Mr Feinstein 6th Grade Science Jeopardy: POST SPRING BREAK

Science & Engineering

Volcanoes

Chemistry

Rocks & Minerals

Random

Plate Tectonics

WED's & Spheres

California Geology

100

This type of system is made by mother nature

Natural System

100

An opening in the earth's crust where lava, gas, and other material erupts out of the ground is called a

Volcano

100

The table that shows all of the elements is called the

Periodic Table of the Elements

100

What types of rocks are formed by the compaction of sediments?

Sedimentary Rocks

100

Who performed at the Super Bowl Halftime Show in February 2026?

Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, aka Bad Bunny

100

What type of Plate Boundary occurs where two tectonic plates are smashing into each other?

Convergent Plate Boundary

100

Transportation of weathered material is called

Erosion

100

Located roughly 10 miles west of Yuba City in the middle of the Sacramento Valley in northern California, a dubious mountain range lies- the Sutter Buttes. Though called a "mountain range", the Sutter Buttes are technically just one mountain, as they are the remains of an extinct volcano that last erupted 1.4 million years ago.

What kinds of rock would you expect to find at an extinct volcano like the Sutter Buttes?

Igneous Rocks

200

This type of system is made by people

Engineered System

200

Molten rock after it erupts out of a volcano is called

Lava

200

The smallest building block of the universe, elements are made of these

Atoms

200

What type of rocks are formed by the cooling of lava or magma?

Igneous Rocks

200

What is Nevada's nickname?

The Silver State

200

What are the two types of crust called?

Continental & Oceanic Crust

200

The Earth System that includes all life on Earth is called the

Biosphere

200

California has hundreds of beaches, including this one- Trinidad Beach in Humboldt County, located in the northwest corner of the state. Given that beaches are areas where sediment gets deposited and eventually compacted, what type of rock would you expect to form at a beach like this one?

Sedimentary Rocks

300

This is the study of natural phenomena

Science

300

Molten rock inside of a volcano is called

Magma

300

The Atomic Number of an element is shown _________ the abbreviation of the element on the periodic table

Above

300

What type of rock is formed by the heating and pressurizing of pre-existing rocks?

Metamorphic Rocks

300

Name one national park in California.

Pinnacles, Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Redwoods, Lassen Volcanic, Channel Islands, Joshua Tree, Death Valley

300

Located just a few hours north of Los Angeles, Carrizo Plain National Monument is a gorgeous and tranquil locality, home to wildflowers, great views, and perhaps some of the best visual evidence available of active plate tectonics.

The monument is home to the mighty San Andreas Fault, a major plate boundary that occurs as two tectonic plates, the Pacific & North American Plates, slide past each other. What type of Plate Boundary is the San Andreas Fault?

Transform Plate Boundary

300

The Earth System that includes all of Earth's rocks and minerals is called the

Geosphere

300

Signs like this one at Clam Beach near the town of Arcata are posted all along the California coast- alerting residents to flee to higher ground in the case of a strong earthquake. Tsunamis are typically caused by strong earthquakes that occur under the ocean, generated by the displacement of water that occurs when tectonic plates suddenly move. What type of natural hazard is a Tsunami?

Geologic Hazard

400

This is something that is designed by people to solve problems

Technology

400

A tall, cone shaped volcano that erupts explosively is called a

Composite Volcano, or Stratovolcano

400

The Atomic Mass of an element is shown _________ the abbreviation of the element on the periodic table

Below

400

Found in vast quantities throughout the Sierra Nevada, Coast Ranges, and Klamath Mountains, California's state rock is Serpentinite. Serpentinite forms as shale, mudstone, and other pre-existing rocks get heated and pressurized deep within the earth. The heat and pressure changes the crystal structure of the shale and mudstone, forming a whole new rock- Serpentinite. What type of rock is Serpentinite?

Metamorphic

400

Who is the main character of Minecraft?

Steve

400

What type of convergent plate boundary would you expect to form an Island Arc, such as Japan, in?

Oceanic-Oceanic Convergent Plate Boundary

400

Located just a few hours south of the San Francisco Bay Area in central California, Pinnacles National Park is an absolutely stunning place, dominated by intriguing rock formations called “The Pinnacles”.

These iconic rock formations were formed by wind and water cutting through the rock. What type of weathering is this?

Physical Weathering

400

In southern California near the city of Coachella, the infamous San Andreas Fault peters out and transitions into a fault line known as the Gulf of California Rift Zone. At the Gulf of California Rift Zone, the earth is being torn apart as two tectonic plates move away from each other, creating both a deep valley known as the Salton Trough (-226'), and a majestic mountain range known as the Peninsular Ranges (highpoint at Mt. San Jacinto, 10,834'). Additionally, this plate boundary forms a group of active volcanoes known as the Salton Buttes.

What type of plate boundary is the Gulf of California Rift Zone, and what are two possible geologic hazards associated with it?

Divergent Plate Boundary

Earthquakes, Volcanic Eruptions, Landslides, Tsunamis

500

The keyboard is a _________ of the engineered system known as a computer

Component

500

What is the name of the wet, concrete-like material that forms when lava mixes with glacial ice, snow, or mud when a composite volcano erupts?

