Ch08 Earth Formative Stages and the Archean Eon Test.docx

The Earth Through Time Chapter 8— Earth’s Formative Stages and the Archean Eon Multiple Choice Questions Select the best answer. 1. Which of the following observation is not true about the solar system? a. Venus revolves in the opposite direction of the other plants b. The Earth is the third planet from the sun c. The Milky Way contain billion of stars including our Sun d. The orbit of the eight plants around the Sun is approximately in the same plane e. Venus is composed primarily of iron and rocks 2. Which planet is not primarily composed of rocky material? a. Mercury b. Uranus c. Earth d. Venus e. Mars 3. What is the name for clouds of dust and gases that formed the solar system? a. Solar wind b. Accretion c. Protoplanets d. Fusion e. Solar nebula 4. Which type of meteorite contains the building blocks for life? a. Ordinary chondrites b. Carbonaceous chondrites c. Iron meteorites d. Stony-iron meteorites e. Chondrules 5. Which of the following are source areas for meteorites? a. Mars b. Moon c. Asteroid Belt d. Earth e. All but d. 6. Which of the following influence the Earth’s energy buget from the Sun? a. Distance from the Sun b. The Moon’s spin on its axis c. Earth’s atmosphere d. Earth’s rotation e. All but b. 7. The Moon is believed to be __________________________. a. a captured object b. formed at the same time as the Earth c. formed by a collision of the Earth with a Mars size object d. formed by centripetal force throwing a piece of the earth into orbit e. made of cheese 8. The rings of Saturn are primarily composed of _______________. a. water ice b. iron c. mercury d. hydrogen gas e. dust particles from the Earth’s moon 9. The Earth differentiated primarily base on ________________. a. the atmosphere b. density c. the gravity of the moon d. tidal effects e. polar ice caps 10. The source of heat for partial melting of the Earth came from ______________. a. magma ocean b. gravitational compaction c. radioactivity d. meteorite bombardment e. All but a. 11. Evidence of an iron core generating a magnetic field dates back to ____________. a. 68 million year ago b. 13.4 trillion year ago c. 6.8 billion year ago d. 3.4 billion year ago e. 3.4 million year ago 12. The Earth’s initial crust was composed of __________________. a. basalt b. granite c. komatiites d. granulites e. shales and graywackes 13. Which of the following gases was absent from the Archean atmosphere? a. Oxygen b. Nitrogen c. Hydrogen d. Carbon dioxide e. Water vapor . 14. Water vapor condensed to form oceans as evidenced by marine sediment rocks dating back to __________. a. 7.6 billion years ago b. 38 million years ago c. 3.8 trillion years ago d. 3.8 billion years ago e. 7.6 million years ago 15. What is the process called when free oxygen is produced in the atmosphere by ultra violet light splitting a water molecule? a. Photosynthesis b. Photochemical dissociation c. Rain d. Respiration e. Hydrogeology 16. What rock recorded the appearance of free oxygen in the atmosphere? a. Komatiites b. Granulites c. Sandstone d. Tonalite e. Banded iron formation 17. Shields are distinguished by which of the following features? a. Age of the rocks b. Trends of the faults and folds c. Style of the folds d. Truncation of structures at the boundaries e. All of the above 18. Continental crust formed at ______________________. a. shields b. subduction zone c. midocean ridges d. meteorite impacts e. transform faults 19. The original continental crust was composed of __________________. a. banded iron formation b. tonalite c. mafic rock d. siltstone e. None of the above . 20. What evidence is cited for Achaean continent standing above sea level? a. Fossilized vascular plants b. Pillow basalts c. Fossilized soil d. Fossilized dinosaurs e. Fossilized amphibians 21. The initial continents of the Archean ____________. a. had smooth sandy beaches b. were small and narrow land masses c. were large and wide land masses d. were located off the coast of California e. covered most of the Earth 22. The earliest evidence of plate tectonics is found in volcanic rocks from ___________. a. Hawaii b. Greenland c. Antarctica d. Mexico e. Iceland 23. Archean granulites are interpreted as being _____________________. a. volcanic arcs b. back arc basins c. midocean ridges d. meteorite impacts e. None of the above 24. Archean greenstones are interpreted as being formed in __________________. a. volcanic arcs b. back arc basins c. midocean ridges d. meteorite impacts e. None of the above 25. Greenstone associated rocks show a trend to _______________silica concentration as the rocks become younger. a. None of the below b. lower c. a variable d. decrease e. higher 26. Which of the following elements is not required for life? a. Nitrogen b. Oxygen c. Sodium d. Hydrogen e. Phosphorus 27. Which of the following is composed of a string of amino