Chapter 4 - Introduction To Geological Time

Question 1

Which is the oldest era of the Geological Time Scale:
A) Phanerozoic
B) Archean
C) Proterozoic
D) Hadean
E) Cenozoic

Answer 1

D) Hadean

Question 2

When rock is melted within the earth, resulting in volcanic activity, which statement is true about the melting:
A) All the material is melted
B) Only a portion of the rock is melted - partial melting

Answer 2

B) Only a portion of the rock is melted - partial melting

Question 3

A massive continental-scale glacier covered southern India and much of the land now south of the equator, during the later part of the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Era.
A) Mesozoic
B) Precambrian
C) Hadean
D) Cenozoic
E) Paleozoic

Answer 3

E) Paleozoic

Question 4

Which is the oldest unit of the Geological Time Scale?
A) Hadean
B) Cenozoic
C) Archean
D) Proterozoic
E) Mesozoic

Answer 4

A) Hadean

Question 5

Which is the youngest unit of the Geological Time Scale?
A) Hadean
B) Cenozoic
C) Archean
D) Proterozoic
E) Mesozoic

Answer 5

B) Cenozoic

Question 6

The oldest forms on planet Earth lived during which time unit?
A) Hadean
B) Cenozoic
C) Archean
D) Proterozoic
E) Mesozoic

Answer 6

C) Archean

Question 7

The most significant of the 3 major mass extinction events on Earth occurred at about:
A) 65 Ka
B) 6 Ma
C) 65 Ma
D) 245 Ma
E) 550 Ma

Answer 7

D) 245 Ma

Question 8

In terms of what happened to the rock below an unconformity, which represents the greatest (most significant) event(s)?
A) Paraconformity
B) Disconformity
C) Angular unconformity
D) All the same
E) There is no way to tell

Answer 8

A) Paraconformity

Question 9

The last of the major mass extinction events on Earth (the dinosaur killer) occurred at about:
A) 65 Ka
B) 6 Ma
C) 65 Ma
D) 245 Ma
E) 550 Ma

Answer 9

C) 65 Ma

Question 10

According to the concept of “Uniformitarianism”, _______.
A) Earth was once molten
B) Earth has always existed and will exist forever
C) The history of Earth is mainly a series of global catastrophes
D) The types of processes acting on Earth today are different than those that operated the geological past
E) The types of processes acting on Earth today have operated for all of geological time

Answer 10

E) The types of processes acting on Earth today have operated for all of geological time

Question 11

In terms of geological history, which represents the most significant events?
A) Paraconformity
B) Disconformity
C) Angular unconformity
D) All the same
E) There is no way to tell

Answer 11

C) Angular unconformity

Question 12

Glacial episodes have occurred on Earth in every one of the time units listed below except for the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
A) Hadean
B) Paleozoic
C) Archean
D) Proterozoic
E) Cenozoic

Answer 12

A) Hadean

Question 13

Which of the following process(es) was/were likely of primary importance on Earth during the Hadeon?
A) Accretion and impacts by comets and asteroids
B) Planetary differentiation
C) The origin of life
D) All three of the above more-or-less equally
E) Mainly ‘a’ and ‘b’

Answer 13

E) Mainly ‘a’ and ‘b’

Question 14

A major angular unconformity (with folds in the older rocks) represents:
A) A series of significant changes to the geological environment
B) An ancient deformation event
C) A period of major land-mass erosion
D) all of ‘a’ to ‘c’
E) Only ‘a’ and ‘c’ of the above

Answer 14

D) All of ‘a’ to ‘c’

Question 15

Paraconformities differ from disconformities in that _______.
A) Paraconformities display evidence of erosion having taken place whereas disconformities do not
B) Disconformities display evidence of erosion having taken place whereas paraconformities do not
C) Disconformities occur only in sedimentary rocks whereas paraconformities occur only in volcanic rocks
D) Disconformities occur only in volcanic rocks whereas paraconformities occur only in sedimentary rocks

Answer 15

B) Disconformities display evidence of erosion having taken place whereas paraconformities do not

Question 16

Imagine the following geological situation, as determined for a group of rock strata in a mountain belt. A sequence of horizontal beds of lava over lie a series of folded shale (clay) and limestone strata, displaying a number of anticlines and sync lines. The lava beds have an age of 200 Ma whereas the underlying sedimentary layers were deposited between 500 Ma and 540 Ma. The boundary between the lava and the sedimentary beds is called a(n) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_. (Assuming no faults).
A) Intrusion
B) Disconformity
C) Paraconformity
D) Volcano
E) Angular unconformity

Answer 16

E) Angular unconformity

Question 17

During which of the following time units did humans develop?
A) Hadean
B) Cenozoic
C) Archean
D) Proterozoic
E) Mesozoic

Answer 17

B) Cenozoic

Question 18

If an old topographic surface, produced by millions of years of erosion, becomes buried by younger deposits, but the underlying strata remain horizontal, the contact between the older and younger suites of rocks is called a(n):
A) Conformity
B) Non-conformity
C) Angular unconformity
D) Disconformity
E) Topoconformity

Answer 18

D) Disconformity

Question 19

The boundary between the Hadean and the Archean is at:
A) 65 Ma
B) 245 Ma
C) 542 Ma
D) 2.5 Ga
E) 3.8 Ga

Answer 19

B) 245 Ma

Question 20

If an old topographic surface, produced by millions of years of erosion, becomes buried by younger deposits, the contact between the older and younger suites of rocks is called a(n):
A) Conformity
B) Reconformity
C) Unconformity
D) Doconformity
E) Topoconformity

Answer 20

C) Unconformity

Question 21

The boundary between the Proterozoic and the Archean is at:
A) 65 Ma
B) 245 Ma
C) 545 Ma
D) 2.5 Ga
E) 3.5 Ga

Answer 21

D) 2.5 Ga

Question 22

The Paleozoic Era is often called the age of fishes. It (the Paleozoic) is the time period in Earth's history that ran from about \_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
A) 2500 Ma to 545 Ma
B) 545 am to 245 Ma
C) 245 Ma to 65 Ma
D) 65 Ma to 10 Ka
E) 10 Ka to now

Answer 22

B) 545 Ma to 245 Ma

Question 23

The development of an atoll involves a number of processes, but the three most important are:
A) Volcanism, Isostasy, and coral growth
B) Volcanism, wave action, and erosion
C) Uplift, wave action, and coral growth
D) Uplift, volcanism, and wave action
E) Isostasy, wave action, and erosion

Answer 23

C) Uplift, wave action, and coral growth

Question 24

In which geological time unit did dinosaurs populate the earth?
A) Archean
B) Mesozoic
C) Hadean
D) Cenozoic
E) Pleistocene

Answer 24

B) Mesozoic

Question 25

In which geological time unit did glaciers advance and retreat numerous times over extensive parts of the earth's continents?
A) Archean
B) Mesozoic
C) Hadean
D) Cenozoic
E) Pleistocene

Answer 25

A) Archean