geo lecture exam 1,2,3 (60 questions)

What does historical geology study?

The natural history of earth from its beginning to the present

which of the following is a focus of physical geology?

Earth’s natural processes on its surface, like streams

What is the main difference between relative and absolute age dating?

Absolute age dating provides a specific numerical age, while relative age dating places events in a sequence

What is an isotope?

atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of neutrons

What is the half-life in radiometric dating?

the time required for half of a radioactive nuclei in a sample to decay

which of the following radioactive isotopes is commonly used for radiometric dating?

carbon 14

which of these is a common type of fossil?

molds and casts

what does the principle of fossil succession state?

fossils succeed one another in a definite and determinable order

which of the following is an index fossil? 

Wooly mammoths

What is the geologic time scale? 

a “calendar” of earths history that subdivides geologic history into units

which eon is the most recent? 

phanerozoic

What event marks the beginning of the Cambrian period? 

the appearance of marine creatures with hard parts and eyes

which of the following is considered a “living fossil”? 

coelacanth

what is the main characteristic of prokaryotes? 

they are single celled organisms

Which phylum contains organisms like lobsters, shrimp, and crabs? 

Arthropoda

what type of organism is a sponge classified as? 

poriferan

what is the main function of the “mantle” in mollusks? 

secreting the shell

Which environment is associated with the deposition of fine-grained sediments like mudstone and shale? 

lacustrine

What does the law of superposition state?

younger layers are found on top of older layers

what does the principle of actualism state?

the present processes are key to understanding past geological events

the names of the first two cratonic sequences? (on exam)

Sauk, Tippecanoe, Kaskaskia, and Absaroka.

when did the sauk begin? (on exam)

cambrian

rodina the first supercontinent was it around the north pole or south pole? (on exam)

south

what do you call the interface between two different kind of rocks?

contact

true or false : all rocks in the world have gone through the rock cycle at least once?

false

what is it called when you has a strip of rocks that were represented by like a kind of thin type of thing?

stratographic column

what is it called when you had two columns that you are comparing?

correlation

findinf upward in a strat column upwards you hit transgression or regression?

transgression (rising)

what happens during a regression?

falling

what is it called when lava cools underwater?

pillow basalts

true or false: the very first earth has plenty of oxygen to breathe?

false

is hydrogen necessary for life?

yes

is oxygen necessary for life?

yes

is nitrogen necessary for life?

yes

is carbon necessary for life?

yes

is krypton necessary for life? (on exam)

no

what is the supposed age of the earth?

4.6 billion

what is the oldest age of the oldest rock i can touch? (on exam)

3.8

the archean formed a lot of? (on exam)

gold and chromium

what is the four cratonic sequences?

Sauk, Tippecanoe, Kaskaskia, and Absaroka.

the first life on earth?

Prokaryotic

between jellyfish and bacteria which one is more primitive?

bacteria

what was north america called in the past? (on exam)

laurentia

found fossils in Australia (on exam)

eddie caria fossils

whats the age of cratons?

pre cambrian (old)

between africa, australia, and iceland which one doesn’t have a craton? Which one is very young?

iceland

what’s the name of the worlds first supercontinent?

Rodinia (south pole)

What does it mean of sedimentary rocks are stratified? (on exam)

layered

What major event occurred towards the end of the Late Paleozoic Era?

A)The formation of the supercontinent Pangaea

What feature is essential for the formation of black shales, such as the Chattanooga Shale?

C) Undisturbed anaerobic sea bottoms

During which period did the cyclic sedimentation known as cyclothems form, especially in areas with rising and falling sea levels?

B) Pennsylvanian

What event marks the boundary between the Kaskaskia and Absaroka sequences?

A) A major unconformity

What mineral resources were significant during the Late Paleozoic Era?

B) Petroleum, natural gas, coal, and salt

What major event marks the end of the Paleozoic Era?

C) A major extinction event (Permian)

What is a key feature of animals that have shells (exoskeletons) during the Cambrian period?

A) Protection from predators and UV
radiation

Which of the following organisms is considered an index fossil for the Cambrian period?

B) Archaeocyathids

What caused the mass extinction at the end of the Ordovician period?

B) Global warming

What is one of the primary causes of the Permian Extinction?

B) Increased volcanic activity and supervolcano eruption

What is the Mesozoic Era often referred to as?

B) The Age of Reptiles or Dinosaurs

Which event marked the beginning of the breakup of Pangaea?

A) The rifting between Laurasia and Gondwana during the Late
Triassic

During the Jurassic period, which sea covered the newly forming Gulf of Mexico?

A) The Tethys Sea

What major event occurred during the Laramide Orogeny in the Late Cretaceous?

B) The formation of mountain ranges through intrusive
igneous activity

Which Mesozoic mineral is found in the Rocky Mountain states, particularly Wyoming?

A) Coal

Who is considered one of the first female paleontologists and is known for collecting fossils
along the Dorset Coast?

A) Mary Anning

What important discovery is Mary Anning credited with making?

A) First pterosaur

What was the major difference between Paleozoic and Mesozoic burrowers?

B) Mesozoic burrowers had hard shells

Which of the following groups of dinosaurs includes the famous T. rex and Velociraptor?

B) Theropods

What evidence supports the ide that some dinosaurs were warm- blooded (endothermic)?

A) Large brains and blood vessels in bones