Relative and Absolute Dating

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What is Absolute Dating?

Back

A method used to determine the exact age of a rock or fossil in years, often using techniques like radiometric dating.

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What is Relative Dating?

Back

A method used to determine the age of rocks or fossils in relation to other rocks or fossils, without providing a specific age.

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What is a Half-Life?

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The time required for half of the parent isotope in a sample to decay into a daughter isotope.

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What percentage of the parent isotope remains after 2 Half-Lives?

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25%.

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What is an Index Fossil?

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A fossil that is used to define and identify a particular time period in the geological time scale.

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What are the characteristics of a good index fossil?

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Widespread geographically, short lifespan, and abundant.

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What is a Mold Fossil?

Back

A fossil that forms when an organism leaves an imprint in sediment, which hardens into rock.

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What is a Cast Fossil?

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A fossil that forms when a mold is filled with sediment or minerals, creating a replica of the organism.

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What is Faulting?

Back

The process where rocks break and move along a fault line, often causing disturbances in the geological layers.

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What is Folding in geology?

Back

The bending of rock layers due to tectonic forces, often resulting in the formation of mountains.