GLY 161 Historical Geology
CLASS TEST 2013
Answer all questions by placing an X over the appropriate letter on the answer sheet provided (last
page). Please hand in your question sheets too. Spend approximately one minute on each question.
Time allowed: 50 minutes
1.
Under normal conditions, layers get older the deeper you get. Soil and sediment build up over
time and changes in environmental conditions, human activities or natural disasters can all leave
visible evidence in the form stratigraphic layers. This is referred to as the
a.
Principal of Uniformitarianism
b.
Law of Superposition
c.
Law of Evolutionary Succession in the rock record
d.
Law of Correlation
e.
Law of Original Horizontality
2.
A type of unconformity in which the older and younger rock layers are parallel is called a(n)
a.
Angular unconformity
b.
Disconformity
c.
Non-conformity
d.
All of the above
e.
None of the above
3.
Reptiles first evolved during which era?
a.
Archaean
b.
Palaeozoic
c.
Mesozoic
d.
Cenozoic
e.
Proterozoic
4.
Which of the units below formed between 3.6 and 2.6 Ga., and is a stable cratonic region
made-up of gneiss, granite and greenstone belts.
a.
Kaapvaal Craton
b.
Kalahari Craton
c.
Namaqua-Natal Belt
d.
Namibia Craton
e.
Limpopo Belt
5.
The Limpopo Belt may have formed during which of the events/periods below?
a.
Silurian era (c. 0.4 Ga)
b.
Cambrian era (c. 0.5 Ga)
c.
Pan African event (0.9-0.7 Ga)
d.
Kibaran event (c.1.5 Ga)
e.
Eburnean event (2.1-1.8 Ga)
6.
Indicate which of the following relationships/combinations for the Barberton Supergroup are
correct?
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
Moodies Group – Fluvial sediments
Fig Tree Group – Subduction volcanics
Upper Onverwacht Group – Turbidites trench sediments
Middle Marker – Ocean floor sediments
Lower Onverwacht Group - Komatiite
a.
b.
All are correct
i, iii, iv
c.
d.
e.
ii, iv, v
i, iv, v
None are correct
7.
Indicate, in reference to the following illustration of the Limpopo Belt, the source and grade of
metamorphism of terranes represented by X and Y.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
X = Low-grade granite greenstone terrane; Y = Low-grade cratonic terrane
X = High grade exotic terrane; Y = High-grade cratonic terrane
X = Low-grade exotic terrane; Y = High-grade cratonic terrane
X = High grade cratonic terrane; Y = High-grade exotic terrane
None of the above
8.
In relation to the Witwatersrand Supergroup, indicate which of the following combinations are
correct:
i.
The Hospital Hill Subgroup – Part of the Central Rand Group
ii.
The Jeppestown Subgroup – Part of the West Rand Group
iii.
Elsburg Reefs – Part of the Turffontein Subgroup
iv.
The Vaal Reef – Part of the Hospital Hill Subgroup
v.
Promise Diamictite – Part of the Government Subgroup
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
9.
ii, iii and v
i, ii and iii
i and iv
iv and v
ii and iii and iv
Which one of the following classifications of the Bushveld Complex Suites is correct?
a.
Lebowa Granite Suite consisting of a Rhyolite Extrusion
b.
Rustenburg Layered Suite consisting of a Mafic Intrusion
c.
Rooiberg Group consisting of a Felsic Intrusion
d.
All of the above
e.
None of the above
10.
Plagioclase is less dense than Pyroxene, so Pyroxene sinks faster. A layer may therefore
have more Pyroxene at the bottom.
a.
True
b.
False
11.
The Damara Orogen was formed by the closure of which oceanic basin?
a.
Limpopo Ocean
b.
Adamastor Ocean
c.
Khomas Sea
d.
e.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Agulhas Sea
Palaeopacific Ocean
Which one of the following events did NOT happen in the Mokolian Era?
a.
Olifantshoek Supergroup, deposited around 1.9 Ga
b.
Sedimentation happened along the western edge of the Kalahari Craton
c.
The Namaqualand Metamorphic Complex formed
d.
The Koperberg Suites formed
e.
Closing of the Khomas Sea
Examine the following list of time periods, and for the next 5 questions, link the correct
time to the name of the era or period given in each question.
a.
