Relative and absolute dating review for flashcard

Front

What is absolute dating?

Back

A method used to determine the exact age of a rock or fossil in years.

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

A method used to determine the age of a rock or fossil in relation to other rocks or fossils.

Front

What is radiometric dating?

Back

A technique used to date materials by comparing the abundance of a radioactive isotope to its decay products.

Front

What is a half-life?

Back

The time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay.

Front

How can the position of rock layers indicate their relative age?

Back

You can determine which layers are older or younger based on their position; lower layers are generally older.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

In undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest are at the top.

Front

What is an intrusion in geology?

Back

An igneous rock formation that has pushed into existing rock layers.

Front

How does an intrusion affect the relative dating of rock layers?

Back

Intrusions are younger than the layers they cut through.

Front

What is the significance of layer matching in geology?

Back

Matching layers across different locations can indicate they were formed at the same time.

Front

What is the difference between absolute age and relative age?

Back

Absolute age provides a specific age in years, while relative age places rocks in a sequence without exact dates.