Dating and Geologic Time

States that younger rocks lie above older rocks if the layers have not been disturbed

• Law of crosscutting
• Law of superposition
• Relative Dating
• Unconformity

What are the relative ages of the features in order from oldest to youngest?

• Limestone, Basalt, Fault, Siltstone
• Siltstone, Fault, Basalt, Limestone
• Limestone, Fault, Basalt, Siltstone
• Limestone, Siltstone, Fault, Basalt

Which of the following is the oldest?

• Layer L
• Intrusion D
• Intrusion H
• Layer E

How does the law of crosscutting explain the age of a fault?

• The fault is younger than the rocks above it.
• The fault is younger than the rocks it cuts through.
• The fault is older than the rocks above it.
• The fault is older than the rocks it cuts through.

The rock formation labeled "P" is a(n)...

• fault
• intrusion
• inclusion
• unconformity

Which of the following correctly lists the layers in order from oldest to youngest?

• A, B, C, D, E
• E, B, C, D, A
• E, D, C, B, A
• C, B, A, D, E

Which layer is OLDER? Intrusion M or Layer D?

• Intrusion M

• Layer D

The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay is its...

• era
• age
• half-life
• eon

How does absolute age differ from relative age?

• only absolute dating indicates which rock is older than another
• only absolute dating finds the age in years
• only relative dating finds the age in years

Radiometric dating is possible because the rates of decay of radioactive isotopes _____.

• change over time
• change from place to place
• are constant
• vary widely