There are large petroleum deposits in the Northeast United States, near Cleveland and Pittsburgh. These deposits are believed to be about 450 million years old, hundreds of millions of years older than the petroleum deposits in the Central United States.

Question

Source 1 shows that the Northeast was mostly mountains 100 million years ago. Given the information above, what can you conclude?

A
Petroleum traveled to the Northeast from other deposits

B
The Northeast was covered by ocean 450 million years ago

C
Mountains wear down over time and eventually form petroleum

D
The Northeast was part of a different continent when its petroleum formed

Answer 1

Based on the information provided, the most reasonable conclusion is:

B: The Northeast was covered by ocean 450 million years ago.

This conclusion can be drawn because petroleum typically forms from the remains of marine microorganisms that accumulate in oceanic environments. Since the petroleum deposits in the Northeast are believed to be 450 million years old, it is likely that this region was once covered by an ocean where those organic materials accumulated, eventually leading to the formation of petroleum.

Option A cannot be substantiated as there is no information to support the idea that petroleum traveled to the Northeast from other deposits. Option C is incorrect because while mountains can wear down, they do not directly form petroleum. Option D, while potentially plausible in terms of geological history, does not directly address the information given about the formation of the petroleum deposits.