BBC Men Of Rock

1. When Hutton studied geology as a student, he discovered that the leading authority on the topic was

• Lord Kelvin

• James Watt

• The Bible

• The Royal Scottish Academy

2. On the basis of on his observations at his farm, Hutton reasoned that ____________________ was(were) occurring worldwide.

• catatrophic floods

• erosion

• volcanism

• plate tectonics

3. Hutton’s first clue of the earth’s mechanism to rebuild itself was found in his observation of ...

• sand/rock layers

• glass melting

• volcanoes

• erosion

4. Hutton’s great realization was that the processes of land destruction/reconstruction

• occur quickly

• occur slowly

• occurred at different times throughout earth's history

• cannot be observed directly

5. One of the problems with Hutton’s original hypothesis was that not all rocks were formed from sediments. Discussions with James Watt led Hutton to realize that rocks could also be formed

• under intense pressure

• under intense heat

• underground

• underwater

6. Hutton was able to explain differences in the appearances of rocks at the earth’s surface on the basis of his observation of the solidification behavior of

• glass

• granite

• lava underwater

• magma

7. Slow cooling results in ____________________ crystals, and rapid cooling results in ____________________ crystals.

• large;small

• small;large

• irregular;regular

• clear;opaque

The following picture show the unconformity (horizontal rock layers overlaying observed by Hutton at Siccar Point, Scotland.

What conclusion did Hutton draw on the basis of this observation?

• Horizontal and vertical rocks layers are capable of forming simultaneously.

• Rock layers are capable of moving sideways.

• The geologic events that led to such an unconformity must have occurred very slowly over a geologic time scale.

• The forces that caused such an uniformity could cause continents to drift.

9. “No vestige of a beginning, ____________________.”

• no end in sight

• no begining of an end

• no prospect of an end

• no end of a beginning

10. Which of following statements describe errors in Kelvin’s calculations of the earth’s age?

A. He wrongly assumed that the earth had cooled to a completely solid state.

B. He failed to account for differences in the cooling rates of different rocks.

C. He failed to account for the heat generated by radioactive decay.

• A and B only

• A and C only

• B and C only

• A, B, and C