[Bio] Apparently Marketable in Norway

I was aimlessly scrolling my Gmail account a couple of weeks ago when I noticed a suspicious notification from LinkedIn. I usually don’t check the LinkedIn emails because they are mostly spams and/or one of those seemingly AI-like posts that are quite absurd and rather stupid. But this one email really caught my attention. I read it, raised my eyebrow, and then immediately looked up whether it was a scam. And when it was clear that the message I received was not from a pretend-company and that the person who sent me the message through LinkedIn was a legitimate person, working for a legitimate company and representing their Norwegian subsidiary, I lost my mind.

It is not a stretch that I just stared at my laptop screen for quite some time, with my mouth agape and sometimes whispering, ‘What the f*ck’, to myself, totally disbelieving what I just read. I wanted to scream to the world and to tell everyone I know who would care to listen that my bachelor’s degree and my work experience are plausibly transferable in Norway. And even though the former was already recognized by HK-Dir as equivalent to a Norwegian bachelor’s degree, an ‘invite’ from an actual Norwegian employer from the mining sector ultimately sealed the deal for me.

And yep, this was big for me. I have been really insecure about my job prospects in Norway ever since I got married to my husband. I have no Master’s degree and I know how difficult it is to get a job in my sector without having one here in the West where everyone has one. In my head, I already accepted the fact that I needed that master’s degree to matter in the job market here. I was already imagining how I have to take on odd or non-related jobs, not that they’re menial or below me, in order to earn money here. That the absolute rule was Master’s first and then I can practice. But I actually forgot one thing. I seemingly disregarded the fact that I am not some new undergraduate that doesn’t have any experience in my field at all. I have some actual real life skills and practices that make me marketable here in Norway too.

I told my husband immediately and he was actually very much ecstatic about it. Being ‘headhunted’ in Norway felt like a fever dream and I told him over and over again that although this is actually ‘something’, we shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. It is not a done deal after all because I have to do the application and the interviews too. And so I opened the hiring page of the company and saw for the first time the qualifications for the job. I immediately panicked.

The thing is, I absolutely can do the job with a workable learning curve. Everything is transferable if you already have prior experience with something. But then there was the required amount of experience. And then I saw the Norwegian proficiency that they require. On top of that, they need someone with a valid driver’s license. I also have a personal but temporary caveat that I have to disclose to the employers first and foremost. It was one after another and it really made me doubt myself if I even had to bother submitting my application for this position.

I did the crazy thing and messaged the recruiter to ask if she was sure I am actually qualified for the position and if I should really apply. She messaged that I should and that she was excited to go through my application once submitted. And so, I painstakingly curated a CV and application letter for this position and sent them.

It has been two weeks since the day I received that email that led me to that message on LinkedIn. A lot of things have already transpired since then. Aside from the two screening interviews that I did with the recruiter, I also got one informal call with the ‘chief’. That latter call woke me up from my slumber and was an introductory welcome to how recruitment is done here in Norway (and apparently in some parts of the EU as per one of my friends). I found out more about the job, the current situation in the location, the pay and all the perks that come with it.

The opportunity on its own is very exciting. It’s one of those ‘critical’ projects that a young professional aspires to partake in because they can gain a lot of experience from it that will probably set them up for life. The location is very exciting and I am always down to move places and explore more while I don’t have children yet. Aside from all that, I have been thinking how nice it would be to earn more than what my husband is making. This is not going to be an easy feat in the long run because he’s a psychologist here in Norway who is already working on his specialization. At the moment, he’s already earning more than the average annual salary here.

But yeah, nothing is set in stone yet. It feels like a Schrödinger's cat moment for me to be honest. I am always finding myself imagining two lives simultaneously: one with me staying in Bergen and going through my original plans for myself and the other one where my husband and I uproot our lives and start a whole new adventure somewhere else. Both seem to be net neutral and only time would tell what the outcomes are.

[Geology] Mock Board Exam - General Geology Part 2

Note: Hi, guys! Publishing practice questionaires WITH NO ANSWER KEYS at the moment. Hopefully, this would be beneficial for all the takers of the Geologist Licensure Exam this year. Good luck and share it as much as you want. Regards!

[Geology] Mock Board Exam - General Geology

Note: Hi, guys! Publishing practice questionaires WITH NO ANSWER KEYS at the moment. Hopefully, this would be beneficial for all the takers of the Geologist Licensure Exam this year. Good luck and share it as much as you want. Regards!

