Question 1

Acritarchs, conodonts, graptolites and trilobites would all be useful as index fossils, environmental indicators, or relative dating tools for _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  Mesozoic coals 
B)  Cretaceous through Eocene aeolian deposits 
C)  Cenozoic conglomerates 
D)  Paleozoic marine shales and carbonates 
A)  Mesozoic coals 
B)  Cretaceous through Eocene aeolian deposits 
C)  Cenozoic conglomerates 
D)  Paleozoic marine shales and carbonates

Question 2

How can fossiliferous sedimentary rock most easily be dated and correlated if they lack the most diagnostic index fossil for that period or epoch?

Accepted Answer

A)  by mapping out the intervening contacts or drilling a series of boreholes between 
B)  by using the entire fossil assemblage and ranges for the two localities in question 
C)  by performing radiometric dating like U- 238/Pb- 206 or C- 14 on fossils 
D)  by paying a geologist to tell you the answer 
A)  by mapping out the intervening contacts or drilling a series of boreholes between 
B)  by using the entire fossil assemblage and ranges for the two localities in question 
C)  by performing radiometric dating like U- 238/Pb- 206 or C- 14 on fossils 
D)  by paying a geologist to tell you the answer

Question 3

What is the source of natural carbon- 14?

Accepted Answer

A)  cosmic ray collisions triggering "neutron- capture" in ordinary atmospheric nitrogen 
B)  leakage of radioactive gases from the liquid, outer core 
C)  nuclear fission of the heavy, radioactive elements uranium and thorium 
D)  fusion of hydrogen and helium in the Sun and eruption of solar flares 
A)  cosmic ray collisions triggering "neutron- capture" in ordinary atmospheric nitrogen 
B)  leakage of radioactive gases from the liquid, outer core 
C)  nuclear fission of the heavy, radioactive elements uranium and thorium 
D)  fusion of hydrogen and helium in the Sun and eruption of solar flares

Question 4

In a given area where you have little knowledge of the local geology (rocks types, fossils, etc.), what type of unconformity would be the most difficult to recognize in an exposed sequence of rocks? Why?

Accepted Answer

Disconformity. Rock layers above and bel

Question 5

Which organisms were free swimmers and found in a great variety of Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine habitats?

Accepted Answer

A)  chitnozoans and graptolites 
B)  diatoms and diatoms 
C)  flatclams and trilobites 
D)  ammonoids and conodonts 
A)  chitnozoans and graptolites 
B)  diatoms and diatoms 
C)  flatclams and trilobites 
D)  ammonoids and conodonts

Question 6

Which of the following denotes remains of particular organisms that were widely distributed, but lived for only a relatively brief interval of geologic time?

Accepted Answer

A)  eratosthenes 
B)  internal moulds 
C)  fleeting impressions 
D)  index fossils 
A)  eratosthenes 
B)  internal moulds 
C)  fleeting impressions 
D)  index fossils

Question 7

The ratio of radioactive parent to stable daughter atoms in a mineral is measured as 1:3. How many half- lives have elapsed since the mineral grain formed, assuming that only parent atoms were present when it crystallized?

Accepted Answer

A)  2.0 
B)  0.5 
C)  1.5 
D)  3.0 
A)  2.0 
B)  0.5 
C)  1.5 
D)  3.0

Question 8

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 25,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

Accepted Answer

A)  1/4 to 1/8 
B)  1/2 to 1/4 
C)  1/8 to 1/16 
D)  1/16 to 1/32 
A)  1/4 to 1/8 
B)  1/2 to 1/4 
C)  1/8 to 1/16 
D)  1/16 to 1/32

Question 9

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 15,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

Accepted Answer

A)  >1/2 
B)  1/8 to 1/16 
C)  1/2 to 1/4 
D)  1/4 to 1/8 
A)  >1/2 
B)  1/8 to 1/16 
C)  1/2 to 1/4 
D)  1/4 to 1/8

Question 10

_______is an erosional contact between tilted, older strata below and horizontal, younger strata above?

Accepted Answer

A)  A disconformity 
B)  An angular unconformity 
C)  A cross- cutting fault 
D)  An angular deformity 
A)  A disconformity 
B)  An angular unconformity 
C)  A cross- cutting fault 
D)  An angular deformity

Question 11

Both long- lived, naturally occurring, uranium isotopes decay through a series of intermediate, radioactive, daughter isotopes to stable isotopes of _________.

