Geologic Time and Fossil Analysis

What is the approximate age of Earth's history that the geologic time scale organizes?

• 4.6 thousand years

• 4.6 million years

• 4.6 billion years

• 460 years

What is the Geologic Time Scale primarily used for?

• Organizing daily weather patterns

• Mapping ocean currents

• Organizing Earth's 4.6 billion-year history

• Predicting future volcanic eruptions

Earth's history is divided into which of the following categories?

• Months, weeks, and days

• Eras, periods, and epochs

• Centuries, decades, and years

• Hours, minutes, and seconds

What is the basis for dividing Earth's history into different time periods on the geologic time scale?

• The changing seasons

• Major changes to the planet and organisms living on it

• The movement of the moon

• The number of human civilizations

Which of the following is an example of how a period on the geologic time scale might be defined?

• The start of a new calendar year

• When certain animals first appeared

• The invention of new technologies

• The length of a human lifespan

What is a benefit of using the geologic time scale for scientists?

• It helps them predict the weather more accurately.

• It allows them to communicate with each other about Earth's history.

• It provides exact dates for all events.

• It helps them discover new planets.

When a geologist refers to the 'Jurassic Period,' what span of time are they generally talking about?

• The last 100 years

• Roughly 200 to 145 million years ago

• The time before humans existed

• The period when Earth was formed

What are rock strata?

• Types of ancient plants

• Layers of sedimentary rock

• Underground water sources

• Volcanic ash deposits

What is one of the components that forms sediments which eventually become rock strata?

• Molten lava

• Dead organisms

• Living trees

• Pure water

How do sediments like sand, mud, and dead organisms form solid rock over time?

• They are melted by volcanic heat.

• They are eroded by wind and water.

• They settle in bodies of water, get buried, and are pressed by extreme weight.

• They are lifted by tectonic plates.