[Stoic Meditation] One Day It Will All Make Sense

I often find myself doing this: questioning all the things that has happened around me. There are times that I've grown bitter about situations because I just couldn't understand it at the time. I could give a lot of examples but there is probably nothing that can beat what happened to my professional life back home in the Philippines.

I thought I was an okay student of Geology. It is so funny because until now, from time to time, I often rerun the comments of my peers and professors in my head; deliciously savoring every word of it. I guess it is for my vanity as well, fine, but the real truth of the matter is that I am just trying to placate my low perception of myself. I am often scared that I am not good enough. I need reassurance that I will make it, that I will have a good paying job that will be able to send me to post grad studies. I wasn't even aiming for something grand. It was just the minimum per se.

But it came to naught. I got my first job before my board exam. It was from the company which gave me the scholarship to begin with so I was already expecting a lower salary. That's just how it is back home if you're hired by the sponsoring company for some reason. I got just above minimum wage around that time. I told myself that it's okay since I don't have my license to practice geology yet. It might change afterwards. And so I passed the board exam in just one take.

Nothing happened. My colleague, who was also a scholar but didn't passed the board exam, was still earning as much as I am. I am doing more technical work than him but the pay was just the same. It kinda got icky for me in the company. Aside from this "semi-resentment" (because c'mon, I think it wasn't full blown), he's also some kind of a yes-man and a person who you can just like tell things but nothing will happen. I find him pliable while I was too headstrong for the management. Anyway, I resigned only after a year of working in there because of countless reasons. There was the fact that they refused to regularized me (aside from the no increase in wage after getting my license) and that I was having problems with the consultancy company that they hire. My values also don't align with them. They call me ideal when I am just trying to be an actually "good and upright". This company has been in the industry for so long that their way, whether good, to be frowned at or just illegal in some ways, should be the only way.

I worked for the government afterwards. This experience put me under a lot of stress and anxiety due to the fact that there is no job security. I do earn a lot but I don't have any benefits. The Philippine Government is the number one rule-breaker of Labor Law, in my opinion. It took me two years to break away though because the pay was higher than the Geologist jobs being posted about. I remember Eagle Cement offered me a 6-day work week which only pays Php 17.000 in 2018. I was already a licensed Geologist back then WITH EXPERIENCE.

I was truly becoming disenchanted with my degree. I don't know a lot of people that can get me a job in my field. I have no relatives with high positions that can bump elbows with another higher up to secure for me even an interview. I don't have any padrino that can recommend me even to the most menial of jobs in my field that I can think of. So, I decided that if I can't be a fully-pledged mining geologist, I can just be an environmental geologist or something close to that. I care for the environment and I want to use what I learn to make a difference.

I got a job in the renewables. It was fun and promising at first and although the pay wasn't good (but there was a promise of raises and bonuses), the vision and mission of the company aligned with my principles. Until it wasn't. It was just a running political scam heavily veiled by environmental wokeness. 

This was all happening during the pandemic. I was in a state of panic due to the job insecurity. I felt hopeless for the future and my dreams of getting a master's degree. I didn't even know how I was able to do all of the things I did then to get where I am today. The series of misfortunes I have experienced is truly just a prelude to a promising future. I am not completely there yet I am continually working on it. The pieces are falling slowly into place and although I don't know the "bigger plan" or the "universal reason" at the moment, I will just continue to work on myself now knowing that one day, it will all make sense.

Geology Books for Free/Borrowing/Sale

 Okay.

I'm really not sure how to do this but I really want to get rid of my Geology books. I am giving some for free, allowing you to borrow it and selling them for real, for real.

Just email me at alesanpantaleon@gmail.com so we can discuss how to do this. You can also ask me for a reviewer and I'll try to look for it on my Drive.

Really enjoyed reading Fossen's when I was preparing for the board exam. I think he has a sense of humor. Lol. All of these books are actually helpful especially for the first day and third day.

NOT FOR SALE. You can just borrow!

I will never sell a William Nesse's book. His Intro to Mineralogy is the bomb for Day 2. If you learn it by heart, you will never get lost in there. 👌😜

Another famous Struct book

Prof back then asked us to memorized the glossary of this book for an exam. Talk about top notch education.

For Day 3!

You have calculations in Day 3, trust me. You need to get your hands on everything that you can.

SOLD FOR MINIMAL FEES 50-250

You can see the wear and tear of the ones in here. I usually use multiple books on a certain course subject (I do a lot of reading).

Free

Bought this one before for Geomorphology haha.

