.
C) The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason is valid.
D) The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason is invalid.
E) Both the assertion and the reason are incorrect.
Answer: C
Skill: Evaluation
Objective: 11.1

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46) The San Andreas fault has shifted rocks hundreds of kilometers. For example, plutonic rocks
on the Pacific Ocean (western)side of the fault have been displaced from southern California to
northern California, relative to rocks on the North American (eastern) side. The San Andreas
fault is classified as a
A) normal dip-slip fault.
B) reverse dip-slip fault.
C) right-lateral strike-slip fault.
D) left-lateral strike-slip fault.
Answer: C
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

47) True or False: Dip-slip faults include normal, reverse and thrust faults.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

48) True or False: Strike-slip faults include right-lateral, left-lateral and thrust faults.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.1

49) True or False: All of the seismic hazards in the United States are located west of the Rocky
Mountains.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.9

50) A measure of earthquake size that corresponds to the energy released during the earthquake
is called the
A) focus.
B) epicenter.
C) intensity.
D) magnitude.
Answer: D
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.7

51) The Richter magnitude is based on

A) the amount of damage caused.
B) the maximum amplitude recorded.
C) the difference in arrival times of S and P waves.
D) the distance from the epicenter.
Answer: B
Skill: Comprehension
Objective: 11.8

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52) A seismic station records an earthquake that has a maximum surface wave amplitude of 1
mm and the S-wave arrives 2 seconds after the P-wave. The Richter magnitude of this
earthquake is
A) 1.
B) 1.5.
C) 2.
D) 2.5.
Answer: B
Skill: Application
Objective: 11.8

53) A seismic station records an earthquake that has a maximum surface wave amplitude of 20
mm and the S-wave arrives 40 seconds after the P-wave. The Richter magnitude of this
earthquake is
A) 4.5.
B) 5.
C) 5.5.
D) 6.
Answer: C
Skill: Application
Objective: 11.8

54) A seismic station records an earthquake that has a maximum surface wave amplitude of 50
mm and the S-wave arrives 2 seconds after the P-wave. The Richter magnitude of this
earthquake is
A) 3.
B) 4.
C) 5.
D) 6.
Answer: A
Skill: Application
Objective: 11.8

55) True or False: Oppositely dipping sides of the fold of a rock are called its limbs.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

56) Joints are:

A) cracks where some displacement of the rock occurred.
B) cracks where no displacement of the rock occurred.
C) fractures where some displacement has occurred.
D) fractures where no displacement has occurred.
Answer: B
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

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57) Faults are:
A) cracks where displacement has occurred.
B) fracture planes along which rocks used to move but don't any longer.
C) fractures in the bedrock.
D) fracture planes along which rocks move.
Answer: D
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

58) True or False: The rocks below a fault are called the footwall.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

59) True or False: The rocks above the fault are called the hanging wall.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

60) A normal fault forms when:

A) the hanging wall rock moves downward compared to the footwall.
B) the hanging wall rock moves up along a dip-slip fault compared to the footwall.
C) the fault dips at an angle steeper than 45 degrees.
D) the fault dips at an angle less than 45 degrees.
Answer: A
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

61) A reverse fault forms when:

A) the hanging wall rock moves downward compared to the footwall.
B) the hanging wall rock moves up along a dip-slip fault compared to the footwall.
C) the fault dips at an angle steeper than 45 degrees.
D) the fault dips at an angle less than 45 degrees.
Answer: B
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

62) True or False: Thrust faults are formed by horizontal movement along the strike direction of
the fault plane.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

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63) True or False: Oil and gas, like groundwater, move through pore spaces in rock.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.2

64) Horsts are:

A) blocks of crust jostled upward along normal faults.
B) blocks of crust jostled downward along normal faults.
C) blocks of crust jostled left along normal faults.
D) blocks of crust jostled right along normal faults.
Answer: A
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.5

65) Grabens are:

A) blocks of crust jostled upward along normal faults.
B) blocks of crust jostled downward along normal faults.
C) blocks of crust jostled left along normal faults.
D) blocks of crust jostled right along normal faults.
Answer: B
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.5

66) True or False: Movement along a dip-slip fault causes an abrupt vertical displacement of the
ground surface called a fault scarp.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.1

67) True or False: The elastic rebound theory explains earthquakes as sudden brittle failure
following the buildup of elastic strain.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.6

68) Most of the energy released in an earthquake is released:

A) during the foreshock.
B) during the aftershock.
C) during the foreshock and the aftershock.
D) during a single mainshock.
Answer: D
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.6

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69) True or False: Intensity measures the violence of ground shaking during an earthquake in
terms of the extent to which people felt the earthquake.
Answer: TRUE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.7

70) True or False: The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale is a quantitative measure of an
earthquake.
Answer: FALSE
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.7

71) Magnitude is:

A) a measure of earthquake size that is related to the energy released during the earthquake.
B) a directly measured physical quantity.
C) a value that is calculated from measurements taken during an earthquake.
D) determined using the amplitude of P and S waves.
Answer: A
Skill: Knowledge
Objective: 11.7

11.2 Short Answer Questions

1) Why is it good to measure the magnitude, rather than intensity, of an earthquake?

