Question 1

Which of the following is always the same for multiple isotopes of a single element?

Accepted Answer

A)  atomic number 
B)  atomic mass number 
C)  tendency to decay radioactively 
D)  None of the above are correct. 
A)  atomic number 
B)  atomic mass number 
C)  tendency to decay radioactively 
D)  None of the above are correct.

Question 2

Why do some rock formations go by names containing specific rock types,while others retain the word "formation"?

Accepted Answer

A)  It depends on the locality of the rock formation. 
B)  Areas named as a "formation" contain more than one rock type. 
C)  The rock type could not be determined if it was named "formation." 
D)  It is the choice of the person who first studies the rock formation. 
A)  It depends on the locality of the rock formation. 
B)  Areas named as a "formation" contain more than one rock type. 
C)  The rock type could not be determined if it was named "formation." 
D)  It is the choice of the person who first studies the rock formation.

Question 3

The youngest geologic unit visible in the cross section is the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  granite 
B)  limestone 
C)  conglomerate 
D)  marble 
A)  granite 
B)  limestone 
C)  conglomerate 
D)  marble

Question 4

Contact #3 is both a ____________ and a(n)____________ at various points.

Accepted Answer

A)  conformable contact; unconformity 
B)  fault; unconformity 
C)  nonconformity; angular unconformity 
D)  disconformity; nonconformity 
A)  conformable contact; unconformity 
B)  fault; unconformity 
C)  nonconformity; angular unconformity 
D)  disconformity; nonconformity

Question 5

Which eon of geologic time is represented by rocks containing abundant shelly fossils?

Accepted Answer

A)  Archean 
B)  Phanerozoic 
C)  Proterozoic 
A)  Archean 
B)  Phanerozoic 
C)  Proterozoic

Question 6

Basaltic clasts within the conglomerate have been radiometrically dated to 50 million years ago (Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period).Is this a reliable age for the conglomerate?

Accepted Answer

A)  Yes. 
B)  No, this age is likely too old. 
C)  No, this age is likely too young. 
D)  No, basalt never contains minerals bearing radioactive isotopes. 
A)  Yes. 
B)  No, this age is likely too old. 
C)  No, this age is likely too young. 
D)  No, basalt never contains minerals bearing radioactive isotopes.

Question 7

Why don't we find rocks with ages between 4.03 and 4.57 Ga in the Earth's crust?

Accepted Answer

A)  The crust was molten during the Hadean Eon. 
B)  At the beginning of Earth's history, the planet was heavily bombarded with meteorites. 
C)  They have been subducted and lost to geologists. 
D)  Both a and b are correct. 
E)  Both b and c are correct. 
A)  The crust was molten during the Hadean Eon. 
B)  At the beginning of Earth's history, the planet was heavily bombarded with meteorites. 
C)  They have been subducted and lost to geologists. 
D)  Both a and b are correct. 
E)  Both b and c are correct.

Question 8

When an unstable isotope decays,the daughter isotope that results is always a stable isotope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Period names on the geologic time scale,such as Devonian and Permian,provide examples of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  relative age 
B)  numerical age 
A)  relative age 
B)  numerical age

Question 10

If all of Earth history were compressed into a single year,Homo sapiens would first appear on ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  February 26 (close to Mardi Gras) 
B)  April 15 (just before taxes are due) 
C)  October 31 (just in time for Halloween) 
D)  December 31, at 11:59 P.M. (just before the ball drops on New Year's Eve) 
A)  February 26 (close to Mardi Gras) 
B)  April 15 (just before taxes are due) 
C)  October 31 (just in time for Halloween) 
D)  December 31, at 11:59 P.M. (just before the ball drops on New Year's Eve)

Question 11

Why were geologists able to switch from determining relative age of geologic events to determining the numerical age?

Accepted Answer

A)  New fossils were discovered. 
B)  Radioactivity was discovered. 
C)  New geologic units were discovered. 
D)  Numerical age dating became more widely accepted. 
A)  New fossils were discovered. 
B)  Radioactivity was discovered. 
C)  New geologic units were discovered. 
D)  Numerical age dating became more widely accepted.

Question 12

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks,younger layers overlay older layers,according to the principle of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  superposition 
B)  original continuity 
C)  original horizontality 
D)  uniformitarianism 
A)  superposition 
B)  original continuity 
C)  original horizontality 
D)  uniformitarianism

Question 13

The basalt body is best described as a ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  pluton 
B)  sill 
C)  dike 
D)  laccolith 
A)  pluton 
B)  sill 
C)  dike 
D)  laccolith

Question 14

Concerning the relative ages of the shale and sandstone,the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  shale must be older, according to the principle of superposition 
B)  sandstone must be older, according to the principle of superposition 
C)  shale must be older, according to the principle of components 
D)  Their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given. 
A)  shale must be older, according to the principle of superposition 
B)  sandstone must be older, according to the principle of superposition 
C)  shale must be older, according to the principle of components 
D)  Their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given.

