Geology Quiz

An unconformity is a buried ________.

• erosion surface

• rock layer

• fossil

• mineral deposit

Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?

• A type of conformity found between layers of sedimentary rocks that indicates a period of erosion.

• A boundary between two sequences of sedimentary rocks where the older layers are significantly more deformed or tilted than the younger ones.

• A gap in the geological record that shows where rock layers have been removed by erosion.

• A type of unconformity where the sedimentary layers are parallel, but there is a noticeable gap in the geological time record.

In the late 1700s James Hutton published his important work titled ________.

• Principia Mathematica

• On the Origin of Species

• Theory of the Earth

• The Sceptical Chymist

Which of the following is not a very long-lived, radioactive isotope?

Catastrophism ________.

• is the theory that Earth has been affected in the past by sudden, short-lived, violent events

• is a branch of biology

• is a geological theory that states the Earth's features are all of ancient origin

• is a theory in economics

The subdivision of the geologic time scale that represents the longest time span is called a(n) ________.

The ratio of parent to daughter isotopes in a radioactive decay process is 0.40. How many half-lives have elapsed since the material was 100% parent atoms?

Consider the names of the eras in the geologic time scale. What is meant by "zoic"?

• Life

• Water

• Earth

• Air

Who is credited with formulating the doctrine of uniformitarianism?

Which of the following geologic observations would not bear directly on working out the sequence of geologic events in an area?

• The presence of an unconformity

• The order of sedimentary layers

• The type of fossils found in the rock layers

• The color of the rock layers