Formation of Earth Practice

On a trip to the desert, Geraldo finds fossils of ancient oceanic shells. Which of the following best explains how these fossils ended up in the desert?

• A. Oceanic storms washed the shells into the desert

• B. The desert was once covered by an ocean that receded

• C. Earthquakes shifted debris from the ocean into the desert

• D. Animals carried the shells from the ocean to the area for food

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Scientists have found fossils from a land-dwelling animal, called Kannemeyerid, in Canada and in Africa. Which of the findings best provides evidence supporting that earth has evolved over geologic time due to natural processes?

• A. Only certain continents were inhabitable

• B. Many land-dwelling animals could also swim

• C. Earth’s continents were once joined together

• D. Animals evolved in the same way in Canada and Africa at the same time

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A fossil similar to the one shown below was found in Canada. What conclusion can you make from this fossil discovery?

• A. The climate was cooler than it is at present

• B. The climate was warmer than it is at present

• C. The climate has not changed since the fossil formed

• D. The climate will continue to get colder in the near future

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-5

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Earth’s surface features slowly change over time. For example, sharp, jagged mountain ranges become lower and more rounded over time. What factor(s) is responsible for this change in theirshape?

• A. Weathering and erosion

• B. Deposition

• C. Continental drift

• D. Sea-floor spreading

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

By analyzing ice cores, scientists can learn how Earth’s climate has changed in the past. Other ways of learning about the history of Earth’s climate include analyses of tree rings, lake sediments, mountain glaciers, and ocean sediments. The figure below shows a timeline. What can you conclude about the figure?

• A. Ice cores provide climate information that goes back the furthest in time

• B. Ice cores provide climate information that goes back only to 1,000 year ago

• C. Ice cores provide climate information that goes back more than 100,000 years

• D. Ice cores provide climate information that cannot be obtained from any other sources that scientists can study

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NGSS.HS-ESS3-5

The oldest rock formation identified on Earth is found on the shoreline of Hudson Bay in Canada. This rock formed 4.28 billion years ago. What information does a scientist need to more accurately determine the age of a rock?

• A. The percentage of each mineral that makes up the rock

• B. The thickness of younger rock layers that cover the rock

• C. The amount of each radioactive element present in the rock

• D. The amount of weathering present on the surface of the rock

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Basalt is a gray or black igneous rock. Pilar uses an absolute dating method to study a sample of it. What does she hope to learn?

• A. The age of the rock

• B. The composition of the rock

• C. The physical structure of the rock

• D. The geographic distribution of the rock

.Chandler’s earth science class went on a field trip to walk on a trail by a mountain with places next to the trail where they could see layers of rock that were different colors and different thickness. He remarked how easy it was to see which layers of rock were older than the others by which ones were higher. Chandler’s teacher responded that it can be hard to be sure that superposition is the appropriate way to date the layers of rock. Why did his teacher question the use of simple superposition to date the rock layers?

• Forces such as weathering, and erosion can change the location of rock layers, sometimes putting younger rocks above older rocks

• Forces such as gravity and magnetism can change the location of rock layers such that older rocks are sometimes located above younger rocks

• Forces such as tilting, folding, faults, intrusions, and unconformities can change the location of rock layers such that younger rocks are sometimes located above older rocks

• Forces such as folding, faults, and intrusions, can change the location of rock layers such that older rocks are sometimes located above younger rocks

Why are ancient volcanic ash deposits important to geologists?

• A. They form resistant rock layers containing fossils

• B. They are easily dated using carbon-14

• C. They serve as good geological time makers

• D. They indicate major areas where earthquakes occurred

Jane was looking at a cliff made up of several layers of different kinds of rock. Near the top of the cliff, she found a fossilized bone. Near the middle, she found the fossil of a fern. At the bottom, she found a fossilized shell. What process was critical in the formation and preservation of the fossils?

• A. Plate tectonics

• Deposition

• Chemical Weathering

• Abrasion

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