WorksheetsGeology
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Before life evolved adaptations for living on the land, a major change in one of Earth's systems took place. Which of the following was a change that made it possible for life as we know it to live on the land?
a)
addition of carbon to ocean water
b)
addition of sodium to ocean water
c)
addition of oxygen to the atmosphere
d)
addition of ammonia to the atmosphere
2.
Early in Earth's history, the composition of the atmosphere was quite different from what it is today. When did Earth's atmosphere change due to living organisms?
a)
Cenozoic Era
b)
Mesozoic Era
c)
Paleozoic Era
d)
Precambrian time
3.
Early in the Paleozoic Era, plants began to colonize the continents. Which of the following changes to Earth's surface most likely happened as a result?
a)
sea level increased
b)
sea level decreased
c)
rates of erosion increased
d)
rates of erosion decreased
4.
The table below shows some of the major events in Earth’s history. Which event marks the end of the Permian Period?
a)
extinction of the dinosaurs
b)
early human ancestors appear
c)
first animals with exoskeletons appear
d)
largest mass extinction event in Earth’s history
5.
According to the fossil record, when did the dinosaurs become extinct?
a)
at the end of the Mesozoic Era
b)
at the end of the Paloezoic Era
c)
at the start of the Mesozoic Era
d)
at the start of the Paleozoic Era
6.
What is the law of superposition?
a)
gneous rock is older than nearby sedimentary rock, which is older than nearby metamorphic rock.
b)
A sedimentary rock layer in its original position is older than the layers above it and younger than the layers below it.
c)
Metamorphic rock is older than nearby sedimentary rock because sedimentary rock is deposited before metamorphic rock forms.
d)
The exact age of a sedimentary rock layer can be found using the layers above and below it, even if the layers are not in their original positions.
7.
How does the law of crosscutting relationships explain the age of a fault caused by an earthquake?
a)
The fault is older than the rocks above it.
b)
The fault is younger than the rocks above it.
c)
The fault is older than the rocks it cuts through.
d)
The fault is younger than the rocks it cuts through.
8.
What is a geologic column?
a)
a rock structure that is shaped like a column
b)
a body of rock that cuts through sedimentary rock layers
c)
a group of rock layers that are taken out of the ground to study
d)
a group of rock layers that are placed in order of their relative ages
9.
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of plants and animals that have lived on Earth throughout Earth’s history. How does the fossil record of animals compare to animals that exist today?
a)
Animals in the fossil record are the same as animals that exist today.
b)
Animals in the fossil record are ancestors of animals that exist today.
c)
Animals in the fossil record have no similarities to animals that exist today.
d)
Animals in the fossil record are more complex than animals that exist today.
10.
The following diagram shows rock layers that are cut by a fault and two bodies of rock (rock 1 and rock 2). What are the relative ages of the features in order of oldest to youngest?
a)
fault, rock 1, rock 2, layer 1
b)
layer 1, rock 2, rock 1, fault
c)
rock 2, layer 1, rock 1, fault
d)
fault, rock 2, layer 1, rock 1
11.
Julia has two samples of rocks for which she wants to find the absolute ages. She has a sample of sandstone and a sample of granite. Which statement explains why she can more easily date the granite sample?
a)
The granite is older.
b)
The granite is igneous.
c)
The granite is younger.
d)
The granite is sedimentary.
12.
What is the approximate age of Earth?
a)
4.6 billion years
b)
4.6 million years
c)
46,000 years
d)
4,600 years
13.
A mineral sample contains 25% of its original amount of potassium-40. The diagram below represents how potassium-40 decays. How long ago did the mineral form?
a)
1.3 million years
b)
2.6 million years
c)
1.3 billion years
d)
2.6 billion years
14.
Which statement best describes an index fossil?
a)
a fossil used to establish the absolute age of a rock layer
b)
a fossil formed in soft sediment by the movement of an animal
c)
a fossil of an insect captured in amber
d)
a fossil of an animal captured in ice
15.
Which of the following is a type of event that could cause immediate changes in Earth’s global climate?
a)
asteroid impact
b)
continental drift
c)
fossil formation
d)
mass extinction
16.
Which of the following types of geologic evidence could result from an asteroid impact on Earth's surface?
a)
alternating layers of lava and volcanic ash erupted by a volcano
b)
fossils that show a steady rate of evolution in a certain type of organism
c)
petrified trees that have tree rings showing several years of stunted growth
d)
ice cores that show a gradual change in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere
17.
The figure below shows one type of physical evidence that scientists use to understand Earth’s past. Imagine that you found this evidence on a mountaintop. What could you conclude from your discovery?
a)
This organism is now extinct.
b)
This fossil is older than the mountaintop.
c)
The mountaintop is made of metamorphic rock.
d)
The rocks on this mountaintop were once at the bottom of an ocean.
18.
Earth’s surface features slowly change over time. For example, sharp, jagged mountain ranges become lower and more rounded over time. What factor or factors is/are responsible for this change in their shape?
a)
deposition
b)
weathering and erosion
c)
movement of continents
d)
collisions between continental plates
19.
The figure below shows an example of a geologic change that supports the principle of uniformitarianism. What geologic change is shown in the figure?
a)
erosion
b)
abrasion
c)
volcanism
d)
deposition
20.
The figure below shows one type of physical evidence that scientists use to understand Earth’s past.What type of physical evidence is shown in this figure?
a)
fossil
b)
ice core
c)
coprolite
d)
tree rings
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