Accepted Answer

A)  lead 
B)  carbon 
C)  thorium 
D)  radon 
A)  lead 
B)  carbon 
C)  thorium 
D)  radon

Question 12

Complex, invertebrate, life forms are common as fossils, beginning with marine strata of Cambrian age. How long ago did the Cambrian Period begin?

Accepted Answer

A)  65 million years 
B)  542 million years 
C)  4.6 billion years 
D)  542 billion years 
A)  65 million years 
B)  542 million years 
C)  4.6 billion years 
D)  542 billion years

Question 13

The Phanerozoic Eon comprises approximately the ________of geologic time.

Accepted Answer

A)  first 15% 
B)  last 15% 
C)  first 85% 
D)  last 85% 
A)  first 15% 
B)  last 15% 
C)  first 85% 
D)  last 85%

Question 14

After the normal fault A moved, which was the next younger geologic feature?

Accepted Answer

The answer of After the normal fault A moved, which...

Question 15

What gas is a radioactive daughter product of the U- 238 decay series?

Accepted Answer

A)  xenon- 143 
B)  argon- 40 
C)  radon- 226 
D)  carbon- 14 
A)  xenon- 143 
B)  argon- 40 
C)  radon- 226 
D)  carbon- 14

Question 16

Which of the following statements is true, concerning sedimentary strata separated by a disconformity?

Accepted Answer

A)  All of the older strata were eroded away before the younger strata were tilted. 
B)  All strata exhibit parallel bedding or stratification, but there is a hiatus (missing record). 
C)  The younger strata were tilted after the older strata were. 
D)  The older strata were tilted when the younger strata were deposited. 
A)  All of the older strata were eroded away before the younger strata were tilted. 
B)  All strata exhibit parallel bedding or stratification, but there is a hiatus (missing record). 
C)  The younger strata were tilted after the older strata were. 
D)  The older strata were tilted when the younger strata were deposited.

Question 17

At the end of the Cretaceous (K/T boundary) what unusual geologic phenomenon occurred that has been linked to mass extinction and the end of the dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 10 km diameter meteor impact occurred on the Yucatan peninsula. 
B)  The climate abruptly warmed and massive weathering of iridium poisoned the seas 
C)  Enormous outpourings of basaltic lavas built the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. 
D)  Dinosaurs were hunted to extinction by Klingons. 
A)  A 10 km diameter meteor impact occurred on the Yucatan peninsula. 
B)  The climate abruptly warmed and massive weathering of iridium poisoned the seas 
C)  Enormous outpourings of basaltic lavas built the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia. 
D)  Dinosaurs were hunted to extinction by Klingons.

Question 18

Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?

Accepted Answer

A)  The discordant boundary between older strata and an intrusive body of granite. 
B)  Horizontal lava flows lie below the unconformity and horizontal, sedimentary strata lie above. 
C)  Tilted strata lie below the unconformity; bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity. 
D)  Igneous dykes cutting through sills at an angle. 
A)  The discordant boundary between older strata and an intrusive body of granite. 
B)  Horizontal lava flows lie below the unconformity and horizontal, sedimentary strata lie above. 
C)  Tilted strata lie below the unconformity; bedding in younger strata above is parallel to the unconformity. 
D)  Igneous dykes cutting through sills at an angle.

Question 19

An unconformity is__________.

Accepted Answer

A)  an erosional (or non- depositional) surface with younger strata above and older rocks below 
B)  the contact between a cross- cutting pluton and sedimentary rocks 
C)  the lower contact of an intrusive sill with sedimentary strata 
D)  a fault with younger, sedimentary rocks above and older, igneous rocks below 
A)  an erosional (or non- depositional) surface with younger strata above and older rocks below 
B)  the contact between a cross- cutting pluton and sedimentary rocks 
C)  the lower contact of an intrusive sill with sedimentary strata 
D)  a fault with younger, sedimentary rocks above and older, igneous rocks below

Question 20

Which of the following is an essential characteristic of an index fossil?

Accepted Answer

A)  The fossils occur in deep- water marine sediments, but the organism actually lived in the sunlit, surface layer of the ocean. 
B)  The organism only lived for a short span of geologic time but was very widespread. 
C)  The fossils are exceptionally abundant for a long time span and readily preserved. 
D)  The organism lived only in specific environments such as beaches or estuaries. 
A)  The fossils occur in deep- water marine sediments, but the organism actually lived in the sunlit, surface layer of the ocean. 
B)  The organism only lived for a short span of geologic time but was very widespread. 
C)  The fossils are exceptionally abundant for a long time span and readily preserved. 
D)  The organism lived only in specific environments such as beaches or estuaries.

