Geologic Change

Jorge is investigating how ocean basins change over time. He knows that mid-ocean ridges are found

along the bottom of the ocean. Which of the following statements about mid-ocean ridges is most

accurate?

• The crust along a mid-ocean ridge is younger than crust farther away.

• Volcanoes are less likely to result in changes along mid-ocean ridges than in other parts of an ocean basin.

• Converging tectonic plates force land-forming magma up through the ocean floor to form new crust.

• Mid-ocean ridges are areas of the ocean floor that change very little over time.

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Torsten’s science teacher asks him, “What would be an example from the present which provides the best evidence that Earth has changed over its geologic history?” Which example should Torsten choose?

• Fossils of trees and dinosaurs found in Antarctica because these living things would not survive there today

• A classroom demonstration that models how a hurricane can cause beach erosion and change a coastline

• A poster with pictures of an alligator and crocodile because they have different and similar characteristics.

• An igneous rock because it represents changes as a result of cooling lava which was once magma within Earth’s mantle

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The picture above shows a river flowing through a canyon.

What can you infer about how the canyon looked a thousand years ago?

• The canyon was not as deep because erosion, caused by the river, would increase its depth over time.

• The canyon was just as deep, but probably was dry.

• The canyon changed its appearance very little since water is always present in a canyon.

• The canyon was much deeper than it is today because there was more tectonic activity at the time.

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Jacob learned that many fossils have been found in Florida’s Peace River. He does some additional research, and discovers that both land and marine fossils have been found there. The bar graph below shows the ratio of marine fossils to land fossils dating from 20 million years ago, and the ratio of marine fossils to land fossils dating from 1 million years ago.

Based on the graphs above, what conclusion can you make about the Peace River?

• The area where Peace River now flows was part of a seafloor 20 million years ago

• Earthquakes have disturbed the layers of fossils in the Peace River.

• Twenty million years ago, land animals lived on islands in Peace River.

• Over time, the number of land animals in the Peace River area increased as they preyed on marine animals

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The map above shows the current positions of South America and Africa. Points A and B represent areas on the two continents where scientists have discovered fossils of the same animal species.

How does the Theory of Plate Tectonics explain the location of these fossils?

• The continents were once joined together

• The animals were able to swim from one continent to the other

• Humans transported the animals from point A to point B

• The animals developed independently on both continents.

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Which of the following would explain why scientists have found marine fossils buried under land?

• The earth was once covered mostly in ice

• Changes in sea level have caused oceans to cover parts of continents in the past

• Plate tectonics has caused a movement of continents

• Earthquake activity have shifted fossils to areas they would not normally be found in

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Using the diagram above, which layer would contain the oldest fossils?

• E

• A

• F

• B

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What evidence did scientists use to develop the Law of Superposition?

• fossils only

• rocks only

• Fossils and Rock Layers

• rock layers and environment

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The illustration above represents the layers of a section of soil.

Scientist use the Law of Superposition to determine information about Earth’s layers. Which statement best describes information that can be obtained from the soil section illustration above?

• Layer D is older than layer C

• Layer A is older than all other layers

• Layer C is younger than layer B.

• Layer B is older that layer C.

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Which fossil would most likely be found on Earth’s surface?

• fossil G

• fossil H

• fossil F

• fossil E

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