[Notes] Petroleum Geology

 Oil Fields

• Galoc Production Company (Galoc SC-14)
• Blade Petroleum (Cadlao SC-6)
• West Linapacan (Pitkin SC-14)
• Philodrill Corp (Matinloc Complex SC-14)
• Philodrill Corp (Nido SC-14)

Gas Fields

• Malampaya
• San Antonio
• Libertad

Field Sampling

• Source and Reservoir Rocks
• Oil Samples
• Gas Samples

Petroleum Geochemistry

- application of chemical tools in the assessment of indigenous petroleum resource potential

Factors

1. Type of Organic Matter
2. Age and depositional Environment
3. Maturity
4. Biodegradation

Tools in Petroleum Exploration

- Geophysical Studies seismic

1. seismic survey

2. Geophysical data increase signal to noise ratio

Stories from the Field 1

I don't usually have stories to tell when I do field works because my fields usually revolved around smirking illegal operators, snobby local officials and a feisty and hot-headed version of myself. I hate narrating my escapades because some of it really pissed me off. But one field activity stand out from the rest. This was the time when I first visited an almost hard to reached barangay in Upper Calauag.

So I was conducting a site inspection on Quezon Canal if it's suitable for dredging. I don't want to give a lot of information about this one but I am really confused about the involvement of the singer who wanted a seat on the Senate and the unbecoming interest of that white mansion in Pasig River with this project. Anyway, more of that later (if I ever found out why they are so interested with the that man-made canal).

Anyway, the story I wanted to share was told when we were having lunch with the local officials in the area. They shared the stories of a certain "Katang", "Ailyn" and "Winnie". Katang was a local legend in that area because he is sort of having a "voluntary exile". Ailyn is a local who is considered to be mad and Winnie was remembered as the product of a failing system of the Social Welfare.

Katang: The Lone Man in an Island

He is not a Biog, a local term for the Indigenous People on this area, he is just like that. No one really knows if he wanted a solitary lifestyle. He and his family are now residing on an island unprotected by mangroves and is very susceptible to flooding due to the tides. They are fishmongers. He and his multitudes of male children fish during the end of the day. The father just stayed in the banca while his unclothed little children swam dangerously with the nets, doing the nasty bit for their father.

What makes this story interesting? They remembered a girl fathered by Katang. She was once a normal kid with pretty black hair who walked with her mother while they sell the fishes her siblings caught. She was last seen half-witted and very confused. Then she just disappeared.

Apparently, she was raped by her father, thrown in the ocean while being tied with a huge rock.

Ailyn: The Naked Lady

She was the fright of the little, quiet town. She walks around naked most of the time. No relative of her seems to care. When she sees man on the street, she would lash out and attack them. Apparently, she hated men.

What makes this story interesting? She is now in her second trimester. Who the father was is a mystery no one really knows. Her relatives, an ageing mother and siblings, don't really care about her. Her previous husband she had left for another moved away from the town a long time ago. She is all alone, broken and no real care in the world with a child coming on the way. What she would do to the poor thing, no one really knows.

Winnie: The Slave

She was once a normal girl from a neighboring town. No one really knows how she got from there to here or who she has back then in town. No one knows if she's married or not. Then she was seen walking around, out of her mind. Many people helped her. She even has bouts of normalcy sometimes. But she always come back to the center, broken and mad. Her sad life ended when she was hit by a vehicle on one of her bouts of madness.

What makes this story interesting? She has a husband. The guy only cared about her when he was trying to claim some money from the incident. A sister also tried to lay claim and fight for the money. She was also supposedly raped time and time again that's why the bouts of madness occurred back then.

FINDING WORK: A GEOLOGIST SAGA

To all the new graduates and new board passers, I pray that the Lord will bless you with a joyful heart full of patience. (GEOLOGIST, icri)

Since graduating last 2016, I've been on a constant roll of looking for a job suitable for my profession. I've written tons and tons of cover letters, filled up dozens of Personal Data Sheet (PDS) and Work Experience Sheet (WES) and printed out an amount of documents that is probably equating to at least 10 trees (not joking).

To be honest, I've always targeted the public sector. I think that a job in the government works perfectly for me because of my noble dream of serving the general populace. But time and time again, I am being punch in the face by the reality of our "PADRINO SYSTEM" and the "IT'S NOT WHAT YOU KNOW BUT WHO YOU KNOW" adage. My heart is always breaking after every interview because even though I know I have the professional experience and the number of training hours needed in a plantilla position, the other guy in the room with no experience but have the necessary "recommendation letter from that official" will surely get the job. I'm tired of charging everything to experience and I've worked really hard to get where I am right now and I think it's unfair that others have it easy.