acids? a. Sugars b. Proteins c. Water d. Fats e. Carbohydrates 28. Organic phosphorus compounds __________________________. a. transforms light energy to energy required for cell activity b. glow in the dark c. are used to store energy d. splitting up water molecules e. None of the above 29. Laboratory experiments suggest that _____________ surfaces played a role in organizing amino acids in proteins. a. peat b. loam c. sand d. silt e. clay 30. Laboratory experiments using Archean atmosphere gases plus lightening formed which of the following? a. Chemosynthesis b. Amino acids c. Organelles d. Hyperthermophiles e. Fermenters 31. Which of the following locations has been proposed as where life began on Earth? a. Ocean surface water b. Mountain ridges c. The Moon d. Midoceanic ridges e. Subduction zone trenches 32. What is the base of the food chain at the midoceanic ridges? a. Autotrophs b. Heterotrophs c. Pphotoautotrophs d. Lithotrophs e. Hyperthermophiles 33. Organism that live deep in the Earth’s crust are called _______________. a. autotrophs b. heterotrophs c. photoautotrophs d. lithotrophs e. hyperthermophiles 34. What is the name of organism the produce their own food? a. Autotrophs b. Heterotrophs c. Photoautotrophs d. Lithotrophs e. Hyperthermophiles 35. Prokaryotes have which of the following traits? a. Large size b. Membrane bound organelles c. No membrane bound organelles d. Multicellular e. None of the above 36. Eukaryotes diversified rapidly because some members ________________. a. asexually reproduce b. sexually reproduce c. small in size d. move rapidly e. None of the above 37. Which of the following are fossilized Archean cyanobacteria? a. Molecular fossils b. Extremophiles c. Stromatolites d. Chondrites e. Organelles 38. The earliest evidence of life in the geologic record is ______________. a. eukaryotes b. prokaryotes c. metazoans d. chondrites e. extremophiles 39. With the advent of oxygen in the atmosphere, what new molecule was formed that protected life from the Sun’s ultraviolet rays? a. O3 b. O2 c. H2O d. H2O2 e. CO 40. What is it called when a fossil is identified by the byproducts it produces? a. Molecular fossils b. Extremophiles c. Stromatolites d. Chondrites e. Organelles Answers to Questions 1. a 11. d 21. b 31. d 2. b 12. c 22. b 32. e 3. e 13. a 23. a 33. d 4. b 14. d 24. b 34. a 5. e 15. b 25. e 35. c 6. e 16. e 26. c 36. b 7. c 17. e 27. b 37. c 8. a 18. b 28. a 38. b 9. b 19. b 29. e 39. a 10. e 20. c 30. b 40. A TEST 2 Chapter 8—The Earth’s Formative Stages and The Archean Eon Multiple Choice Questions 1. The planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are: large, low density, and composed of hydrogen and helium. very small planetary bodies that have oddly shaped orbits. small, rocky planets that are rich in metals. covered by many thousands of impact craters. covered by a thick atmosphere that is 98% carbon dioxide. Ans: a Feedback: See pages 217- 218 2. Precambrian includes approximately what percentage of Earth’s history (geological time)? 87% 75% 50% 25% less than 25% Ans: a Feedback: See page 216 3. Oxygen accumulated in the atmosphere during Precambrian because it was produced as a waste product of what process? respiration fermentation reproduction photosynthesis excretion Ans: d Feedback: See pages 230 and 243 4. The gradual increase in oxygen in Earth’s early atmosphere is inferred from the presence of: banded iron formations. pyrite in Archean sedimentary rocks. hematite-rich red beds. absence of oxidized iron. dark-colored of sedimentary rocks. Ans: a Feedback: See page 231 5. Which of these statements is false? Precambrian rocks contain deposits rich in iron and other metals. Most Precambrian rocks are deeply buried beneath younger rocks. Many Precambrian rocks are exposed in fairly inaccessible or nearly uninhabited areas. Abundant fossils of animals are commonly found in Archean rocks. Many Precambrian rocks have been eroded or metamorphosed. Ans: d Feedback: See page 244 6. The solar system was formed from a rotating cloud of gas and dust called the: protosun. solar nebula. galaxy. big bang. milky way. Ans: b Feedback: See pages 216-217 7. What is the 20th century theory for the origin of the universe? nebular cold accretion big bang hot accretion milky way Ans: c Feedback: See page 221 8. Channels and stratified deposits indicate that liquid water was once present on this solar system body: Mars. Venus. Pluto. Moon. Mercury. Ans: e Feedback: See pages 224-225 9. According to the model for the formation of the Earth, after the Earth accreted, it was essentially homogeneous with a uniform composition and density. What process had to occur after accretion for the Earth to reach its present internally layered structure? continuing cratering and bombardment heating, partial melting, and planetary differentiation iron-rich materials crystallizing before silicate materials volcanic outgassing