Relative Age Dating

What is the difference between relative age and absolute age?

• relative uses the radioactive dating and absolute uses the law of superposition

• relative is comparative and absolute is exact

• relative is exact and absolute is comparative

• relative and absolute mean the same thing

According to the Principle of Superposition, where is the oldest sedimentary material found?

• The oldest layers of sedimentary rock will be found at the top of a sequence of rocks.

• The oldest layers of sedimentary rock will be found in the middle of a sequence of rocks.

• The oldest layers of sedimentary rock will be found at the bottom of a sequence of rocks.

• It is impossible to determine the age of sedimentary rocks simply by looking at their position relative to other layers of rocks.

How are sedimentary rocks deposited?

• vertically

• horizontally

• diagonally

If sedimentary rocks are folded or tilted...

• they were deposited on a slope or uneven ground.

• something happened to deform those rocks and change their orientation before they were deposited.

• something happened to deform those rocks and change their orientation after they were deposited.

The Principle of Inclusions states that...

• pieces of rock enclosed by (or included within) other rocks must be older than the rocks they are in.

• pieces of rock enclosed by (or included within) other rocks must be younger than the rocks they are in.

• pieces of rock enclosed by (or included within) other rocks must be the same age as the rocks they are in.

Which of the following is NOT one of the 3 circumstances when we would use the law of cross-cutting relationships?

• 
  

  a fault (caused by earthquake)

• an igneous intrusion (underground magma)

• sedimentary layers being laid down

• an unconformity (caused by erosion)

Igneous intrusions, faults, and unconformities are always ____ the rocks they cut across

• older than

• younger than

• the same age as

What is an unconformity?

• An unconformity is a layer of sedimentary rock containing the fossilized remains of ancient organisms.

• An unconformity is a gap in the geological record caused when layers of rock are eroded away, then new layers of rock are deposited on top of the old erosional surface.

• An unconformity is layers of rock that have been bent and tilted by tectonic processes.

• An unconformity is a layer of sediment deposited underwater.

Which of the following signifies a break in the continuous history of rock formation, indicating missing time in the geologic record (a period of time where no rocks were deposited or where rocks were eroded away)?

• fault

• intrusion

• unconformity
• inclusion