Relative Dating

Front

What is Relative Dating?

Back

Relative Dating is a method used to determine the age of rocks and fossils in relation to one another, without determining their exact age.

Front

What principle states that in undisturbed layers of rock, the oldest layers are at the bottom?

Back

The Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed layers of rock, the oldest layers are at the bottom.

Front

What is an Unconformity?

Back

An Unconformity is a gap in the geological record that occurs when rock layers are eroded or when sediment is not deposited for a period of time.

Front

Which is older: a fault or the rock layers it cuts through?

Back

The rock layers are older than the fault that cuts through them.

Front

What does it mean if a rock layer is described as 'younger' than another?

Back

It means that the younger rock layer was formed after the older rock layer.

Front

What is the significance of fossils in Relative Dating?

Back

Fossils help to establish the relative ages of rock layers, as certain fossils are known to appear only during specific time periods.

Front

How can Intrusions affect the age of rock layers?

Back

Intrusions are younger than the rock layers they cut through, as they form after the surrounding rock has already been established.

Front

What is the relationship between faults and the rock layers they intersect?

Back

Faults are younger than the rock layers they intersect, as they occur after the formation of those layers.

Front

What is the term for the process of determining the relative ages of rock layers?

Back

The process is called Relative Dating.

Front

What is the oldest feature in a sequence of rock layers?

Back

The oldest feature is typically the bottom layer in an undisturbed sequence.