Chapter 1 Quiz: The Oldest Mountains in the World
Multiple Choice
1. Approximately how old are the Appalachian Mountains?
a) 50 million years b) 150 million years c) 480 million years d) 4.5 billion years
2. The Alleghenian orogeny was caused by the collision of which two landmasses?
a) North America and South America b) North America and Africa c) North America and a volcanic island arc d) Europe and Asia
3. In which geological period did the coal deposits of the Appalachian Plateau primarily form?
a) The Jurassic Period b) The Ordovician Period c) The Carboniferous Period d) The Quaternary Period
4. Which physiographic province contains the major coal deposits of the Appalachian region?
a) The Blue Ridge Province b) The Piedmont c) The Great Valley d) The Appalachian Plateau
5. The New River is notable because it:
a) Is the youngest river in North America b) Flows north, and is older than the mountains through which it flows c) Was created by the Tennessee Valley Authority d) Runs entirely underground through karst formations
6. What is a "hollow" (holler) in Appalachian geography?
a) A broad, flat river valley suitable for large-scale farming b) A narrow valley carved by a stream, typically steep-sided with limited flat land c) A cave formed by the dissolution of limestone d) A gap where a river cuts through a mountain ridge
7. The Appalachian Mountains were built by how many major mountain-building events (orogenies)?
a) One b) Two c) Three d) Five
8. Karst topography, found in parts of the Appalachian region, is formed by:
a) Volcanic activity b) Glacial erosion c) The dissolution of limestone by slightly acidic water d) Wind erosion over millions of years
9. Which of the following best describes the Great Valley?
a) A narrow coal-bearing hollow in the Appalachian Plateau b) A broad, fertile corridor formed by the erosion of soft limestone, running between the Blue Ridge and the Ridge and Valley Province c) The deepest section of the New River Gorge d) A volcanic plain in the Piedmont region
10. The supercontinent whose assembly caused the Alleghenian orogeny is called:
a) Gondwana b) Laurentia c) Pangaea d) Rodinia
11. Which statement best describes the "paradox of geological wealth and human poverty" in Appalachia?
a) The region lacks natural resources, which explains the poverty b) The region has abundant natural resources, but the wealth from extraction was exported while communities bore the costs c) The poverty is caused entirely by the difficult terrain, which prevents any economic activity d) The paradox existed only in the nineteenth century and was resolved by the coal industry
12. A broad form deed is a legal instrument that:
a) Grants surface rights to a landowner b) Separates mineral rights from surface rights, allowing companies to extract minerals beneath privately owned land c) Establishes the boundaries of a physiographic province d) Protects rivers from industrial pollution
13. The Ridge and Valley Province is characterized by:
a) Flat-lying rock layers with thick coal seams b) A single broad valley with no ridges c) Long, parallel ridges of hard rock separated by valleys of softer rock, created by folding and differential erosion d) Active volcanic peaks and lava flows
14. The process by which a river maintains its course by cutting downward as the land rises around it is called:
a) Karst dissolution b) Antecedent drainage c) The Alleghenian orogeny d) Differential erosion
Short Answer
15. In two or three sentences, explain why the Appalachian Mountains appear rounded and relatively low today, even though they were once as tall as the Alps or Rockies.
16. Describe the process by which coal formed during the Carboniferous Period. Your answer should mention at least three key conditions: the type of environment, what happened to dead plant material, and what happened over millions of years of burial.
17. Choose one of the four anchor locations (Harlan County, the New River Valley, McDowell County, or Asheville) and explain, in three to four sentences, how its geological setting shaped its historical trajectory.
18. The chapter argues that "the land is not neutral." In your own words, explain what this statement means in the context of Appalachian history. Give one specific example from the chapter to support your explanation.
Answer Key Location
Answers to selected questions can be found in Appendix: Answers to Selected Exercises.