Question 1

If an igneous dike cuts across a sequence of sedimentary beds,________.

Accepted Answer

A) the beds must be older 
B) the dike must be older 
C) the beds and the dike must have formed at the same time 
D) their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given 
A) the beds must be older 
B) the dike must be older 
C) the beds and the dike must have formed at the same time 
D) their relative ages cannot be determined from the information given A

Question 2

Two atoms of a single element that differ in number of neutrons are said to represent two distinct ________ of that element.

Accepted Answer

A) isomers 
B) isotopes 
C) isotherms 
D) atomic species 
A) isomers 
B) isotopes 
C) isotherms 
D) atomic species B

Question 3

A geologist in South Dakota finds an assemblage of dinosaur bones in an outcrop for the Hilltown Formation,and his colleague in China discovers an assemblage of bones from a different dinosaur in the Liaoning Formation.What can be said about the two formations?

Accepted Answer

A) They are no younger than Cretaceous in age. 
B) They are no older than Jurassic. 
C) They are the exact same age. 
D) They are no younger than Triassic in age. 
A) They are no younger than Cretaceous in age. 
B) They are no older than Jurassic. 
C) They are the exact same age. 
D) They are no younger than Triassic in age. A

Question 4

If a basalt body cuts across a fault,what are the relative ages of the basalt and the fault?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 5

Which type of unconformity requires there to have been little to no deformation in the rocks before and after the unconformity was created?

Accepted Answer

A) disconformity 
B) angular unconformity 
C) misconformity 
D) nonconformity 
A) disconformity 
B) angular unconformity 
C) misconformity 
D) nonconformity

Question 6

Which of the answers below accurately reflects the following statement? Rock A is older than rock B but is younger than rock C.

Accepted Answer

A) Rock A is the oldest,followed by rock C,and then rock B. 
B) Rock C is the oldest,followed by rock B,and then rock A. 
C) Rock C is the oldest,followed by rock A,and then rock B. 
D) Rock B is the oldest,followed by rock A,and then rock C. 
A) Rock A is the oldest,followed by rock C,and then rock B. 
B) Rock C is the oldest,followed by rock B,and then rock A. 
C) Rock C is the oldest,followed by rock A,and then rock B. 
D) Rock B is the oldest,followed by rock A,and then rock C.

Question 7

A birthdate is an example of a(n)________ age.

Accepted Answer

A) relative 
B) numerical 
C) radiocarbon 
D) isotopic 
A) relative 
B) numerical 
C) radiocarbon 
D) isotopic

Question 8

A ________ consists of a sequence of similar rocks that can be found across a region.

Accepted Answer

A) geologic contact 
B) stratigraphic formation 
C) stratigraphic column 
D) marker bed 
A) geologic contact 
B) stratigraphic formation 
C) stratigraphic column 
D) marker bed

Question 9

An erosional surface between two sequences of flat-lying sedimentary rocks is called a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

A) angular unconformity 
B) disconformity 
C) nonconformity 
D) misconformity 
A) angular unconformity 
B) disconformity 
C) nonconformity 
D) misconformity

Question 10

What is the parent-to-daughter isotope ratio if one half-life has passed?

Accepted Answer

A) 16:0 
B) 8:8 
C) 4:12 
D) 2:14 
A) 16:0 
B) 8:8 
C) 4:12 
D) 2:14

Question 11

Correlate the layers in the three stratigraphic columns below by drawing lines from the top and bottom of matching formations.What is the oldest unit in this region? The youngest unit?

Accepted Answer

See answer below.The

Question 12

In an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks,younger layers overlie 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

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

Question 14

Within the world's sedimentary rocks,fossils ________.

Accepted Answer

A) are rarely,if ever,found 
B) are randomly distributed 
C) occur in an ordered sequence 
D) are found only in igneous rocks 
A) are rarely,if ever,found 
B) are randomly distributed 
C) occur in an ordered sequence 
D) are found only in igneous rocks

Question 15

Sedimentary rocks cannot be used to determine dates on the geologic time scale because the numerical age ________.

Accepted Answer

A) is the time that the rocks were exposed at the surface 
B) retains too much error associated with diagenesis 
C) is the age of the rocks that make up the sediment 
D) is reset when the sediments are buried and cemented 
A) is the time that the rocks were exposed at the surface 
B) retains too much error associated with diagenesis 
C) is the age of the rocks that make up the sediment 
D) is reset when the sediments are buried and cemented

Question 16

How much of a radioactive parent isotope will remain after three half-lives have passed?

Accepted Answer

A) one-third 
B) three-halves 
C) one-eighth 
D) one-sixth 
A) one-third 
B) three-halves 
C) one-eighth 
D) one-sixth

Question 17

Unconformities represent ________ in the rock record.

Accepted Answer

A) erosion or nondeposition 
B) continuing sequences 
C) changes in size of the sediments 
D) iridium layers from meteorites 
A) erosion or nondeposition 
B) continuing sequences 
C) changes in size of the sediments 
D) iridium layers from meteorites

Question 18

A tilted sequence of sedimentary rocks violates which principle?

Accepted Answer

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

Question 19

In the image of the Grand Canyon below,identify the nonconformity.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 20

A(n)________ contact surrounds a pluton.

Accepted Answer

A) intrusive 
B) depositional 
C) conformable 
D) fault 
A) intrusive 
B) depositional 
C) conformable 
D) fault

Exam 10: Deep Time: How Old Is Old

If an igneous dike cuts across a sequence of sedimentary beds,________.

Two atoms of a single element that differ in number of neutrons are said to represent two distinct ________ of that element.

A geologist in South Dakota finds an assemblage of dinosaur bones in an outcrop for the Hilltown Formation,and his colleague in China discovers an assemblage of bones from a different dinosaur in the Liaoning Formation.What can be said about the two formations?

If a basalt body cuts across a fault,what are the relative ages of the basalt and the fault?

Which type of unconformity requires there to have been little to no deformation in the rocks before and after the unconformity was created?

Which of the answers below accurately reflects the following statement? Rock A is older than rock B but is younger than rock C.

A birthdate is an example of a(n)________ age.

A ________ consists of a sequence of similar rocks that can be found across a region.

An erosional surface between two sequences of flat-lying sedimentary rocks is called a(n)________.

What is the parent-to-daughter isotope ratio if one half-life has passed?

Correlate the layers in the three stratigraphic columns below by drawing lines from the top and bottom of matching formations.What is the oldest unit in this region? The youngest unit?

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

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

Within the world's sedimentary rocks,fossils ________.

Sedimentary rocks cannot be used to determine dates on the geologic time scale because the numerical age ________.

How much of a radioactive parent isotope will remain after three half-lives have passed?

Unconformities represent ________ in the rock record.

A tilted sequence of sedimentary rocks violates which principle?

In the image of the Grand Canyon below,identify the nonconformity.

A(n)________ contact surrounds a pluton.

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 Earth S 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

Interlude A: Rock Groups

Interlude B: A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

Interlude C: The Rock Cycle

Interlude D: The Earth S Interior Revisited: Insights From Geophysics

Interlude E: Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Interlude F: An Introduction to Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

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