Relative and Absolute Dating Review

Front

What does the Law of Superposition state?

Back

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

Front

What type of rock is formed from heat and pressure?

Back

Metamorphic rocks are formed from existing rocks that have been subjected to heat and pressure.

Front

What is shale?

Back

Shale is a type of sedimentary rock that forms in deep ocean environments.

Front

What is an example of a crosscutting relationship?

Back

A fault or intrusion cutting through layers of sedimentary rock is an example of a crosscutting relationship.

Front

What does the Principle of Inclusion state?

Back

If a rock layer contains fragments of another rock, the fragments are older than the layer that contains them.

Front

What is the Law of Original Horizontality?

Back

This law states that layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.

Front

What are igneous rocks?

Back

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

Front

What is the difference between relative dating and absolute dating?

Back

Relative dating determines the sequence of events, while absolute dating provides a specific age or date for an event.

Front

What is the significance of fossils in relative dating?

Back

Fossils help to establish the relative ages of rock layers and can indicate the environment in which the rocks were formed.

Front

What is the Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships?

Back

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