Question 1

Which of the following is not a true statement?

Accepted Answer

A)  During the Permian time when Pangea formed, ocean currents were able to effectively mix 
B)  Computer models indicate that the assemblage of all continents into a supercontinent created a single global ocean 
C)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, this can prevent the mixing of surface water and the ocean depths which significantly impacts the chemistry of ocean water 
D)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, the ocean water can stagnate causing dissolved oxygen to be depleted 
E)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, the stagnated ocean water can produce dissolved hydrogen sulfide that can be lethal to ocean life 
A)  During the Permian time when Pangea formed, ocean currents were able to effectively mix 
B)  Computer models indicate that the assemblage of all continents into a supercontinent created a single global ocean 
C)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, this can prevent the mixing of surface water and the ocean depths which significantly impacts the chemistry of ocean water 
D)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, the ocean water can stagnate causing dissolved oxygen to be depleted 
E)  If the Earth has a single global ocean, the stagnated ocean water can produce dissolved hydrogen sulfide that can be lethal to ocean life

Question 2

If you are examining unconformities in the Grand Canyon, the oldest gap in the rock record is no more than 200 million years between the igneous and metamorphic rocks in the gorge to the younger sedimentary rocks directly above them.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

If you found a dinosaur fossil, from which Phanerozoic Era would the rock layer be age dated?

Accepted Answer

The answer of If you found a dinosaur fossil, from...

Question 4

If you found a fossil from the Early Archean, it would be a fossilized algal structure known as a stromatolite.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

Explain why carbon-14 would not be a good radioactive isotope to date a piece of granite that is 250 million years old.

Accepted Answer

Carbon-14 has a half-life of 5730 years

Question 6

Which is not a true statement?

Accepted Answer

A)  Sloss determined that widespread unconformities occurred throughout North America and he subdivided the rock record into sequences 
B)  Sloss named each sequence after a tribe of North American natives in whose traditional homeland sedimentary rocks of the appropriate age were widespread 
C)  Sloss identified that each major sequence was separated by a major unconformity 
D)  All of the above are true statements 
A)  Sloss determined that widespread unconformities occurred throughout North America and he subdivided the rock record into sequences 
B)  Sloss named each sequence after a tribe of North American natives in whose traditional homeland sedimentary rocks of the appropriate age were widespread 
C)  Sloss identified that each major sequence was separated by a major unconformity 
D)  All of the above are true statements

Question 7

Which of the following geologic principle is directly applicable to an igneous dike found in the Grand Canyon that intrudes over older rocks?

Accepted Answer

A)  The principle of superposition states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
B)  The principle of crosscutting relationships states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
C)  The principle of original horizontality states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
D)  The principle of included fragments states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
E)  The principle of faunal succession states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
A)  The principle of superposition states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
B)  The principle of crosscutting relationships states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
C)  The principle of original horizontality states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
D)  The principle of included fragments states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike 
E)  The principle of faunal succession states that a rock must first exist before it can be intruded by a dike

Question 8

Which is not a true statement about mass extinction events?

Accepted Answer

A)  Many 20th century geologists did not believe that Earth experienced catastrophic extinction events but rather the life on Earth gradually died off and the rocks containing this evidence had not been discovered yet 
B)  Once geologists could travel more freely across Earth to study rock layers, they discovered that fossiliferous rocks of appropriate ages to fill the gaps were readily available to study 
C)  Evidence in the rock record indicated that rapid mass extinction events have occurred at least five times throughout geologic past 
D)  The mass extinction event at the end of the Permian Period represents the most dramatic extinction event 
A)  Many 20th century geologists did not believe that Earth experienced catastrophic extinction events but rather the life on Earth gradually died off and the rocks containing this evidence had not been discovered yet 
B)  Once geologists could travel more freely across Earth to study rock layers, they discovered that fossiliferous rocks of appropriate ages to fill the gaps were readily available to study 
C)  Evidence in the rock record indicated that rapid mass extinction events have occurred at least five times throughout geologic past 
D)  The mass extinction event at the end of the Permian Period represents the most dramatic extinction event

Question 9

Explain why the Earth has a very limited rock record of Hadean-aged rocks.

Accepted Answer

The Hadean Eon was a time in E

Question 10

What scientist examined unconformities in North America and divided them into major cratonic sequences?   ______________________________

Accepted Answer

The answer of What scientist examined unconformities in North America...

Question 11

Which of the following geologic principle is directly applicable to a fossil found in specific sedimentary layers of the Grand Canyon such as a trilobite in the Tapeats Sandstone?

