Question 1

Which sequence of numbers reflects the order in which the layers were deposited?

Accepted Answer

A) 1,2,3,4 
B) 1,3,4,2 
C) 4,3,2,1 
D) 4,3,1,2 
E) none of these 
A) 1,2,3,4 
B) 1,3,4,2 
C) 4,3,2,1 
D) 4,3,1,2 
E) none of these

Question 2

This photograph shows an upper light-colored conglomerate and a lower dark basalt.Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) the conglomerate is older because it overlies the dark basalt 
B) the conglomerate is younger because it contains clasts of the dark basalt 
C) the basalt is younger because it is crosscut by fractures filled with conglomerate 
D) none of these 
A) the conglomerate is older because it overlies the dark basalt 
B) the conglomerate is younger because it contains clasts of the dark basalt 
C) the basalt is younger because it is crosscut by fractures filled with conglomerate 
D) none of these

Question 3

The impressions of fossil shells in this photograph probably indicate that the rock was deposited:

Accepted Answer

A) by the wind 
B) in the sea 
C) in a dry climate 
D) in a forest 
A) by the wind 
B) in the sea 
C) in a dry climate 
D) in a forest

Question 4

This figure shows the geologic timescale.Which period listed below would be part of the Paleozoic?

Accepted Answer

A) Neogene 
B) Paleogene 
C) Jurassic 
D) Triassic 
E) Cambrian 
A) Neogene 
B) Paleogene 
C) Jurassic 
D) Triassic 
E) Cambrian

Question 5

What marks the boundary between the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic (called the K-P boundary)?

Accepted Answer

A) the extinction of the dinosaurs 
B) the start of a rise to dominance of mammals 
C) a meteorite impact in Mexico 
D) all of these 
E) none of these 
A) the extinction of the dinosaurs 
B) the start of a rise to dominance of mammals 
C) a meteorite impact in Mexico 
D) all of these 
E) none of these

Question 6

What types of life developed during the Paleozoic?

Accepted Answer

A) corals,crinoids,and other creatures with shells 
B) trilobites 
C) fish and amphibians 
D) plants and insects 
E) all of these 
A) corals,crinoids,and other creatures with shells 
B) trilobites 
C) fish and amphibians 
D) plants and insects 
E) all of these

Question 7

To what does the term evolution refer?

Accepted Answer

A) observed changes in the fossil record 
B) to one or more theories that help explain observed changes 
C) as a general term to describe how something,such as a landscape,has changed over time 
D) all of these 
A) observed changes in the fossil record 
B) to one or more theories that help explain observed changes 
C) as a general term to describe how something,such as a landscape,has changed over time 
D) all of these

Question 8

Which of the numbered features is the youngest?

Accepted Answer

A) conglomerate (1) 
B) unconformity (2) 
C) shale layer (3) 
D) lower sedimentary units (4) 
E) formation of the fold (5) 
A) conglomerate (1) 
B) unconformity (2) 
C) shale layer (3) 
D) lower sedimentary units (4) 
E) formation of the fold (5)

Question 9

This figure has rock units and geologic features that are assigned letters that are not in any particular order.From the geologic relations,what is the youngest unit or feature of those listed below?

Accepted Answer

A) limestone in the far right (unit K) 
B) dike (unit 
D)  
C) conglomerate (unit 
C)  
D) lava flow (unit L) 
E) granite (unit G) 
A) limestone in the far right (unit K) 
B) dike (unit 
D)  
C) conglomerate (unit 
C)  
D) lava flow (unit L) 
E) granite (unit G)

Question 10

In this diagram the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional.What is the youngest unit?

Accepted Answer

A) the lava flow (unit 11) 
B) the fault (unit 10) 
C) highest layer (unit 5) 
D) lowest layer (unit 2) 
E) granite (unit 1) 
A) the lava flow (unit 11) 
B) the fault (unit 10) 
C) highest layer (unit 5) 
D) lowest layer (unit 2) 
E) granite (unit 1)

Question 11

What were some of the earliest forms of life on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) land plants and insects 
B) corals and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures 
C) microscopic creatures that built mound-shaped structures called stromatolites 
D) sharks 
A) land plants and insects 
B) corals and other bottom-dwelling sea creatures 
C) microscopic creatures that built mound-shaped structures called stromatolites 
D) sharks

Question 12

Which of the following is NOT a way in which fossils can be preserved?