I initially came from the private sector because I am an "illegal" scholar of this company (read SDMP terms on RA 7942 and its IRR on who you should get as a scholar for DMTG). So I've worked there since 2014 since I was an undergraduate geology student up until I got my license on 2017. It's an eye-opening experience and a terrible one, if I might add. I'm not being ungrateful or anything but sometimes, the wrong company will purge the remaining hope in you that there could be change in this country and the system. I've learned a lot from them but it's not working out for me and I am almost always sick due to stress when I was working there. After I got my license, I know that I can finally have the change I wanted.

Sadly for me, 2018 was the reaping year (I dunno if this is the term) of Gina Lopez's reign as the Secretary of DENR. The mining industry is at its lowest. There is no hiring on private sectors (although not really my target) for entry level geologist (although not really entry level). It's a good thing that I've taken my on-the-job training at one of the regional offices of Mines and Geosciences Bureau and I got in on the pilot Embedded Program of Secretary Roy Cimatu.

I was accepted and I hoped for the best. Sadly, just like what the Thanos meme said, "Reality is often disappointing". (I'm sorry if I don't know if this was really mentioned in the End Game. I did not watch that because I refused to be a part of the bandwagon fans because I'm not.) Here I am, sitting in my office desk writing this, instead of actually writing my two pending reports. I AM AT MY WIT'S ENDS. Administrative and enforcement problems are always present. I am underappreciated (not really a problem but I just mentioned this for those who care for that kind of thing at work), paid late almost all the time(I dunno why but HR and Finance always say that they are busy to process our DTR. So what then? We don't eat or pay our bills then because you guys are busy?) and most importantly, I am a contractual with no employer-employee relationship. I am one of those so called "consultant" nowadays because the government decided to eradicate the "contractualization" TERM instead of the culture. Anyway... 

Being a geologist in this country sucks if you graduated and got your license on or after the term of Gina Lopez. I tell you, it's almost a worthless profession irl. I dunno why. I ALSO SUGGEST TO GET YOUR PADRINO IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A JOB IMMEDIATELY. Man, I admired that one new grad who knows a USec and was shortlisted for a high paying position with us even though he has no experience or training hours.

AJA!

2018 GEOLOGIST BOARD EXAM

GAAAAHD!

Ilang tulog na lang, board exam na! Ready na ba lahat ng mga magi-exam dyan? God bless sa mga AdU takers dyan at extended na din sa lahat. Mehehe.

Pasensya na talaga sa mga nag-email sa akin recently about dun sa answer key ng PETROMIN. Life happened kasi and sobrang busy so bihira maka-check ng mga emails (laging bukas yung work email pero yung personal, nah.)

Final tiiiiiiiiips.

First day, given.
Second day, masusubok lahat ng nireview mo for petromin. Wag kabahan sa rock id. Hindi naman magpapa-id sayo ng intense na mineral. Usually, yung mga naa-align pa rin naman sa common minerals.
Third day, pray and pray na nadaanan mo yung mga dapat nadaanan. Sorry kung medyo vague kasi baka matanggalan ako ng lisensya kapag nireveal ko yung ilang mga tanong nung sa boards namin. (email niyo na lang ako) Basta, parang General Geology to pero mas intense. Lahat pwedeng pumasok dito at minsan may problem solving. Wag kabahan and make sure na SAGUTAN LAHAT. SAGUTAN LAHAT. SAGUTAN LAHAT. 'Di 'to right minus wrong. SAGUTAN LAHAT.

God bless! Kaya niyo yan, guys.
I'll be updating the reviewers here and the content para next year, may mga fresh reviewers.
LABAN LAAAAANG!

Another Set of Geology Review Questions

I dunno where this came from but I've used it as well. Highlighted na yung answers. But it is better to recheck. Usually, may mga errors dito eh.

Good luck.

GEOLOGY “praktis” LICENSURE EXAMINATION

July 11, 2011

Petrology and Mineralogy

1. A thin section is being prepared for staining test to determine what kind of feldspar is present in the sample.  Which of the following acids should be used to etch the thin section?