Accepted Answer

A)  The principle of superposition states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
B)  The principle of crosscutting relationships states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
C)  The principle of original horizontality states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
D)  The principle of included fragments states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
E)  The principle of faunal succession states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
A)  The principle of superposition states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
B)  The principle of crosscutting relationships states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
C)  The principle of original horizontality states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
D)  The principle of included fragments states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils 
E)  The principle of faunal succession states that a species of fossil succeed one another through time in a definite and recognizable order and the relative ages of sedimentary rocks are identifiable based on their fossils

Question 12

Explain how finding a trilobite fossil in a rock layer helps age date it using the principle of faunal succession.

Accepted Answer

Trilobites only existed from the Cambria

Question 13

During a supercontinent such as Pangea, a single global ocean would be formed hindering the cold polar sweater to sink to the seafloor and rise as warmer ocean currents.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Which of the following is not a true statement about extraterrestrial impacts?

Accepted Answer

A)  Iridium has been found between the dinosaur layer and the fossils right above it 
B)  Iridium is a rare Earth element but is abundant in meteorites 
C)  After a large meteorite struck the Earth about 65 million years ago, dust and gas rose into the upper atmosphere causing a dark cloud to form that blocked sunlight 
D)  The least impacted organisms were microscopic algae in the ocean during the meteorite impact that occurred about 65 million years ago 
A)  Iridium has been found between the dinosaur layer and the fossils right above it 
B)  Iridium is a rare Earth element but is abundant in meteorites 
C)  After a large meteorite struck the Earth about 65 million years ago, dust and gas rose into the upper atmosphere causing a dark cloud to form that blocked sunlight 
D)  The least impacted organisms were microscopic algae in the ocean during the meteorite impact that occurred about 65 million years ago

Question 15

Explain what unconformities represent in the rock record.

Accepted Answer

Unconformities represent missing geologi

Question 16

Explain how the geologic time scale is based on numerical dates and fossils and apply to that to relative and absolute dating techniques.

Accepted Answer

The geologic time scale is dev

Question 17

Explain how the Siberian Traps may have contributed to a mass extinction event.

Accepted Answer

Scientists have noted that some mass ext

Question 18

The bedrock geology of the New England states are almost all from what specific Phanerozoic Era?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The bedrock geology of the New England...

Question 19

Fossils allow geologists to interpret ancient environments because most organisms thrive in a specific environment and others do not.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

If you find a Paleozoic-aged rock that contains invertebrate, fish, amphibian, reptiles, ferns, or cone-bearing tree fossils, the rock would have to between 543 million years old to 252 million years old.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 4: Geologic Time: a Story in the Rocks

Which of the following is not a true statement?

If you are examining unconformities in the Grand Canyon, the oldest gap in the rock record is no more than 200 million years between the igneous and metamorphic rocks in the gorge to the younger sedimentary rocks directly above them.

If you found a dinosaur fossil, from which Phanerozoic Era would the rock layer be age dated?

If you found a fossil from the Early Archean, it would be a fossilized algal structure known as a stromatolite.

Explain why carbon-14 would not be a good radioactive isotope to date a piece of granite that is 250 million years old.

Which is not a true statement?

Which of the following geologic principle is directly applicable to an igneous dike found in the Grand Canyon that intrudes over older rocks?

Which is not a true statement about mass extinction events?

Explain why the Earth has a very limited rock record of Hadean-aged rocks.

What scientist examined unconformities in North America and divided them into major cratonic sequences? ______________________________

Which of the following geologic principle is directly applicable to a fossil found in specific sedimentary layers of the Grand Canyon such as a trilobite in the Tapeats Sandstone?

Explain how finding a trilobite fossil in a rock layer helps age date it using the principle of faunal succession.

During a supercontinent such as Pangea, a single global ocean would be formed hindering the cold polar sweater to sink to the seafloor and rise as warmer ocean currents.

Which of the following is not a true statement about extraterrestrial impacts?

Explain what unconformities represent in the rock record.

Explain how the geologic time scale is based on numerical dates and fossils and apply to that to relative and absolute dating techniques.

Explain how the Siberian Traps may have contributed to a mass extinction event.

The bedrock geology of the New England states are almost all from what specific Phanerozoic Era?

Fossils allow geologists to interpret ancient environments because most organisms thrive in a specific environment and others do not.

If you find a Paleozoic-aged rock that contains invertebrate, fish, amphibian, reptiles, ferns, or cone-bearing tree fossils, the rock would have to between 543 million years old to 252 million years old.

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