Accepted Answer

A) They can be replaced by hard materials,such as silica. 
B) They can be buried and decay,leaving a cavity in the rock. 
C) They can be preserved in ancient tree sap. 
D) They can be too small to see but can build diagnostic features in the rocks. 
E) All of these are ways a fossil can be preserved. 
A) They can be replaced by hard materials,such as silica. 
B) They can be buried and decay,leaving a cavity in the rock. 
C) They can be preserved in ancient tree sap. 
D) They can be too small to see but can build diagnostic features in the rocks. 
E) All of these are ways a fossil can be preserved.

Question 13

This figure shows the main subdivisions of the geologic timescale.Which of these is the Precambrian?

Accepted Answer

A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D 
A) A 
B) B 
C) C 
D) D

Question 14

Which of the following is NOT something we can learn by determining isotopic ages?

Accepted Answer

A) the age of a volcanic eruption 
B) the age when a rock is uplifted toward the surface 
C) the age of material from which clasts in a sedimentary rock were derived 
D) the cooling history by using different types of isotopic ages 
E) we can determine all of these 
A) the age of a volcanic eruption 
B) the age when a rock is uplifted toward the surface 
C) the age of material from which clasts in a sedimentary rock were derived 
D) the cooling history by using different types of isotopic ages 
E) we can determine all of these

Question 15

This figure shows two sections that represent the same age range and contain some of the same fossils.If you compare the two sections,what conclusions do you come to?

Accepted Answer

A) Some of the fossils must have had a limited geographic distribution. 
B) Some units were deposited in the left section but not in the right one or were eroded away. 
C) The thickness of the units are consistent between the two sections. 
D) All of these. 
E) None of these. 
A) Some of the fossils must have had a limited geographic distribution. 
B) Some units were deposited in the left section but not in the right one or were eroded away. 
C) The thickness of the units are consistent between the two sections. 
D) All of these. 
E) None of these.

Question 16

Of the following numbered units,which is the oldest?

Accepted Answer

A) a sedimentary layer (2) 
B) the granite (4) 
C) gravels along the river (7) 
D) the volcano and lava flow (9) 
E) the highest sedimentary layer (11) 
A) a sedimentary layer (2) 
B) the granite (4) 
C) gravels along the river (7) 
D) the volcano and lava flow (9) 
E) the highest sedimentary layer (11)

Question 17

From this cross section of the Grand Canyon,what occurred between the formation of the Precambrian metamorphic rocks and the deposition of the lowest Paleozoic rocks?

Accepted Answer

A) uplift 
B) erosion 
C) deposition and tilting of the Precambrian sedimentary and igneous rocks 
D) all of these 
E) a and b only 
A) uplift 
B) erosion 
C) deposition and tilting of the Precambrian sedimentary and igneous rocks 
D) all of these 
E) a and b only

Question 18

In this diagram,the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional and the dike (unit 6)cuts across both units.What is the oldest unit?

Accepted Answer

A) the lava flow (unit 11) 
B) the fault (unit 10) 
C) the dike (unit 6) 
D) lowest layer (unit 2) 
E) granite (unit 1) 
A) the lava flow (unit 11) 
B) the fault (unit 10) 
C) the dike (unit 6) 
D) lowest layer (unit 2) 
E) granite (unit 1)

Question 19

In this photograph,Paleozoic sandstone rests depositionally on Precambrian granite.What events must have occurred before deposition of the sandstone?

