Chapter 9 GEOL – Flashcards

Which era are we currently in? Precambrian Cenozoic Paleozoic Mesozoic

What is the definition of relative dating? Counting tree rings to determine an age Calculating dates based on the theory of relativity Using radioactive materials to determine an age Putting events in order from first to last

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Unconformities Missing time The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out

A worm burrow is an example of which type of fossilization? Mummification Cast and Mold Carbonization Trace Fossil

T/F - The fossil record is biased toward preserving organisms with hard parts.

What is correlation? Matching up rocks of similar age in different regions Matching up continental coasts based on matching shapes Dividing up rock layers into new ones based on mineral content Putting events in order from first to last

When correlating rock between widely separated areas or between continents, what feature do geologists rely on the most? Mineral content Sedimentary structures Fossils Rock type

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Lateral Continuity Missing time The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Cross-Cutting Relationships The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Missing time Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Inclusions Missing time Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out

What is an index fossil? Organisms that are restricted to one small, geographic setting Organisms that were geographically widespread but limited to a short span of geologic time Trace fossils that define a colony of organisms Organisms that existed for a vast period of time and are representative of an era

What is an isotope? An atom that has more or fewer electrons than it should An atom that has more or fewer neutrons than it should A nucleus of an atom that has split during the decay process An atom that has double the protons of a stable atom

What is a fossil? Mudcracks preserved in sedimentary rock A really old geologist Evidence of past life that can include skeletal as well as trace material Only the hard parts of a skeletal structure that have been preserved

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Superposition Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through Missing time Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in

T/F - The first life on Earth developed during the Cambrian Period.

A mammoth frozen in the Arctic tundra of Siberia would be an example of which type of fossilization? Carbonization Mummification Replacement Permineralization

________ is a term used to define 88% of Earth's history prior to the start of the Paleozoic Era. Jurassic Precambrian Quaternary Paleogene

T/F - Rapid burial is an important condition favoring preservation.

T/F - In cast and mold fossilization, the cast is the hollow space in the rock that subsequently becomes filled with mineral matter.

Match the relative dating principles with the correct definition. Original Horizontality Sedimentary layers/lava flows are deposited in flat layers Rock extend in all directions until they reach the edge of a basin or pinch out The oldest is on the bottom, the youngest on top Faults, fractures are younger than the rocks they cut through Chunks of weathered rock are older than the rock they are contained in Missing time