Memorize these and you could recognize 30.7% of all Geology clues.
| # | Answer | Appearances | Sample Clue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | turquoise | 17 | Apache people associated this gemstone with the rainbow's end & thought it aided them in battle |
| 2 | the pearl | 17 | This 1948 film based on a Steinbeck story about a fisherman was shot in Mexico |
| 3 | a diamond | 17 | The largest one of these gems ever found in the U.S. was the 40.23-carat "Uncle Sam", discovered in Arkansas in 1924 |
| 4 | the topaz | 15 | The astronomer carefully adjusted the top azimuth of his telescope made of this |
| 5 | Jade | 14 | During the Han dynasty, Chinese royals were buried in suits of this green gem |
| 6 | sedimentary | 13 | Though ¾ of earth's surface is covered with this type rock, below there are only metamorphic & igneous rocks |
| 7 | pearls | 13 | Some of the finest of these gems are taken from the Persian Gulf between Oman & Qatar |
| 8 | marble | 13 | Connemara, Ireland is famous for the green-streaked variety of this stone |
| 9 | a ruby | 13 | Chrome & iron are what give this, red corundum, its color |
| 10 | quartz | 12 | Rock crystal is the clear form of this mineral |
| 11 | Amethyst | 12 | This purple gemstone is associated with St. Matthias, the apostle who replaced Judas Iscariot |
| 12 | an emerald | 12 | The name of this gemstone came from the Greek "Smaragdos", which probably meant any green stone |
| 13 | diamonds | 10 | Group which hadthe following, their biggest hit in 1957:"Ah, ya ya ya ya, ya ya ya ya, ya ya ya ya / Little darling oh little darling" |
| 14 | a garnet | 10 | Montana & Cape rubies are actually this January birthstone |
| 15 | a sapphire | 10 | Jones says his app hires drivers; we can pay them with this blue gem |
| 16 | rubies | 9 | The Mogok area of Burma produces the world's finest specimens of these red stones |
| 17 | lapis lazuli | 9 | Semiprecious stone colored deep blue by the mineral lazurite |
| 18 | graphite | 9 | From Greek for "to write", it's what does the writing in most pencils |
| 19 | coal | 9 | A major fuel in Eastern Europe, lignite is a soft brown type of this |
| 20 | the opal | 9 | The Lightning Ridge deposit in Australia has largest source of this iridescent "black" stone |
| 21 | emeralds | 8 | At the end of the 16th century, these gemstones, favored by the Incas, began to arrive in Europe from S. America |
| 22 | asbestos | 8 | This fibrous mineral has been used in brake linings & thermal insulation materials |
| 23 | amber | 8 | Of amber, amethyst, or agate, the one that once came from a living thing |
| 24 | Vesuvius | 7 | The Book of Knowledge says the oldest volcanic observatory is at this volcano that killed Pliny |
| 25 | pumice | 7 | This frothy volcanic glass can float in water for months before disintegrating |
| 26 | green | 7 | Color of a peridot |
| 27 | earthquakes | 7 | The 3 main types of waves these produce are classified as P, S & L |
| 28 | aquamarine | 7 | Thisvariety of beryl shares its name with a 10-letter color |
| 29 | slate | 6 | Intense pressure on shale turns it into this "blackboard" material |
| 30 | flint | 6 | Early man produced sparks to start fires by striking this mineral against iron |
| 31 | emery | 6 | This mineral is crushed, powdered & glued onto paper to make disposable nail boards |
| 32 | Antarctica | 6 | The largest volcano on this continent is Mount Erebus, thereby combining fire & ice |
| 33 | a glacier | 6 | One of these moves by internal deformation or basal sliding, usually not more than 6' a day |
| 34 | the mantle | 6 | Mafic magma is thought to originate in this solid layer beneath the earth's crust |
| 35 | South Africa | 5 | Kimberlite, a mineral in which diamonds are found, was named for a city in this country |
| 36 | shale | 5 | The largest known reserves of this oil-producing rock are found in the Piceance Creek Basin in Colorado |
| 37 | opals | 5 | Black & fire are 2 varieties of this stone that is always cut in rounded form to display its colors |
| 38 | Mount St. Helens | 5 | 57 people died when this volcano in the Cascade range erupted in 1980 |
| 39 | magma | 5 | This molten rock material beneath the Earth's surface is the source of igneous rocks |
| 40 | limestone | 5 | Fizzing when acid is applied, this mineral is the base of the Portland cement industry |
| 41 | iron | 5 | A lack of protein & this mineral contribute to anemia |
| 42 | Iceland | 5 | Inside the Volcano is an ecotourism company that lowers visitors into Þríhnúkagígur, a dormant volcano in this country |
| 43 | granite | 5 | White, pink, or gray rock made mostly of quartz & feldspar, especially suitable for tombstones |
| 44 | caves | 5 | Speleothems are oddly-shaped rock formations found in these |
| 45 | anthracite | 5 | This hard coal has the highest carbon content of all coals |
| 46 | agate | 5 | Real aggies are marbles made out of this, not glass |
| 47 | Africa | 5 | Most of the world's supply of diamonds comes from this continent |
| 48 | water | 5 | Opal & turquoise are found mostly in parts of world where there is little of this |
| 49 | a volcano | 5 | In 1963 the island of Surtsey near Iceland was created by one of these |
| 50 | weathering | 4 | Term given to the erosion of rocks from exposure & variations in humidity & temperature |