Question 15

Buried erosional surfaces between parallel sedimentary strata are termed ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  disconformities 
B)  angular unconformities 
C)  nonconformities 
A)  disconformities 
B)  angular unconformities 
C)  nonconformities

Question 16

Dendrochonology involves dating of historic and geologic events through the study of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  growth layers in shells 
B)  oxygen isotope profiles in glacial ice 
C)  remnant magnetism in iron-rich minerals 
D)  annual growth rings in trees 
A)  growth layers in shells 
B)  oxygen isotope profiles in glacial ice 
C)  remnant magnetism in iron-rich minerals 
D)  annual growth rings in trees

Question 17

Basaltic clasts within the basal layers of the conglomerate imply which of the following statements (choose the most correct answer)?

Accepted Answer

A)  The conglomerate must be the older of the two. 
B)  The basalt must be the older of the two. 
C)  The section must not have been overturned by tectonic activity at any time. 
D)  Both b and c are both correct. 
A)  The conglomerate must be the older of the two. 
B)  The basalt must be the older of the two. 
C)  The section must not have been overturned by tectonic activity at any time. 
D)  Both b and c are both correct.

Question 18

Which of the following geologic principles is NOT a result of gravity?

Accepted Answer

A)  original horizontality 
B)  cross-cutting relationships 
C)  original continuity 
D)  superposition 
A)  original horizontality 
B)  cross-cutting relationships 
C)  original continuity 
D)  superposition

Question 19

Concerning the relative ages of the basalt and the fault,the ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  fault must be older, according to the principle of cross-cutting relationships 
B)  basalt must be older, according to the principle of cross-cutting relationships 
C)  basalt must be older, according to the principle of original horizontality 
D)  Their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given. 
A)  fault must be older, according to the principle of cross-cutting relationships 
B)  basalt must be older, according to the principle of cross-cutting relationships 
C)  basalt must be older, according to the principle of original horizontality 
D)  Their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given.

Question 20

Relative ages expressed on the geologic time scale primarily resulted from the study of ____________.

Accepted Answer

A)  fossil content and spatial relationships among igneous rocks 
B)  fossil content and spatial relationships among sedimentary rocks 
C)  radiometric dating of igneous rocks 
D)  radiometric dating of sedimentary rocks 
A)  fossil content and spatial relationships among igneous rocks 
B)  fossil content and spatial relationships among sedimentary rocks 
C)  radiometric dating of igneous rocks 
D)  radiometric dating of sedimentary rocks

Exam 10: Deep Time: How Old Is Old

Which of the following is always the same for multiple isotopes of a single element?

Why do some rock formations go by names containing specific rock types,while others retain the word "formation"?

The youngest geologic unit visible in the cross section is the ____________.

Contact #3 is both a ____________ and a(n)____________ at various points.

Which eon of geologic time is represented by rocks containing abundant shelly fossils?

Basaltic clasts within the conglomerate have been radiometrically dated to 50 million years ago (Eocene epoch of the Tertiary period).Is this a reliable age for the conglomerate?

Why don't we find rocks with ages between 4.03 and 4.57 Ga in the Earth's crust?

When an unstable isotope decays,the daughter isotope that results is always a stable isotope.

Period names on the geologic time scale,such as Devonian and Permian,provide examples of ____________.

If all of Earth history were compressed into a single year,Homo sapiens would first appear on ____________.

Why were geologists able to switch from determining relative age of geologic events to determining the numerical age?

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks,younger layers overlay older layers,according to the principle of ____________.

The basalt body is best described as a ____________.

Concerning the relative ages of the shale and sandstone,the ____________.

Buried erosional surfaces between parallel sedimentary strata are termed ____________.

Dendrochonology involves dating of historic and geologic events through the study of ____________.

Basaltic clasts within the basal layers of the conglomerate imply which of the following statements (choose the most correct answer)?

Which of the following geologic principles is NOT a result of gravity?

Concerning the relative ages of the basalt and the fault,the ____________.

Relative ages expressed on the geologic time scale primarily resulted from the study of ____________.

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags, cracks, and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

A Biography of Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Rock Groups

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earths Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Filters

Contact #3 is both a and a(n) at various points.