Earth Science- Interpreting Geologic History

Question 1

Which rock unit is the youngest?

Accepted Answer

basalt

Question 2

Which feature in a rock layer is older than the rock layer?

Accepted Answer

rock fragments

Question 3

How much of a 400 g sample of U238 would be left after 9 billion years?

Accepted Answer

100. g

Question 4

The changes in the fossil record from the Precambrian to the Cenozoic best provide evidence of

Accepted Answer

evolution

Question 5

Trilobite fossils found in shale bedrock in Albany, New York, indicate that this area once

Accepted Answer

was covered by an ocean

Question 6

An unconformity between two sedimentary layers is most likely produced by

Accepted Answer

uplift followed by erosion, submergence, and deposition

Question 7

Unless a series of sedimentary rock layers has been overturned, the bottom rock layer usually

Accepted Answer

is the oldest

Question 8

The fossil record indicates that most of the plants and animals that lived on Earth in the past

Accepted Answer

have become extinct

Question 9

From fossil study, what can be inferred about most species that have lived on Earth?

Accepted Answer

They have become extinct.

Question 10

For which geologic period are no fossils found in New York State?

Accepted Answer

Permian

Question 11

Index fossils have usually formed from organisms which had a

Accepted Answer

wide geographic distribution and existed for a short time

Question 12

According to the ESRT, which event occurred at the time of the Alleghenyan Orogeny?

Accepted Answer

the extinction of many kinds of land and marine animals

Question 13

Which radioactive substance would be used to date recent plant remains in sedimentary deposits?

Accepted Answer

carbon-14

Question 14

According to the ESRT between which two cities in New York would the oldest bedrock be found?

Accepted Answer

Plattsburgh and Watertown

Question 15

Trilobite fossils from different periods show changes in appearance suggesting changes may be

Accepted Answer

evolutionary development

Question 16

A rock containing U-238 was crushed. The half-life of the U-238 in each fragment is

Accepted Answer

the same as that of the original sample

Question 17

According to the ESRT, which of the following cities is located on the youngest bedrock?

Accepted Answer

Binghamton

Question 18

According to the ESRT, which rock is most likely the oldest?

Accepted Answer

shale containing trilobite fossils

Question 19

According to the Earth Science Reference Tables, studies of the rock record suggest that

Accepted Answer

the period humans have existed is brief in geologic time

Question 20

Living corals are found in warm shallow seas fossil coral has been found in Alaska, suggesting

Accepted Answer

Alaska once had a tropical marine environment

Question 21

Which two forms of life existed together on the Earth during the same time period?

Accepted Answer

mastodons and flowering plants

Question 22

Geologists have subdivided geologic time into units based on

Accepted Answer

fossil evidence

Question 23

Which period was most of the surface bedrock between the Adirondacks and Catskills formed?

Accepted Answer

Ordovician

Question 24

Why are ancient volcanic ash deposits important to geologists?

Accepted Answer

They serve as good geological time makers.

Question 25

What does the unconformity (buried erosional surface) at line XY represent?

Accepted Answer

a time gap in the rock record of the area

Question 26

What characteristics of fossils are most useful in correlating sedimentary rock layers?

Accepted Answer

wide geographic range, limited to single rock formation

Question 27

For which segment of the Earth's geologic history are fossils rarely found?

Accepted Answer

Precambrian

Question 28

Why is carbon-14 not usually used to accurately date objects more than 50,000 years old?

Accepted Answer

has a short half-life too little is left after 50,000yrs

Question 29

What would be the best method of correlating the rock layers outcrops 100 km apart?

Accepted Answer

comparing index fossils

Question 30

Which radioactive element is used for age of wood tools used by humans during the last ice age?

Accepted Answer

carbon-14

Earth Science- Interpreting Geologic History

Questions 30

Earth Science- Interpreting Geologic History

Questions 30