Earth Science Quiz

Which forces carry sediment downhill?

• Gravity, water, and wind

• Earthquakes and volcanoes

• Animals and plants

• Sunlight and heat

What is the principle that states the oldest layers are on the bottom in undisturbed rock layers?

• Principle of erosion

• Principle of superposition

• Principle of sedimentation

• Principle of weathering

What is the stable element formed from a radioactive parent element called?

• Parent element

• Daughter element

• Sibling element

• Child element

What is the geologic time scale a visual record of?

• Earth's weather patterns

• Earth's history

• Earth's future predictions

• Earth's ocean currents

What do scientists use to mark geologic divisions?

• Weather patterns

• Fossil records

• Ocean currents

• Mountain formations

What significant event occurred at the end of the Permian period?

• Formation of the Himalayas

• Catastrophic die-off of organisms

• Beginning of the ice age

• Rise of mammals

What is the primary purpose of the geologic time scale?

• To predict future events

• To record Earth's history

• To measure ocean depth

• To track weather changes

What is the main method used by scientists to divide geologic time?

• Climate changes

• Fossil records

• Ocean currents

• Mountain formations

Which of the following is an epoch in the Quaternary period?

• Holocene

• Triassic

• Devonian

• Silurian

What is the significance of the Permian period in Earth's history?

• Formation of the first oceans

• Catastrophic die-off of organisms

• Rise of mammals

• Beginning of the ice age