8.E.2

Front

What is an index fossil?

Back

An index fossil is a fossil that is used to define and identify a particular time period in the geological time scale. It must have lived for a relatively short period of time and be widely distributed.

Front

What does absolute age indicate?

Back

Absolute age indicates the actual age of a rock or fossil in years, determined through methods like radiometric dating.

Front

What is relative dating?

Back

Relative dating is a method used to determine the age of rocks and fossils in relation to one another, without providing a specific numerical age.

Front

What does the law of superposition state?

Back

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

Front

What are fossils?

Back

Fossils are traces or remains of organisms that lived long ago, preserved in sedimentary rock.

Front

What is the difference between absolute age and relative age?

Back

Absolute age provides a specific age in years, while relative age indicates whether an object is older or younger than another.

Front

What is superposition in geology?

Back

Superposition is a principle that helps determine the relative ages of rock layers, stating that in a sequence of undisturbed layers, the oldest is at the bottom.

Front

What is an unconformity?

Back

An unconformity is a gap in the geological record that represents a period of erosion or non-deposition.

Front

How can fossils be used to date rocks?

Back

Fossils can be used to date rocks by correlating the age of the fossils found within the rock layers to known time periods.

Front

What is the significance of index fossils in geology?

Back

Index fossils are significant because they help geologists correlate the age of rock layers across different geographic locations.