Historical Geo_Geologic Time

Question 1

“The physical, chemical, and biological laws that operate today have also operated in the geologic past” is a statement of the doctrine of

Answer 1

uniformitarianism

Question 2

The task of matching up rocks of similar ages in different regions is known as ____________

Answer 2

correlation

Question 3

Fossils that are widespread geographically and are limited to a short span of time are referred to as _________ fossils.

Answer 3

relative?

Question 4

A(n) ___________ in the rock record represents a long period during which deposition ceased, erosion removed previously formed rocks, and then deposition resumed.

Answer 4

unconformity

Question 5

The process by which atomic nuclei spontaneously break apart (decay) is termed ______________

Answer 5

fission

Question 6

The doctrine of ____________ implies that Earth’s landscape has been developed by worldwide disasters over a short time span.

Answer 6

catastrophism

Question 7

The greatest expanses of geologic time are referred to as _______________.

Answer 7

eons

Question 8

Nicolaus Steno proposed the most basic principle of relative dating, the law of __________________.

Answer 8

superposition

Question 9

Which eon of the geologic time scale means “visible life”?

Answer 9

Phanerozoic

Question 10

The doctrine of ___________ was put forth by James Hutton in his monumental work Theory of the Earth.

Answer 10

uniformitarianism

Question 11

Rock layers that have been deposited essentially without interruption are said to be ____________ strata.

Answer 11

conformable

Question 12

The major units of the geologic time scale were delineated during the __________.

Answer 12

1800s

Question 13

The type of date that places events in proper sequence is referred to as a(n) ____________ date.

Answer 13

relative

Question 14

The remains or traces of prehistoric life are known as _______________

Answer 14

fossils

Question 15

A(n) _____________ consists of tilted rocks that are overlain by younger, more flat-flying strata.

Answer 15

angular unconformity

Question 16

Atoms with the same atomic number but different mass numbers are called _________________.

Answer 16

isotopes

Question 17

A break that separates older metamorphic rocks from younger sedimentary rocks immediately above them is a type of unconformity called a(n) _________________.

Answer 17

nonconformity

Question 18

“Most layers of sediments are deposited in horizontal position” is a statement of the principle of ______________.

Answer 18

original horizontality

Question 19

Which one of the following is NOT an era of the Phanerozoic eon?

-Proterozoic
-Mesozoic
-Paleozoic
-Cenozoic

Answer 19

Proterozoic

Question 20

Pieces of one rock unit contained within another are called ________________.

Answer 20

inclusions

Question 21

Which one of the following is NOT a common type of radioactive decay?

-alpha particle emission
-nuclei ionization
-beta particle emission
-electron capture

Answer 21

nuclei ionization

Question 22

Earth is about _______________ years old.

Answer 22

4.5 billion

Question 23

A date that pinpoints the time in history when something took place is known as a(n) ___________ date.

Answer 23

numerical

Question 24

During radioactive decay, what will be the parent/daughter ratio after three half-lives?

Answer 24

1:7

Question 25

The principle of fossil _________________ states that fossil organisms succeed one another in a definite and determinable order.

Answer 25

succession