Understanding Earth's History

What does the Law of Superposition help us understand about Earth's history?

• The deeper we dig, the farther back in time we see.

• The higher we climb, the older the rocks are.

• The deeper we dig, the newer the fossils are.

• The higher we climb, the more recent the fossils are.

What do geologists use to determine the order of events in Earth's history?

• Stars and planets

• Rocks and fossils

• Water and air

• Plants and animals

What is the process called when determining if an event or object is older or younger than others?

• Absolute dating

• Carbon dating

• Relative dating

• Fossil dating

What type of rock is mentioned as being stacked like pancakes?

• Igneous

• Sedimentary

• Metamorphic

• Volcanic

According to the principle of superposition, where are the younger rocks located in sedimentary layers?

• At the bottom

• In the middle

• At the top

• Scattered randomly

What does the principle of superposition state about undisturbed rock layers?

• Older rocks lie above younger rocks

• Younger rocks lie above older rocks

• All rocks are the same age

• Rocks are arranged randomly

What can disturb the arrangement of rock sequences?

• Wind

• Forces within the Earth

• Rain

• Sunlight

What are folded rock layers?

• Layers of rocks that are flat and even

• Layers of rocks that are pushed into a sequence

• Layers of rocks that are formed by volcanic activity

• Layers of rocks that are underwater

What is folding in geology?

• The process of rocks melting

• The bending and buckling of rock layers due to Earth's internal forces

• The breaking of rocks into smaller pieces

• The formation of new rocks from magma

What is the geologic column?

• A sequence of rock layers containing fossils and rock formations arranged from oldest to youngest.

• A type of rock found only in mountains.

• A column used in ancient architecture.

• A tool used by geologists to dig rocks.