SKEMA TEST 1 BFC23013_SEM 1 SESSI 20152016

QUESTION 1(a): (6 Marks)

(a)
Gradation
Degradation: Erosion results from wearing of rocks by water, air and ice.
Aggradation: Deposition results in accumulation of sediment and ultimate building up of rock strata.
(b)
Tectonism
Plate tectonics is a dynamic process of the lithospheric plate which moves over a weak plastic layer in
the upper mantle known as asthenosphere. These plates interact with one another along their
boundaries. Indicative of crustal instability, produce faulting (fracture and displacement), folding,
subsidence and uplift of rock formation. Responsible for formation of mountain ranges.
(c)
Volcanism
A volcano is a vent in the earth's crust through which molten rock materials within the earth, lavas,
ashes, steam and gas are ejected and responsible for the formation of plutonic rocks, once solidified at
great depth. Majority of volcanoes are located along the margins of tectonic plates.
QUESTION 1(b): (4 Marks)
1.
2.

3.
4.

Divergent boundaries - where new crust is generated as the plates pull away from each other.
Convergent boundaries - where crust is destroyed as one plate dives under another. It can
divide into three:
(1) Oceanic - continental convergence
(2) Oceanic - oceanic convergence
(3) Continental - continental convergence
Transform boundaries - where crust is neither produced nor destroyed as the plates slide
horizontally past each other.
Plate boundary zones - broad belts in which boundaries are not well defined and the effects of
plate interaction are unclear.

QUESTION 1(c): (4 Marks)

They occur naturally as inorganic solids.

They have a specific internal structure; that is, their atoms are precisely arranged into a
crystalline solid.
They have a chemical composition that varies within definite limits and can be expressed by
chemical formula.
They have definite set of physical properties (hardness, cleavage, crystal form etc) that result
from their crystalline structure and composition.

QUESTION 1(d): (1 Mark based on any two of properties below)

Crystal form and shape (external appearance)

Color
Streak
Cleavage and fracture
Luster
Hardness
Reaction with acid

TEST 1: BFC21303

MHZA

SEMISESSION20152016

QUESTION 2(a): (3 Marks)

1)
2)

Volcanic or extrusive igneous rocks: form when the magma cools and crystallizes on the surface
of the Earth.
Intrusive or plutonic igneous rocks: form when the magma crystallizes at depth in the Earth.

QUESTION 2(b): (5 Marks based on sketches, label & any related explaination of below facts)

Dykes

Sills

Tabular or wall like mass.

Results from magma injected into cracks and joints in rocks.
Vary in width from a few cm to a few meters but not more than 3 meters wide.
Largest known dyke in Zimbabwe, Africa (600 km long and average width of 10 km).

Rising magma follows path of least resistance such as bedding plane, which separates layers
of sedimentary rock.
Magma injected between the layers form tabular intrusive body parallel to layering.
Sills range from few centimeters to hundreds of meters thick and can extend to several
kilometers.

Laccoliths
Viscous magma injected between layers of sedimentary rock, tend to uparched the overlying
strata forming mushroom shaped.
Usually thicker in center and thinner near margin and may give rise to dome shaped hill.
Can be several kilometers in diameter and thousands of meters thick and typically porphyritic.
Batholiths
Largest rock bodies in the Earth's crust, generally granitic composition.
Cover several thousand square kilometers and may be 60 km thick.
Typically form in the deeper zones of mountain belts and are exposed only after considerable
uplift and erosion.

TEST 1: BFC21303

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SEMISESSION20152016

QUESTION 2(c): (5 Marks based on any related explaination of below facts)

The genesis of sedimentary rocks involves four major processes which are:
a)
b)
c)
d)

Weathering
Transportation
Deposition
Lithification (Compaction and Cementation)

Weathering

Weathering is a number of chemical and mechanical processes that act to break up rocks such as
an interaction between rocks exposed at the Earth's surface and elements in the atmosphere.
The preexisting rocks can disintegrate and decompose either by physically or chemically and
forms layer of loose, decayed rock debris or soil.
The unconsolidated material can then be transported easily by various agents such as streams,
wind, groundwater and glaciers.
For example, once surface rocks have been broken up into fragments by weathering processes,
erosion (by wind and moving water) can transport the detrital material away from its source
region to a new location where these new sediments can be deposited.

Transportation

Running water is the most effective form of sediment transport.

