Geological History and Plate Tectonics Quiz

What is the primary reason we have limited fossil records from over a billion years ago?

• The fossils were destroyed by volcanic eruptions.

• The organisms lacked hard parts to fossilize.

• The organisms were too small to leave fossils.

• The rocks containing fossils were eroded over time.

Which mountain range is used as a classic example of continental collision?

• The Andes

• The Rockies

• The Himalayas

• The Alps

What geological feature is formed when oceanic crust slides under another tectonic plate?

• A subduction zone

• A rift valley

• A mid-ocean ridge

• A transform fault

Which supercontinent was formed by the collision of Laurentia and Amazonia?

• Pangea

• Gondwana

• Rodinia

• Laurasia

What is a back-arc basin?

• A mountain range formed by tectonic uplift

• A shallow sea behind a volcanic arc

• A volcanic island chain

• A deep ocean trench

What are stromatolites primarily composed of?

• Volcanic ash layers

• Sandstone deposits

• Interlocking bacterial fibers

• Coral reefs

What role did cyanobacteria play in ancient seas?

• They created oxygen through photosynthesis.

• They built coral reefs.

• They were the primary predators.

• They formed the base of the food chain.

What transformation occurs to limestone under intense heat and pressure?

• It turns into marble.

• It becomes granite.

• It changes to sandstone.

• It forms basalt.

What is the significance of Franklin Marble in geological studies?

• It contains fossils of ancient fish.

• It shows the presence of ancient coral reefs.

• It provides evidence of volcanic eruptions.

• It reveals the existence of an ancient back-arc basin.

What event led to the exposure of Franklin Marble at the surface?

• A massive earthquake

• The collision of the African continent with Laurentia

• The retreat of glaciers

• A volcanic eruption