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Geology — Biology: questions with answers & explanation

A free sample with the official answer and a full explanation.

1.Many Egyptian scientists and engineers played a major role in the glorious October War of 1973, including geologists who contributed significantly with their expertise in all the following fields except

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  1. Physical geology and its role in understanding battlefield studies, field advances, and attack planning

    Why this is wrongPhysical geology genuinely helps in reading terrain for battlefield advances and planning attacks, so this is a real geological contribution.

  2. Groundwater geology for drilling wells for soldiers and establishing camps nearby

    Why this is wrongGroundwater geology is directly used to locate underground water for wells and nearby camps, a real geological contribution.

  3. Engineering geology for constructing tunnels where soldiers can hide

    Why this is wrongEngineering geology is applied to constructing tunnels and protective structures for soldiers, a real geological contribution.

  4. Geophysics for studying vehicle acceleration on sand and wind direction Correct answer

Why this is correctVehicle acceleration and wind direction are not core geophysics applications in the listed military geology context.

This is an 'except' question: three of the four fields listed are genuine military contributions of geologists, and one is not. Physical geology genuinely supports analysis of terrain for battlefield movement and attack planning; groundwater geology is used to locate wells for drinking water and camps; and engineering geology is applied to building tunnels and fortifications. Studying vehicle acceleration on sand and wind direction, however, falls under physics and meteorology, not the geological work a geologist performs. Reusable method: for an 'except' question, find the single option that lies outside the stated discipline.

2.Which of the Earth's layers is primarily responsible for generating the Earth's magnetic field?

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  1. Continental crust and mantle

    Why this is wrongThe continental crust and mantle are rocky silicate layers, not the moving metallic region that generates the field.

  2. Mantle and oceanic crust

    Why this is wrongThe mantle and oceanic crust are silicate rock layers and do not produce the magnetic field.

  3. Outer core and mantle

    Why this is wrongThe outer core does contribute, but the mantle does not, so pairing the core with the mantle includes a layer that is not responsible.

  4. Inner core and outer core Correct answer

Why this is correctEarth’s magnetic field is generated by motion of conducting iron alloy in the core, especially the liquid outer core.

The concept is the source of Earth's magnetic field. The field is produced by the movement of molten iron-rich metal in the core, so the layers responsible are the inner and outer core, not the mantle or crust. The liquid outer core's motion is the main generator, with the inner core part of the same metallic core. Method: connect a magnetic field to moving conducting metal, then pick the metal-rich layer, the core.

3.The upper surface of a slate block overlain by shale layers is:

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  1. Horizontal joint

    Why this is wrongA joint is a fracture within a rock, not a contact between metamorphic and sedimentary layers.

  2. Angular unconformity

    Why this is wrongAn angular unconformity is where tilted sedimentary layers are overlain at an angle by younger sedimentary layers — both sides are sedimentary.

  3. Disconformity

    Why this is wrongA disconformity is a contact between two parallel sedimentary sequences with an erosion gap, not sedimentary over metamorphic rock.

  4. Nonconformity Correct answer

Why this is correctSedimentary shale overlying metamorphic slate forms a nonconformity.

Slate is a metamorphic rock; the shale layers resting on it are sedimentary. A surface where sedimentary layers lie on top of eroded metamorphic (or igneous) rock is a nonconformity. It is not a simple joint, and the other unconformities describe sedimentary-on-sedimentary contacts, so the correct term is nonconformity.