Geology Trivia | Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast #327

Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia

327 | Geology Trivia

00:00 / 17:28

Are you ready to rock? Or at least answer questions about rocks? Hey gang, it’s time for some science questions with Geology trivia. This is one of my nerdier habits and I enjoyed Geology both in high school and college. If you haven’t taken a class, I’d recommend it. Or do a little research online. It will literally change how you look at the Earth.

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Book of the Week

Written by David Rothery, who is Professor of Planetary Geosciences at the Open University, Geology: A Complete Introduction is designed to give you everything you need to succeed, all in one place. It covers the key areas that students are expected to be confident in, outlining the basics in clear English, and then providing added-value features like a glossary of the essential jargon terms, links to useful websites, and even examples of questions you might be asked in a seminar or exam.

The book uses a structure chosen to cover the essentials of most school and university courses on Geology. Topics covered include the Earth’s structure, earthquakes, plate tectonics, volcanoes, igneous intrusions, metamorphism, weathering, erosion, deposition, deformation, physical resources, past life and fossils, the history of the Earth, Solar System geology, and geological fieldwork. There are useful appendices of minerals, rock names and geological time.

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Episode Transcript/Quiz

Episode Intro

As always, I’ve got three rounds of ten questions each. If you’re looking for more science trivia or want rules on how to play, check out DorkyGeekyNerdy.com.

I’m your field guide, Brian Rollins, this is episode 327 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy trivia podcast. Now, let’s get digging.

The Dorky Round

What is the hardest naturally occurring mineral on Earth?
a. Diamond
Which layer of the Earth is composed mostly of molten rock?
a. The Mantle
What is the name of the supercontinent that existed around 335 to 175 million years ago?
a. Pangaea
What is the term for a large crack in the Earth’s crust caused by tectonic forces?
a. It’s a fault
What is the highest point on the Earth’s surface?
a. Mount Everest. It’s over 8,800 meters. For us Americans, that’s 29,000 ft or 5 1/2 miles high.
What is the name of the Earth’s outermost layer?
a. The crust
What volcano erupted in Washington state in 1980, killing 57 people?
a. Mount St. Helens
What scale is used to measure earthquakes?
a. The Richter Scale
What metal makes up most of the Earth’s core?
a. Iron. The spin of the core is what creates our magnetosphere.
Which fault runs nearly a thousand miles through California and was the name of a disaster movie staring Dwayne Johnson?
a. San Andreas

The Geeky Round

What type of rock forms from the cooling and solidification of lava or magma?
a. Igneous rock
Which mineral is commonly found in sand and is the primary ingredient in glassmaking?
a. Quartz
What is the name of the deepest part of the world’s oceans?
a. The Mariana Trench
What is the name of the sedimentary rock that is often formed from compacted plant material and is used as fuel?
a. Coal
What US national park sits above a hot spot in Wyoming?
a. Yellowstone National Park
The Ural Mountain range separates what two continents?
a. Europe and Asia
What is the point on the Earth’s surface directly above where an earthquake starts?
a. The epicenter
When you’re eating an antacid like Tums, what mineral are you consuming?
a. Calcium Carbonate
Including Igneous, how many types of rock are there?
a. Three. Igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
What is the mineral name for Fool’s Gold?
a. Pyrite

The Nerdy Round

Located in Hawaii, what is the name of the largest active volcano on Earth?
a. Mauna Loa
Which mineral has the chemical formula NaCl and is commonly known as table salt?
a. Halite
What is the term for the process by which one tectonic plate is forced beneath another?
a. Subduction
What is the name of the process that turns plant and animal material into fossil fuels over millions of years?
a. Carbonization
What dark, igneous rock was called “dragon glass” in Game of Thrones?
a. Obsidian. It’s been used to make blades and arrowheads for millennia
Of all the tectonic plates on Earth, which is the largest?
a. The Pacific Plate
What is the name given to the crater formed by a volcanic eruption?
a. A caldera
Other than Earth, what other planet has active volcanoes?
a. Venus. In 2020, scientists announced the discovery of at least 37 active volcanoes. Active volcanoes have also been observed on three moons in the outer Solar System.
Mineral hardness is measured on the Mohs scale. A 10 is diamond. What’s a one on the Mohs Scale?
a. Talc
From what ore do we get Aluminum?
a. Bauxite

Episode Conclusion

So, on the Mohs scale, how hard was this episode? A one or a ten? Or something in between? Let me know on social media or Discord.

By popular demand, I have more mythology trivia next week. Here’s a hint:

In what pantheon would you find Freyja, Sigmund, and Fafnir?

Greek Mythology was a big hit a few years back and I plan on a couple of those types of episodes this season. See you on Wednesday.

This was episode 329 of the Dorky Geeky Nerdy Trivia Podcast. If you’d like to help support the show and get extra stuff, consider becoming a patron at Patreon.com/dorkygeekynerdy.

This podcast is written, produced, and hosted by Brian Rollins. If you love audiobooks or are looking to have a book turned into an audiobook, contact me at TheVoicesInMyHead.com.

The theme music is Punchfunk by the band, Punchfunk. Listen to all their music on Spotify.

Thanks for listening.