Review Geologic Time

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What is Geologic Time?

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Geologic Time is the timeline of Earth's history, divided into eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages, used to describe the timing and relationships of events in Earth's history.

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What is the purpose of radioactive dating?

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Radioactive dating is used to determine the absolute age of rocks and fossils by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

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What does 'absolute age' mean in geology?

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Absolute age refers to the actual age of a rock or fossil, determined through methods like radioactive dating.

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What is the difference between absolute age and relative age?

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Absolute age is the exact age of a rock or fossil, while relative age is the age of a rock compared to other rocks, indicating whether it is older or younger.

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What is the principle of superposition?

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The principle of superposition states that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest layers are at the top.

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What are fossils?

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Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms, often found in sedimentary rocks.

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How do plate tectonics relate to fossils found on mountains?

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Plate tectonics can cause marine fossils to be uplifted to mountain tops due to the convergence of tectonic plates.

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What is the significance of the half-life in radioactive dating?

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Half-life is the time it takes for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay, which helps determine the age of rocks and fossils.

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What is carbon-14 dating?

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Carbon-14 dating is a specific type of radioactive dating used to determine the age of organic materials up to about 50,000 years old.

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What is an igneous rock?

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Igneous rock is formed from the cooling and solidification of molten rock (magma or lava).