Environmental Geology MCQs January 8, 2026August 13, 2024 by u930973931_answers 40 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/40 Subscribe 1. What is the study of the relationship between geological processes and the environment called? (A) Structural Geology (B) Environmental Geology (C) Petrology (D) Mineralogy 2. Which of the following is a primary source of natural groundwater contamination? (A) Acid rain (B) Agricultural runoff (C) Landfills (D) Industrial discharge 3. What type of rock is formed from the accumulation and compaction of sediment? (A) Igneous rock (B) Sedimentary rock (C) Metamorphic rock (D) Volcanic rock 4. What geological process is responsible for the formation of mountains? (A) Erosion (B) Sedimentation (C) Plate tectonics (D) Weathering 5. Which of the following is a common method of mitigating landslides? (A) Deforestation (B) Urbanization (C) Building retaining walls (D) Increasing slope gradient 6. What is the term for the process by which rocks are broken down into smaller particles by physical or chemical means? (A) Erosion (B) Sedimentation (C) Weathering (D) Metamorphism 7. Which type of rock is formed by the cooling and solidification of magma or lava? (A) Sedimentary rock (B) Metamorphic rock (C) Biochemical rock (D) Igneous rock 8. What is the term for the zone where groundwater is stored and transmitted through porous rock or sediment? (A) Permeable layer (B) Aquiclude (C) Water table (D) Aquifer 9. Which of the following processes is a significant factor in the formation of sinkholes? (A) Volcanic activity (B) Groundwater dissolution (C) Erosion (D) Landslides 10. What is the name for the geological phenomenon where rocks are folded or faulted due to tectonic forces? (A) Sedimentation (B) Lithification (C) Deformation (D) Erosion 11. Which of the following is a common method used to prevent soil erosion? (A) Clearing vegetation (B) Increasing runoff (C) Building terraces (D) Removing sediment 12. What type of geological hazard involves the rapid movement of rock and soil down a slope? (A) Earthquake (B) Volcanic eruption (C) Tsunami (D) Landslide 13. Which rock type is characterized by layers or bands of minerals that have been changed by heat and pressure? (A) Igneous rock (B) Metamorphic rock (C) Sedimentary rock (D) Volcanic rock 14. What is the primary cause of groundwater depletion? (A) Over-extraction for agriculture (B) Natural recharge (C) Geological activity (D) Soil erosion 15. What is the name for the underground layer of rock or sediment that holds and transmits water? (A) Aquifer (B) Aquiclude (C) Water table (D) Recharge zone 16. Which geological hazard is often associated with volcanic activity and involves the flow of molten rock? (A) Landslide (B) Lava flow (C) Tsunami (D) Earthquake 17. What is the term for the boundary where two tectonic plates meet? (A) Plate boundary (B) Rift zone (C) Fault line (D) Epicenter 18. Which of the following is a method used to assess soil contamination? (A) Geophysical surveys (B) Soil sampling (C) Remote sensing (D) All of the above 19. What is the primary factor causing coastal erosion? (A) Sediment deposition (B) Ocean waves (C) Wind (D) Vegetation 20. Which of the following is a common source of non-point source pollution? (A) Industrial discharge (B) Agricultural runoff (C) Wastewater treatment plants (D) Landfills 21. What type of geological formation is characterized by a dome-shaped structure created by the upward movement of magma? (A) Volcanic cone (B) Laccolith (C) Shield volcano (D) Basin 22. Which type of fault involves horizontal movement of rock layers? (A) Strike-slip fault (B) Reverse fault (C) Normal fault (D) Thrust fault 23. What is the term for the geological study of the Earth’s past climates and environments? (A) Geomorphology (B) Structural geology (C) Paleoclimatology (D) Petrology 24. Which of the following is a common method for stabilizing slopes and preventing landslides? (A) Planting vegetation (B) All of the above (C) Installing drainage systems (D) Building retaining walls 25. What geological process is responsible for the formation of sedimentary rock layers? (A) Erosion and deposition (B) Cooling and solidification (C) Heat and pressure (D) Crystallization 26. What type of rock is formed from the accumulation of organic materials, such as plant debris? (A) Sedimentary rock (B) Igneous rock (C) Metamorphic rock (D) Plutonic rock 27. What is the term for the gradual wearing away of the Earth’s surface by wind, water, or ice? (A) Weathering (B) Erosion (C) Deposition (D) Lithification 28. Which of the following processes can contribute to the formation of a sinkhole? (A) Surface runoff (B) Dissolution of soluble rock (C) Soil erosion (D) Sediment deposition 29. What type of geological hazard involves the sudden shaking of the ground due to tectonic activity? (A) Tsunami (B) Earthquake (C) Volcanic eruption (D) Landslide 30. What is the term for the geological study of the Earth’s internal structure and the processes that shape it? (A) Structural geology (B) Geochemistry (C) Geophysics (D) Hydrogeology 31. Which of the following is a consequence of excessive groundwater extraction? (A) Aquifer recharge (B) Increased soil fertility (C) Land subsidence (D) Improved water quality 32. What is the term for the study of the Earth’s physical features and processes, including landforms and soil? (A) Geochemistry (B) Geomorphology (C) Petrology (D) Environmental geology 33. Which of the following is a method for managing and mitigating flood risk? (A) Clearing wetlands (B) Building levees (C) Removing vegetation (D) Building more roads 34. What is the primary source of pollution from mining activities? (A) Heavy metals (B) Greenhouse gases (C) Sediment runoff (D) Plastic waste 35. What type of rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of molten magma below the Earth’s surface? (A) Sedimentary rock (B) Metamorphic rock (C) Sedimentary rock (D) Igneous rock 36. Which of the following is a major factor influencing coastal erosion? (A) Sediment deposition (B) Tidal ranges (C) Coastal vegetation (D) Wave action 37. What is the term for the process by which rocks are transformed from one type to another through heat and pressure? (A) Sedimentation (B) Erosion (C) Metamorphism (D) Weathering 38. What is the name for the geological process that involves the sinking of the Earth’s crust into the mantle? (A) Erosion (B) Uplift (C) Extension (D) Subduction 39. Which of the following can be an environmental impact of quarrying? (A) Improved soil quality (B) Increased biodiversity (C) Habitat destruction (D) Enhanced groundwater recharge 40. What is the primary factor that drives the movement of tectonic plates? (A) Convection currents in the mantle (B) Solar energy (C) Wind currents (D) Ocean currents