3.6 Ga to 2.5Ga b. 1000 Ma-540 Ma
c. 360-299 Ma d. 2.5Ga to 1.6Ga e. 540488 Ma f. 199-145 Ma
Cambrian
Archaean
Neo-Proterozoic
Palaeo-Proterozoic
Carboniferous
Examine the following list of eras or periods from the geological column. The following
eight questions give a list of various units from the South African rocks record.
Choose the most appropriate era or period for the age of each rock unit (NB: Each time
period could be used more than once, or not at all).
a. Archaean b. Permian c. Ordovician d. Palaeo-Proterozoic e. Carboniferous f. NeoProterozoic
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
Rustenburg Layered Suite
Ecca Group
Pietersburg Greenstone Belt
Table Mountain Group
Magaliesberg Formation
Witteberg Group
Central Rand Group
Gariep Belt
26.
Intrusions or structures that cut through rock must be younger than the host rock. To which
law is being referred to?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Law of Superposition
Law of Original Horizontality
Law of Evolutionary Succession
Law of Cross-cutting Relationships
None of the above
27.
What is the correct order (from oldest to youngest) in which the following continental areas
first occupied the surface of Earth?
1: Ur, 2: Kaapvaal Craton, 3:Barberton Greenstone Belt, 4: Gondwana, 5: Rodinia, 6:Africa
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
1,5,2,3,4,6
3,2,5,1,4,6
6,4,5,1,2,3
3,2,1,5,4,6
6,5,4,3,2,1
28.
Which of the following most closely represents the stratigraphic record that could indicate an
oceanic regression?
a.
Coarse sediment overlain by fine-grained sediment.
b.
c.
d.
e.
29.
Conglomerate overlain by carbonate rocks.
Carbonate rocks overlain by alluvial sediment
Coarse sediment overlain by shale.
Sandstone overlain by BIF.
The Palaeozoic does not include
a.
Ordovician
b.
Jurassic
c.
Permian
d.
Silurian
e.
Carboniferous
30. A colleague tells you that he has found a fossil trilobite in sandstone. What is the likely age of the
rock?
a.
Palaeoproterozoic
b.
Palaeozoic
c.
Mesozoic
d.
Cenozoic
e.
Archaean
31.
Fossils are most common in which rock types?
a.
Sedimentary
b.
Igneous
c.
Metamorphic
d.
Hydrothermal
e.
All of these commonly contains fossils
32.
What is the name for an erosion surface that separates two sets of sedimentary layers with
non-parallel bedding planes?
a.
Cross-bedding
b.
Formation
c.
Angular unconformity
d.
Fault
e.
Contact
33.
A rock formed with 1000 atoms of a radioactive parent element, but only contains 250
radioactive parent atoms today. If the half-life is 1,000,000 years, how old is the rock?
a.
250,000 yrs
b.
500,000 yrs
c.
1,000,000 yrs
d.
2,000,000 yrs
e.
2,000,000,000 yrs
34.
The temperature of Earth is cooling at a particularly slow rate because of?
a.
Solar energy
b.
Radioactivity
c.
Volcanoes
d.
Ocean tides
e.
Pollution
35.
Which of the following is used by geologists to determine the relative ages in a rock
sequence?
a.
Stratigraphy
b.
Fossils
c.
Cross-cutting relationships
d.
Contained fragments
e.
All of these
36.
Which of the following represents the longest time period?
a.
Precambrian
b.
Paleozoic
c.
Mesozoic
d.
Cenozoic
e.
Carboniferous
37.
According to the scientific evidence the age of the Earth, and the rest of the solar system is
approximately:
a.
1000 Ma
b.
2 Ga
c.
6000 years
d.
4.6 Ga
e.
4.6 Ma
38.
The Table Mountain Group was deposited in the:
a.
Palaeopacific Ocean
b.
Agulhas Sea
c.
Karoo Sea
d.
Palaeoatlantic Ocean
e.
Cape Sea
39. What is the approximate age of the Ventersdorp Supergroup?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
4.1Ga
2.714Ga
2021Ma
3000Ma
1.0 Ga
40. A rise in sea level is called ....?
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Transgression
Regression
Gravitation
Rotation
Indiscretion
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