Exam One V

Question 1

______ is the age of a geologic event or feature compared to other geologic events or features:

Answer 1

Relative Age

Question 2

_____ is the age in years of a particular geologic event or feature, generally obtained with radiometric dating techniques:

Answer 2

Absolute Age

Question 3

In stratigraphy, a member is _____

Answer 3

a minor unit within a formation

Question 4

_________ is the matching of sedimentary rocks of similar ages in different regions:

Answer 4

Correlation

Question 5

A ______ is a rock unit that is distinctive enough in appearance that a geologic mapper can tell it apart from the surrounding rock layers:

Answer 5

Formation

Question 6

_____ are life forms which existed during limited periods of geologic time and thus used as guides to the age of the rocks in which they are preserved:

Answer 6

Index Fossils

Question 7

Which of the characteristics below is indicative of a good index fossil?

Answer 7

Geographically widespread

Question 8

Fossils in sedimentary rock strata succeed each other vertically in a specific, reliable order:

Answer 8

Principle of Faunal Succession

Question 9

________ determined that the exact time the Earth formed was 4004 BC:

Answer 9

James Usser

Question 10

_________ discovered radioactivity in 1896

Answer 10

Henri Becquerel

Question 11

______ was the first person to propose that radioactive elements can be used to absolutely age-date rocks:

Answer 11

Ernest Rutherford

Question 12

_______ determined Earth’s age to be between 80-100 Ma based on amount of time it took for fresh ocean water to become salty:

Answer 12

John Jolly

Question 13

Radioactive age-dating is usually not performed on _____ rocks:

Answer 13

detrital sedimentary

Question 14

______ is the amount of time it takes for half of the radioactive nuclei in an unstable element to change to a stable element

Answer 14

Half life