Name:

Earth History Tame Home Exam

Class:

1. Base your answer to the following question on the

geologic cross section below of a region of Earth's crust.
Rock layers A through E have been labeled. Two index
fossils are shown and their locations within the rock
layers are indicated.

Evidence of tectonic activity in this cross section is

provided by the
A) faulting and movement of the rock layers
B) collision of crustal plate boundaries in the rock
layers
C) igneous intrusion into the rock layers
D) folding and tilting of the rock layers

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

2. Base your answer to the following question on
the cross sections below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The cross sections represent three bedrock
outcrops, 1, 2, and 3, found several kilometers apart. The geologic time period when each sedimentary rock
layer formed is shown. The symbols (star, circle, cross, square, and triangle) represent fossils of different
types of organisms present in the rock layers.

Explain why the geologic age of these rock layers could not be accurately dated using carbon-14.
3. What percentage of Earth's history represents human
existence?
A) less than 1.0%
C) 23.5%

B) 1.8%
D) more than 98.6%

4. Which index fossil has been found in Ordovician-age bedrock?

A)

B)

C)

D)

5. The accumulation of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and

nitrogen in Earths early atmosphere approximately 4
billion years ago resulted mainly from
A)
B)
C)
D)

convection currents in Earths outer core

photosynthesis by the earliest land plants
outgassing from Earths interior
radioactive decay

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

6. The diagram below represents a geologic cross section of
a portion of Earth's crust.

Folding and erosion occurred after the formation of the

A)
B)
C)
D)

Freeport sandstone
Dunbar limestone, but before formation of Erie coal
Gayle shale
Erie coal, but before formation of Freeport
sandstone

7. Which gas became part of Earth's atmosphere mainly as

a result of the evolution of life-forms?
A) hydrogen
C) helium

B) oxygen
D) nitrogen

8. The presence of coal in Antarctica indicates that

A)
B)
C)
D)

coal can form in cold climates

forests can grow on continental glaciers
Antarctica currently has areas of tropical climate
Antarcticas climate was once warmer

9. A very large, circular, impact crater under the coast of

Mexico is believed to be approximately 65 million years
old. This impact event is inferred to be related to the
A)
B)
C)
D)

appearance of the earliest trilobites

formation of Pangea
extinction of the dinosaurs
advance and retreat of the last continental ice sheet

10. The gases in Earth's early atmosphere are inferred to

have come primarily from
A)
B)
C)
D)

meteor showers
melting of glacial ice
volcanic eruptions
evaporation of seawater

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

Base your answers to questions 11 and 12 on the block diagrams below, which represent three widely
separated outcrops. All rock layers are sedimentary. No overturning has occurred. Layers labeled with the
same letter are the same age.

11. Which method would provide the most reliable evidence for the idea that layer J was deposited at the same
time in each location?
A)
B)
C)
D)

measuring the percentage of the mineral cement in each J layer

measuring the thickness of each J layer
comparing the fossils in each J layer
comparing the mineral composition of each J layer

12. The fault in the Evansburg Outcrop is younger than

A) F, G, H, I, and J
C) G, only

B) G and J, only
D) J, only

13. Which radioactive isotope is most often used when

determining the age of fossil bones found in sediments
deposited during the Holocene Epoch?
A) carbon-14
C) potassium-40

B) uranium-238
D) rubidium-87

14. The division of Earth's geologic history into units of

time called eons, eras, periods, and epochs is based on
A)
B)
C)
D)

climatic changes
absolute dating techniques
fossil evidence
seismic data

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

15. The diagram below represents a geologic cross section.

17. The index fossil shown below has been found in New
York State sedimentary bedrock.

Which other index fossil could also be found in New

York State bedrock of the same age?
A)

In the cross section, the basalt is known to be younger

than the sandstone because
A) in places, the sandstone is above the basalt
B) rocks are older than the igneous intrusions that
cut through them
C) the sandstone is made of weathered basalt
D) igneous rocks are usually younger than
sedimentary rocks
16. Much of the evidence for the evolution of lifeforms on
Earth has been obtained by
A)
B)
C)
D)

B)

C)

D)

radioactive dating of metamorphic rock

examining fossils preserved in the rock record
correlating widespread igneous ash deposits
studying the life spans of present-day animals

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

18. The diagrams below show geologic cross sections of
the same part of the Earth's crust at different times in
the geologic past.

Which sequence shows the order in which this part of

the crust probably formed?
A) A
C) C

B
A

C
D

D B) C
B D) A

D
C

A
B

B
D

19. The diagram below shows a cross section of the Earth's

crust. Line XY is a fault.

Which sequence of events, from oldest to youngest, has

occurred in this outcrop?
A)

B)
C)
D)

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

20. Base your answer to the following question on the partial geologic map below and on your knowledge of
Earth Science. The map shows the geographical distribution of most of the Devonian-age surface bedrock
in New York State.

On the map, place an X at a location where the gastropod fossil Platyceras might be found in the surface
bedrock.
21. Approximately 2.2 billion years ago, which gas was
first added in large amounts to Earths atmosphere from
life-forms that evolved in the oceans?
A) carbon dioxide
C) oxygen

B) water vapor
D) nitrogen

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

22. Base your answer to the following question on the block diagram below, which shows rock units that have
not been overturned. Point A is located in the zone of contact metamorphism. A New York State index
fossil is shown in one of the rock units.