and oxygenation condensation of steam to form oceans Ans: b Feedback: See page 228 10. Volcanic outgassing was responsible for the formation of the Earth's: crust. lithosphere. atmosphere. asthenosphere. core and mantle. Ans: c Feedback: See page 230 11. In the 1950's, Stanley Miller made an apparatus to simulate the Earth’s early atmosphere, which included sparks of electricity to simulate lightning. What was produced from the sparks and the atmospheric gases in this apparatus? living cells silicate structures carbonaceous chondrites amino acids microspheres or coacervate droplets Ans: d Feedback: See pages 239 12. Life first appeared on Earth during this division of time: Archean Proterozoic Phanerozoic Paleozoic Cenozoic Ans: a Feedback: See page 244 13. What living structure, which is similar to the structure of some of the earliest organisms in Precambrian rocks, is found today in Shark Bay, Australia? chondrules stromatolites molecular fossils voyageurs sharks Ans: b Feedback: See page 245 14. Which is a characteristic of prokaryotes, not eukaryotes? 1 to 10 micrometers in size multicellular membrane-bound nucleus chloroplasts mitosis Ans: a Feedback: See page 243 15. We know that the Earth’s early atmosphere was oxygen poor because of what characteristics in the rocks from that time? lack of oxidation of iron presence of free carbon absence of limestones absence of red beds all of the above Ans: e Feedback: See pages 230-231 TEST 3 Multiple-Choice Questions 1. Theories for the origin of the universe must conform to an important astronomical observation called a. oscillating universe cosmology. c. solar nebula. b. big bang. d. red shift. 2. The process occurring in the upper atmosphere by which water molecules are split by high-energy beams of ultraviolet light from the sun is termed a. photochemical dissociation. c. photoautotrophy. b. photosynthesis. d. outgassing. 3. The process by which water vapor and other gases were released from rocks within the first billion years of Earth’s history. a. sublimation c. outgassing b. photosynthesis d. photochemical dissociation 4. When early geologists first began to describe local sequences of strata, they sometimes encountered a primary or basement complex of metamorphic and igneous rocks that lay beneath fossil-bearing sedimentary strata. The older more crystalline rocks came to be known as a. Hadean. c. Early Archean. b. Proterozoic. d. Precambrian. 5. The most extensive exposures of Precambrian rocks are in geologically stable regions of continents called a. cratons. c. Precambrian provinces. b. platforms. d. shields. 6. Relatively thin blankets of sedimentary strata that cover regions of stable, basement rocks is called a a. craton. c. Precambrian province. b. platform. d. shield. 7. The Canadian shield is divided into several provinces on the basis of a. fossil content. b. structural trends and age dates. c. the composition of the basement rocks. d. sedimentary structures such as cross-bedding and paleocurrent directions. 8. The Precambrian is ordered, from oldest to youngest, into the a. Archean, Hadean, and Proterozoic Eons. c. Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic Eons. b. Proterozoic, Hadean, and Archean Eons. d. Proterozoic, Archean, and Hadean Eons. 9. The upper most units of a greenstone sequence consist mostly of a. mafic volcanic rocks. c. marine sedimentary rocks. b. felsic volcanic rocks. d. terrestrial sedimentary rocks. 10. Pillow lavas found in greenstone belts suggest a. subaqueous eruptions. c. intrusive feeder dikes from a nearby volcano. b. ash flow deposits. d. higher temperatures for the basalt being extruded. 11. Granulites are a. sedimentary rocks composed of poorly sorted and angular igneous rock fragments. b. metamorphic rocks formed from felsic igneous rocks by structural deformation and high temperatures. c. igneous rocks formed entirely of plagioclase feldspar. d. metamorphic rocks formed from obducted oceanic crust. 12. The uppermost units of greenstone belts consist mainly of a. ultramafic rocks. c. sedimentary rocks. b. basaltic rocks. d. metamorphic rocks. 13. Stanley Miller and Harold Urey, in 1953, circulated methane, ammonia, and hydrogen in an apparatus recreating the Archean atmosphere. By supplying an electrical current they produced a. amino acids. c. ribonucleic acids. b. nucleic acids. d. hydrocarbons. 14. Organisms that manufacture their own food from simple inorganic substances are called a. fermenters. c. heterotrophs. b. bacteria. d. autotrophs. 15. The process whereby organisms release free oxygen (as a waste product) into the atmosphere is called a. respiration. c. photosynthesis. b. photochemical dissociation. d. fermentation. 16. An organism that can live in an oxygen-rich environment is called a. aerobic. c. planktonic. b. anaerobic. d. photosynthetic. 