[Metamorphism] One of the features that is helpful in identifying many metamorphic rocks is the presence of foliation. Foliation is the apparent layering within a rock due to the alignment of minerals from compression or shear stress. Below are three dough balls experiencing stress. Select the one that is experiencing shear stress.

[Earth’s Atmosphere]  The Earth’s atmosphere is composed of many different gases. Place the following gases in order of abundance from most abundant to least abundant.

[Earthquakes] When an earthquake occurs, energy is released in various types of seismic waves. Geologists separate these seismic waves into two categories: body waves and surface waves. The classification depends on whether the wave travels through the Earth’s interior (body) or only along the surface. Place each of the four main types of seismic waves into the appropriate category based on where it travels.  

[Relative and Numerical Dating] Dating is complicated by the presence of unconformities. An unconformity is a gap left in the rock record due to erosion or lack of deposition. It is not a physical cavity but rather an uneven contact between beds of different ages. Label the three images below with one of the types of unconformities provided.

[Relative and Numerical Dating] To understand many of the geological processes that occur or have occurred throughout time, geologists need to be able to put rocks of different ages into order. The two main ways that geologists do this are through relative dating and numerical dating. We will be using these terms a lot throughout this exercise. Match these terms with their definitions.

[Relative and Numerical Dating] Using the same image, determine the age of the fossils within the Cretaceous sandstone.

[Metamorphism] Understanding metamorphic facies is important in the real world when you consider that mining companies are often searching for specific minerals that may not be common. For example, the mineral sillimanite is necessary in the production of many metals, glass, and ceramics, but it is not abundant. If you were a geologist looking for sillimanite deposits to mine, what other minerals might you look for to tell you that you were in the right facies to find sillimanite as well? Use the graphic below to help you answer this question.

[Earthquakes] Now, match the name of the seismic wave with the appropriate block diagram showing wave motion.

[Relative and Numerical Dating] Fossils can be dated using isotopic dating. Suppose the index fossil had a parent:daughter ratio of 4:12. Use the graph below to determine how many half-lives elapsed.

[Earthquakes] Below is an image of tectonic settings in which earthquakes occur in continental lithosphere. Subduction-related earthquakes in continental crust are not shown. Based on where you located the epicenter of the earthquake, in what type of tectonic setting did this earthquake occur?