1. Bedrock NEARBY which location in New York State formed when Pangaea broke up ?
(1) Jamestown (3) Utica
(2) New York City (4) Mt. Marcy

2. Just like index fossils!
Thin layers of volcanic ash act as excellent time markers in the correlation of bedrock because volcanic ash
(1) is easily eroded and lasts only a short time on
Earth’s surface
(2) stays in the atmosphere for millions of years
(3) is deposited over millions of years
(4) falls to Earth over a large area in a short period
of time
Just like index fossils!

3. Which sequence is indicated by the strata in the outcrop?
(1) A  B  C  D (3) A  B  D  C
(2) D  C  B  A (4) B  A  D  C

4. If Rock Unit D was deposited 210 million years ago, and Rock Unit B was deposited 340 million years ago, then igneous intrusion C probably occurred
(1) 150 million years ago (3) 211 million years ago
(2) 300 million years ago (4) 347 million years ago

5. If Rock Unit B was deposited 340 million years ago, then Rock Unit A probably occurred during which period?
(1) Neogene (3) Permian
(2) Pennsylvanian (4) Silurian

6. Rock Unit A was deposited during the Silurian. At this time
(1) Extensive coal forming forests existed in NY
(2) Index Fossil P (Cooksonia) was alive in NY
(3) The initial opening of the Atlantic Ocean occurred
(4) Birds flew in NY skies

7. Based upon the diagram shown, the contact metamorphism of Rock Unit B probably creates
(1) Gneiss (3) Basalt
(2) Quartzite (4) Sandstone

8. Which form of life became extinct?
Evidence indicates that 251 million years ago a mass extinction of many life-forms occurred on Earth.
Which form of life became extinct?
(1) trilobites (3) mammoths
(2) dinosaurs (4) eurypterids

9. The cross section shows a portion of Earth’s crust.
Which observation provides the most direct evidence
that crustal plate collision has occurred near this region?
(1) alternating layers of shale and limestone bedrock
(2) absence of an igneous intrusive rock
(3) different thicknesses of the sedimentary layers
(4) folding of the sedimentary layers

10. Which two landscape regions in New York State have the oldest surface bedrock?
(1) Allegheny Plateau and Newark Lowlands
(2) Tug Hill Plateau and Erie-Ontario Lowlands
(3) Taconic Mountains and the Catskills
(4) Adirondack Mountains and Hudson Highlands

11. Based on fossil evidence, most scientists infer that
(1) life has not changed significantly throughout
Earth’s history
(2) life has evolved from complex to simple forms
(3) many organisms that lived on Earth have become
extinct
(4) mammals developed early in the Precambrian
time period

12. Organisms that later became good index fossils lived over a
(1) wide geographic area and existed for a long
geologic time
(2) wide geographic area and existed for a short
(3) limited geographic area and existed for a long
(4) limited geographic area and existed for a
short geologic time

13. It changed the sandstone to metamorphic rock !
State one piece of evidence that supports the fact that the Palisade Sill is younger than the Brunswick sandstone.
How does this cross section indicate that the Stockton sandstone is the oldest rock layer?
It changed the sandstone to metamorphic rock !
(It burned it!)
It’s at the bottom!

14. The index fossil known as Bothriolepis swam in waters over what is now New York State
(1) at the same time that Cooksonia grew.
(2) during the Middle Permian epoch
(3) at the time dinosaurs first appear in rock strata
(4) during the erosion of the Acadian Mountains

15. The presence of coal in Antarctica indicates that
(1) forests can grow on continental glaciers
(2) coal can form in cold climates
(3) Antarctica’s climate was once warmer
(4) Antarctica currently has tropical areas

16. The unconformities represent areas of
The block diagrams show four rock outcrops, A, B, C, and D,
located within 15 kilometers of each other. The rock layers have not been overturned.
The unconformities represent areas of
(1) increased global water demonstrated by melting ice
(2) decreasing stream velocities
(3) lost geological historic evidence
(4) index fossil deposition

