Earth's History Exam

The fan-shaped deposit of sediment that is dropped off by water and is typically found on dry land near the base of hills or mountains is called:

• delta

• shoreline

• landslide

• alluvial fan

Which of the following describes the order of land forms created from shortest to longest time to erode?

• cave, arch, stack, stump

• stump, stack, arch, cave

• arch, cave, stack, stump

• stack, stump, cave, arch

Which two agents contribute to beach erosion?

• cliffs and arches

• gradient and load

• waves and currents

• delta and floodplain

The same rocks from the Appalachian mountains in North America are also found in the Atlas Mountains in Africa. These two mountain ranges also have fossils of the same species existing at the same time. These continents are separated by the Atlantic Ocean. This is evidence of:

• trace fossils

• plate tectonics

• relative dating

• erosion and deposition

Which method of fossilization come from tree sap?

• The organism becomes frozen.

• The organism becomes buried in rock.

• The organism becomes trapped in amber.

• The organism becomes trapped in asphalt.

The Rocky Mountains are a tall, jagged mountain range. The Appalachian Mountains are a relatively short, smooth mountain range. What can be said about the the age of these two mountain ranges?

• The Rocky Mountains are older that the Appalachian Mountains.

• The Rocky Mountains are younger than the Appalachian Mountains.

• The Rocky Mountains are the exact same age as the Appalachian Mountains.

• The Rocky Mountains are about the same age as the Appalachian Mountains.

Which choice best defines half-life?

• When a fossil is half-way developed.

• When a substance has had half of it's isotopes decay.

• When an animal or plant has lived half of its lifespan.

• When scientists date the half-way point of a rock column.

Which is the best explanation of how intrusive igneous rocks is form?

• Rocks are deformed under heat and pressure

• Magma cools and hardens beneath the surface.

• Sediments layer on top of each other and hardens over time.

• Lava erupts from a volcano then cools and hardens rapidly on the surface.

Which rock type forms under heat and pressure?

• Metamorphic

• Sedimentary

• Igneous

• Strata

Fossils are found in only one class of rock. Which type of class would you expect to find a fossil in?

• Metamorphic

• Sedimentary

• Igneous

• Strata