Question 1

The diagram represents a stack of rock layers. What do these layers and their fossils suggest about Earth's history?

Accepted Answer

There have been changes in Earth's lifeforms over time.

Answer

No lifeforms were present when these layers formed.

Answer

Lifeforms on Earth have been the same over time.

Answer

Only one kind of lifeform lived where these layers formed.

Question 2

The diagram shows several rock layers and other geologic features. Using the principles of original horizontality, superposition, and cross-cutting relationships, determine which of the following features is the youngest.

Accepted Answer

H

Answer

N

Answer

G

Answer

R

Question 3

The image shows a diagram of a reverse fault. What formation will be created on the side of the fault labeled A if the land shifts in the direction of the arrow?

Accepted Answer

mountain ridge

Answer

valley

Answer

flood plain

Answer

cave

Question 4

The diagram shows a cross section of a hillside. Four rock units are shown in the cross section. Which of these units is the youngest?

Accepted Answer

igneous unit

Answer

limestone unit

Answer

shale unit

Answer

sandstone unit

Question 5

The image shows a stack of rock layers exposed in a cliffside. These layers have a fault running through them. A fault is a crack along which rocks move. When these layers first formed long ago, there was no fault present. At some time later, tectonic forces cracked the layers, forming the fault. Then, the rocks on either side of the fault moved. Using the layer marked a as a guide, determine how the rocks moved along the fault.

Accepted Answer

The rocks on the right side moved up, and the rocks on the left side moved down.

Answer

The rocks on the left side moved up, and the rocks on the right side moved down.

Answer

The rocks on both sides of the fault moved down the same distance.

Answer

The rocks on both sides of the fault moved up the same distance.

Question 6

A geologist finds ripples preserved in ancient sedimentary rock that look just like ripples made by water in mud. He concludes that there was once water in that location that created the ripples. Why is this conclusion reasonable?

Accepted Answer

because water and mud behaved in a similar way in the past as they do today

Answer

because water and mud behaved very differently in the past than they do today

Answer

because sedimentary rock never forms from mud

Answer

because sedimentary rock always forms under water

Question 7

Which statement about the movement of Earth's crust along a fault line is true?

Accepted Answer

Different types of movement occur along different types of faults.

Answer

Only vertical, up-and-down movement occurs along faults.

Answer

Only horizontal, side-to-side movement occurs along faults.

Answer

Crustal movement does not occur along fault lines.

Question 8

When looking for supportive evidence of global warming over time, how might you learn the most about climate change in a tundra region?

Accepted Answer

ice coring

Answer

radiometric data

Answer

water cycle

Answer

rock layers

Question 9

One method that scientists use to study the Earth's climate history is to dig deep into glaciers and compare the composition of the fallen snow and ice from previous time periods to the snow and ice that falls today. They also compare the composition of tiny air bubbles in the ice to air today. Scientific information that is gathered in this manner is known as _______.

Accepted Answer

ice core data

Answer

ice flow data

Answer

snow gauge data

Answer

rain gauge data

Question 10

If scientists find an ice core from 30,000 years ago that contains chemicals radically different than the chemicals that are around today, they would likely conclude that _______.

Accepted Answer

the atmosphere 30,000 years ago was different than our atmosphere today.

Answer

the number of layers they counted was incorrect.

Answer

the atmosphere never changes its composition.

Answer

these chemicals are abundant today.

Question 11

Faults are

Accepted Answer

cracks where pieces of the Earth's crust move past each other due to tectonic forces.

Answer

found only in the center of the Earth's continents.

Answer

cracks that prevent tectonic forces from moving pieces of the Earth's crust.

Answer

found only in the center of the Earth's oceans.

Question 12

According to the law of superposition, younger layers of rock are generally found above older layers of rock. However, there are locations where older layers are found above younger layers. Which of the following can cause this to happen?

Accepted Answer

all of these

Answer

Older rock layers can slide above younger rock layers along faults.

Answer

Rock layers can overturn as they are folded.

Answer

During uplift, rock layers can tilt enough to overturn.

Question 13

A geologist is studying an ancient stack of rock layers. Most of the layers contain fossils of shallow marine creatures (clams, corals, etc.), suggesting the layers formed in a shallow ocean environment. But at the top of the stack, there is a layer that could only have been deposited by a river. What does this change in rock layers tell the geologist about Earth's history in the area where these layers formed? (Assume the layers have not changed position since they formed.)

Accepted Answer

The environment changed suddenly from a shallow ocean setting to a river system.

Answer

A mass extinction caused a river system to form where there used to be a shallow ocean setting.

Answer

The environment changed suddenly from a river system to a shallow ocean setting.

Answer

A volcanic eruption must have occurred nearby, which scared the sea creatures away.

Question 14

Fossils of a primitive whale called Basilosaurus have been found in many parts of the southeastern U.S., including the Gulf states of Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. This creature lived in the sea during the Eocene epoch, which lasted from about 55 million to 34 million years ago. What do these fossils suggest about the areas of land in which they are found?

Accepted Answer

The areas were once covered by the sea.

Answer

The areas were deserts in the past.

Answer

Humans and Basilosaurus lived in the areas together.

Answer

Humans lived in the areas before Basilosaurus.

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