Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap Course List)
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305073951
Author: Cecie Starr, Ralph Taggart, Christine Evers, Lisa Starr
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 16, Problem 1DAA
Discovery of Iridium in the K-Pg Boundary Sequence In the late 1970s, geologist Walter Alvarez was investigating the composition of the K-Pg boundary sequence in different parts of the world. He asked his father, Nobel Prize-winning physicist Luis Alvarez, to help him analyze the elemental composition of the layer. The Alvarezes and their colleagues tested the K-Pg boundary sequence in Italy and Denmark. They discovered that it contains a much higher iridium content than the surrounding rock layers. Some of their results are shown in FIGURE 16.18.
Iridium belongs to a group of elements (Appendix I) that are much more abundant in asteroids and other solar system materials than they are in Earth’s crust. The Alvarez group concluded that the K-Pg boundary sequence must have originated with extraterrestrial material. They calculated that an asteroid 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in diameter would contain enough iridium to account for the extra iridium in the K-Pg boundary sequence.
FIGURE 18.16 Abundance of iridium in and near the K-Pg boundary sequence in Stevns Klint, Denmark. Many rock samples taken from above, below, and at the boundary were tested for iridium content. Depths are given as meters above or below the boundary.
The iridium content of an average Earth rock is 0.4 parts per billion (ppd) of iridium. An average metecrite contains about 550 parts per billion of iridium.
The photo shows Luis and Walter Alvarez with a section of the boundary sequence.
l. What was the iridium content of the K-Pg boundary sequence?
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How much more iridium was found in the K–Pg boundary layer than in rock 0.5 m below it?
41.35 ppb
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39.62 ppb
Activity 5.2
Match This To0
Directions: Match the following terms in Column A with their definitions in Column B.
Column A
Column B
_1.Original horizontality
A. principle which states that sedimentary rocks
are deposited in horizontal layers
B. a gap in the rock record
C. principle which states that oldest rocks are at
the bottom and that each successive layer is
_2. Superposition
_3. Unconformity
younger
_4. Correlation
D. matching of outcrops from one geographic
region to another
What area would an area look like if a mineral look like if found in an area of volcanic activity?
Chapter 16 Solutions
Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (MindTap Course List)
Ch. 16 - The number of species on an island depends on the...Ch. 16 - Prob. 2SQCh. 16 - Prob. 3SQCh. 16 - A trait is adaptive if it ______. a. arises by...Ch. 16 - Prob. 5SQCh. 16 - Discovery of Iridium in the K-Pg Boundary Sequence...Ch. 16 - Prob. 2DAACh. 16 - Which of the following is a fossil? a. an insect...Ch. 16 - If the half-life of a radioisotope is 20,000...Ch. 16 - Prob. 8SQ
Ch. 16 - The dinosaurs died out ______ million years ago.Ch. 16 - On the geologic time scale, life originated in the...Ch. 16 - Prob. 11SQCh. 16 - Forces that cause geologic change include ___...Ch. 16 - Radiometric dating does not measure the age of an...Ch. 16 - If you think of geologic time spans as minutes,...
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- Discovery of Iridium in the KPg Boundary Layer In the late 1970s, geologist Walter Alvarez was investigating the composition of the KPg boundary layer in different parts of the world. He asked his father, Nobel Prizewinning physicist Luis Alvarez, to help him analyze the elemental composition of the layer. The Alvarezes and their colleagues tested the K-Pg boundary layer in Italy and Denmark, and discovered that it contains a much higher iridium content than the surrounding rode layers (FIGURE 16.17). Iridium belongs to a group of elements that are much more abundant in asteroids and other solar system materials than they are in Earths crust. The Alvarez group concluded that the KPg boundary layer must have originated with extraterrestrial material. Sample Depth Average Abundance of Iridium (ppb) +2.7m 0.3 +1.2m 0.3 +0.7m 0.36 boundary layer 41.6 0.5 m 0.25 5.4 m 0.30 FIGURE 16.17 Abundance of iridium in and near the KPg boundary layer. Iridium content of rock samples above, below, and at the KPg boundary layer in Stevns Klint, Denmark. Sample depths are given as meters above or below the layer. ppb, parts per billion. An average Earth rock contains 0.4 ppb iridium; the average meteorite, 550 ppb. The photo shows Luis and Walter Alverez next to the KPg boundary layer in Stevns Klint. How much higher was the iridium content of the boundary layer than the sample taken 0.7 meter above it?arrow_forwardDiscovery of Iridium in the KPg Boundary Layer In the late 1970s, geologist Walter Alvarez was investigating the composition of the KPg boundary layer in different parts of the world. He asked his father, Nobel Prizewinning physicist Luis Alvarez, to help him analyze the elemental composition of the layer. The Alvarezes and their colleagues tested the K-Pg boundary layer in Italy and Denmark, and discovered that it contains a much higher iridium content than the surrounding rode layers (FIGURE 16.17). Iridium belongs to a group of elements that are much more abundant in asteroids and other solar system materials than they are in Earths crust. The Alvarez group concluded that the KPg boundary layer must have originated with extraterrestrial material. Sample Depth Average Abundance of Iridium (ppb) +2.7m 0.3 +1.2m 0.3 +0.7m 0.36 boundary layer 41.6 0.5 m 0.25 5.4 m 0.30 FIGURE 16.17 Abundance of iridium in and near the KPg boundary layer. Iridium content of rock samples above, below, and at the KPg boundary layer in Stevns Klint, Denmark. Sample depths are given as meters above or below the layer. ppb, parts per billion. An average Earth rock contains 0.4 ppb iridium; the average meteorite, 550 ppb. The photo shows Luis and Walter Alverez next to the KPg boundary layer in Stevns Klint. What was the iridium content of the KPg boundary layer?arrow_forwardThere are many different natural resources found in Florida. Florida's climate is warm and humid with an abundance of solar energy. The state is surrounded by ocean water and has fertile soil great for farming fruits and vegetables. Half of Florida's land is covered by trees, ideal for wildlife habitats and the production of paper products. Florida has a rich source of mineral deposits including: limestone, phosphate, and silicon deposits. Florida is also a source of natural gas and oil. Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource found in the State of Florida? A solar energy B pine trees phosphate orange treesarrow_forward
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