Download Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea, Rock

Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea, Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
Name:
1.
Date:
Why are most fossils found in sedimentary rocks?
A.
Sedimentary rocks are not very old.
B.
Organisms live only in areas with sedimentary rock.
C.
Organisms can be preserved in sedimentary rock.
D. Sedimentary rocks are found only at the surface of the ground.
2.
Scientists have found fossils of tropical plants in Antarctica. How could tropical plants have grown in Antarctica?
A.
At one time, Earth's entire surface was a tropical rain forest.
B.
At one time, Antarctica was located closer to the equator.
C.
The rotation of Earth has increased, causing cooling of the atmosphere.
D. Catastrophic volcanic eruptions melted the ice and exposed the soil to sunlight.
3.
Which technique has helped scientists more accurately determine the age of fossils and draw conclusions about
changes in organisms over time?
A.
time-lapse photography
B.
C.
electron microscopy
D. color staining
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radioactive dating
4.
A scientist observes several di erent fossils in a rock layer. Based on this observation, which is the best conclusion?
A.
The fossils are composed of lava that cooled around several organisms.
B.
The fossils formed about the same time as the rock layer in which they were found.
C.
The fossils formed after heat and pressure changed the type of rock in the rock layer.
D. The fossils are composed of the same material as the organisms from which they formed.
5.
The diagram below represents a cross-section of a cli . It shows several rock layers containing fossils.
Which of the following layers of rock is most likely the youngest?
A.
the layer containing trilobites
B.
C.
the layer containing amphibians
D. the layer containing dinosaurs
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the layer containing shes
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
6.
7.
A researcher found shark fossils on top of a mountain. This evidence suggests which of the following about this
region?
A.
It was once below a waterfall.
B.
It was once part of a riverbed.
C.
It was once covered by an ocean.
D. It was once near a freshwater lake.
Which best explains why fossils of the same species of a reptile were discovered in South America and in western
Africa?
A.
The reptiles evolved in both South America and Africa.
B.
The continents of South America and Africa were once joined.
C.
Land bridges connected the continents of South America and Africa.
D. The reptiles could swim the distance between South America and Africa.
8.
Fossils are the evidence of organisms that lived long ago.
Which of these animals would most likely form a fossil?
A.
Fish
B.
Spider
C.
Earthworm
D.
Sea Nettle
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
9.
The map below shows the location of Greenland. Today Greenland has a very cold climate; however, fossils of
plants have been discovered there.
Which best explains why fossils of plants were found in Greenland?
A.
Greenland has a short winter.
B.
Greenland once had a warm climate.
C.
Plants are able to survive in very cold weather.
D. Plants were brought there from places with tropical climates.
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
10.
The shaded areas of this diagram represent where fossils of a land-dwelling animal were found on the continents of
South America and Africa.
What does this evidence suggest?
A.
The animals swam from one continent to the other.
B.
The two continents were once connected by a land bridge.
C.
The animals developed on the two continents at the same time.
D. The two continents were once joined as part of a larger continent.
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
11.
This diagram shows a cross section of land that has not been overturned and includes a fossil.
What can be concluded about the age of the fossil?
12.
13.
A.
It is younger than the shale.
B.
It is older than the shale.
C.
It is older than the sandstone.
D. It is younger than the sandstone.
A scientist nds the bones of a dinosaur. What could help the scientist determine the approximate age of the
dinosaur bones?
A.
the birds living in the area of the bones
B.
the weather conditions in the area of the bones
C.
the kinds of trees living in the area of the bones
D. the index fossils in the area of the bones
What will most likely happen to the fossil record if an unconformity occurs?
A.
The geologic record would be expanded.
C.
There would be a gap in the geologic record.
B.
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The geologic record would be shortened.
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
14.
Which graph best represents human existence on Earth, compared with Earth's entire history?
A.
15.
B.
C.
D.
The illustration below shows rock layers within a mountain.
Which statement best explains the non-horizontal nature of the layers of rocks?
16.
A.
Igneous rocks ran down a hill.
B.
Sediments were laid down on a slope.
C.
Forces of plate tectonics tilted the layers.
D. Erosion within a rift valley formed the layers.
The youngest rocks on the ocean oor are typically located near what feature?
A.
a mid-ocean ridge
B.
a continental shelf
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C.
an abyssal plain
D. a subduction trench
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
17.
Which evidence would be most helpful to scientists in determining the age of Earth?
A.
a comparison of Earths composition to other planets compositions
B.
soils, fossils, and remnants of mountains
C.
sediments, minerals, soils, and size of rocks
D. fossil records, rock records, and layers of Earth
18.
Which feature would most likely be forming at converging continental tectonic plate boundaries?
A.
rift valley
B.
deep trench
C.
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volcanic cone
D. uplifted mountain
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
19.
20.