Lahar

500

On the Periodic Table, elements are organized by what?

Atomic Number & Properties

500

These rock formations are composed of rhyolite, a rock that is formed by lava erupting out of a volcano and cooling quickly at the surface of the earth. What type of igneous rock are the Pinnacles made out of?

Extrusive/Volcanic Igneous Rock

500

Which Slovenian NBA Player used to play for the Dallas Mavericks, but got traded in a historical deal to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he is currently averaging 33.4 points per game?

Luka Doncic

500

What type of landform is formed when an Oceanic Plate and a Continental Plate are converging into each other?

Continental Volcanic Arc

500

Besides striking evidence of the San Andreas Fault, one of the main attractions of Carrizo Plain is the area’s gorgeous wildflowers. During the spring time, wildflowers bloom en masse, and after especially wet winters, the area undergoes what is known as a “Super Bloom”- a phenomenon where an exceptionally high number of wildflowers bloom at once, transforming the land into a colorful meadow of flowers. Super Blooms can only occur if enough rain falls during the winter. Which earth system(s) affect which other earth system(s) to make Super Blooms happen?

Hydrosphere & Atmosphere affecting the Biosphere

500

The park is home to many interesting plants and animals, but perhaps the most intriguing of these organisms is the California Condor. The California Condor is an endangered bird that almost went extinct, currently living in less than 10 places worldwide. The bird seeks refuge and nests in the sentinel rock formations of Pinnacles, as the rocks protect their young from other predators. Without the rock formations of Pinnacles, Condors would not be able to live in the area. Condors needing these rock formations to survive is an example of which earth system affecting which other earth system?

Geosphere affecting the Biosphere

600

Clear Lake is a lake located north of San Francisco, California. The lake is polluted by toxic metals, mainly Mercury. Mercury enters the lake through seeps, springs, and from an abandoned Mercury Mine at the shore of the lake called the Sulphur Bank Mine. The Mercury that seeps into the lake is a _____________ of the natural system known as Clear Lake.

Input

600

What type of volcano is Mount Saint Helens in Washington State?

Composite Volcano or Stratovolcano

600

2 or more elements that are chemically bonded together form a ____________ ?

Compound

600

Deep within the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains of eastern California, a place of wonder, beauty, and pure magic lies- Yosemite National Park. Established in 1890, Yosemite is the United States’s 3rd national park, protecting an area of 1,200 square miles. The park boasts iconic waterfalls, rock formations, ecosystems, and landforms.

The main type of rock that can be found in the park is Granodiorite, a rock that is formed as magma cools slowly underground. What type of igneous rock is the granodiorite that forms Yosemite’s dramatic landscapes?

Intrusive/Plutonic Igneous Rock

600

What country is the island of Crete located in?

Greece

600

Name 3 differences between Continental and Oceanic Crust.

Continental: lighter, not as dense, rises, made of granite, rich in silicon

Oceanic: heavier, denser, sinks, made of basalt, rich in iron

600

Yosemite is home to several iconic waterfalls, including the gorgeous Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls is not only the tallest waterfall in the park- it's also the tallest waterfall in all of North America, dropping a grand total of 2,425 feet. The falls cut through bedrock, transport broken down rock, and lay down these broken rocks at the bottom of the waterfall. Does Yosemite Falls undergo weathering, erosion, deposition, all three, none of the above, or some other combination of the above?

All of the above

600

Directly beneath the communities of Hollister, San Jose, Dublin, and several other towns and cities in the San Francisco Bay Area, an infamously creepy fault lies- the Calaveras Fault. The Calaveras Fault is “creepy” because it exhibits a phenomenon known as “Aseismic Creep”- which is basically movement of a fault without causing earthquakes. Striking evidence of this can be seen in the town of Hollister. The fault has moved and continues to move an entire street, sidewalk, and neighborhood- shifting the earth beneath the town to the right hand side.

Despite its aseismic creep, the fault line is still capable of highly damaging earthquakes. What type of Natural Hazard is an earthquake?

Geologic Hazard

700

The last time a major earthquake struck the area was in 1857, when the massive Fort Tejon Earthquake occurred, registering a whopping 7.9 on the Moment Magnitude Scale. This earthquake instantaneously moved the fault line by 30 feet, and was a large line of evidence that assisted scientists in understanding that California is underlain by active faults that pose serious seismic threat to those living in the state. If an earthquake of similar size were to occur on the fault today, Los Angeles and other parts of southern California would be devastated- with tens of thousands of casualties and billions of dollars in damages. Because of this fact, engineers and scientists are working around the clock to re-design buildings, bridges, and other lines of infrastructure throughout California to be able to withstand large earthquakes. Is this an example of science influencing technology, or technology influencing science?

Science Influencing Technology

700

What type of volcano is Kilauea in Hawaii?

Shield Volcano

700

These properties can be observed without changing the identity of a substance

Physical Properties

700

Name 2 types of environments where you would expect sandstone to form in.

Deserts, Beaches/Shallow Ocean

700

How many US States have a coastline?

