Relative Dating Review

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What is relative dating?

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

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What is the principle of superposition?

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In a sequence of undisturbed sedimentary rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest layers are at the top.

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What does the term 'unconformity' refer to?

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An unconformity is a gap in the geological record that indicates a period of erosion or non-deposition.

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What is an igneous intrusion?

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An igneous intrusion is a body of igneous rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies within pre-existing rock layers.

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What is the principle of lateral continuity?

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The principle of lateral continuity states that layers of sediment initially extend laterally in all directions; they may be laterally continuous even if they are separated by erosion.

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What is the significance of inclusions in relative dating?

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Inclusions are fragments of one rock unit that are contained within another; the rock containing the inclusion is younger than the inclusion itself.

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What is the principle of crosscutting relationships?

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The principle of crosscutting relationships states that a geological feature (like a fault or intrusion) that cuts through another feature is younger than the feature it cuts.

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How can fossils be used in relative dating?

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Fossils can be used to correlate the ages of rock layers; similar fossils found in different locations suggest that the layers were formed during the same time period.

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What is a geologic cross section?

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A geologic cross section is a diagram that shows the arrangement of rock layers and their relationships in a vertical slice through the Earth.

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What is the difference between relative dating and absolute dating?

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Relative dating determines the order of events without providing specific ages, while absolute dating provides a numerical age for rocks and fossils.