Accepted Answer

A) uplift of granite to the surface 
B) solidification of granite at depth 
C) formation of an erosion surface 
D) all of these 
E) none of these 
A) uplift of granite to the surface 
B) solidification of granite at depth 
C) formation of an erosion surface 
D) all of these 
E) none of these

Question 20

The contact at the base of unit F in both columns:

Accepted Answer

A) is a disconformity 
B) represents erosion or no deposition 
C) represents some missing time 
D) all of these 
A) is a disconformity 
B) represents erosion or no deposition 
C) represents some missing time 
D) all of these

Which sequence of numbers reflects the order in which the layers were deposited?

This photograph shows an upper light-colored conglomerate and a lower dark basalt.Which of the following statements is true?

The impressions of fossil shells in this photograph probably indicate that the rock was deposited:

This figure shows the geologic timescale.Which period listed below would be part of the Paleozoic?

What marks the boundary between the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic (called the K-P boundary)?

What types of life developed during the Paleozoic?

To what does the term evolution refer?

Which of the numbered features is the youngest?

This figure has rock units and geologic features that are assigned letters that are not in any particular order.From the geologic relations,what is the youngest unit or feature of those listed below?

In this diagram the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional.What is the youngest unit?

What were some of the earliest forms of life on Earth?

Which of the following is NOT a way in which fossils can be preserved?

This figure shows the main subdivisions of the geologic timescale.Which of these is the Precambrian?

Which of the following is NOT something we can learn by determining isotopic ages?

This figure shows two sections that represent the same age range and contain some of the same fossils.If you compare the two sections,what conclusions do you come to?

Of the following numbered units,which is the oldest?

From this cross section of the Grand Canyon,what occurred between the formation of the Precambrian metamorphic rocks and the deposition of the lowest Paleozoic rocks?

In this diagram,the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional and the dike (unit 6)cuts across both units.What is the oldest unit?

In this photograph,Paleozoic sandstone rests depositionally on Precambrian granite.What events must have occurred before deposition of the sandstone?

The contact at the base of unit F in both columns:

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Exam 9: Geologic Time

Which sequence of numbers reflects the order in which the layers were deposited?

This photograph shows an upper light-colored conglomerate and a lower dark basalt.Which of the following statements is true?

The impressions of fossil shells in this photograph probably indicate that the rock was deposited:

This figure shows the geologic timescale.Which period listed below would be part of the Paleozoic?

What marks the boundary between the Mesozoic and the Cenozoic (called the K-P boundary)?

What types of life developed during the Paleozoic?

To what does the term evolution refer?

Which of the numbered features is the youngest?

This figure has rock units and geologic features that are assigned letters that are not in any particular order.From the geologic relations,what is the youngest unit or feature of those listed below?

In this diagram the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional.What is the youngest unit?

What were some of the earliest forms of life on Earth?

Which of the following is NOT a way in which fossils can be preserved?

This figure shows the main subdivisions of the geologic timescale.Which of these is the Precambrian?

Which of the following is NOT something we can learn by determining isotopic ages?

This figure shows two sections that represent the same age range and contain some of the same fossils.If you compare the two sections,what conclusions do you come to?

Of the following numbered units,which is the oldest?

From this cross section of the Grand Canyon,what occurred between the formation of the Precambrian metamorphic rocks and the deposition of the lowest Paleozoic rocks?

In this diagram,the contact between the granite (unit 1)and the lowest layer (unit 2)is depositional and the dike (unit 6)cuts across both units.What is the oldest unit?

In this photograph,Paleozoic sandstone rests depositionally on Precambrian granite.What events must have occurred before deposition of the sandstone?

The contact at the base of unit F in both columns:

The Nature of Geology

Investigating Geologic Questions

Plate Tectonics

Earth Materials

Igneous Environments

Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

Sedimentary Environments and Rocks

Deformation and Metamorphism

The Seafloor and Continental Margins

Mountains, basins, and Continents

Earthquakes and Earths Interior

Climate, weather, and Their Influences on Geology

Glaciers, shorelines, and Changing Sea Levels

Weathering, soil, and Unstable Slopes

Streams and Flooding

Water Resources

Energy and Mineral Resources

Geology of the Solar System

Filters