ES-Jan 2016 Q21-30

The bedrock cross section below contains rock formations A, B, C, and D. The rock formations have not been overturned.
Which sequence represents the relative ages of these rock formations, from oldest to youngest?

• B → A → C → D
• B → D → C → A
• D → C → A → B
• D → B → A → C

A volcanic ash layer between sedimentary rock layers is used by geologists to

• determine Earth’s absolute age
• predict global warming
• ocate an earthquake epicenter
• correlate widely separated rock formations

The satellite photograph below shows the Mississippi River entering into the Gulf of Mexico. Arrows show the direction of river flow.
This depositional feature in the Gulf of Mexico is best identified as

• a delta
• a sandbar
• a barrier island
• an outwash plain

Examination of the fossil record shows a general tendency of organisms to become increasingly more complex through geologic time. This finding supports the theory that living things have undergone

• metamorphism
• evolution
•  radioactive decay
• mass extinctions

Crustal formation, which may cause the widening of an ocean, is most likely occurring at the boundary between the

• African Plate and the Eurasian Plate
• Pacific Plate and the Philippine Plate
•  Indian-Australian Plate and the Antarctic Plate
• South American Plate and the North American Plate

How long after receiving the first P-wave from an earthquake centered 4000 kilometers away does a seismic station receive its first S-wave from the same earthquake?

• 1 minute
• 5 minutes 35 seconds
• 7 minutes
• 12 minutes 40 seconds

Which evidence recorded at seismic stations following an earthquake supports the inference that Earth’s interior changes from solid rock to molten iron and nickel at the mantle-core boundary?

• P-waves arrive earlier than S-waves
• P-waves and S-waves are both recorded at all stations
•  Only S-waves are recorded at all stations.
•  Only P-waves are recorded on the opposite side of Earth.

Which graph best indicates the densities of the planets in our solar system?

• graph 1
• graph 2
• graph 3
• graph 4

The diagram below represents cross sections of equal-size beakers A, B, and C filled with beads.
Which statement best compares the porosity in the three beakers?

•  Beaker A and beaker B have the same porosity, and beaker C has the least porosity
• Beaker A and beaker B have the same porosity, and beaker C has the greatest porosity
• Beaker B has the greatest porosity, beaker A has less porosity, and beaker C has the least porosity
• Beaker C has the greatest porosity, beaker B has less porosity, and beaker A has the least porosity

On the map of the United States shown below, four lines have been drawn and labeled A, B, C, and D.
The length of which line best represents the distance from Earth’s surface to the top of the mesosphere?

• A
• B
• C
• D