Geology 101: Exam 1 Study Guide questions with correct answers

Catastrophism is the idea that _______. CORRECT ANSWER Earth's landscapes have been shaped by sudden worldwide disasters; Earth's landscapes have been shaped suddenly by unknown forces not in operation today Which of the following best explains the principle of superposition? CORRECT ANSWER All sedimentary deposits accumulate on older rock or sediment layers. What is the primary principle used by geologists to separate periods of geological time, and ultimately construct the geological time scale. Why? CORRECT ANSWER Fossil succession --- This allows correlations of similar age rock strata found in different locations across the Earth. Strata CORRECT ANSWER is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers Referring to the Geological Time Scale, why do the "periods" represent different spans of time? CORRECT ANSWER The separation of "periods" is based upon fossil succession only. Which of the following explains best the difference between a hypothesis and a theory? CORRECT ANSWER A hypothesis is developed to explain observations, but a theory is a hypothesis that has passed a series of tests. Three rock groups CORRECT ANSWER igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic Relative dating involves ________. CORRECT ANSWER placing events in their proper sequence or order without knowin