32 multiple choice questions plus a geologic cross section similar to the one from the first exam and from homework #1.

You'll be asked to put rock units in the correct relative time positions.

Be able to recognize the sequence of rocks that indicates a transgression and regression.

Trilobites and rugose corals only exist in the Paleozoic
Hexacorals only exist in the latter part of the Mesozoic
There are no corals in the early Mesozoic, so if you go from rugose corals to hexacorals, you can be sure you are looking at an unconformity

Know your three kinds of unconformities (disconformity, nonconformity, angular unconformity) and be able to recognize them in a rock column.

Dinosaurs only exist in the Mesozoic

Go over homework 3:  know the difference between
impact melt rock
impact breccia
stishovite
planar fractures
shatter cones
diaplectic glass

Major events throughout history:
Precambrian - all time before about 540 million years ago - can be broken into three pieces: Hadean, Archean, Proterozoic
Hadean - essentially no rocks on Earth - evidence for impacts on moon and other planets
Archean - granitoid/greenstone belts - no evidence for modern-style plate tectonics
Proterozoic - clear evidence for modern-style plate tectonics - first complete Wilscon cycle recorded in Wopmay orogeny - the big even is the formation and breakup of the supercontinent Rodinia
Following the Precambrian, we get Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic, all of which have rocks containing abundant fossils
Paleozoic - Early - Avalonia hits Laurentia (Taconic orogeny)
Paleozoic - Middle - Baltica hits Laurentia - creating Laurasia (Acadian/Caledonian orogeny)
Paleozoic - Late - final assembly of Pangea (Gondwanda collides with Laurasia - Hercynian/Alleghenian orogeny)
Mesozoic - breakup of Pangea - subduction and multiple orogenies on west coast
Cenozoic - continuation of breakup of Pangeo - collisions form Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt

1st mammals along with 1st dinosaurs and 1st birds and 1st angiosperms (flowering plants) in Mesozoic
trilobites exist only in Paleozoic
Archoecyathids only in early Paleozoic
Bony Fish appear in middle Paleozoic
Reptiles appear in late Paleozoic

Know definitions of epeiric sea, craton, orogen

benthic foraminifera are good indicators of water depth
planktonic foraminifera are good index fossils used to correlate rocks over long distances (cause they float)

Important rocks:  stromatolites, banded iron formation, pillow basalt, komatiite (these are all telling us something)

Six principles of relative age dating - be able to say which one gives you which piece of information
original horizontality
lateral continuity
cross-cutting relationships
superposition
inclusions
fossil succession