A. hydrofluoric acid                                      
C. cold hydrochloric acid              

B. phosphoric acid                                      
D. warm hydrochloric acid

2. After dipping an etched carbonate sample in alizarin red S solution, the following minerals will stain deep red EXCEPT

A. high magnesium calcite                       
 C. aragonite

B. ankerite                                                       
D. witherite

3. Nesosilicates are isolated SiO₄ tetrahedra.  Which of the following is NOT a nesoslicate?

A. garnet                                                       
   C. epidote

B. olivine                                                          D. kyanite

4. What mineral property will BEST distinguish graphite from galena?

A. color                                                             C. cleavage

B. streak                                                           D. luster

5. Quartz comes in various colors due to presence of impurities.  Which quartz variety is given a distinct red color by hematite?

A. jasper                                                           C. citrine

B. rose quartz                                                  D. amethyst

6. How many grams is 1 carat?

A. 1 gram                                          C. 2 grams

B. 0.1 gram                                       D. 0.2 gram

7. What crystal system has three mutually perpendicular axes, of which the horizontal axes are equal in length?

A. orthorhombic                              C. isometric

B. tetragonal                                    D. hexagonal

8. What happens to the color bands in quadrants 1 and 3 as the mica plate is slowly inserted over a uniaxial positive figure?

A. move toward the center                                                       C. turn into yellow

B. move outward to the edge of the field                             D. turn into blue

9. Which of the following is the aggregate term used to describe a surface covered with a layer of small crystals?

A. acicular                                         C. capillary

B. botryoidal                                     D. drusy

10. Isotropic substances include gases, liquids, glass, and minerals of the ______ crystal system.

A. Triclinic                                                        C. Isometric

B. Monoclinic                                                  D. Hexagonal

11. The following metals occur in native form EXCEPT

A. iron                                                               C. silver

B. lead                                                               D. platinum

12. Which of the following is NOT a sulfide mineral?

A. galena                                                          C. enargite

B. bornite                                                         D. pyrrhotite

13. Which of the following gives stainless steel its high hardness, great toughness, and resistance to chemical attack?

A. chromium                                     C. iron

B. titanium                                        D. tin

14. The following belong to the same crystal system EXCEPT

A. chalcopyrite                                C. halite

B. pyrite                                             D. fluorite

15. The gem aquamarine is a blue-green colored ______.

A. quartz                                            C. jade

B. beryl                                              D. topaz

16. Which of the following is a phaneritic igneous rock with a modal content of:

Quartz = 50%, Alkali feldspar = 25% and Plagioclase = 25%?

A. gabbro                                          C. granite

B. basalt                                            D. rhyolite

17. If magma is oversaturated with respect to silica, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Quartz should precipitate from the magma and be present in the rock.

B. Olivine should precipitate from the magma and be present in the rock.

C. Sodalite should precipitate from the magma and be present in the rock.

D. Nepheline should precipitate from the magma and be present in the rock.

18.  A foliated metamorphic rock with its platy minerals big enough to be identified by the unaided eye, but without clear segregation of light and dark minerals into bands, can be appropriately called _____.

A. slate                                               C. schist

B. phyllite                                          D. gneiss

19. Which of the following describes the environment in which mylonite can form?

A. Within deeply buried sandstones.

B. Within metamorphic soles of ophiolites.

C. Along edges of plutons, particularly within aureoles.

D. Along ductile faults where syntectonic crystal-plastic processes occur.

20. Zeolites are formed by…

A. contact metamorphism of limestone.

B. contact metamorphism of shale.

C. burial metamorphism of tuff.

D. regional metamorphism of basalt.

21. A well-sorted quartz sandstone could have formed in which of the following environments?

A. lacustrine                                      C. glacial             

B. beach                                            D. stream

22. The following are common cements in detrital sedimentary rocks EXCEPT

A. clay                                                C. hematite

B. silica                                              D. calcite

23. Arksosic sandstones form in which of the following conditions?

A. arid                                                C. glacial

B. wet                                                D. tropical

24. In describing a sample of clastic sedimentary rock, which of the following characteristics is essential?

A. clast size                                       C. clast roundess

B. sorting                                           D. all of the above

25. Presence of sedimentary structure in a rock sample gives a clue on…

A. provenance                                  C. environment of deposition

B. composition                                 D. chemical weathering agent

26. The presence of which of the following minerals will assure you that the dark-colored aphanitic rock sample you have is basalt and NOT andesite?

