Els Week 5 Stratification

how layers of
rocks (stratified
rocks) are
formed
The idea behind the concept that the
Earth is billions of years old originated
in the work of JAMES HUTTON. Hutton
concluded that there are forces that
change the landscape of the Earth in
the past. This conclusion is based on
his observation in the geological
processes that were taking place in
his farm.
His Principle of Uniformitarianism states that
the current geologic processes, such as
volcanism, erosion, and weathering, are the
same processes that were at work in the past.
This idea was refined by other geologists that
although the process of the past and the
present are the same, the rates of this process
may vary over time. The Earth’s history was
studied using the different records of past
events preserved in rocks. The layers of rocks
are like the pages in our history books.
How are rock
layers
formed?
Rock is a solid material
made of minerals.
When rocks break,
minerals will also
separate from the other
mineral.
The small fragment
of the breaking of
the rock is called
sediment.
The solidification of
the sediments is
called lithification.
This process includes
compaction and
cementation.
Sediments may result from
different factors such as
slitting or breaking of the
rock, or it can be through
weathering or erosion. These
sediments will be transported
and solidify in one place.
Compaction is one of the
most common processes
in the rock cycle. In
compaction, the air and
water lose its space
resulting in more firm and
intact rock.
Another process is the
cementation. The water that
seeps through the pores or
spaces of the sediments
may contain a cementing or
binding chemical that holds
the sediments together.
Sedimentary rock
forms layer upon
other layers. The
layers are known as
strata while layering is
called stratification.
STRATIFIED ROCKS, also known as
derivatives rock, may be fragmental
or crystalline.
These rocks are products of
sedimentary processes. These are
made of visible layers of sediments.
The formation of rock layers depends
on its stratigraphy and stratification
As early as the mid 1600s, Danish
scientist NICHOLAS STENO studied the
relative position of sedimentary
rocks.
Sedimentary rocks are formed
particle by particle, bed by bed, and
the layers are piled one on top of the
other. These rock layers are also
called STRATA.
STRATIGRAPHIC
LAWS
STRATIGRAPHIC LAWS are basic
principles that all geologists use in
decoding or deciphering the spatial
and temporal relationships of rock
layers. These include the
following: Original Horizontality,
Lateral Continuity, Superposition,
Cross Cutting, Law of Inclusions and
the Law of Faunal Succession.
The Law of Stratigraphy
shown in Figure 1 indicates
deposition, reshaping and
deformations of the rock
layers due to geological
processes.
Stratification is the basis of
determining the age of the
rock. Experts use
stratification to identify the
age of rock and some
geological events from the
rock sequence.
Correlation
of Rock
Layers
How do
geologists
correlate rock
layers?
The process of showing that rocks or
geologic events occurring at
different locations are of the same
age is called CORRELATION.
Geologists have developed a
system for correlating rocks by
looking for similarities in composition
and rock layer sequences at
different locations.
The geological technique of
correlation provides
information that has taken
place in Earth’s history at
various times that occurred.
There are different methods in
correlating rock layers, these
include:
1. ROCK TYPES AND ITS
CHARACTERISTICS
⮚ color, texture, hardness,
composition, or its mineral content
⮚ the harder and more densely
packed the particles are, the older
the rock and the deeper the layer
it came from.
2. INDEX FOSSIL
⮚also known as guide
fossils or indicator fossils,
are fossils used to define
and identify geologic
periods (or faunal stages)
3. BEDROCK
⮚ a deposit of solid rock that is typically
buried beneath soil and other
broken or unconsolidated material
(regolith).
⮚ made up of igneous, sedimentary, or
metamorphic rock, and it often
serves as the parent material for regolith
and soil.
HOW TO MATCH
CORRELATE ROCK
LAYERS?
Matching of rock layers may
be determined by merely
looking at its features. Look at
the three columns of rock
layers below. Let us determine
how they are correlated.
TYPES OF
CORRELATION
A) PHYSICAL CORRELATION is
accomplished by using several
criteria such as color,
texture, and types of minerals
contained within a stratum
which make it possible for
geologists to classify a stratum
specifically.
B) FOSSIL CORRELATION is a principle
that geologists use to determine the
age of rock. It uses fossils with unique
characteristics, such as geologically
short lifespan and easily identifiable
features, and uses this information to
estimate the age of a rock layer in
other areas that contain the same
type of fossil or group of fossils
LEARNING
TASK

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