Volcanoes and Geothermal Activity MCQs with Answers
What is a volcano?
a) A large body of water
b) A landform created by erosion
c) A vent in the Earth’s crust through which molten rock and gases erupt
d) A deep underground cavity
Answer: c) A vent in the Earth’s crust through which molten rock and gases erupt
Which type of volcano has steep sides and explosive eruptions?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: b) Composite volcano
What is the molten rock called that is found beneath the Earth’s surface?
a) Lava
b) Magma
c) Ash
d) Tephra
Answer: b) Magma
What is the term for a large crater-like depression at the top of a volcano?
a) Vent
b) Caldera
c) Crust
d) Cone
Answer: b) Caldera
Which type of volcano is characterized by broad, gently sloping sides and non-explosive eruptions?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: a) Shield volcano
What is the term for the solid particles, such as ash and cinders, that are ejected during a volcanic eruption?
a) Lava
b) Magma
c) Tephra
d) Pyroclastic flow
Answer: c) Tephra
Which type of volcano is characterized by a steep-sided cone made up of loose volcanic fragments?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: c) Cinder cone volcano
What is the term for the molten rock that flows out of a volcano onto the Earth’s surface?
a) Lava
b) Magma
c) Ash
d) Tephra
Answer: a) Lava
Which type of volcano is characterized by a dome-shaped mound of hardened lava?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: d) Lava dome volcano
What is the term for a fast-moving, superheated cloud of volcanic gases, ash, and debris?
a) Lava flow
b) Magma chamber
c) Pyroclastic flow
d) Volcanic plume
Answer: c) Pyroclastic flow
Which of the following is NOT a volcanic hazard?
a) Lava flows
b) Ashfall
c) Tsunamis
d) Geysers
Answer: d) Geysers
What is the term for the measurement of an earthquake’s strength?
a) Magnitude
b) Intensity
c) Epicenter
d) Fault
Answer: a) Magnitude
Which type of volcano is formed by alternating layers of lava and tephra?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: b) Composite volcano
What is the term for the point on the Earth’s surface directly above the origin of an earthquake?
a) Magnitude
b) Intensity
c) Epicenter
d) Fault
Answer: c) Epicenter
Which of the following is NOT a type of volcanic rock?
a) Basalt
b) Granite
c) Pumice
d) Obsidian
Answer: b) Granite
What is the term for the bending or tilting of rock layers due to tectonic forces?
a) Erosion
b) Deposition
c) Folding
d) Faulting
Answer: c) Folding
Which type of volcano is characterized by a flat, dome-shaped summit and highly viscous lava?
a) Shield volcano
b) Composite volcano
c) Cinder cone volcano
d) Lava dome volcano
Answer: d) Lava dome volcano
What is the term for a fracture in the Earth’s crust along which movement has occurred?
a) Magnitude
b) Intensity
c) Epicenter
d) Fault
Answer: d) Fault
Which of the following is a secondary effect of volcanic eruptions?
a) Earthquakes
b) Landslides
c) Tsunamis
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
What is the term for the underground area where magma collects before a volcanic eruption?
a) Lava flow
b) Magma chamber
c) Pyroclastic flow
d) Volcanic plume
Answer: b) Magma chamber
Which of the following is NOT a type of volcano?
a) Shield
b) Composite
c) Stratovolcano
d) Hypervolcano
Answer: d) Hypervolcano
What is the term for a volcano that has not erupted in historical times but is still considered to be potentially active?
a) Active volcano
b) Dormant volcano
c) Extinct volcano
d) Submarine volcano
Answer: b) Dormant volcano
Which of the following is NOT a factor that influences the explosiveness of a volcanic eruption?
a) Type of magma
b) Presence of water
c) Tectonic plate movement
d) Temperature of the atmosphere
Answer: d) Temperature of the atmosphere
What is the term for the opening through which volcanic materials are ejected?
a) Vent
b) Caldera
c) Crust
d) Cone
Answer: a) Vent
Which of the following is NOT a type of volcanic hazard?
a) Pyroclastic flow
b) Lahar
c) Lava tube
d) Volcanic ashfall
Answer: c) Lava tube
What is the term for a large, bowl-shaped depression formed by the collapse of a volcano?
a) Vent
b) Caldera
c) Crust
d) Cone
Answer: b) Caldera
Which of the following is NOT a type of volcanic eruption?
a) Hawaiian
b) Strombolian
c) Plinian
d) Richter
Answer: d) Richter
What is the term for a type of volcanic eruption characterized by steady, effusive lava flows?
a) Hawaiian
b) Strombolian
c) Plinian
d) Surtseyan
Answer: a) Hawaiian
What is the term for a type of volcanic eruption characterized by explosive eruptions of gas-rich magma?
a) Hawaiian
b) Strombolian
c) Plinian
d) Surtseyan
Answer: c) Plinian
What is the term for a type of volcanic eruption characterized by intermittent explosions and bursts of lava?
a) Hawaiian
b) Strombolian
c) Plinian
d) Surtseyan
Answer: b) Strombolian
What is the term for a type of volcanic eruption that occurs underwater?
a) Hawaiian
b) Strombolian
c) Plinian
d) Surtseyan
Answer: d) Surtseyan
Which of the following is NOT a geothermal feature?
a) Hot spring
b) Geyser
c) Fumarole
d) Glacier
Answer: d) Glacier
What is the term for a hot spring that periodically erupts with a column of boiling water and steam?