A. orthopyroxene                                           C. olivine

B. clinopyroxene                                             D. quartz

27. Which of the following is NOT TRUE of igneous rocks?

A. Texture depends to a large extent on the composition of the magma.

B. Rocks with the same mineral composition can have widely varying textures.

C. Generally, rocks containing lots of feldspars and quartz are light-colored.

D. Feldspars are, in general, the most abundant minerals that occur in igneous rocks.

28. The mineral assemblage muscovite-chlorite-quartz is indicative of what metamorphic facies?

A. amphibolite                                                 C. granulite

B. greenschist                                                  D. eclogite

29. Lateritic soils form by…

A. weathering of limestone                         C. weathering of chert

B. weathering of ultramafics                       D. weathering of arkosic sandstone

30. Which of the following is ALWAYS TRUE of a clast-supported sedimentary rock?

A. It is bedded.

B. It is poorly-sorted.

C. It has little or no matrix.

D. It has a gravel matrix.

31. What is the size range of sand?

A. 0.062 – 2mm                               C. 2 – 4mm

B. 0.031 – 1mm                               D. 0.008 – 0.125mm

32. The following are common heavy minerals EXCEPT

A. garnet                                           C. rutile

B. zircon                                            D. fluorite

33. Pressure dissolution can take place once a rock is fully cemented to produce irregular or suture planes called ___________.

A. fractures                                       C. cleavage

B. stylolites                                       D. diaphragm

34. Which of the following is the dominant clay in bentonite, giving it the unusual property of expanding several times its original volume when placed in water?

A. montmorillonite                          C. illites

B. kaolinites                                      D. chlorites

35. The fine-grained (less than 4 microns), usually dark carbonate matrix in limestones is called __________.

A. lime                                 C. micrite

B. stylolite                          D. stromatolite

36. What is the hydrous form of anhydrite?

A. gypsum                          C. barite

B. goethite                         D. apatite

37. Apatite belongs to what mineral group?

A. silicates                          C. carbonates

B. phosphates                   D. sulfates

38. Microcline belongs to what silicate group?

A. inosilicates                    C. cyclosilicates

B. nesosilicates                 D. tectosilicates

39. _______is a dike rock consisting almost entirely of quartz and feldspars, having a characteristic fine-grained sugary texture.

A. aplite                              C. lamprophyre

B. pegmatite                      D. migmatite

40. What is the chemical bonding present in diamond?

A. ionic                                C. metallic

B. covalent                         D. van der Waals

41. Glass is NOT a mineral because…

A. it has impurities                                         C. it is not produced by organisms

B. it is made up of SiO₂                                 D. it does not have an ordered internal structure

42. A mineral’s streak can be obtained by…

A. dissolving the mineral in water                            C. scratching the mineral on a harder surface

B. heating the mineral up to 300°C                          D. illuminating the mineral with UV light

43. Based on luster, which of the following DOES NOT belong to the group?

A. talc                                  C. calcite

B. biotite                            D. fluorite

44. The basis of the compositional classification of minerals is the _______.

A. luster                              C. density

B. anion                              D. type of chemical bond

45. The basic unit of silicates is composed of….

A. 1 Si atom and 4 oxygen atoms                             C. 2 Si atoms and 1 oxygen atom

B. 1 Si atom and 2 oxygen atom                               D. 4 Si atoms and 1 oxygen atoms

46. Obsidian is formed due to…

A. excess silica                                                               C. very fast cooling of magma

B. high amount of dissolved gases                           D. very high temperature of magma

47. Based on texture, which of the following DOES NOT belong to the group?

A. schist                                             C. phyllite

B. gneiss                                            D. quartzite

48. Which of the following can be a protolith of slate?

A. basalt                                            C. mudstone

B. granite                                          D. limestone

49. Which of the following is TRUE about a coarse-grained sedimentary rock having angular clasts?

A. It was transported by groundwater.

B. It was transported at very low velocities.

C. It was deposited in a coastal environment.

D. It was deposited not too far from the source rock.

50. Which of the following refers to the open crystal form made up of two parallel faces?

A. dome                                             C. pinacoid

B. prism                                             D. disphenoid

51. Plagioclase feldspars form, at elevated temperatures, an essentially complete solid solution series.  Which of the following is arranged from pure NaAlSi₃O₈ to pure CaAl₂Si₂O₈?

A. albite, oligoclase, andesine, bytownite, labradorite, anorthite

B. albite, oligoclase, andesine, labradorite, bytownite, anorthite

C. anorthite, labradorite, bytownite, andesine, oligoclase, albite

D. anorthite, bytownite, labradorite, andesine, oligoclase, albite

52. Which of the following is TRUE about the Becke line when the tube of the microscope is lowered?

A. The line moves toward the mineral/medium having the lower index of refraction.

B. The line moves toward the mineral/medium having the higher index of refraction.

C. The line moves toward the mineral/medium having lower specific gravity.

D. The line moves toward the mineral/medium having higher specific gravity.

53. Which among the following types of twinning is the MOST useful in plagioclase identification?

A. albite                              C. Carlsbad

B. Baveno                           D. Manebach

54. _______ refers to a texture of plutonic igneous rocks where large grains of feldspar enclose many small imperfectly developed quartz crystals, resembling ancient writing.

