Lesson 1 -
Fossils
Fossils
Lesson 2 -
Relative Age Dating
Relative Age Dating
Lesson 3 -
Absolute Age Dating
Absolute Age Dating
Vocabulary
Hodge-Podge
:)
:)
100
What is the difference between catastrophism and uniformitarianism?
Catastrophism - organisms and conditions change in quick/violent events.
Uniformitarianism - geological changes we see now are similar to those that occurred in the past. (Slow, gradual change)
100
Which layer is older, the bottom layer of rocks or the top layer of rocks? Why?
The bottom layer is older. The lowest layer had to be there before newer, younger rock settled on top of it.
100
What is absolute age?
The numerical age, in years, of rocks or objects.
100
The preserved evidence of the activity of an organism.
What is a trace fossil?
100
What is the difference between relative-age dating and absolute-age dating?
Relative-age dating determines an estimated age of rocks or features compared to other rocks or features nearby.
Absolute-age dating provides an actual numeric age using radioactive dating.
200
List three ways an organism can become a fossil.
Possible answers: trapped in tar, preserved, mineral replacement (mineralization), carbon film, mold/cast
200
A dike is an example of an ___________.
Intrusion
200
An unstable isotope is called the _______ isotope. As it decays, it creates new stable elements called ________ isotopes.
Parent Isotopes - unstable
Daughter Isotopes - stable
200
The older pieces of rock that are often found in an intrusion.
What are inclusions?
200
How have scientists roughly determined the age of the Earth?
By using radiometric dating, scientists have dated incredibly old rocks from the Earth, moon, and from meteorites.
300
Plant leaves are often preserved as______________.
Carbon Film!
300
What are the three types of unconformities and what do they all three have in common?
Disconformity, Angular Unconformity, & Nonconformity
All three show include older eroded rock layers below newer rock layers, this shows a gap in the rock record (a gap in time).
300
Describe what is happening in the graph below:
This graph shows the half-life process of decaying isotopes. As the parent isotope decays, the daughter isotope increase.
300
The time required for half of the parent isotopes to decay to daughter isotopes.
What is half-life?
300
What types of characteristics would an ancient creature need to eventually become a fossil?
A hard shell, bones, teeth, a sudden burial after death
400
What can a trilobite found in Ohio tell us about the climate here millions of years ago?
Trilobites lived in shallow seas and resemble a horseshoe crab. Therefore, Ohio must have once been covered by water!
400
Name 2 geological principles that are visible when viewing the Grand Canyon.
-Superposition - the older rocks are on the bottom.
-Original Horizontality - the rock layers began as horizontal layers.
-Lateral Continuity - the layers are spread out in large sheets that, when cut away, still remain visible.
400
Why is sedimentary rock not a good candidate for radiometric dating?
Sedimentary rock has grains from many different rocks mixed together. Dating the rock would actually result in dating the individual grains and not the rock itself.
400
Scientist who studies fossils.
What is a paleontologist?
400
Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have different numbers of _________.
Neutrons
500
What clues have been found that tells us the majority of the Earth was once a much colder climate?
-Species such as the woolly mammoth
-Course grass
-Remnants of huge glaciers that once covered large areas
500
Stratigraphy: Place these layers, inclusion, and fault in the correct order from oldest to youngest.
Youngest: E - Fault
D - Dike
A
B
Oldest: C
500
What is an example of something that could be dated using carbon-14?
Ancient artifacts, mummies, ancient scrolls, cloth/fabric from ancient times...
500
Fossils that represent species that existed on Earth for a short length of time, were abundant, and inhabited many locations.
What are index fossils?
500
A whole baby woolly mammoth, in tact, is an example of what type of fossil?
Preserved Remains