Answer: gives a quantitative rather than qualitative measurement, and easy for the public to
understand

2) What is the amplitude in an earthquake?

Answer: the measurement of ground displacement

3) What is the downside of using moment magnitude as an earthquake measurement?

Answer: It underestimates the amount of energy release, as earthquakes go on for a number of
minutes.

4) What caused the giant tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004?

Answer: an underwater earthquake with magnitude 9.3

5) Does the "Ring of Fire" include any part of the United States? Where?
Answer: Yes. California, Alaska.

6) How can earthquakes cripple emergency services, transportation networks, water and gas
utilities, and communication?
Answer: by destroying or damaging roads, and causing buildings to collapse onto roadways

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7) In an earthquake, what causes the most damage and deaths?
Answer: the shaking

8) What is the best construction method for a building situated in an earthquake prone area?
Answer: concrete with steel reinforcements

9) Currently, what is the best method for predicting earthquakes within the crucial 2 hour time
period?
Answer: animal behavior

10) How do you describe folded rocks?

Answer: "Rocks commonly dip in opposite directions on either side of a fold. These oppositely
dipping sides of the fold are its limbs. The limbs join along a hinge line (also called the
axis)….Folded rocks exhibit a variety of very complex shapes, but for the simpler and most
common folds it is easiest to focus on whether the rock layers dip down toward the hinge line or
dip down away from the hinge line."

11) What do deformed rocks look like?

Answer: "Before considering the forces that deform rocks, you first need to understand what a
deformed rock looks like. Field observations record the shapes of folded rocks, the orientations
of tilted rock layers, and the directions that rocks have moved relative to one another across
breaks. Geologists use observations to develop systematic types of measurement and terms that
describe the appearances of deformed rocks. Rocks on or near the surface are often folded and
broken."

12) How do you describe broken rocks?

Answer: "Geologists also use special terms to describe broken rocks. Fractures of various
lengths and shapes are common in almost every rock outcrop, just as you see cracks in building
walls and ceilings and in pieces of lumber. Geologists make an important distinction between
situations in which rocks simply crack and ones in which rocks slide past one another along a
fracture. Joints are cracks where no displacement occurred. Faults are fracture planes along
which rocks moved."

13) What are the different kinds of faults?

Answer: "Movement of rock along the dip of the fault plane defines dip-slip faults. There are
three kinds of dip-slip faults. A normal fault forms when the hanging-wall rock moves
downward compared to the footwall. On the other hand, if the hanging wall moves up along a
dip-slip fault compared to the footwall, then the fault is called a reverse fault if the fault dips at
an angle steeper than 45 degrees, or a thrust fault if the angle is less. Strike-slip faults form by
horizontal movement along the strike direction of the fault plane… If features appear shifted to
the left from one side of the fault to the other, then a left-lateral strike-slip fault exists. To form a
right-lateral strike-slip fault, features shift to the right across the fault."

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14) How are resources related to geologic structures?
Answer: "Gas is less dense than oil, and oil is less dense than water. As a result of this density
contrast, oil and natural gas migrate upward through pores toward Earth's surface unless impeded
by low-porosity layers, which trap the oil and gas. Anticlines and faults form common traps for
oil and natural gas. The oil and gas migrate upward to the highest point below a nonporous layer
along the hinge line of an anticline and are trapped beneath reverse and thrust faults where low-
porosity layers are displaced on top of high-porosity layers. Metal-rich mineral resources
commonly form along joints and faults where warm fluids with high concentrations of metal ions
readily flow and cool to precipitate metallic minerals."

15) Why do rocks deform?

Answer: "Stress is the magnitude of a force applied over an indicated area, and strain is the
measure of the amount of deformation that results from the stress. Rock strength is the amount
of stress that the material can endure before it strains. When applied stress exceeds the strength
of a rock, the rock deforms by folding, faulting, or flowing. Compressive stress shortens rocks
parallel to the stress direction, whereas tensional stress elongates rocks. Shear stress moves
materials in opposite directions without shortening or elongation."

16) How do we know why some rocks break and others flow?
Answer: "At different combinations of stress and strain rocks exhibit elastic, brittle, or plastic
deformation. Increasing confining pressure increases rock strength and leads to plastic flow
rather than brittle fracture. Increasing temperature decreases rock strength and enhances plastic
flow."

17) How do geologic structures relate to stress, strain, and strength?

Answer: "Brittle faults and joints form in rocks close to the surface whereas plastic flow occurs
at deeper levels where high pressure inhibits fracturing and temperature lowers rock strength.
Tension elongates and thins crust by movement on normal faults in shallow rocks and taffy-like
stretching of plastic rocks at deeper levels. Compression shortens and thickens crust by
producing folds, reverse faults, and thrust faults in shallow rock, and plastic flow in deeper rock.
Folds form by plastic flow deep in the crust but also develop at and near the surface in
sedimentary rocks where bending of thin layers and slippage along layers take place."

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