A. graphic                           C. Schlieren

B. gneissic                          D. skialith

55. Which of the following refers to the closed crystal form composed of six faces of which the three faces at the top alternate with the three faces at the bottom, the two sets of faces being offset by 60°?

A. cube                                C. rhombohedron

B. dipyramid                      D. trapezohedron

56. Which of the following describes Riecke’s principle?

A. Solution takes place at points of greatest pressure in a crystal, with concurrent precipitation at the area of least pressure.

B. Water and other volatiles may be transferred from one igneous body to the surrounding rocks as juvenile water.

C. Hydrostatic pressure, operating equally in all directions, is largely determined by depth.

D. Thermal gradient increases with depth.

57. Which of the following refers to the globular mineral aggregates resembling a bunch of grapes?

A. globular                         B. reniform                        C. botryoidal                     D. mammillary

                             

58. What mineral was used in fireworks to give a brilliant white light when mixed with saltpeter and ignited? Today, artificial arsenic sulfide is used for this purpose.

A. realgar                           B. orpiment                        C. cinnabar                        D. stibnite

                             

59. Which of the following is NOT a variety of gypsum?

A. alabaster                       B. selenite                          C. satin spar                      D. soda niter

                             

60.  Which of the following is TRUE about extinction of a mineral?

A. The vibration directions of the slow and fast rays are parallel to the planes of vibration of the polarizers.

B. The vibration directions of the slow and fast rays are perpendicular to the planes of vibration of the polarizers.

C. The order of color increases when the mica plate is inserted.

D. The order of color decreases when the mica plate is inserted.

61. How do isotropic minerals look like under crossed polars?

A. give a play of colors when the stage is rotated

B. display only one dominant color, usually red

C. remain colorless when stage is rotated

D. remain dark when the stage is rotated

62. Which of the following refers to the green variety of microcline?

A. aventurine                                    C. jadeite

B. amazonstone                               D. emerald

63. Which of the following DOES NOT describe galena?

A. PbS                                  C. dull

B. cubic                               D. lead-gray

64. ______refers to the appearance of a cabochon gemstone in which a band of light appears at right angles to the length of the fibers or direction of the inclusions in the mineral.

A. asterism                         C. chatoyancy

B. iridescence                    D. luminescence

65. Which of the following DOES NOT have polymorph minerals?

A. chalcopyrite                  C. calcite

B. diamond                        D. pyrite

66. _______are intrusive rocks occurring as veins, dikes or patches with extremely coarse texture having crystals over several feet in length and several inches in diameter.

A. aplite                                             C. lamprophyre

B. pegmatite                                     D. migmatite

67. A properly ground thin section shows a remarkable degree of transparency. What thickness of the rock chip should be achieved for this?

A. 0.01 mm                                       C. 0.05 mm

B. 0.03 mm                                       D. 0.07 mm

68. If a thin section of quartzite has the correct thickness (answer in Question #67), quartz grains with horizontally-oriented optic axes should show the highest order of interference color of ________.

A. pale yellow                                  C. white

B. blue gray                                      D. orange

69. The polarizing microscope utilizes two polars.  What is another name for the polars?

A. condensers                                   C. nicol prisms

B. Bertrand lens                               D. compensators

70. _______is the possession of more than one index of refraction.

A. interference                                 C. extinction

B. birefringence                               D. retardation

71. When an anisotropic mineral appears dark between crossed polars, it is said to be in the position of __________.

A. interference                                 C. extinction

B. birefringence                               D. retardation

72. Which of the following should you do first in the adjustment of the polarizing microscope for examination of thin sections?

A. Crossing the polars

B. Testing the cross hairs

C. Centering the stage with the field

D. Determining the vibration plane of the lower polar

73. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about orthoscopic observation?

A. provides the eye with a realistic virtual image

B. observed under crossed or uncrossed polars

C. does not need an inserted quartz wedge

D. needs the Bertrand lens to be observed

74. Minerals under the following crystal systems yield biaxial interference figures EXCEPT…

A. triclinic                                          C. hexagonal

B. monoclinic                                   D. orthorhombic

75. Which of the following is TRUE about a uniaxial positive mineral cut perpendicular to the optic axis when viewed with an inserted gypsum plate?

