Earth's History of Change Vocabulary Review

Determines when something formed or happened in relation to other things.

• Relative Age Dating

• Superposition

• Original Horizontality

• Cross Cutting Relationships

A principle that states that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed.

• Relative Age Dating

• Superposition

• Original Horizontality

• Cross Cutting Relationships

Principle stating that sedimentary rocks are deposited in horizontal or nearly horizontal layers.

• Relative Age Dating

• Superposition

• Original Horizontality

• Cross Cutting Relationships

Principal stating that an igneous intrusion or fault is always younger than the rock it is cutting through.

• Relative Age Dating

• Superposition

• Original Horizontality

• Cross Cutting Relationships

Gaps in layered rock sequences representing missing time.

• Relative Age Dating

• Superposition

• Original Horizontality

• Unconformities

Method that enables scientists to determine the actual age of certain rocks and other objects. (examples include radiometric dating, ice core dating, tree ring dating and more)

• Absolute Age Dating

• Radiometric Dating

• Radioactive Decay

• Isotope

The process of measuring the absolute age of geologic material by measuring the concentrations of radioactive isotopes and their decay products.

• Relative Age Dating

• Radiometric Dating

• Radioactive Decay

• Isotope

The process in which a radioactive element breaks down into a stable isotope of another element.

• Absolute Age Dating

• Radiometric Dating

• Radioactive Decay

• Isotope