Question

The diagram below shows the distribution of past gold and mercury mines in the state of California. Mines are built in locations with large deposits of a particular resource.

Image courtesy of USGS

As can be inferred from the diagram, gold and mercury are unequally deposited in California. What can be concluded based on this unequal distribution of resources?
A.
The same geologic processes must have occurred in all parts of California in the past.
B.
California experienced very few geologic changes in the past.
C.
Different geologic processes must have occurred in different parts of California in the past.
D.
The location of natural resources in California cannot be predicted based on past geologic processes.

Answer 1

The conclusion that can be made based on this unequal distribution of resources is this: C. Different geologic processes must have occurred in different parts of California in the past.

What is the conclusion?

The diagram clearly shows that gold and mercury mines are not evenly distributed across the state. This indicates that the geologic processes that led to the formation of these mineral deposits were not uniform throughout California.

The presence of gold and mercury mines in different areas suggests that different geologic conditions existed in those locations. Gold and mercury require distinct geological settings for their formation, and this further supports the claim.