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Geologic History

Total questions: 14

Worksheet time: 7mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

If a layer of sandstone lies on top of a layer of limestone in which a 450-million-year-old fossil is found, and there are no unconformities, the layer of sandstone must be ____.

a)

older than 450 million years

b)

younger than 450 million years

c)

exactly 450 million years old

d)

to old to determine its age

2.

According the graph, a piece of timber containing one-fourth of the amount of carbon-14 that is found in a living tree, died about how many years ago?

a)

11,400 years

b)

22,800 years

c)

5,700 years

d)

17,100 years

3.

What type of unconformity is shown between D and C in the figure?

a)

nonconformity

b)

disconformity

c)

angular unconformity

d)

uniformatarianism

4.

Which is the best sequence of events shown in the figure, listed from oldest to youngest?

a)

FEDABC

b)

ABCFED

c)

DEFCBA

d)

FEDCBA

5.

Relative to the limestone layer (A) in the figure, the fault is...

a)

not related

b)

younger

c)

older

d)

the same age

6.

Which of the following conditions help preserve organisms as fossils

a)

quick burial by sediments

b)

hard parts

c)

protection from scavengers

d)

activities of microorganisms

7.

Fossils of species that lived on Earth for short periods of time, were abundant, and were widespread geographically are...

a)

absolute date

b)

original remains

c)

index fossils

d)

trace fossils

8.

The map shows some of the bedrock in Virginia. Which of these has the oldest exposed bedrock?

a)

Hightown Valley

b)

Monterey

c)

Jack Mountain

d)

Bull Pasture

9.

Which statement is most true?

a)

Virginia only has fossils made from soft body parts of animals.

b)

Virginia has no fossil because there are no sedimentary rocks in Virginia.

c)

All rocks in Virginia have fossils because there are no igneous/metamorphic rocks in VA.

d)

Fossils in Virginia include molds, casts, and even trace dinosaur tracks.

10.

Which of the following would most likely form a recrystallized fossil under the right conditions?

a)

jelly fish

b)

shark's teeth

c)

fish's internal organs

d)

granite

11.

A sample of a radioactive element has a mass of 80 g. How much parent and daughter materials are in the sample after two half-lives?

a)

parent = 20 g; daughter = 60 g

b)

parent = 80 g; daughter = 80 g

c)

parent = 2; daughter = 1/2

d)

parent = 60 g; daughter = 20 g

12.

What appears to have occurred in the section labeled B in the figure

a)

Sediment was deposited on sloped ground.

b)

Sediment was deposited on sloped ground that later became level.

c)

Sediment was deposited on level ground that later tilted.

d)

Sediment was deposited on level ground that stayed level.

13.

What type of unconformity is labeled C in the figure?

a)

nonconformity

b)

disconformity

c)

angular unconformity

d)

uniformity

14.

Rock layers tell a story about their past. What is the basic assumption that is made when reading this story?

a)

The composition of the Earth’s atmosphere has been constant.

b)

The Earth’s crust cooled and then remelted before rock layers began to form.

c)

The processes in the rock cycle were the same in the past as they are today.

d)

Chemical reactions in the past were slower than they are today.