Term
In the geologic time scale, what percentage of the rock history is covered by the Precambrian period?
A. 78%
B. 86%
C. 87%
D. 68%
E. 90% |
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Definition
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Term
A theory
A. is not as reliable a representation of truth as is a “scientific law.”
B. is not as reliable a representation of truth as is a hypothesis.
C. is just an educated guess.
D. can be proven.
E. cannot be proven. |
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Definition
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Term
The hypothesis of Hsu and Ryan about the origin of evaporate rocks in the sediments below the Mediterranean Sea
A. has been elevated to theory status.
B. has now been proven. |
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Definition
| A. has been elevated to theory status. |
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Term
The age of Earth is
A. 250 thousand years.
B. 350 thousand years.
C. 4.6 billion years.
D. 2.6 billion years. |
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Definition
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Term
Rocks that were deposited during period is called?
A. eonothem
B. erathem
C. system
D. series
E. stage |
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Definition
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Term
The geologist who proposed the Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships and the Principle of Inclusions and was a strong supporter of the Hypothesis (later Theory) of Uniformitarianism.
A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817)
B. James Hutton (1726–1797)
C. William Smith (1769–1839)
D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875)
E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Definition
| D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) |
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Term
The geology professor who was an expert in mining geology and was a proponent of Neptunism.
A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817)
B. James Hutton (1726–1797)
C. William Smith (1769–1839)
D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875)
E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Definition
| A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817) |
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Term
The” father of modern geology” who was a proponent of Plutonism as one aspect of Earth formation but is best remembered for proposing what is now the Theory of Uniformitarianism.
A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817)
B. James Hutton (1726–1797)
C. William Smith (1769–1839)
D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875)
E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Definition
| B. James Hutton (1726–1797) |
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Term
Which of the following was the first geological engineer who served as a consultant to the canal building companies in England, and later constructed the first geologic map? He spent much of his life in poverty.
A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817)
B. James Hutton (1726–1797)
C. William Smith (1769–1839)
D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875)
E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Definition
| C. William Smith (1769–1839) |
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Term
The geologist who served as an informal naturalist on the voyage of the HMV Beagle and later wrote “Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.” He is buried in Westminster Abby in London, England.
A. Abraham Gottlob Werner (1749–1817)
B. James Hutton (1726–1797)
C. William Smith (1769–1839)
D. Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875)
E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Definition
| E. Charles Darwin (1809–1882) |
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Term
The use of radioactive elements has proven successful for determining absolute (Quantitative) ages because
A. most have very long half-lives.
B. they are easily found in the field.
C. they are abundant in the Earth’s crust.
D. the rate of decay is constant for a particular element. |
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Definition
| D. the rate of decay is constant for a particular element. |
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Term
Mud cracks preserved in shale or mudrock can be used to determine “stratigraphic up” in an overturned sequence of sedimentary rocks.
A. true
B. false |
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Definition
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Term
In a stack of sedimentary rocks that has not been deformed or overturned, the oldest rocks occur
A. at the top of the stack.
B. in the middle of the stack.
C. at the bottom of the stack. |
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Definition
| C. at the bottom of the stack. |
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Term
An unconformity is
A. an igneous rock.
B. a surface within a stack of sedimentary rocks marked by erosion or nondeposition.
C. a fault. |
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Definition
| B. a surface within a stack of sedimentary rocks marked by erosion or nondeposition. |
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Term
Radiometric dating (absolute time dating) of mineral crystals depends on
A. the heat generated by radioactive decay.
B. the half-life of radioactive elements.
C. the cooling rate of Earth. |
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Definition
B. the half-life of radioactive elements.
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Term
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Definition
| B. E, D, C&F, B&G, A&H, I, J |
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Term
The Archean and Proterozoic Eons are together referred to as “Precambrian” time. What percentage of Earth history is represented by these two eons?
A. 10 percent
B. 25 percent
C. 87 percent |
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
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Term
Which of the parent/daughter radioactive isotopes used to date minerals has the shortest half-life and, therefore, is capable of dating the youngest geologic events?