18. (1) D → C → B → A → F (2) A → B → C → D → F And now…?
The cross section shows rock layers A, B, C, D, and fault F. The rock layers have not been overturned.
Which sequence places the rock layers and fault
in order from oldest to youngest? E
(1) D → C → B → A → F
(2) A → B → C → D → F
(3) F → D → C → B → A
(4) F → A → B → C → D
And now…?
D → C → B → A → F → E

19. The diagram below represents the present number of decayed and undecayed atoms in a sample that was originally 100% radioactive material. 32 16
1000 yrs.
1000 yrs. 8
If the half-life of the radioactive material is 1,000 yrs. what is the age of the sample represented by the diagram?
(1) 1,000 yr (3) 3,000 yr
(4) 4,000 yr
(2) 2,000 yr

20. Which river in New York State flows for several miles over surface bedrock that is more than 542 million years old?
(1) Mohawk (3) Genesee
(2) Susquehanna (4) Hudson
542 million years old = Cambrian

21. The geologic time line below represents the three most recent geologic eras. The numbers represent events in Earth’s history.
Which number best represents when humans are inferred to have first appeared on Earth?
(1) (2) (3) 3
(4) 4

22. The index fossil known as Dicellograptus is found in this rock layer
Radio dating estimates the fossil to be from 452 mya (+/- .5 my). When were these rock layers deposited?
(1) The early Cambrian
(2) The middle Devonian (4) The Paleogene
(3) The late Ordovician

23. Which index fossil may be found in the surface bedrock near Ithaca, New York?

24. Permian-age coral fossils may have an age of
(1) 278 million years
(2) 463 million years
(3) 22 million years
(4) 380 million years

25. What evidence suggests that a mass extinction of the dinosaurs occurred at the end of the Cretaceous?
(1) absence of dinosaur fossils in Paleocene bedrock
(2) drawings of dinosaurs made by humans in caves
during the Paleocene Epoch
(3) an abundance of dinosaur fossils in Early
Cretaceous bedrock
(4) evolution of dinosaurs during the Late
Cretaceous Epoch

27. 8 : 56 = 1 : 7 The table shows how the radioactive decay
of potassium-40 can be used to determine the age
of a rock.
8 : 56 =
1 : 7
How old is a sample of granite that contains 8 grams of radioactive potassium-40 and 56 grams of its nonradioactive decay products?
(1) 1.3 x 109 years old (3) 3.9 x 109 years old
(2) 2.6 x 109 years old (4) 5.2 x 109 years old

28. Which graph shows the relative duration of geologic time for the Precambrian, Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic time intervals?

29. What is the geologic age of layer B?
The geologic drill core below shows bedrock layers A, B, and C that have not been overturned. The geological ages of layers A and C are shown.
What is the geologic age of layer B?
(1) Cambrian
(3) Devonian
(2) Ordovician (4) Permian

30. Pleistocene is “recent”
Which radioactive element is used to determine the absolute age of late Pleistocene animal remains?
(1) rubidium-87 (3) potassium-40
(2) uranium-238 (4) carbon-14
Pleistocene is “recent”

31. How much of an 800-gram sample of potassium-40 remain after 3
How much of an 800-gram sample of potassium-40 remain after 3.9 × 109 years of radioactive decay?
(1) 50 grams (3) 200 grams
(2) 100 grams (4) 400 grams
Half-life is 1.3 × 109 years, so…
1.3 × 109 years = 400 g
2.6 × 109 years = 200 g &
3.9 × 109 years = …

32. How many half-lives have passed?
A radioisotope is found in bone samples of an ancient dinosaur. The radioisotope is found to be only 50% of its expected amount.
How many half-lives have passed?
(3) Three
(2) Two (4) Four
(1) One
What if only 25% of the expected amount is found?
(1) One (3) Three
(4) Four
(2) Two

33. 488 my
-444 my
= 44 my
The geologic cross section below shows the geologic age of two rock layers separated by an unconformity.
The unconformity at the bottom of the Silurian rock layer indicates a gap in the geologic time record. What is the minimum time, in millions of years, shown by the gap?
13 (3) 101
(2) 44 (4) 126

34. What is the name of the fossil in the shale layer at the bottom of both columns?
(it’s the same in both)
Elliptocephala

