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Geologic History of Earth Quiz 2024

Total questions: 30

Worksheet time: 53mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The study of rock layers

a)

Fossil

b)

Rock Strata

c)

Stratigraphy

d)

Geology

2.

The sedimentary layers of rock in Earth

a)

Fossil

b)

Rock Strata

c)

Stratigraphy

d)

Fossil Record

3.

The idea that the oldest sedimentary rock layers are found at the bottom of a geologic structure is called...

a)

the Theory of Evolution

b)

Relative Dating

c)

Uniformitarianism

d)

Law of Superposition

4.
How old do Paleontologists believe the Earth is?
a)
2015 years old
b)
3.6 billion years old
c)
4.6 billion years old
d)
4.6 million years old
5.
Relative dating of rock layers tells us that the deeper we dig, _______.
a)
the younger the rocks get
b)
the smellier the rocks get
c)
the harder the rocks get
d)
the older the rocks get
6.

Which of the following orders the rock layers accurately from oldest to youngest?

a)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

b)

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

c)

2, 3, 4, 5, 1

d)

1, 2, 3, 5, 4

7.

Which of the following occurred relatively most recently?

a)

Fault A

b)

Intrusion B

c)

Folding

d)

Intrusion D

8.
Which of these rock layers is relatively the newest?
a)
Kaibab formation
b)
Zoraster Granite
c)
Redwall limestone
d)
Unkar group
9.
Which fossil is relatively the oldest?
a)
Trilobite
b)
Ammonite
c)
Crinoid
d)
Gastropod
10.
Put the layers in order from oldest to youngest.
a)
a, b, c, d, e
b)
b, c, d, a, e
c)
b, c, d, e, a 
d)
e, d, c, b, a
11.

What Are The Three Main Types Of Rocks?

a)

Igneous, Depository, Metamorphic

b)

Depository, Igneous, Sedimentary

c)

Metamorphic, Igneous, Depository

d)

Igneous, Metamorphic, Sedimentary

12.

How are metamorphic rocks formed?

a)

Heating and cooling

b)

Deposition

c)

Heating and pressure

d)

Materials gathering and pressing together

13.

How are igneous rocks formed?

a)

Sediment forming together

b)

Heating and pressure

c)

Cooling

d)

Deposition

14.
What geologic process changes pieces of rocks, minerals and other materials into sedimentary rocks?
a)
Compacting and Cementing
b)
Cooling
c)
Heat and Pressure
d)
Melting
15.

What type of rock is formed from slow cooling magma UNDER the earth's surface?

a)

Extrusive Igneous

b)

Intrusive Igneous

c)

Metamorphic

d)

Sediment

16.

Identify the series of geologic processes that can transform sediment into shale (sedimentary rock), shale into slate (metamorphic), and slate into magma

a)

Cooling; Melting; Heat and Pressure

b)

Compacting and cementing; heat and pressure; melting

c)

Melting; heat and pressure; cooling

d)

Weathering and erosion; compacting and cementing; cooling

17.

Which characteristic is found only in sedimentary rocks?

a)

Fossils

b)

Crystals

c)

Gas Bubbles

d)

Glassy Surface

18.

The Mount Rushmore National Monument is carved from the granite (formed from magma underground) of South Dakota's Black Hills. What type of rock is granite?

a)

Igneous

b)

Metamorphic

c)

Sedimentary

d)

None of the above

19.

The seated sculpture of President Lincoln inside the Lincoln Memorial was carved out of white Georgia marble (formed from Earth's pressure and heat). What type of is marble?

a)

Igneous

b)

Metamorphic

c)

Sedimentary

d)

None of the above

20.
What is the MAIN way rocks are classified?
a)
Their color and shapes
b)
How they form
c)
Mineral bands
d)
Where they form
21.
The best index fossils have which two traits?
a)
widespread geographically, long lifespan
b)
widespread geographically, short lifespan
c)
specific place, long lifespan
d)
specific place, short lifespan
22.

What is the best reason that fossil #4 is NOT a good index fossil?

a)

It is not widespread

b)

it is not short-lived (in numerous layers)

c)

It is in half of the outcrops

23.

If you found an index fossil in a layer of rock in Montana and a similar fossil in a layer of rock in Texas, you would know that:

a)

the fossils and rock layers are the same age

b)

the fossils from Montana are older

c)

the fossils from England are older

d)

none of the above

24.

Which of the follow is INCORRECT about an index fossil?

a)

The fossil must have lived only during a short part of the Earth's history.

b)

Many fossils of the organism must be found in the rock layers.

c)

The fossil must be found over a wide area of the Earth and be unique.

d)

The fossil must only be found in one area.

25.
Which fossil makes the best index fossil?
a)
Fossil 1
b)
Fossil 2
c)
Fossil 3
d)
None follow all of the rules
26.
Does the picture represent relative or absolute dating?
a)
relative
b)
absolute
27.

Which of the following ARE NOT required characteristics of Index Fossils?

a)

easily recognizable

b)

became extinct quickly

c)

globaly widespread

d)

abundant (lots of them)

e)

oceanic organism

28.

What is the main reason that Michigan's petosky stone (coral fossil from the Denovian period) is NOT a good index fossil?

a)

it is no easily recognizable

b)

it did not became extinct quickly

c)

it is not globaly widespread

d)

it is not abundant

29.

A sample contains 50 atoms of potassium-40 and 50 atoms of Argon-40. How old is the rock or fossil?

a)

1.3 billion years old

b)

2.6 billion years old

c)

3.9 billion years old

d)

5,730 years old

30.

Examine the picture here. Use the slides in google classroom to get a better view. Which rock layer is the oldest?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

G