State the evidence shown by the block diagram that supports the inference that the fault is older than the
rhyolite.
23. When did dinosaurs become extinct?
A)
B)
C)
D)

before the earliest birds

at the end of the Cretaceous Period
at the end of the Cambrian Period
before the earliest mammals

24. Which geologic event most likely caused the

Appalachian Mountains to form?
A) the massive erosion and deposition of Mesozoic
rocks
B) the collision of North America and Africa
C) the eruption of an ancient volcanic mountain chain
D) the melting of a subducted oceanic plate

26. According to the fossil record, which sequence

correctly represents the evolution of life on Earth?
A) fish
soft-bodied organisms
mammals
amphibians
B) soft-bodied organisms
fish
amphibians
mammals
C) soft-bodied organisms
amphibians
fish
mammals
D) fish
amphibians
mammals
soft-bodied
organisms

25. In order for an organism to be used as an index fossil,

the organism must have been geographically
widespread and must have
A)
B)
C)
D)

existed for a geologically short time

lived on land
been preserved by volcanic ash
lived in shallow water

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

27. Base your answer to the following question on the geologic cross section below, which shows rock units 1
through 7 that have not been overturned. Some of the rock units contain New York State index fossils. An
unconformity exists between rock units 5 and 6.

Describe one characteristic of volcanic ash layers and index fossils that makes both of them good geologic
time markers.
28. Base your answer to the following question on the cross sections below, which represent two bedrock
outcrops 15 kilometers apart. The rock layers have been numbered for identification and some contain the
index fossil remains shown.

Evidence best indicates that rock layers 4 and 8 were deposited during the same geologic period because
both layers
A) contain the same index fossil
C) contain index fossils of the same age

B) are found in the same area

D) are composed of glacial sediments

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

29. Thin layers of volcanic ash act as excellent time
markers in the correlation of bedrock because volcanic
ash
A) is deposited over millions of years
B) is easily eroded and lasts only a short time on
Earth's surface
C) falls to Earth over a large area in a short period
of time
D) stays in the atmosphere for millions of years
30. Which radioactive element is used to determine the
absolute age of late Pleistocene animal remains?
A) carbon-14
C) rubidium-87

B) uranium-238
D) potassium-40

31. The diagram below shows an index fossil found in

surface bedrock in some parts of New York State.

34. A fossil formed 11,400 years ago. Which percentage of

the original amount of carbon-14 remains in the fossil?
A) 100%
C) 25%

B) 50%
D) 12.5%

35. Which fossil sequence is in order from oldest to

youngest?
A)

B)

C)

D)

In which New York State landscape region is this

gastropod fossil most likely found in the surface
bedrock?
A)
B)
C)
D)

Newark Lowlands
Adirondack Mountains
Allegheny Plateau
Tug Hill Plateau

36. Radioactive carbon (Cl4) would be especially useful in

determining the age of
A)
B)
C)
D)

extremely small amounts of material

geologically young organic remains
geologically young inorganic remains
Precambrian igneous rocks

32. Which two types of organisms both survived the mass

extinction that occurred at the end of the Permian
Period?
A)
B)
C)
D)

trilobites and nautiloids

placoderm fish and graptolites
corals and vascular plants
gastropods and eurypterids

33. Which geologic event occurred in New York State at

approximately the same time as the extinction of
dinosaurs and ammonoids?
A) initial opening of the Atlantic Ocean
B) deposition of the sands and clays underlying
Long Island
C) advance and retreat of the last continental ice sheet
D) formation of the Queenston Delta

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Earth History Tame Home Exam

37. The diagram below represents a cross section of a
portion of the Earth's crust.

38. Trilobite fossils were recently discovered in Himalayan

Mountain bedrock. During which geologic period could
these organisms have lived?
A) Neogene
C) Triassic

B) Cambrian
D) Cretaceous

39. Which geologic event occurred most recently in New

York State?
A)
B)
C)
D)
Which geologic event is the most recent?
A)
B)
C)
D)

erosion of the surface of rock layer A

folding of rock layer B
deposition of rock layer C
faulting along line XY

The entire State was uplifted from below sea level.

The Taconic Mountains formed.
A continental glacier covered most of the State.
The Palisades Sill intruded.

40. When did the Jurassic Period end?

A)
B)
C)
D)

190 million years ago

144 million years ago
66 million years ago
163 million years ago

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Answer Key
Earth History
1.
2.

D
Carbon-14 has a
short half-life. These
rock layers are too old
to contain measurable
carbon-14.
Carbon-14 is used to
date recent remains.
No organic material
remains in the rock.

24.

25.

26.

27.

They are formed

over a short period of
time. They are
geographically
widespread.

28.

3.

29.

4.

30.

5.

31.

6.

32.

7.

33.

8.

34.

9.

35.

10.

36.

11.

37.

12.

38.

13.

39.

14.

40.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

21.
22.

23.

X is within the
Middle Devonian
zone or the Early and
Middle Devonian
zone located
northwest of New
York City.
C
The intrusion has
not been broken and
offset. The igneous
rhyolite cuts across
the fault.
B

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