Relative and Absolute Age of Rocks

Front

What is the law of crosscutting?

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 do you determine the relative ages of rock layers?

Back

By using principles like the law of superposition and the law of crosscutting.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What is the law of superposition?

Back

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What type of rock is formed from cooled lava?

Back

Igneous rock.

Front

What type of rock is formed from sediment accumulation?

Back

Sedimentary rock.

Front

What type of rock is formed from existing rocks undergoing heat and pressure?

Back

Metamorphic rock.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS2-1

Front

Where are the oldest fossils typically found in rock layers?

Back

Near the bottom of the rock layers.

Tags

NGSS.MS-ESS1-4

Front

What is relative age?

Back

Relative age is the age of a rock or fossil in comparison to other rocks or fossils.

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 a fault in geology?

Back

A fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust along which movement has occurred.