GED Science TestEarth and Space ScienceMedium
A team of geologists is investigating a region where ancient marine fossils are found at high altitudes, far from any current ocean. Which geological process best explains the presence of these fossils in such an unexpected location?
- AVolcanic eruption and ash deposition
- BUplift of land due to tectonic plate collision
- CErosion by wind and water
- DDeposition by glacial movement
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Uplift of land due to tectonic plate collision
The presence of marine fossils at high altitudes indicates that the land where they were deposited was once submerged under the ocean and has since been pushed upwards. This uplift is a direct result of the immense forces generated by tectonic plate collisions, which can form mountain ranges.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Volcanic activity deposits igneous rock and ash, not marine fossils.
- C. Erosion removes material, it doesn't explain the presence of fossils at high altitude.
- D. Glacial movement deposits till and moraines, not typically marine fossils at high altitudes.
Tectonic Uplift
The process by which Earth's crust is raised to a higher elevation, often due to tectonic plate collisions, leading to mountain formation.
- Caused by convergent plate boundaries where plates push against each other.
- Can expose deeply buried rocks and marine sediments.
- Responsible for the formation of major mountain ranges like the Himalayas.
Memory trick: Ancient Sea, High Land, Tectonic Hand.