Defintions
Vocabulary Word
Example
Fill in the blank
100
What is absolute age?
The actual age of events
100
The age of rocks and geological features compared with other rocks and features nearby?
Relative age
100
66 million years ago, an asteroid hit earth and wiped out 76% of animal and plant species. What is this an example of?
Mass Extinction
100
Mass extinction is when many species on Earth become extinct within a _____ period of time.
short
200
What are fossils?
the remains or traces of ancient living things
200
States that most rock-forming materials are deposited in horizontal layers?
Original horizontality
200
According to the principle of superposition, is the bottom layer of a rock the oldest or youngest?
Oldest
200
Absolute age is the __________ age of events
actual
300
How does the principle of inclusions state?
If one rock contains pieces of another rock, the rock containing the pieces is younger than the pieces
300
What principle states that in undisturbed rock layers, the oldest rocks are on the bottom?
Superposition
300
If you stood on a beach 1 million years ago you would see waves crashing onto the beach. If you stood on a beach today you would see waves crashing onto the beach. What is this principle called?
Uniformitarianism
300
In the principle of inclusions, the pieces of rock that are inside a rock are ________ then the rock itself
Older
400
What does the principle of inclusion state?
If one rock contains pieces of another rock, the rock containing the pieces is younger than the pieces
400
What principle states that if one geologic feature cuts across another feature, the feature that it cuts across is older?
Cross-cutting relationships
400
A geologist found rock A that had segments of rock B in it. Is rock A or rock B older?
Rock B
400
An inclusion is ____________ then the rock it is in.
Older
500
What is uniformitarianism?
That geologic processes that occur today are similar to those that occurred in the past.
500
What principle states that sediments are deposited in large, continuous sheets in all lateral directions?
Lateral continuity
500
Which is younger, the mountain or the dark cut of rock?
The dark cut of rock
500
____________ is the principle that sediments are deposited in large, continuous sheets in all lateral directions.
Lateral continuity