Earth History/Fossils Quiz Review 2026

Scientists have evidence that the Earth is _________ years old.

• About 4 thousand

• About 4.6 million

• About 4.6 billion

• About 14.6 billion

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Determine whether the following changes to the Earth are short term, long term, or caused by humans.

Groups:

(a) Short Term Changes (rapid/quick)

,

(b) Long Term (1000s to millions of years)

,

(c) Caused by humans

• Major Ice Age

• Redirecting a river with a dam, etc.

• Mountains and valleys forming.

• Impact from space object (meteorite, asteroid, etc.)

• Pollution of rivers, streams, etc.

• Deforestation to have more land for farming.

• Noticeable movement of plate tectonics.

• Tsunami

• Significant weather event

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

What is rock strata?

• stacked up layers of sedimentary rock

• stacked up layers of metamorphic rock

• stacked up layers of igneous rock

• stacked up layers of meteorites

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

This type of rock is formed at or near the Earth's surface by the accumulation and lithification (material is compacted under pressure) of materials. One example of how these rocks form is when materials of existing rocks are weathered and then deposited.

• Igneous rocks

• Metamorphic

• Sedimentary

• Continental

True or false: Fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock.

• True

• False

The relative age of a rock is

• The number of years since the rock formed

• Less than the age of the fossils the rock contains

• Its age based on how much carbon-14 the rock contains

• Its age compared with the ages of rock layers around it

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which is the most accurate method scientists use to predict the age of Earth?

• relative dating of rock layers

• absolute (radioactive) dating of rocks

• comparing the ages of different fossils

• investigating core samples from the Arctic

Tags

NGSS.HS-ESS1-6

A break in the geologic record that is made when rock layers are ERODED over a long period of time

• superposition

• relative dating

• unconformity

• cross-cutting

States that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed

• Law of crosscutting
• Law of superposition
• Relative Dating
• Unconformity

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

What is the oldest rock layer in this picture?

• A

• B

• D

• E

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4