Name___________________________
LAB
Geologic History & The ESRT Part 1
Background: The Earth Science Reference Tables contain a wealth of information. However, that information
is useless if you don’t know where to find it or how to use it. The lab is designed to have you become more
familiar with the information in these tables as it relates to the unit on Geologic History.
Objective: To become more proficient in the use of the Earth Science Reference Tables.
Procedure: Answer each of the following questions. Be sure to give the information asked for. This lab is
graded on accuracy. If you are unsure of a question, ask your lab partners!
Radioactivity:
Where appropriate, work must be shown for credit.
1. How long does it take rubidium-87 (Rb-87) to undergo three half lives?
2. What percent of carbon-14 remains after two half lives?
3. What is the daughter of rubidium-87
4. How long does it take to have 25% of an original sample of potassium-40 (K-40)?
5. How old is a piece of wood that contains 12.5% of C-14 as compared to a living sample?
6. How much nitrogen-14 (daughter) exists from the parent C-14 after three half lives?
7. How many half lives has carbon-14 undergone in 2850 years?
8. What does uranium-238 eventually decay into?
9. How many grams of carbon-14 are left from an 80 gram sample after 11,400 years?
10.
11.
What percentage of rubidium-87 remains after three half lives?
How many half lives has potassium-40 undergone in 2.6 billion years?
Generalized Bedrock Geology & Landscape Region Maps
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
How old is the Allegheny Plateau (in years)?
During what period did the bedrock in the Allegheny Plateau form?
What era is the period in question 13 a part of?
Where are the oldest rocks in New York State found?
Buffalo is on the border of what two landscape regions?
Which of the two landscape regions in question 16 has the older bedrock?
Massena is found in what landscape region?
What period is the bedrock in question 18 from?
How old is the bedrock in Massena?
Name 5 other cities with bedrock of the same type and age as Massena.
How old is the bedrock at 43oN 73o30oW?
Name the 4 rock types found at the location in question 22.
What type of rocks do those in question 23 belong to?
Centerfold – Geologic History & Timeline
25.
26.
Name the epoch during which humans exist.
Name the period during which humans exist.
27.
Name the era during which humans exist.
28.
Name the eon during which humans exist.
29.
The breakdown of geologic time segments is based on
30.
What period occurred 119,000,000 years ago?
31.
How many years ago did trilobites become extinct?
32.
What percentage of time does the quaternary period occupy compared to the Earth’s
existence?
33.
For what periods in New York State is the rock record complete?
34.
For what periods in New York State is the rock record totally absent?
35.
Name three types of coral index fossils.
36.
During what period did graptolites first appear?
37.
When did the ammonoid index fossil Manticoceras exist?
38.
During what periods was Northeastern North America experiencing rifting?
39.
During what era did the last ice sheet retreat in New York?
40.
During what period did the Queenston Delta form?
41.
How long ago did the Queenston Delta form?
42.
During what period did Pangea begin to break up?
43.
What two continents separated to form the Atlantic Ocean?
44.
List the following events in order of occurrence from oldest to youngest.
45.
Acadian Orogeny (a)
____________________
Retreat of last continental ice sheet (b)
____________________
Formation of Catskill Delta (c)
____________________
Grenville Mountains undergo erosion (d)
____________________
Intrusion of Palisades Sill (e)
____________________
List the following events in order of occurrence from oldest to youngest.
Index Fossil Coelophysis exists (a)
____________________
Humans live (b)
____________________
Pangea begins to break up (c)
____________________
Earliest fish exist (d)
____________________
Sexually reproducing organisms evolve (e) ____________________
Dinosaurs become extinct (f)
____________________
CONCLUSION QUESTIONS (use your classroom notes if you forgot)
A. On what basis is Geologic time divided?
B. Describe the event that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.
C. What surface feature is created when an asteroid strikes the Earth?
D. How did Earth’s atmosphere form?
E. What gases where in Earth’s primitive (early) atmosphere?
F. How did our atmosphere change to contain more oxygen?
G. What has happened to many of the organisms/animals that have lived on this planet?
H. Why are craters common on the moon and uncommon here on Earth?
Name ________________________
Earth’s History Answer Sheet
1. ________________________________________
24. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
25. ________________________________________
3. ________________________________________
26. ________________________________________
4. ________________________________________
27. ________________________________________
5. ________________________________________
28. ________________________________________
6. ________________________________________
29. ________________________________________
7. ________________________________________
30. ________________________________________
8. __________________________________________
31. ________________________________________
9. __________________________________________
32. ________________________________________
10. __________________________________________
33. ________________________________________
11. __________________________________________
34. ________________________________________
12. __________________________________________
35. ________________________________________
13. __________________________________________
36. ________________________________________
14. __________________________________________
37. ________________________________________
15. __________________________________________
38. ________________________________________
16. __________________________________________
39. ________________________________________
17. __________________________________________
40. ________________________________________
18. ________________________________________
41. ________________________________________
19. ________________________________________
42. ________________________________________
20. ________________________________________
43. ________________________________________
21. ________________________________________
44. ________________________________________
22. ________________________________________
45. ________________________________________
23. ________________________________________