Which column best represents the relative lengths of time of the major intervals of geologic history?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A rift valley is evidence of which kind of plate boundary?
A.
convergent
B.
divergent
C.
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transform
D. uniform
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
21.
Which of the following is the best evidence that Earth's continents were once in vastly di erent positions than they
are today?
A.
Penguins are found only in the Southern Hemisphere.
B.
Fossils of tropical plants are found in Antarctica.
C.
Volcanoes encircle the Paci c Ocean.
D. Major rivers form deltas from continental erosion.
22.
When granite melts and then solidi es, it becomes
A.
23.
a sedimentary rock
B.
an igneous rock
C.
a metamorphic rock
Scientists nd dinosaur fossils in the bottom rock layers of a cli
the cli . Which could best be concluded from this evidence?
D. sediments
and mammal fossils in the middle rock layer of
A.
Dinosaurs ate plants.
B.
C.
Dinosaurs lived on Earth before the mammals.
D. Dinosaurs and mammals lived at the same time.
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Dinosaurs were eaten by the mammals.
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
24.
The picture below shows a model of the rock cycle.
During which part of the rock cycle does water break rocks apart?
A.
part 1
B.
part 2
C.
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part 3
D. part 4
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
25.
Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the diagram below. The diagram shows a model of the
relationship between Earth's surface and its interior.
Mid-ocean ridges (rifts) normally form where tectonic plates are
26.
A.
converging
B.
diverging
C.
stationary
D. sliding past each other
Which statement best describes Earth's crust and mantle?
A.
The crust is thicker and less dense than the mantle
B.
The crust is thicker and more dense than the mantle
C.
The crust is thinner and less dense than the mantle
D. The crust is thinner and more dense than the mantle
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
27.
Which information indicates that new sea oor rock is forming along a mid-ocean ridge and then moving
horizontally away from the ridge?
A.
Most volcanoes are located under ocean water
B.
Sea oor rock is older than continental rock
C.
Fossils of marine organisms can be found at high elevations on continents
D. The age of sea oor rock increases as the distance from the mid-ocean ridge increases
28.
Use the diagram below to answer the question.
Based on the diagram, which process explains why less dense, hot magma rises to the surface to displace more
dense, cooler magma?
A.
conduction
B.
di usion
C.
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radiation
D. convection
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
29.
Fossils of clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains.
Which of these statements best explains why the clam shells were found in the Appalachian Mountains?
30.
31.
A.
The mountain range was once under water.
B.
Birds ying overhead dropped the clam shells.
C.
Animals released the clam shells in their waste.
D. The clams lived on land before moving to water.
Compared to Earth's crust, Earth's core is believed to be
A.
less dense, cooler, and composed of more iron
B.
less dense, hotter, and composed of less iron
C.
more dense, hotter, and composed of more iron
D. more dense, cooler, and composed of less iron
The geologic time line below represents the three most recent geologic eras. The numbers represent events in
Earth's history.
Which number best represents when humans are inferred to have rst appeared on Earth?
A.
32.
1
B.
2
C.
3
D. 4
In which Earth layer are most convection currents that cause sea oor spreading thought to be located?
A.
crust
B.
asthenosphere
C.
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outer core
D. inner core
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
33.
Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the geologic cross section shown below.
The most recently formed rock unit is at location
A.
34.
A
B.
C.
E
C
D. D
Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the Earth Science Reference Tables, the diagram below, and
your knowledge of Earth science. The diagram represents Earth's interior zones.
The thinnest section of Earth's crust is found beneath
A.
oceans
B.
desert regions
C.
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coastal plains
D. mountain regions
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
35.
The drawings below show some trilobite and crinoid fossils.
Which of the following is the most reasonable conclusion when fossils of these two di erent types of organisms
are found in the same layers of rock?
36.
A.
Crinoids were prey for trilobites.
B.
Crinoids were ancestors of trilobites.
C.
Crinoids and trilobites had similar behaviors.
D. Crinoids and trilobites lived at the same time.
The density of Earth's crust is
A.
less than the density of the outer core but greater than the density of the mantle
B.
greater than the density of the outer core but less than the density of the mantle
C.
less than the density of both the outer core and the mantle
D. greater than the density of both the outer core and the mantle
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
37.
The diagrams below represent the rock layers and fossils found at four widely separated rock outcrops.
Which fossil appears to be the best index fossil?
A.
B.
C.
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D.
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
38.
Which pie graph best represents the percentage of total time for the four major divisions of geologic time?
A.
B.
C.
D.
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Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition
39.
40.
Which graph best shows the radioactive decay of carbon-14?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Use the diagram below to answer the following question.
In which stage of the rock cycle shown above would you predict the formation of fossils?
A.
stage L
B.
stage M
C.
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stage N
D. stage P
Earth History - Continental Drift, Pangaea,
Rock Layers, Law of Superposition