Large quantities of sediment are carried towards the sea and deltas are formed from sediment
transported by rivers.
Wind and glaciers also transport sediment although restricted to certain climatic zones.
Sorting that occurs during transportation is an important factor in the genesis of sedimentary
rock.
Water and air are fluids, thus the size of detrital material that can be transported depends on the
velocity (i.e. energy) of the fluid. In other words, rapidly moving water or air can transport larger
grain size detrital material than more slowly moving water or air.
Ice, on the other hand, is a solid. Thus, ice can transport all sizes of sediment independent of the
velocity at which the ice is moving.
In the case of transport by water or air, sediments are deposited at locations where the velocity of
the fluid decreases. For example, consider a river flowing out of the mountains into a lake.

Deposition

Deposition process takes place due to settlement of sediments and loose aggregates.
The most significant factor in the origin of sedimentary rocks is the environment that exists
where the sediment is deposited.
The depositional environment determines the characteristics of sedimentary rock formed
(physical, chemical and biological condition) e.g. type of transporting agent, geochemical
parameters such as pressure, oxygen, temperature, and flow characteristics of depositing fluid
(velocity).
Distinctive types of texture, composition, internal structure, and fossil assemblages are thus
developed in each deposition.

TEST 1: BFC21303

MHZA

SEMISESSION20152016

Lithification (Compaction and Cementation)

The process of converting unconsolidated sediments into sedimentary rocks is called lithification
(Compaction and Cementation).
Compaction is the process whereby loose sediments are compacted to a denser state by additional
stress from accumulated material deposited from time to time or even tectonic forces.
The process of expulsion of water from the void spaces between particles takes place as they are
forced closer together.
Clayey-rich sediments can be compacted much better than sands.

QUESTION 2(d): (6 Marks based on any related facts below)

Contact Metamorphism
Occurs when country rocks are surrounded
by igneous intrusion and altered by
intruding magma.
Physical changes such as recrystallisation
occur due to contact metamorphism when
original minerals in country rock are
permeated by magmatic fluid.
For example, limestone (country
rock/preexisting rock) intruded by hot
magma may be altered from distance of
few inch to several miles from line of
contact between the two rocks.
Heat is the most significant influence in
contact metamorphism.
Metamorphic rock formed in a baked-zone
of the altered country rock.

Igneous
Intrusion

Figure 3.56
Contact metamorphism
occurs at X region

Regional Metamorphism
The zones of rock
alteration are much more
extensive (large scale)
than rocks altered under
contact metamorphism.
Regional metamorphism
occurs due to the effects
of both pressure and
temperature.
The rock layers undergo
structural deformation
(folded, crushed or
fractured) due to great
pressures exerted on it and
therefore results in the
obliteration of any
indication of fossils or
stratification and
realignment of mineral
grains.
Regional metamorphism
must occur deep within
the crust, at least at depths
of 10 km or more and is
known to be responsible
for the forming of
mountain ranges.
Specific group of minerals
present in rock can be
used to infer a certain
metamorphic grade.
Rocks subjected to high
temperatures and
pressures are of high

TEST 1: BFC21303

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Dynamic Metamorphism
Dynamic metamorphism
is produced by variable
strain, variable pressure,
variable temperature and
high fluid pressure and
normally occurs in active
fault zones.
Dynamic metamorphism
is metamorphism of rock
masses caused primarily
by stresses that yield
relatively high strain
(deformation) rates.
More simply, it is
metamorphism resulting
from deformation.
Temperatures during
dynamic metamorphism
are typically elevated and
may be caused by the
deformation process.
Fluids commonly
contribute to the
metamorphic process,
both by altering chemistry
and by aiding
recrystallization.
Dynamic metamorphism
occurs in fault zones when
country rock is ground up
and partially
recrystallized.
Rocks formed by dynamic

SEMISESSION20152016

grade.
Under various
metamorphic grades,
different minerals can be
produced from the same
original rock.
For example, kyanite,
sillimanite and andalusite
have the same chemical
composition but different
internal structures.

Q3

metamorphism display a
sugary texture, moderate
foliated texture, and small
round rock fragments
within the foliation.
Rocks types of Dynamic
Metamorphism such as
breccias and mylonite.

With reference to the geological map attached in Appendix 1, answer the following questions:
(a)

Construct the lines of strike for each rock boundary.

(4 marks)

(b)

Examine the dip direction and dip angle for each rock boundary.
(4 marks)

(c)

Construct the topographical cross section along the line X-Y with a suitable scale.
(3 marks)

(d)

Construct the geological information (distribution of rocks, rocks thickness and their dip angles)
into the topographical cross section between X-Y.
(4 marks)

TEST 1: BFC21303

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SEMISESSION20152016

Q3(a)(b)

TEST 1: BFC21303

MHZA

SEMISESSION20152016

Q3(c)(d)

TEST 1: BFC21303

MHZA

SEMISESSION20152016