a) Hot spring
b) Geyser
c) Fumarole
d) Caldera
Answer: b) Geyser
What is the term for a crack in the Earth’s surface through which geothermal gases escape?
a) Hot spring
b) Geyser
c) Fumarole
d) Caldera
Answer: c) Fumarole
What is the term for a large depression formed by the collapse of the roof of a magma chamber?
a) Hot spring
b) Geyser
c) Fumarole
d) Caldera
Answer: d) Caldera
Which of the following is NOT a source of geothermal energy?
a) Hot springs
b) Geysers
c) Volcanic ash
d) Steam vents
Answer: c) Volcanic ash
What is the term for the process of harnessing geothermal energy to generate electricity?
a) Geothermal heating
b) Geothermal power
c) Geothermal drilling
d) Geothermal conversion
Answer: b) Geothermal power
Which of the following is NOT a potential environmental impact of geothermal energy extraction?
a) Ground subsidence
b) Depletion of geothermal reservoirs
c) Air pollution
d) Increased seismic activity
Answer: c) Air pollution
What is the term for a type of renewable energy that harnesses the heat stored in the Earth’s crust?
a) Solar power
b) Wind power
c) Geothermal energy
d) Hydropower
Answer: c) Geothermal energy
Which of the following is NOT a potential use of geothermal energy?
a) Heating buildings
b) Generating electricity
c) Fueling vehicles
d) Growing plants in greenhouses
Answer: c) Fueling vehicles
What is the term for a type of geothermal power plant that uses hot water or steam from the Earth’s crust to generate electricity?
a) Dry steam plant
b) Flash steam plant
c) Binary cycle plant
d) Geothermal heat pump
Answer: b) Flash steam plant
Which of the following is NOT a potential benefit of geothermal energy?
a) Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
b) Low operating costs
c) Reliable and continuous power supply
d) Limited geographical availability
Answer: d) Limited geographical availability
What is the term for the transfer of heat from the Earth’s interior to the Earth’s surface?
a) Geothermal heating
b) Geothermal power
c) Geothermal drilling
d) Geothermal convection
Answer: d) Geothermal convection
Which of the following is NOT a method used to extract geothermal energy?
a) Geothermal heat pump
b) Geothermal well drilling
c) Geothermal steam extraction
d) Geothermal air compression
Answer: d) Geothermal air compression
What is the term for the transfer of heat by the movement of a fluid, such as water or air?
a) Conduction
b) Convection
c) Radiation
d) Insulation
Answer: b) Convection
Which of the following is NOT a type of geothermal heat pump?
a) Ground-source heat pump
b) Water-source heat pump
c) Air-source heat pump
d) Steam-source heat pump
Answer: d) Steam-source heat pump
What is the term for a geothermal power plant that uses hot water or steam directly from the Earth’s crust to heat buildings or produce hot water?
a) Dry steam plant
b) Flash steam plant
c) Binary cycle plant
d) Geothermal heat pump
Answer: a) Dry steam plant
Which of the following is a potential advantage of geothermal energy?
a) Limited availability
b) High initial costs
c) Reduced dependence on fossil fuels
d) Variable power output
Answer: c) Reduced dependence on fossil fuels
What is the term for the transfer of heat through direct contact between objects?
a) Conduction
b) Convection
c) Radiation
d) Insulation
Answer: a) Conduction
Which of the following is NOT a factor that affects the potential for geothermal energy extraction?
a) Depth of the geothermal resource
b) Permeability of the rock formations
c) Temperature gradient of the Earth’s crust
d) Availability of geothermal power plants
Answer: d) Availability of geothermal power plants
What is the term for the process of drilling into the Earth’s crust to access geothermal resources?
a) Geothermal heating
b) Geothermal power
c) Geothermal drilling
d) Geothermal convection
Answer: c) Geothermal drilling
Which of the following is NOT a potential limitation of geothermal energy?
a) High initial costs
b) Limited resource availability
c) Environmental impact on ecosystems
d) Dependence on weather conditions
Answer: d) Dependence on weather conditions
What is the term for the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves?
a) Conduction
b) Convection
c) Radiation
d) Insulation
Answer: c) Radiation
Which of the following is NOT a renewable energy source?
a) Solar power
b) Wind power
c) Geothermal energy
d) Natural gas
Answer: d) Natural gas
What is the term for the layer of rock and sediment above the geothermal reservoir?
a) Overburden
b) Permeable zone
c) Aquifer
d) Geothermal gradient
Answer: a) Overburden
Which of the following is NOT a potential application of geothermal energy?
a) Space heating
b) Electricity generation
c) Industrial processes
d) Ocean desalination
Answer: d) Ocean desalination
What is the term for a geothermal power plant that uses heat from underground water or steam to generate electricity?
a) Dry steam plant
b) Flash steam plant
c) Binary cycle plant
d) Geothermal heat pump
Answer: c) Binary cycle plant
Which of the following is NOT a potential environmental benefit of geothermal energy?
a) Reduction in air pollution
b) Conservation of water resources
c) Mitigation of climate change
d) Disruption of ecosystems
Answer: d) Disruption of ecosystems
What is the term for the rate at which the Earth’s temperature increases with depth?
a) Overburden
b) Permeable zone
c) Aquifer
d) Geothermal gradient
Answer: d) Geothermal gradient
Which of the following is NOT a potential disadvantage of geothermal energy?
a) Limited geographical availability
b) High initial costs
c) Environmental impact on ecosystems
d) Variable power output
Answer: d) Variable power output