700

At a Mid-Ocean Ridge, new crust is being created as volcanoes erupt due to two tectonic plates moving away from each other. What type of Plate Boundary is this, and does the crust get younger or older as you move further away from the Mid-Ocean Ridge?

Divergent Plate Boundary, Older

700

One of the rarest trees on Earth, the Giant Sequoia, grows in Yosemite National Park. Giant Sequoias are unique in several ways- they are the largest trees on Earth (growing up to 29’ wide), one of the tallest trees on Earth (growing up to 311’ tall), and one of the longest-lived trees on Earth (living up to 3,266 years old). Sequoias can only grow in very specific areas- and the Sierra Nevada provides the perfect habitat for them. One such condition that must be met is they must grow in soils derived from granitic rocks. This would not be possible without the fact that most of the Sierra Nevada is made out of granitic rocks. In this example, which earth system(s) affect which other earth system(s) to allow the Sequoias to grow?

Geosphere affecting the Biosphere

700

These rock formations are composed of rhyolite, a rock that is formed by lava erupting out of a volcano and cooling quickly at the surface of the earth. The specific rock unit that forms the Pinnacles is known as the Pinnacles Volcanic Formation, and it is almost identical in age and composition to the Neenach Volcanic Field, a group of rocks located 200 miles southeast of Pinnacles on the opposite side of the San Andreas Fault. The match between the Pinnacles Volcanic Formation and the Neenach Volcanic Field on opposite sides of the San Andreas Fault was one of several lines of evidence that convinced many skeptics of this revolutionary theory in Earth Science that suggests that the Earth’s crust is composed of several gigantic slabs of rock that move around and interact with each other. What is this theory called?

Plate Tectonics

800

Despite its aseismic creep, the fault line is still capable of highly damaging earthquakes. The most recent major earthquake on the Calaveras Fault occurred In 1984, when a Magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the town of Morgan Hill. Geologists estimate that there is an 11% chance that the Calaveras Fault will produce a damaging earthquake of Magnitude 6.7 or greater within the next 30 years. This figure is largely derived from InSAR technology that is used to monitor the fault, mathematical modeling, and past earthquake records that help scientists better understand the behavior of the Calaveras Fault. Is this an example of science influencing technology, or technology influencing science?

Technology Influencing Science

800

Mount Shasta is an active volcano in the Cascade Range of northern California that last erupted 3,000 years ago. Standing at 14,179' tall, it is the second tallest mountain in the Cascade Range. Judging by the shape of Mount Shasta, what type of volcano is it?

Composite Volcano or Stratovolcano

800

Copper, Gold, and Silver are elements that have very similar properties. Why do they have similar properties?

They are all above/below each other on the Periodic Table (They're in the same column)

800

Name 3 examples of Metamorphic Rocks.

Gneiss, Schist, Marble, Quartzite, Serpentinite, Slate, Phyllite

800

What's your group's favorite thing about science class?

No wrong answer :)

800

One of the park’s most iconic features is Wallace Creek, a stream drainage that has been offset and dragged roughly 420 feet by the San Andreas Fault. The entirety of this motion has occurred within the last 3,800 years. Given these figures, how fast does the San Andreas Fault move at Carrizo Plain? Provide your answer in feet per year.

0.11 feet per year

800

One of the rarest trees on Earth, the Giant Sequoia, grows in Yosemite National Park. Giant Sequoias are unique in several ways- they are the largest trees on Earth (growing up to 29’ wide), one of the tallest trees on Earth (growing up to 311’ tall), and one of the longest-lived trees on Earth (living up to 3,266 years old). Sequoias can only grow in very specific areas- and the Sierra Nevada provides the perfect habitat for them. One such condition that must be met is they must receive ample amounts of snow in the winter. This would not be possible without the Sierra Nevada catching storms from the Pacific Ocean. In this example, which earth system(s) affect which other earth system(s) to allow the Sequoias to grow?

Geosphere, Atmosphere, & Hydrosphere affecting the Biosphere

800

Forming the "backbone" of California, the mighty Sierra Nevada Mountains rise to an elevation of 14,505' at the summit of Mount Whitney, making them the highest mountain range in the contiguous United States. Meaning "snowy mountains" in Spanish, the Sierra Nevada are appropriately named, as some parts of the range receive as much as 500", or 41.67 feet of snow per year.

Despite this, the Sierra Nevada borders North America's driest desert, the Mojave Desert, on their eastern slopes. While some parts of the Sierra Nevada receive up to 500" of snow per year, some parts of the Mojave Desert only receive less than 2" of rain per year, despite being right next to each other.

Using vocabulary that we've learned in our unit on Earth Systems, briefly explain why the Sierra Nevada Mountains are so wet, while the neighboring Mojave Desert is so dry.

The Geosphere affects the Hydrosphere. The Sierra Nevada (Geosphere) blocks most of the moisture that comes off of the Pacific Ocean (Hydrosphere) from reaching the Mojave Desert. The rain/snow falls on the mountains, while the desert is left with virtually none, because the mountains block moisture from entering the desert.