Geology is the scientific study of the Earth, including its composition, structure, processes, and history. This fascinating field encompasses a wide range of disciplines, including mineralogy, paleontology, seismology, and more. Geology trivia questions are a great way to test your knowledge of this important subject and to learn more about the fascinating world that lies beneath our feet.
This list of geology trivia questions covers a wide range of topics and is designed to challenge your understanding of the subject. Some of the questions are straightforward and can be answered by simple recall, while others require a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Regardless of your level of expertise, this list of geology trivia questions is sure to be both educational and entertaining.
Whether you're a geology student, a professional, or simply someone who is interested in learning more about this fascinating field, this list of geology trivia questions is sure to provide you with hours of enjoyment and learning. So why not put your knowledge to the test and see how you fare? Let's explore the fascinating world of geology and see how much you really know!
40 Geology Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)
- What variety of quartz, with chemical formula SiO2, is pink and seems to be named after a red flower with prickly stems?
Answer: Rose quartz
- In 2021, a geological study of what planet, named for the Roman goddess of love, discovered that parts of its rocky surface move in patterns similar to ocean pack ice on Earth?
Answer: Venus
- Mostly found shifting around under its water, what ocean is the namesake of Earth's largest tectonic plate?
Answer: Pacific Ocean
- Normal, reverse, strike-slip, and oblique are the four types of what things found in the Earth's crust?
Answer: Faults
- What “B” hill has steep sides and a flat top? They are particular known to US residents for being in Montana.
Answer: Butte
- More commonly known as Louwala-Clough to the Klickitat Native American tribe, what stratovolcano erupted on May 18, 1980 and caused over $1.1 billion in damage in Washington according to the International Trade Commission?
Answer: Mount St. Helens
- What type of rock is formed by the accumulation of mineral at the Earth’s surface?
Answer: Sedimentary
- Sometimes called the "fire of the desert," what is the national gemstone of Australia?
Answer: Opal
- Technically a quartz monzonite dome monadnock, and the largest bas-relief in the world, what Georgian landmark attracts over 4 million tourists per year?
Answer: Stone Mountain
- Common on the surface of Mars, what is the name of the extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of lava that is rich in magnesium and iron?
Answer: Basalt
- A gigaannum is a term that represents a very long time—one billion years in fact! About 3.5 gigaannumms ago was when what critical process used to convert light energy into chemical energy is estimated to have begun?
Answer: Photosynthesis
- What is the name of this dark igneous rock, nicknamed 'nature's glass,' that forms when molten lava cools at a rapid speed?
Answer: Obsidian
- What gemstone is a hydrated amorphous form of silica and has types such as Fire, Black and Boulder? It is the birthstone for the month of October and a precious one of these often displays iridescence.
Answer: Opal
- On May 18, 1980, what Washington State volcano erupted, killing more than 50 people and darkening the skies for hundreds of miles?
Answer: Mount Saint Helens
- What is the name for the material making up the upper layer of the Earth's crust? The name comes from the two most abundant elements in the material.
Answer: Sial
- Usually dark gray to black in color, what fine-grained volcanic rock forms the columns of the famous Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland?
Answer: Basalt
- In geology, what eight-letter word means a deposit of clay, silt, sand, and gravel left by flowing streams in a river valley or delta?
Answer: Alluvium
- Crater Lake, Yellowstone, and California's Long Valley are all examples of what geological feature, which forms after a collapse of land following a volcanic eruption?
Answer: Caldera
- In 2020, scientists discovered that two historic supereruptions occurred approximately nine million years ago near what famous American "hotspot"? These eruptions were named the McMullen Creek and Grey's Landing supereruptions.
Answer: Yellowstone
- Travertine, tufa, coquina, and chalk are all forms of what type of sedimentary rock?
Answer: Limestone
- What 18th century Scottish scientist, noting the physical transformations of the terrain of the Scottish lowlands, is considered the founding father of modern geology? He shares a last name with an actor who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for “Ordinary People” in 1980.
Answer: James Hutton
- What geological term comes from a Latin word meaning “something spread or laid down”, and means a layer of rock or soil formed at the Earth’s surface?
Answer: Stratum
- What “I” type of rock is igneous rock formed when magma is forced into older rock deposits at Earth’s crust? It is also an English word meaning causing disruption by annoying or unwanted interruption.
Answer: Intrusive rock
- What 19th-century Belgian geologist and geology professor made a geological map of Europe in 1875? His last name is the same as a failed US television network of the 1950s.
Answer: Andre Dumont
- What “Q” word is metamorphic rock formed when sandstone is subjected to heat and pressure?
Answer: Quartzite
- Petrology is also known as the study of the history, origin, structure, and chemical composition of what objects?
Answer: Rocks
- Sometimes containing diamonds, an igneous rock called Kimberlite is named for a mining town in what Southern Hemisphere country?
Answer: South Africa
- The massive 1964 earthquake that killed 133 people and destroyed several villages in coastal Alaska occurred on what religious holiday? The quake's moment magnitude of 9.2 was more than a thousand times as powerful as the famous 1989 San Francisco earthquake.
Answer: Good Friday
- USGS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior with the motto "science for a changing world." What do the initials of this organization stand for? The group is headquartered in Reston, Virginia and is a fact-finding organization with no regulatory responsibility.
Answer: United States Geological Survey
- What is the watery-sounding name for an underground layer of liquid-bearing permeable rock that are occasionally used as a seasonal storage place for thermal energy?
Answer: Aquifer
- Known as a mining "powerhouse," what country is frequently the world's top annual producer of chrome, manganese, platinum, and vanadium?
Answer: South Africa
- Known as "le'ahi," or "brow of the tuna" in Hawaiian, what is the English name of the volcanic cone that is Hawaii's most popular state park?
Answer: Diamond Head
- The gneisses in Minnesota are some of the oldest in the world, clocking in at 3.6 billion years old. What is the more general term for these structures?
Answer: Metamorphic rocks
- What is the term for the rigid, outer shell of a planet or natural satellite? The crust and a portion of the upper mantle on Earth form this layer.
Answer: Lithosphere
- Geologists are theorizing that a Nordic island nation known for its volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs may be part of a giant subterranean continent known by what name? Its name is kind of like the country with capital Reykjavik, but with a couple extra letters at the end.
Answer: Icelandia
- What Greek philosopher of the 4th century BC created one of the first evidence-based systems of geology, theorizing that the Earth changes over time in ways one individual cannot see? He is known for being a student of Plato, and for writing such books as “Poetics.”
Answer: Aristotle
- As is commonly known, diamonds are made entirely of carbon. With a single guess, name either of the two elements which make up rubies.
Answer: Aluminum and Oxygen
- What P-word to a geologist means the movement of water through rock and to a barista means the movement of water through coffee grounds?
Answer: Percolation
- Composite and shield volcanoes are the larger varieties and what third type is the smallest volcano, typically composed of small fragments of ejected material?
Answer: Cinder cones
- Which geological time period that began 358.9 million years ago, and during which time large coal deposits formed, has a name derived from the Latin for "coal-bearing?"
Answer: Carboniferous
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About the Author
Eli Robinson is the Chief Trivia Officer at Water Cooler Trivia. He was once in a Bruce Springsteen cover band called F Street Band.
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