Acritarchs, conodonts, graptolites and trilobites would all be useful as index fossils, environmental indicators, or relative dating tools for _________.

How can fossiliferous sedimentary rock most easily be dated and correlated if they lack the most diagnostic index fossil for that period or epoch?

What is the source of natural carbon- 14?

In a given area where you have little knowledge of the local geology (rocks types, fossils, etc.), what type of unconformity would be the most difficult to recognize in an exposed sequence of rocks? Why?

Which organisms were free swimmers and found in a great variety of Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine habitats?

Which of the following denotes remains of particular organisms that were widely distributed, but lived for only a relatively brief interval of geologic time?

The ratio of radioactive parent to stable daughter atoms in a mineral is measured as 1:3. How many half- lives have elapsed since the mineral grain formed, assuming that only parent atoms were present when it crystallized?

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 25,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 15,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

_______is an erosional contact between tilted, older strata below and horizontal, younger strata above?

Both long- lived, naturally occurring, uranium isotopes decay through a series of intermediate, radioactive, daughter isotopes to stable isotopes of _________.

Complex, invertebrate, life forms are common as fossils, beginning with marine strata of Cambrian age. How long ago did the Cambrian Period begin?

The Phanerozoic Eon comprises approximately the ________of geologic time.

After the normal fault A moved, which was the next younger geologic feature?

What gas is a radioactive daughter product of the U- 238 decay series?

Which of the following statements is true, concerning sedimentary strata separated by a disconformity?

At the end of the Cretaceous (K/T boundary) what unusual geologic phenomenon occurred that has been linked to mass extinction and the end of the dinosaurs?

Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?

An unconformity is__________.

Which of the following is an essential characteristic of an index fossil?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters

Exam 19: Shorelines

Acritarchs, conodonts, graptolites and trilobites would all be useful as index fossils, environmental indicators, or relative dating tools for _________.

How can fossiliferous sedimentary rock most easily be dated and correlated if they lack the most diagnostic index fossil for that period or epoch?

What is the source of natural carbon- 14?

In a given area where you have little knowledge of the local geology (rocks types, fossils, etc.), what type of unconformity would be the most difficult to recognize in an exposed sequence of rocks? Why?

Which organisms were free swimmers and found in a great variety of Paleozoic and Mesozoic marine habitats?

Which of the following denotes remains of particular organisms that were widely distributed, but lived for only a relatively brief interval of geologic time?

The ratio of radioactive parent to stable daughter atoms in a mineral is measured as 1:3. How many half- lives have elapsed since the mineral grain formed, assuming that only parent atoms were present when it crystallized?

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 25,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

The half- life of carbon- 14 is about 5730 years. Assume that a sample of charcoal formed by burning wood that lived 15,000 years ago. How much of the original carbon- 14 would remain today?

_______is an erosional contact between tilted, older strata below and horizontal, younger strata above?

Both long- lived, naturally occurring, uranium isotopes decay through a series of intermediate, radioactive, daughter isotopes to stable isotopes of _________.

Complex, invertebrate, life forms are common as fossils, beginning with marine strata of Cambrian age. How long ago did the Cambrian Period begin?

The Phanerozoic Eon comprises approximately the ________of geologic time.

After the normal fault A moved, which was the next younger geologic feature?

What gas is a radioactive daughter product of the U- 238 decay series?

Which of the following statements is true, concerning sedimentary strata separated by a disconformity?

At the end of the Cretaceous (K/T boundary) what unusual geologic phenomenon occurred that has been linked to mass extinction and the end of the dinosaurs?

Which of the following best characterizes an angular unconformity?

An unconformity is__________.

Which of the following is an essential characteristic of an index fossil?

An Introduction to Geology and Plate Tectonics

Minerals: the Building Blocks of Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Volcanoes and Volcanic Processes

Weathering and Soil

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism and Metamorphic Rocks

Geologic Time

Crustal Deformation

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

The Ocean Floor

Plate Tectonics: the Framework for Modern Geology

Mountain Building and Continental Frameworks

Mass Wasting: the Work of Gravity

Running Water

Groundwater

Glaciers and Glaciation

Deserts and Winds

Mineral and Energy Resources

Filters