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Geologic Time

Total questions: 26

Worksheet time: 17mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is the proper name of the wavy line on top of the ‘brick’ layer?

a)

Unconformity

b)

Superposition

c)

sandstone

d)

fault

2.

When did the first life appear in the fossil record?

a)

Paleozoi

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Pre-cambrian

3.

Trilobites are extinct animals that lived in the oceans. Fossils of these animals can be found in dry areas such as Cincinnati. What does this indicate?

a)

The environment changed, creating small saltwater lakes in Cincinnati.

b)

Trilobites are the ancestors of jellyfish

c)

Cincinnati was once covered by the ocean where trilobites lived.

d)

Trilobites now live underground.

4.

Which event occurred first?

a)

fault T

b)

Intrusion U

c)
  • Deposition of S

d)

Deposition of Q

5.

There is an unconformity between events-

a)

Y-Z

b)

X-Z

c)

W-Z

d)

X-Y

6.

IDENTIFY THE CORRECT SEQUENCE FROM OLDEST TO NEWEST

a)

O,N,M,L,P,K

b)

K,L,M,N,O,P

c)

M,N,O,P,L,K

d)

O,N,M,L,K,P

7.

When did dinosaurs dominate the fossil record?

a)

Pre-cambrian

b)

Mesozoic

c)

Paleozoic

d)

Cenozoic

8.

From the diagram, which statement about crinoids, blastoids, and echinoids is correct?

a)

  • All have decreased in number over time.

b)
  • They all came into existence during the same geologic period.

    They all came into existence during the same geologic period.

c)

All are now extinct.

d)

  • They all existed in the Devonian period.

9.

What is the estimated age of the Earth?

a)

4.6 million years

b)

4.6 million years

c)

4.6 billion years

d)

1.5 billion years

10.

What are the names of D and E?

a)

D - intrusion, E - fault

b)

D - deposition, E - intrusion

c)

D - intrusion, E - fold

d)

D - unconformity, E - fault

11.

The dating of rocks from the presence of radioactive materials is called-

a)

Radioactive Dating

b)

Radiometric Dating

c)

uranium

d)

television active

12.

The Law of Superposition states, "In a series of strata, the oldest layers are"-

a)

in the middle

b)

on the top

c)

always folded upward

d)

On the bottom

13.

Finding oyster fossils in rock layers high on a mountain tell you that-

Responses

a)

someone has deliberately transported the material to the site

b)

oysters live in a mountainous habitat

c)

the area was once covered by a warm sea

d)

the rock layers represent what was once a temperate forest

14.

How do scientists learn new information about the geologic history of Earth?

a)

  • They study rocks and fossils

b)

They ask really smart people

c)

They read magazines

d)

They research the topic on the internet

15.

The units of geologic time in order from largest to smallest are-

a)

Epoch, Era, Period

b)

Era, Epoch, Period

c)

Age, Era, Period

d)

Era, Period, Epoch

16.

A gap in the rock record is called a(an)—

a)

unconformity

b)

paleogap

c)

superposition

d)

uniformitarianism

17.

Why are fossils rarely found in metamorphic or igneous rock?

a)

Chemicals toxic to living organisms are released during formation of these rocks.

b)

Heat and pressure are great enough to destroy the structure of fossils found in these rocks.

c)

Decay of radioactive isotopes changes the fossils into a different rock structure.

d)

Intense magnetic fields found where these rocks form keep organisms from living there.

18.

A fossil discovered in Colorado dates from the early Mesozoic era. A year later a similar fossil is found in Wyoming that also dates from the early Mesozoic era. These two organisms most likely lived in-

a)

the same environment at about the same time.

b)

the same environment at different times.

c)
  • different environments at about the same time.

d)

different environments at different times.

19.

Which is true about index fossils?

a)

widespread

b)

short life span

c)

all of the above

d)

used to date rocks

20.

Which method would be best for scientists to use to determine the absolute age of a Precambrian igneous rock?

a)

law of superposition

b)

index fossils

c)

radiometric dating

d)

law of original horizontality

21.

When did humans appear in the fossil record?

a)

Paleozoic

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Pre-cambrian

22.

What is an impression, remains or other evidence of the former existence of life called?

a)

Era

b)

Crust

c)

Rock

d)

Fossil

23.

According to this graph of Carbon-14 half life, what percent carbon remains when a fossil is 22,800 years old?

a)

50%

b)

12.5%

c)

6.25%

d)

25%

24.

The law of cross-cutting relationships says that --

a)

The event that cuts across another is younger than the one it cuts across.

b)

The fault is always younger than the intrusion.

c)
  • The oldest layer is found on the bottom in a geologic column.

d)

the intrusion is always younger than the fault.

25.

Fossils that are used to date rocks or other fossils are called–

a)

Trace Fossils

b)

Index Fossils

c)

Period Fossils

d)

Facies Fossils

26.

In which type of rock are fossils normally found?

a)

  • Sedimentary

b)

Metamorphic

c)

Igneous

d)

Intrusive