EARTH SCIENCE Assignment # _____ Name:_____________________________________________Date:__________________Period:_____ Regents Questions Geologic Time, Fossils, Radioactive Dating August 2014 16 Rifting of tectonic plates in eastern North America during the Jurassic Period was responsible for the (1) formation of the Catskill delta (3) Alleghenian orogeny (2) first uplift of the Adirondack Mountains (4) opening of the Atlantic Ocean 18 Much of the evidence for the evolution of lifeforms on Earth has been obtained by (1) studying the life spans of present-day animals (3) correlating widespread igneous ash deposits (2) radioactive dating of metamorphic rock (4) examining fossils preserved in the rock Record 19 The table below shows the radioactive decay of carbon-14. Part of the table has been left blank. After 22,800 years, approximately what percentage of the original carbon-14 remains? (1) 15% (2) 12.5% (3) 6.25% (4) 3.125% Base your answers to questions 36 and 37 on the data table below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The data table shows information on six major mass extinction events that occurred many million years ago (mya) in Earth’s history.
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Geologic Time, Fossils, Radioactive Dating - … Hist...Regents Questions Geologic Time, Fossils, Radioactive Dating August 2014 16 Rifting of tectonic plates in eastern North America
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Base your answers to questions 44 through 47 on the geologic cross section below and on your knowledge of
Earth science. The cross section represents rock and sediment layers, labeled A through F. Each layer contains
fossil remains, which formed in different depositional environments. Some layers contain index fossils. The
layers have not been overturned.
44 Which pair of organisms existed when the unconsolidated sediment in layer A was deposited?
(1) birds and trilobites (3) ammonoids and grasses
(2) dinosaurs and mastodonts (4) humans and vascular plants
45 Which rock layer formed mainly from the compaction of plant remains?
(1) E (2) B (3) C (4) F
46 During which geologic epoch was layer F deposited?
(1) Late Devonian (2) Middle Devonian (3) Early Devonian (4) Late Silurian
47 The depositional environment during the time these layers and fossils were deposited
(1) was consistently marine (3) changed from marine to terrestrial (land) (2) was consistently terrestrial (land) (4) changed from terrestrial (land) to marine
Base your answers to questions 51 through 54 on the cross section of part of Earth’s crust in your answer
booklet and on your knowledge of Earth science. On the cross section, some rock units are labeled with letters A
through I. The rock units have not been overturned. Line XY represents a fault. Line UV represents an
unconformity.
51 On the cross section below, draw two arrows, one on each side of line XY, to show the
direction of relative movement that has occurred along the fault. [1]
52 Write the letter of the oldest rock unit in the cross section. [1]
53 Identify the contact metamorphic rock that formed between rock units B and C. [1]
54 The table below shows the ages of the igneous rock units, determined by radioactive dating.
How many million years ago did rock unit I most likely form? [1]
June 2014
7 Fossils of which type of animal would most likely be found in the surface bedrock of the Catskills?
16 The diagram below represents some fauna (animals) found fossilized in Canada's Burgess shale.
39 The diagram below represents three bedrock outcrops. The layers have not been overturned. Letters A through E identify different rock layers. Fossils found in the rock layers are 'shown.
Which fossil could be classified as an index fossil?
Base your answers to questions 54 and 55 on the data table and information below and on your knowledge of Earth science. The data table shows the radioactive decay of carbon-14 and the age of fossil remains, in years (y).
Part of the table has been left blank.
During which geologic epoch did these
animals live?
(1) Middle Cambrian
(2) Early Pennsylvanian
(3) Late Triassic
(4) Paleocene
54 Identify the decay product when carbon-14 undergoes radioactive disintegration, [l]
55 The carbon-14 in the fossil remains of a mastodont has undergone five half-lives of radioactive decay. Calculate the age of these fossil remains, [l]
Base your answers to questions 56 through 60 on the geologic cross section of Earth s crust below and on your knowledge of Earth science. Letters A through F identify rock units. Letter X identifies a fault. Wavy line YZ represents an
unconformity. The locations of contact metamorphism and the map symbols for sedimentary rock layers B and E have
been omitted.
56 On the cross section above, draw two arrows, one on each side of fault X, to show the relative direction of movement
of the rock units that occurred during faulting, [l]
57 Layer B is composed of clay-sized particles and layer E is composed of halite crystals. On the cross section
above, fill in layer B and layer E on both sides of the fault with the correct sedimentary rock map symbols, [l]
58 On the cross section above, draw the contact metamorphism symbol to indicate all locations where contact
metamorphism has occurred, [l]
59 Indicate the relative ages of geologic features B, E, F, and X, by listing the letters from oldest to most recent, [l]
60 Identify tivo processes that produced the unconformity, [l]
August 2013
2 Which event occurred approximately 4.6 billion years ago?
(1) evolution of the earliest fish (3) formation of the oldest known Earth rocks
(2) evolution of stromatolites (4) formation of Earth and our solar system
32 Which pie graph best shows the relative length of time of the major intervals of Earth’s geologic history?
Base your answers to questions 44 through 47 on the cross section below and on your knowledge of Earth
science. The cross section represents rock units that have not been overturned. Lines CC’ and GG’ represent
unconformities. The geologic ages of some of the lettered rock units are shown below the cross section.
46 The diagrams below represent three index fossils found in one of the rock units.
These fossils are most likely found in
(1) rock unit I (2) rock unit J (3) rock unit K (4) rock unit M
44 Which rock unit was formed most recently?
(1) A (2) F (3) L (4) M
45 Why is there no contact metamorphism
indicated between rock unit L and rock unit F?
(1) Conglomerate does not metamorphose.
(2) The intrusion was not hot enough to
metamorphose rock unit F.
(3) The contact metamorphism within rock unit F
eroded away.
(4) Rock unit F was deposited after the intrusion
of rock unit L.
47 Which inference about rock units D, E, and H can best be supported by evidence in the cross section?
(1) They contain mostly sand-sized sediment.
(2) They contain both land and marine fossils.
(3) They were altered by contact metamorphism.
(4) They were deposited as horizontal layers and were later tilted.
Base your answers to questions 55 through 58 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:
represent fossils of different types of organisms present in the rock layers.
55 Draw the fossil symbol that represents the best index fossil. Describe one piece of evidence shown in the
outcrops that indicates that this fossil has characteristics of a good index fossil. [1]
56 Write the outcrop number of the cross section that could be found in New York State. Describe the
evidence that supports your answer. [1]
57 Explain why the geologic age of these rock layers could not be accurately dated using carbon-14. [1]
58 Explain why the index fossil Coelophysis is not preserved in any of the rock outcrops. [1]
June 2013
14 What percentage of Earth’s history represents human existence?
(1) less than 1.0% (2) 1.8% (3) 23.5% (4) more than 98.6%
15 During which period in geologic history did the uplifting of the Adirondack Mountains begin?