35. What is period during which this fossil (rock layer) was deposited?
(it’s the same in both)
Cambrian

36. In which of the areas in New York State listed below may it be possible to find this fossil?
1) Old Forge 3) Niagara Falls
2) Elmira 4) New York City

37. By which process was the quartzite strata formed?
The block diagrams show four rock outcrops, A, B, C, and D,
located within 15 kilometers of each other. The rock layers have not been overturned.
By which process was the quartzite strata formed?
(1) deposition of clastic sediment
(2) precipitation from seawater
(3) metamorphism of sandstone
(4) cementation of shells

38. The block diagrams show four rock outcrops, A, B, C, and D,
located within 15 kilometers of each other. The rock layers have not been overturned.
When the rock layers at outcrops A, B, C, and D are correlated, which rock layer would be determined to be the oldest?
(1) quartzite (3) gneiss
(2) marble (4) sandstone

39. The diagram below shows a geologic cross section.
Letters A through D represent different rock units.
Which sequence correctly shows the age of the
lettered rock units, from oldest to youngest?
(1) A → B → C → D
(2) C → D → A → B
(3) D → B → A → C
(4) D → C → B → A

40. (2) Ordovician (4) Triassic
The photograph shows a bedrock outcrop in northeastern New York State. Line AB is an unconformity between sandstone C and metamorphic rock D.
The lower layers of sediment found in sandstone C were deposited 520 million years ago. During which period of geologic time did this deposition occur?
Cambrian (3) Silurian
(2) Ordovician (4) Triassic

41. The diagram below of a cross section of a portion of Earth’s crust
What is the correct sequence of events from oldest
to most recent in the geologic history of this
area?
1) deposition of layers from 1 to 7 →intrusion of basalt → faulting
2) deposition of layers from 1 to 7 → faulting → intrusion of basalt
3) deposition of layers from 7 to 1 →intrusion of basalt → faulting
4) deposition of layers from 7 to 1 → faulting → intrusion of basalt

42. Which listed geologic event in this area occurred last?
The diagram below of a cross section of a portion of Earth’s crust
Which listed geologic event in this
area occurred last?
1) The deposition of limestone layer 2
2) The erosion of layers 6 & 7
3) The earthquake fault running through layers 1 to 7
4) The unconformity below sandstone layer 1

45. marble (3) gabbro (2) quartzite (4) slate
These strata represent ancient history. Many millions of years ago a layer of siltstone and a layer of limestone were “intruded” by a felsic magma that cooled into granite.
The granite intrusion caused metamorphism to part of the limestone.
What metamorphic rock would be found in this zone of contact
metamorphism?
marble (3) gabbro
(2) quartzite (4) slate

46. (2) Ordovician (4) Triassic
The photograph shows a bedrock outcrop in northeastern New York State. Line AB is an unconformity between sandstone C and metamorphic rock D.
The lower layers of sediment found in sandstone C were deposited 520 million years ago. During which period of geologic time did this deposition occur?
After the metamorphism of rock D, which sequence of events most probably formed unconformity AB?
flooding → deposition → erosion → uplift
(2) uplift → erosion → flooding → deposition
(3) deposition → flooding → uplift → erosion
(4) erosion → flooding → uplift → deposition
Cambrian (3) Silurian
(2) Ordovician (4) Triassic

47. Cambrian or Precambrian.
The photograph shows a bedrock outcrop in northeastern New York State. Line AB is an unconformity between sandstone C and metamorphic rock D.
If the lower layers of sediment found in sandstone C were deposited during the Cambrian, when may layer D have formed?
Cambrian or Precambrian.

48. The index fossil known as Valcouroceras may likely be found in rocks near which New York State location?
Niagara Falls
(2) Ithaca
(3) Albany
(4) Riverhead

49. Which layers most likely formed at the same time?
Fossils “B” & “D” are from the Ordovician!
The drill-core samples here were taken from two locations 1000 km apart. Rock layers 1 through 8 have been labeled. Some index fossils are shown in the layers.
Which layers most likely formed at the same time?
(1) 1 and 6
(2) 2 and 8 (4) 4 and 7
(3) 3 and 5