Review questions - Final examination - Geo 101

 These are long answer-type questions

1. You want to build a permanent monument to commemorate the day you earned a 100 on the geology lab final. What will you make it of and what must you consider in choosing the material?
2. In what ways do metamorphic rocks differ from their igneous and sedimentary precursors and why?
3. Give as many different ways as you can that geologists use for determining the rate of plate motions.
4. Each terrestrial planet in the solar system has a different history. Which are the terrestrial planets? Describe the differences in history and list the reasons for those differences.
5. Assume the first rock brought back from Mars is a coarse grained marble. What would that tell us about geological processes on that planet?
6. You are responsible for explaining the connection between plate tectonics and petroleum occurrences to an Arabian oil minister. Please do so in such a convincing manner he will hire you to conduct an exploration survey in Greenland.
7. Mercury (the metal) is in short supply. Its ore occurs mainly in association with recent volcanic rocks. Where and how should we search for it?
8. In trying to understand earth history, geologists are interested in ancient climate. Assume you are investigating a series of rock layers formed on land (as opposed to marine sediments). What features in these rocks would give you an idea of the climate at the time they formed?