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Name__________________________________________

GEOLOGY OF OUR NATIONAL PARKS (GEOL 4563H)

Dr. Brahana Exam 1—3/04/05

This exam is closed book, closed notes exam, and has a time limit of 50 minutes, so please schedule your time accordingly. Turn your exam in to me. Note that the first section of the exam covers questions about slides, and the last part of the exam covers questions about rock samples. The rock samples are numbered and located on the front lectern; please record your answers promptly, and don't communicate with other students when you are completing this part of the exam.

1. (300 points) Slides--Be as specific as you can with your answers.

A. Name this park____________________________________________

With respect to tectonic plates and the theory of plate tectonics, where would you expect a park with these features to form?

B. Name this park_____________________________________________

Is this park dominated by compressional or extensional tectonics?

C. What geologic occurrences are responsible for this lake?__________________

________________________________________________

Justify your answer:

Name this park____________________________________________

D. What erosive force is responsible for this valley?_________________________

Justify your answer:

Name this park____________________________________________

E. Describe the geologic features necessary for this feature to form?

Name this park_____________________________________________

F. What is the name of this feature?______________________________________

What conditions must be present for this feature to occur?

Name the park___________________________________________________

G. Which of the following three images shows the youngest rocks? (circle)

1 2 3

Name each park____________________________________________(1)

_____________________________________________________(2)

______________________________________________________(3)

H. Of the parks we have studied thus far, this feature could only have been found in

one location. Name the park_________________________________________

2. (200 points) Two parks we've studied thus far are characterized by hot water--Hot Springs National Park, and Yellowstone National Park. Compare and contrast these two parks below, being sure to include a discussion of a) specific thermal features; b) the role of the parks in Native American culture; c) history of the parks within the National Park System; d) size of the parks; e) locations of the parks; f) source of the heat at each park; g) degree of modification each park has undergone; h) hottest water temperature at each park; i) faunal diversity of each park; and j) one unique attribute of each park that you have not described in the previous discussion.

3. (100 points) Why does glaciation play such an important role in so many parks? Name 3 erosional features and 2 depositional features found in parks.

4. (100 points) Fill in the blanks.

a. Employed his political connections to good effect in working for the National Park
Services Act. Acted as temporary Director when his boss had a nervous breakdown and bore heavy responsibility for obtaining first appropriations. Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, later became Director of the NPS.

________________________________________________________________

b. Which park that we visited on our field trip had the biggest budget?

________________________________________________________________

c. Name a park where the rock andesite is the dominant lithology

________________________________________________________________

d. When was the National Park System started?

________________________________________________________________

e. Who was John Muir?

5. Geologic Cycles (100 points)

A. Sketch your vision of the conceptual model of the hydrologic cycle, and show all pathways and processes, as well as listing the forces that drive these.

B. Succinctly explain why the rock cycle "cycles". Why doesn't the crust of the earth reach an equilibrium state? Provide specific examples from some of the parks we've studied.

6. (100 points) Geologic Age of the Earth and Examples from the National Parks

A. . How old is the earth, according to scientist's best estimates?

B. How old is the earth, according to creationist's estimates?

C. Cite five types of evidence that can be used to test hypotheses and determine which of the alternatives listed above is supported by observable facts.

7. (100 points) Rocks from Our National Parks (circle best answer)

A. Which of the following parts of the sample is oldest?

a. b. c. d.

B. From which national park would you expect to find this kind of rock?

a. Rocky Mountain National Park b. Yellowstone National Park

c. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park d. Death Valley National Park

C. From which national park would you expect to find this kind of rock?

a. Grand Tetons National Park b. Great Smokey Mountains National Park

c. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park d. Death Valley National Park

D. From which national park would you expect to find this kind of rock?

a. Haleakala National Park b. Crater Lake National Park

c. Great Basin National Park d. Yosemite National Park

E. From which national park would you expect to find this kind of rock?

a. Acadia National Park b. Yellowstone National Park

c. Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park d. Death Valley National Park

8. (Bonus-25 points) Describe the conditions and the exact actions that have to occur to have a candidate site to be formally made a national park.

Geology of Our National Parks—Sample 7 A

Geology of Our National Parks—Sample 7 B

Geology of Our National Parks—Sample 7 C

Geology of Our National Parks—Sample 7 D

Geology of Our National Parks—Sample 7 E