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ES Geologic History

Total questions: 85

Worksheet time: 1hrs 23mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which is the first event that occurred?

a)

F

b)

E

c)

D

d)

C

2.

Layer D represents a

a)

Unconformity

b)

Igneous Intrusion

c)

Sedimentary Layer

d)

Fault

3.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the ages of layers B and C?

a)

Layer C is older than Layer B

b)

Layer B is older than Layer C

c)

They are the same age

4.

Put the lettered layers in order from oldest to youngest.

(a)  

5.

Layer E represents a

a)

Unconformity

b)

Igneous Intrusion

c)

Sedimentary Layer

d)

Fault

6.

Sketch in the space below what an unconformity would look like on a relative dating example.

7.

The law of (a)   states that oldest rocks are always located on the bottom of a geologic cross section.

8.
a)

Trilobites

b)

Stromatolites

c)

Brachiopods

d)

Eurypterids

9.

What makes a fossil a useful index fossil? (CHECK YOUR NOTES! THIS WILL BE ON THE TEST!)

a)

was narrowly distributed (lived in a small area) and went extinct after a long period of time

b)

is easily found and is living today

c)

was widely distributed (lived all over the world) and went extinct after a short period of time

d)

is rarely found and is no longer living

10.
a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

11.
a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

12.

Which radioactive isotope would be best for dating a rock that is around 20,000 years old?

a)

Carbon-14

b)

Potassium-40

c)

Uranium-238

d)

Rubidium-87

13.

A tree sample has decayed from 400 grams of C-14 to 50 grams of C-14. How old many years did this take?

a)

5,700 years

b)

11,400 years

c)

17,100 years

d)

22,800 years

14.

A rock sample is found to have 25% of its' original K-40 remaining. How old is this rock?

a)

1.3 x 10^9 years

b)

2.6 x 10^9 years

c)

3.9 x 10^9 years

d)

5.2 x 10^9 years

15.

In which geologic period did Earth's first coral reefs start to appear?

a)

Devonian

b)

Silurian

c)

Ordovician

d)

Cambrian

16.

Approximately how many years ago did the Palisades Sill form?

a)

195 million

b)

2 million

c)

570 million

d)

1650 million

17.

What city in NYS could you potentially find this fossil in?

a)

Elmira

b)

Ithaca

c)

Jamestown

d)

Oswego

18.

What NYS landscape region could this fossil be located in?

a)

The Catskills

b)

Newark Lowlands

c)

Allegheny Plateau

d)

Tug Hill Plateau

19.

Put unconformity L, igneous intrusion M, and fault P in the correct order.

a)

Fault - Unconformity - Intrusion

b)

Unconformity - Fault - Intrusion

c)

Fault - Intrusion - Unconformity

d)

Intrusion - Fault - Unconformity

20.

Which letter best represents an index fossil?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

21.

When did a mass extinction of dinosaurs and many land plants occur?

a)

65.5 mya

b)

251 mya

c)

300 mya

d)

440 mya

22.
Which type of dating method can be used on rock layers by applying the Law of Superposition?
a)
relative dating
b)
absolute dating
c)
radioactive dating
d)
radiometric dating
23.
Scientists use radioactive decay to measure...
a)
relative time
b)
absolute time
c)
half-lives
d)
time of day
24.
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
25.
April is older than Zack, who is older than Rick.  This is an example of:
a)
Relative Dating
b)
Absolute Dating
c)
Law of superposition
d)
radiometric dating
26.
During which era/eon did the dinosaurs live and die?
a)
Paleozoic
b)
Pre-Cambrian
c)
Mesozoic
d)
Cenozoic
27.
Which type of dating gives us the age of an item in exact years?
a)
Radioactive or Absolute
b)
Relative
28.
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
29.
According to the law of superposition, which layer is the youngest?
a)
A
b)
B
c)
C
30.

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

31.

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

32.

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.

33.

The vertical section of rock in this image is a(n)

a)

igneous intrusion

b)

metamorphic foliation

c)

sedimentary structure

d)

none of the above

34.

True of False: Igneous Intrusions and Extrusions are younger than the rock layers they cut through

a)

True

b)

False

35.

