Relative Age Dating

Front

What is the law of superposition?

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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

Which layer is the youngest according to the law of superposition?

Back

The youngest layer is the one at the top of the sequence.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What does the law of crosscutting state?

Back

The law of crosscutting states that a fault or intrusion is younger than the rocks it cuts through.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

How can you determine the relative age of a rock?

Back

The relative age of a rock can be determined by comparing its position in layers of rock to other rocks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What is relative age?

Back

Relative age is the age of a rock compared to the ages of other rocks.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What is absolute age?

Back

Absolute age is the actual age of a rock or fossil, often determined by radiometric dating.

Front

What is an unconformity?

Back

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What is the significance of fossils in relative dating?

Back

Fossils help to determine the relative ages of rock layers by providing clues about the time period in which they were formed.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

NGSS.MS-ESS2-3

Front

What is the principle of original horizontality?

Back

The principle of original horizontality states that layers of sediment are originally deposited horizontally under the action of gravity.

Front

What is a fault?

Back

A fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can cause displacement.