Fossils and Geological Time Flashcard

Front

What is a crosscut in geology?

Back

A fault or intrusion that is younger than the rocks it cuts through.

Front

How can you determine a planet's distance from the Sun?

Back

By knowing its orbital period.

Front

What is the primary mission of the Curiosity rover?

Back

To study Mars to see if conditions were once favorable to life.

Front

Define uniformitarianism.

Back

The principle that the processes acting on Earth today also acted in the past.

Front

Who proposed the heliocentric model of the universe?

Back

Copernicus.

Front

What is the significance of fossils in geology?

Back

Fossils provide evidence of past life and help date the rocks in which they are found.

Front

What does the term 'geological time scale' refer to?

Back

A system of chronological dating that relates geological strata to time.

Front

What is the principle of superposition?

Back

In an undeformed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest layers are at the bottom.

Front

What is an intrusion in geology?

Back

A body of igneous rock that has crystallized from molten magma beneath the Earth's surface.

Front

What is the difference between relative dating and absolute dating?

Back

Relative dating places events in order without assigning a specific age, while absolute dating provides a numerical age.