TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Answers on Page 30


Robert G. Font, CPG-03953 rgfont@cs.com


1. Two of the main landmarks on the island of St. Lucia in the Lesser Antilles are the “Gros Piton” and the “Petit Piton.” These constitute erosional remnants of impressive lava domes consisting of “dacite.” Which of the following statements best describes this rock?


a) “Dacite” is the volcanic counterpart to “diorite.” b) In “dacite”, “orthoclase” feldspar generally dominates over “plagioclase” feldspar. c) “Dacite” is intermediate in composition between “rhyolite” and “andesite.” d) What in the world is a “Piton”?


2. In the metamorphic process, chemical reactions may result in “decarbonation” where the rock or mineral loses carbon. For example:


CaCO3 + SiO23 + CO2


For the above reaction, on the right side of the chemical equation, what mineral compound is formed along with the carbon dioxide?


a) “Diopside.” b) “Wollastonite” c) “Spodumene.”


3. Which igneous pluton is typically lenticular or funnel-shaped with a depressed center and generally concordant with the intruded strata?


a) Laccolith b) Sill


c) Lopolith


4. The minerals “nepheline” (NaAlSiO4) and ‘leucite (KAlSi2O6): a) Structurally belong to the “tectosilicates.”


b) Are very resistant to acids. c) Belong to the feldspars family. d) Man! And I called myself a mineralogist!


5. Consider a hypothetical mining operation where 50,000 pounds of subbituminous coal must be brought up from the bot- tom of a railroad car to the top of a storage bin located 20 feet above the bottom of the car. If a ten-horsepower engine is available to do the task, how long would the process take? Please recall that “work” (W) is force times displacement (F * d), “power” (P) is the time rate of doing work (P = W/t) and that one “horsepower” (hp) is equivalent to 550 foot-pounds per second (550 ft-lb/sec).


a) 9.09 minutes b) 6.06 minutes c) 3.03 minutes d) I don’t mine coal, so this does not apply to me. Ha, ha! None of this “high math” for me, dude!





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