Geologic Time

Which method determines the relative age of Earth's sedimentary layers based on their organization?

• rate of sedimentation

• law of superposition

• radioactive dating

• Fossil Comparison

According to the law of superposition, the oldest fossils are found 

• At the top of the rock layers
• Near the bottom of the rock layers
• In the middle of the rock layers
• Somewhat near the surface

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago

• Fossil
• Unconformity
• Superposition
• Column

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...

• relative time
• absolute time
• half-lives
• time of day

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Where would law of superposition be more useful than radioactive dating?

• used to tell which hill peak is the nearest

• used to tell the exact age of your family

• used to tell which layer of sedimentary rock in the grand canyon is the oldest

• used to tell whether two animals that lived in different continents are related

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...

• era
• age
• half-life
• eon

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-8

Look at the reference image. Which combination accurately portrays the correct age order?

• B is higher so it is OLDER than D

• C is older than E, even though it is FOLDING upwards

• G is older than all the other layers

• A is higher, so is OLDEST layer

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

A cave explorer found a bunch of Megalodon sharks teeth in a cave in the middle of the Arizona Desert. What best explains why he would discover shark fossils here?

• Megalodons would hunt their prey on the surface as well the ocean

• Megalodons were known to fly

• Millions of years ago, parts of Arizona were under water. Over time the Earth changed, the ocean became a desert, and the shark's teeth were fossilized.

• Megalodons love Arizona, and go there to retire

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Limestone can be found at the top of the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. Limestone is a rock that usually forms at the bottom of shallow, warm waters. What does this information show about Earth?

• It shows that Earth has not changed much over the years as limestone has adapted to forming on mountain peaks.

• It shows that Earth has evolved over time as areas of land that have once been covered in water, but no longer are.

• It shows that Earth circulates its minerals so often that limestone always ends up on the peaks of mountains.

• It shows that Earth has mostly convergent plate boundaries that push limestone from the ocean floor to the top of mountains.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

The timeline above shows changes that occurred in the Sahara Desert throughout history.

What does this timeline suggest about Earth?

• It suggests that Earth has changed over time since human fossils became present in the Sahara after 9,000 years, indicating that the environment had been suitable enough to support human life at one time.

• It suggests that Earth has not changed much over time since human fossils were present as early as 9,000 years ago, indicating that Earth's environment has almost always been suitable for the presence of life.

• It suggests that Earth's deserts always receive monsoon rains every 1,000 years.

• It suggests that Earth is only able to preserve fossils in environments that are desert like.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2