A. Carbon-14/Nitrogen-14
B. Potassium-40/Argon-40 |
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Definition
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Term
As the fall season approaches, snow begins to fall in the Rocky Mountains. The natural color of this snow is
A. white.
B. black.
C. red. |
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Definition
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Term
Decay rates of various radioactive elements are measured with a
A. telescope
B. mass spectrometer
C. X-ray diffractometer
D. bathroom scale |
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Definition
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Term
The type of rock best suited for radioactive dating is
A. sedimentary rocks.
B. metamorphic rocks.
C. igneous rocks. |
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Definition
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Term
The oldest rocks dated on Earth, which are younger than the absolute age of Earth, are
A. 4.2 billion years old.
B. 3.2 billion years old.
C. 2.2 billion years old. |
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Definition
| A. 4.2 billion years old. |
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Term
When Rock A contains inclusions of Rock B, which rock is oldest?
A. Rock A
B. Rock B |
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Definition
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Term
__________ is the most common unconformity but the most difficult to identify in the field.
A. disconformities
B. nonconformities
C. angular unconformity |
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Definition
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Term
Which set of geologic eras represent from youngest to the oldest?
A. Paleozoic – Mesozoic – Cenozoic
B. Mesozoic – Cenozoic – Paleozoic
C. Cenozoic – Mesozoic – Paleozoic |
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Definition
| C. Cenozoic – Mesozoic – Paleozoic |
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Term
What principle states that in any sequence of undisturbed strata, the oldest layer is at the bottom, and successively younger layers are successively higher?
A. cross-cutting relationship
B. lateral horizontality
C. superposition |
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Definition
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Term
Which is not a period formed during the Mesozoic era?
A. cretaceous
B. triassic
C. jurassic
D. cambrian |
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Definition
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Term
The rate of decay of radioactive isotopes strongly depends on temperature and pressure.
A. false
B. true |
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Definition
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Term
An unconformity that exists between an igneous rocks and sedimentary rocks is defined as?
A. angular unconformity
B. non-conformity
C. disconformity |
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Definition
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Term
Which of the arrangement of the three Eons are arranged in order from oldest to youngest?
A. proterzoic --- archean --- phanerozoic
B. phanerozoic --- proterzoic --- archean
C. archean --- proterozoic --- phanerozoic |
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Definition
| C. archean --- proterozoic --- phanerozoic |
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Term
During the decay of Thorium-232, what stable daughter isotope is produced?
A. Argon-40
B. Lead-208
C. Lead-207 |
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Definition
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Term
The correct order of time stratigraphic units from largest to smallest is
A. age, era, epoch, period.
B. period, epoch, age, era.
C. age, epoch, era, age.
D. era, period, epoch, age. |
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Definition
| D. era, period, epoch, age. |
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Term
An alpha particle is composed of
A. 2 electrons.
B. 2 neutrons.
C. 2 neutrons, 2 protons.
D. 2 protons, 2 electrons. |
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Definition
| C. 2 neutrons, 2 protons. |
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Term
Which of the following reflects the correct parent isotope to daughter isotope?
A. potassium – 40, lead – 206
B. thorium – 232, lead – 208
C. uranium – 238, lead – 206
D. potassium – 40, strontium – 87 |
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Definition
B. thorium – 232, lead – 208
C. uranium – 238, lead – 206 |
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Term
What geologic principle is simply express as the “present is the key to the past”?
A. uniformitarianism
B. superpositioning
C. unconformities |
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Definition
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Term
Molten rocks above the surface of the ground is described as?
A. magma
B. lava |
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Definition
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Term
Using fission tacking dating techniques, one of these mineral is not used.
A. Mica
B. Tektites
C. Diamond |
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Definition
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Term
Which of these is not a reason why earth rocks are younger than meteorites and moon rocks?
A. The Earth is geologically active
B. Older rocks may have been deeply buried under sedimentary rocks
C. Older rocks may have been heated, metamorphosed, or melted
D. Older rocks are not always found on the earth surface. |
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Definition
| D. Older rocks are not always found on the earth surface. |
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Term
| The answer to this question is “A.” |
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Definition
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