Four Sediment Cores Were Removed from the Floor of an Inland

question 42

Multiple Choice

Four sediment cores were removed from the floor of an inland sea. The sea was in existence intermittently throughout the entire time that terrestrial life has existed. Researchers wish to locate and study the terrestrial organisms fossilized in these cores. In the diagram, the cores are illustrated as vertical columns, with the top of the column representing the most recent strata and the bottom representing the time when land was first colonized by life. Which of the following factors would best allow a researcher to assign absolute dates to the fossils in the sediments?

• A) knowledge of the order in which the fossils were deposited
• B) knowledge that the sediments had not been affected by underwater currents during their deposition
• C) presence of volcanic ash layers between the sedimentary strata
• D) equal spacing of fossils throughout the columns

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Definitions:

Compound Interest

Interest calculation on a loan or deposit where the interest earned also earns interest, leading to exponential growth over time.

Nearest Cent

Rounding a monetary amount to the closest cent, often used to simplify cash transactions.

Simple Interest

An interest calculation method where the interest charge is calculated only on the principal amount, without compounding.

Nearest Cent

Rounding a monetary amount to the closest one-hundredth of the currency unit, such as a dollar.