True or False: Fragments of rock found inside another rock are always older than the rock of which they are a part

a)

True

b)

False

36.

What letter represents the most recent geologic activity?

a)

A

b)

B

c)

C

d)

D

e)

E

37.
You have 100 grams of radioactive C-14. The half life of C-14 is 5730 years. 
How many grams are left after 1 half life? 
a)
100 grams
b)
25 grams
c)
2 grams
d)
50 grams
38.

Period characterized by the greatest development, rise of modern insects and flowering plants

a)

Jurassic

b)

Triassic

c)

Neogene

d)

Cretaceous

39.

All the geologic time before the start of the Cambrian Period in the Paleozoic Era.

a)

Cambrian

b)

Precambrian

c)

Proterozoic

d)

Phanerozoic

40.

A major division of geologic time, our Phanerozoic Eon is divided into three of these

a)

Epoch

b)

Eon

c)

Era

d)

Period

41.

Development of many sea reptiles;early large dinosaurs; later,flying reptiles, and earliest known birds

a)

Triassic

b)

Jurassic

c)

Cretaceous

d)

Carboniferous

42.

Formation of oceans, atmosphere, and continents; bacteria

a)

Archaean

b)

Precambrian

c)

Triassic

d)

Proterozoic

43.

Subdivisions of eras

a)

Eon

b)

Epoch

c)

Period

44.

Which set of characteristics produces a good index fossil?

a)

narrow time frame, wide geographic region

b)

wide time frame, narrow geographic region

c)

narrow time frame, narrow geographic region

45.

Which letter best represents an index fossil?

a)

W

b)

X

c)

Y

d)

Z

46.

Which graph shows the relative duration of geologic time for Earth's history?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

47.

Which of the following is not an era of the Phanerozoic Eon?

a)

Proterozoic

b)

Cenozoic

c)

Mesozoic

d)

Paleozoic

48.

During which eon did the oldest known rocks originate?

a)

Phanerozoic

b)

Proterozoic

c)

Archean

d)

Mesozoic

49.

Which orogenic event formed Pangaea as North America collided with Africa?

a)

Alleghenian

b)

Acadian

c)

Taconian

d)

Grenville

50.

During which era did the advance and retreat of the last continental ice occur?

a)

Quaternary

b)

Pleistocene

c)

Cenozoic

d)

Phanerozoic

51.
What might you conclude if a fish fossil was found on top of a mountain in Kentucky?
a)
An Earthquake happened there.
b)
A Volcano erupted there.
c)
A forest covered that area for a while.
d)
A Sea once covered the area.
52.
The Law of Superposition helps scientists to determine what?
a)
The absolute age of rock layers
b)
The age of fossils
c)
The relative age of rock layers
d)
the super powers of rocks
53.
What type of rock do fossils form in?
a)
Igneous
b)
Sedimentary
c)
Metamorphic
d)
Classic
54.
Which rock layer in the diagram seems to be the oldest?
a)
F
b)
E
c)
B
d)
A
55.

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

56.

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

a)

FEDABC

b)

ABCFED

c)

DEFCBA

d)

FEDCBA

57.

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

a)

not related

b)

younger

c)

older

d)

the same age

58.

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

59.

Approximately 2.2 billion years ago, which gas was first added in large amounts to Earth's atmosphere from life-forms that evolved in the oceans?

a)

carbon dioxide

b)

water vapor

c)

oxygen

d)

nitrogen

60.

Which sequence shows the correct order of Earth’s geologic time intervals from oldest to youngest?

a)

Archean → Mesozoic → Cenozoic → Paleozoic → Proterozoic

b)

Archean → Proterozoic → Paleozoic → Mesozoic → Cenozoic

c)

Cenozoic → Mesozoic → Paleozoic → Proterozoic → Archean

d)

Cenozoic → Paleozoic → Archean → Mesozoic → Proterozoic

61.

Zittelloceras is a New York State index fossil. Which mountain-building event occurred in New York State during the time when Zittelloceras was living in oceans covering parts of New York State?

a)

Alleghenian orogeny

b)

Acadian orogeny

c)

Taconian orogeny

d)

Grenville orogen

62.