17. An organism that uses an external source of energy to produce organic nutrients from simple inorganic chemicals is a/an a. aerobic. c. autotroph. b. mitochondria. d. prokaryote. 18. The province of eastern Canada that is the youngest, middle proterozoic region of the Canadian shield and the last to experience a major orogeny is a. Ontario. c. Superior. b. Grenville. d. Labrador. 19. These organisms reproduce sexually, with a union of egg and sperm to form the nucleus of a single cell. a. lithotrophs c. autotrophs b. eukaryotes d. heterotrophs 20. The granulite association which is composed largely of gneisses derived from deformed granitic rocks, as well as more gabbroic rocks is called a. komatiites. d. rhyolites. b. anorthosites. e. graywackes. c. andesites. Fill in the Blank 1. These stable regions where basement rocks are covered by relatively thin blankets of sedimentary strata are called . 2. The term used for the continental crust that is rich in feldspar, quartz, and muscovite is called crust. 3. The ultramafic rocks that reflect the higher temperature gradients that prevailed during the Hadean are called . A mountain-building event that occurred in the late-Archeon Eon in Canada that created high temperatures that melted rocks at depth and emplaced a gigantic batholite is called . 5. The theory concerning the origin of the universe that indicates that the universe is expanding is . 6. The Archean rock association that is composed largely of gneisses derived from strongly-heated and deformed tonalites, granodiorites and granites is . The Archean rock association in which felsic volcanics occur above mafic rocks which are overlain by shales, graywackes, conglomerates and banded iron formations, is called . 8. Gneisses and layered intrusive gabbroic rocks form the Archean rock association are called: . The belt structures believed to be the remnants of a once highly-active volcanic trough or synclinal belt are called . 10. An organism that uses an external source of energy to produce organic nutrients from simple inorganic compounds is called a/an . 11. The type of prokaryote that produces its own food by the processes of photosynthesis and asexual reproduction is called . 12. The early organisms that had a definite nuclear wall, well-defined chromosomes, and the capacity for sexual reproduction are called . 13. The laminar, organic sedimentary structures formed by the trapping of sedimentary particles and precipitation of calcium carbonate in response to the metabolic activities and growth of mat-like colonies are called . 14. The idea that the solar system originated as a result of distilling from a rotating cloud of dust particles is called the _____________ ______________. 15. Modern Earth is a differentiated planet that has three very distinct layers: _____________, ____________, and _______________. True/False 1. The “Big Bang” occurred between 3-5 billion years ago and marked the creation of the solar system. 2. The oscillating universe cosmology proposes that for every big bang there is a big crunch. 3. Theories for the origin of the universe must conform to the red shift. 4. Banded iron formations that show alterations of rusty-red and gray bands indicate abundant free oxygen in the environment. 5. Komatiites are ultramafic rocks that reflect the higher-temperature gradients that prevailed during the Hadean. 6. Prokaryotes were organisms with a definite nuclear wall, well-defined chromosomes, and the capacity for sexual reproduction. 7. The process of accumulating bits of matter around an initial mass is called accretion. 8. The darker areas that are seen on the moon are called lunar highlands. 9. Photochemical dissociation is the process by which water vapor and other gases are released from rocks. 10. Autotrophs can’t make their own food so they scavenge nutrients in their environment. Answer Key Multiple Choice d a c d d b b c c a b c a d c a c b b b Fill Ins platforms felsic Komatiites Kenoran Orogeny red shift granulite association greenstone association granulite association greenstone belt autotroph cyanobacteria eukaryote stromatolite nebular hypothesis core, mantel, crust True/False F T T T T F F F F F RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS ACCOMPANYING SELECTED FIGURES FIGURE 8–3 (p. 217) From above, the Milky Way galaxy would resemble a discoidal spiral consisting of stars, planets, satellites, meteors, comets, gases, and dust. FIGURE 8–11 (p. 223) The back side of the Moon is older and therefore more heavily cratered. The nearside of the Moon has many younger rocks, in particular the dark basalts flow areas. FIGURE 8–12 (p. 224) Escaping gases were responsible for the spherical holes in the lunar basalt. This indicates a relative, rapid cooling of this rock. FIGURE 8–26 (p. 234) Both shield and platform are components of the craton. Platforms are regions of the craton in which igneous and metamorphic basement rocks are covered by a blanket of sedimentary rocks.