SC 7 E 6 3

What does the discovery of marine fossils in a mountain region suggest?

• The region was always a mountain.

• The region was once underwater.

• The fossils were transported by wind.

• The fossils are not significant.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Using the Law of Superposition and the concept of index fossils, which of the following statements is most accurate?

• Layer A is the youngest because trilobites are index fossils.

• Layer D is the oldest because mammals evolved first.

• Layer C is older than Layer B because dinosaurs lived before fish.

• Layer A is the oldest because trilobites are found in the lowest layer.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists use radiometric dating to determine the age of a rock sample containing uranium-238, which has a half-life of 4.5 billion years. They find that only 25% of the original uranium-238 remains in the sample. How old is the rock, and what does this tell us about the history of the area where it was found?

• The rock is 1.125 billion years old, indicating the area has been stable for a long time.

• The rock is 2.25 billion years old, suggesting significant geological changes over time.

• The rock is 4.5 billion years old, showing it is one of the oldest rocks on Earth.

• The rock is 9 billion years old, indicating it has undergone multiple cycles of formation and erosion.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

A geologist is studying rock layers in two different locations. In Location 1, they find the following layers from top to bottom: sandstone, shale, and limestone. In Location 2, they find the same sequence but with an additional layer of basalt on top. Radiometric dating shows that the basalt layer is 50 million years old. What can the geologist infer about the relative ages of the rock layers in both locations?

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Which of the following is an example of a process that can disturb rock layers?

• Sedimentation

• Folding

• Erosion

• Fossilization

The diagram shows the folding of rock layers that occurs in the process of mountain building.

Which layer in the diagram is the youngest?

• Layer L

• Layer M

• Layer N

• Layer Q

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Fossils provide information about the layers of rock in which they are found. For example, the fish fossil indicates that the sediments in the surrounding rock were deposited in or near a body of water. What information does the fish fossil provide about the age of the rock layer surrounding it?

• The rock is younger than the fossil.

• The rock is older than the fossil.

• The rock and fossil are the same age.

• The age of the rock is unrelated to the age of the fossil.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Fossils are the preserved remains of organisms that lived long ago. According to the law of superposition, the rock layers that contain fossils should be far below Earth’s surface. Which answer best explains why fossils are sometimes found at or near the surface?

• Fossils are less dense than rock, so they rise to the surface.

• Fossils are moved to the surface by other organisms.

• Sedimentary rock layers are relatively soft, and new fossils sink through upper layers into older, deeper layers.

• Some rock layers with fossils have been exposed because of different processes, such as faulting, folding, and weathering.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

The rock layers that make up the Grand Canyon range in age from 2 billion to 230 million years. What would a scientist need in order to compare the ages of rocks from two different parts of the canyon?

• the location of each rock

• the size and hardness of each rock

• the size of the crystals that make up the rock

• the radioactive elements in each rock

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Scientists find a fossil of a fish on top of a mountain. What kind of evidence does the fossil provide scientists about the way this area might have changed over time?

• It shows that fish were once able to live without water.

• It shows that oceans can change quickly and become land.

• It shows that the animals found on the mountain today evolved from fish.

• It shows that the mountain may have once been under water and raised up by natural processes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-2

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3