Sedimentary rock layers that were deposited between 488 million and 444 million years ago are found on the surface at which two New York State locations?

a)

Ithaca and Jamestown

b)

Utica and Syracuse

c)

Oswego and Old Forge

d)

Albany and Massena

63.

Which important geologic event in New York State occurred just after the Grenville Mountains were starting to erode?

a)

Pangea began to break up.

b)

The Iapetus Ocean began to open.

c)

The Catskill Delta formed

d)

The Taconic Mountains were eroded.

64.

Which New York landscape region is composed primarily of Cretaceous through Pleistocene unconsolidated sediments?

a)

Champlain Lowlands

b)

Erie-Ontario Lowlands

c)

Hudson-Mohawk Lowlands

d)

Atlantic Coastal Lowlands

65.
What are the relative ages of the features in order from oldest to youngest?
a)
Limestone, Basalt, Fault, Siltstone
b)
Siltstone, Fault, Basalt, Limestone
c)
Limestone, Fault, Basalt, Siltstone
d)
Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt
66.

Which fossil could be classified as an index fossil?

a)
b)
c)
d)
67.

What is the name of the contact metamorphic rock found at A?

a)

Slate

b)

Sandstone

c)

Quartzite

d)

Marble

68.

If a fossil has 25% of its C-14 left, how many half lives have passed?

a)

1

b)

2

c)

3

d)

4

69.

What is the oldest rock in the image?

a)

Shale

b)

Igneous rock

c)

Quartzite

d)

Sandstone

70.

If a fossil has 25% of its C-14 left, how old is it?

a)

16 years old

b)

5,700 years old

c)

11,400 years old

d)

17,100 years old

71.

As you travel from Mt. Marcy to Ithaca, the age of the bedrock...

a)

Increases (gets older)

b)

Decreases (gets younger)

c)

Stays the same

72.

What is radio active decay?

a)

The preserved remains of an organism.

b)

Atoms in an unstable element break down to form another element.

c)

When things die and their remains are buried.

d)

The time it takes for 1/2 of the radioactive atoms to decay in an element.

73.

If the same species of reptile was found in Africa and south america, what could this evidence support?

a)

the used to be a land bridge between Africa and South America

b)

That reptiles swam accross the ocean

c)

Africa and South America used to be joined together

d)

humans moved the reptiles from one continent to the other.

74.

The diagram shows a sedimentary rock sample that contains igneous rock intrusions.Which sequence shows the age of the fossils from youngest to oldest?

a)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

b)

3, 5, 4, 2, 1

c)

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

d)

5, 4, 2, 1, 3

75.

A geologist examines a rock outcrop obtained from a region with the rock layers labeled from 1 to 6.In what order were the rock layers likely deposited (laid down) over time?

a)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

b)

5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 6

c)

5, 4, 3, 6, 2, 1

d)

6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

76.

Fossils are rarely found in Precambrian rocks because, at that time

a)

no life existed

b)

few life forms had hard parts

c)

few sedimentary rocks formed

d)

a meteorite impact destroyed most fossils

77.

Rocks containing fossils of the earliest land animals could most likely be found in NYS bedrock near

a)

Syracuse

b)

Oswego

c)

Ithaca

d)

Old Forge

78.

Approximately how long ago were the Taconic Mountains uplifted?

a)

540 million years ago

b)

470 million years ago

c)

310 million years ago

d)

120 million years ago

79.
Traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago
a)
Fossil
b)
Unconformity
c)
Superposition
d)
Column
80.
How have the rocks been disturbed?
a)
tilting
b)
folding
c)
faulting
d)
igneous intrusion
81.
How have the rocks been disturbed?
a)
tilting
b)
folding
c)
faulting
d)
igneous intrusion
82.
A is older than layer C
a)
TRUE
b)
FALSE
83.
Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.
a)
change over time
b)
change from place to place
c)
are constant
d)
vary widely
84.
The original element that undergoes radioactive decay is known as the...
a)
daughter element
b)
half-life
c)
parent element
d)
carbon-14
85.

The element that is the product of radioactive decay is known as the...

a)

daughter element

b)

half-life

c)

parent element

d)

carbon-14

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