A. The quadrants parallel to the slow-ray vibration direction of the plate are colored blue.

B. The quadrants parallel to the fast-ray vibration direction of the plate are colored blue.

C. The black cross moves from the center towards the direction of the slow-ray of the plate.

D. The black cross remains at the center, but the colored bands move outward to the edges.

76. Anisotropic minerals exhibit a change in color as the stage is rotated known as ______.

A. opalescence                  C. asterism

B. pleochroism                  D. polymorphism

77. ______ are dike rocks made up of more than one-third dark minerals.

A. aplite                              C. lamprophyre

B. pegmatite                      D. migmatite

78. Which of the following refers to altered tuff?

A. adobe                             C. caliche

B. bentonite                       D. diabase

79. Lapis lazuli is a mixture of mineral ________ together with small amounts of calcite, pyroxene and other silicates. As a powder, lapis lazuli was formerly used as the paint pigment ultramarine.

A. lazurite                          B. lazulite                           C. turquoise                      D. azurite

                             

80. What is the chemical formula of chalcopyrite?

A. Cu₂S                                B. Cu₃AsS₄                          C. CuFeS₂                            D. Cu₅FeS₄

                             

81. Moonstone is a special name given to _______ because it shows an opalescent play of colors.

A. quartz                            B. adularia                          C. talc                   D. garnet

82. What is the chemical formula of bornite?

A. Cu₂S                                B. Cu₃AsS₄                          C. CuFeS₂             D. Cu₅FeS₄

                             

83. What is the volcanic equivalent of granodiorite?

A. andesite                         B. rhyolite                          C. trachyte                         D. dacite

                             

84. ________ refers to a calcareous material deposited from spring waters (frequently thermal springs) under atmospheric conditions.

A. Iceland spar                  B. travertine                      C. satin spar                      D. chalk

              

85. What metamorphic facies represents the most deep-seated conditions of metamorphism and characterized by pyrope-rich garnet and omphacite minerals common in kimberlite pipes?

A. eclogite                         B. granulite                        C. amphibolites                 D. greenschist

                             

86. Mineral X can scratch mineral Y and the fingernail. The fingernail can scratch mineral Y but not mineral X. Mineral Y can scratch the fingernail but not mineral X. What is the hardness of mineral Y?

A. greater than 2.5                         C. equal to 2.5

B. less than 2.5                                D. cannot be determined

87. Which of the following is TRUE in the F (phi) scale for particle grain size?

A. uses inches as unit of measure

B. uses millimeters as unit of measure

C. number becomes higher as grain size increases

D. number becomes smaller as grain size increases

88. What mineral or rock is the “Zambales Jade”?

A. uvarovite                       B. malachite                      C. sericite schist                              D. serpentinite

              

89. What mineral or rock is the “Mindoro Jade”?

A. uvarovite                       C. sericite schist

B. malachite                      D. serpentinite

90. Bragg Equation, which is expressed as nl=2d sinq, is about…

A. extinction                      C. birefringence

B. polarization                   D. x-ray diffraction

91. Which is the most abundant element in the Earth’s crust?

A. oxygen                           C. iron

B. magnesium                   D. silicon

92. Opal is a ______.

A. mineral                          B. mineraloid                     C. crystal             D. fossil

93. Basalt can have any of the following descriptions EXCEPT…

A. amygdaloidal                C. vesiculated

B. banded                           D. aphanitic

94. Which of the following refers to a solid solution of Ag and Hg?

A. amalgam                       B. electrum                        C. taenite                           D. kamacite

                             

95. What mineral is called the “peacock ore”?

A. lazurite                          B. bornite                           C. galena                            D. sphalerite

                             

96. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about calcite?

A. It is a carbonate.

B. It effervesces in cold acid.

C. It has a hardness of 3 on all faces.

D. It is under the hexagonal crystal system.

97. What is a diagnostic feature of barite?

A. white color                   C. low hardness

B. pearly luster  D. high specific gravity

98. Tourmaline is easily recognizable by its ______ form.

A. rhombohedral                                            C. cubic

B. trigonal prismatic                       D. spherical

99. Mica and biotite can be easily differentiated by their ______.

A. color                C. luster

B. hardness                        D. cleavage

100. The presence of what mineral can help differentiate gabbro from diorite?

A. plagioclase                    C. biotite

B. pyroxene                       D. olivine