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    Rock Age Determination

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    John Michael Anselmo
    Rock ages can be determined through radiometric dating methods that use the radioactive decay of elements like potassium and carbon. Relative dating determines if rocks are older or younger but not the exact age. The principles of superposition, original horizontality, lateral continuity, and cross-cutting relationships are used to determine the relative ages of rocks based on the assumption that sedimentary layers were deposited horizontally and that older layers are on the bottom. Fossil evidence within rocks can also help determine relative ages.

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    Rock Age Determination

    Uploaded by

    John Michael Anselmo
    80 views8 pages
    Rock ages can be determined through radiometric dating methods that use the radioactive decay of elements like potassium and carbon. Relative dating determines if rocks are older or younger but not the exact age. The principles of superposition, original horizontality, lateral continuity, and cross-cutting relationships are used to determine the relative ages of rocks based on the assumption that sedimentary layers were deposited horizontally and that older layers are on the bottom. Fossil evidence within rocks can also help determine relative ages.

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    Rock Age determination

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    Rock-age-determination

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    Rock ages can be determined through radiometric dating methods that use the radioactive decay of elements like potassium and carbon. Relative dating determines if rocks are older or younger but not the exact age. The principles of superposition, original horizontality, lateral continuity, and cross-cutting relationships are used to determine the relative ages of rocks based on the assumption that sedimentary layers were deposited horizontally and that older layers are on the bottom. Fossil evidence within rocks can also help determine relative ages.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    80 views8 pages

    Rock Age Determination

    Uploaded by

    John Michael Anselmo
    Rock ages can be determined through radiometric dating methods that use the radioactive decay of elements like potassium and carbon. Relative dating determines if rocks are older or younger but not the exact age. The principles of superposition, original horizontality, lateral continuity, and cross-cutting relationships are used to determine the relative ages of rocks based on the assumption that sedimentary layers were deposited horizontally and that older layers are on the bottom. Fossil evidence within rocks can also help determine relative ages.

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    Rock age

    determination
    What is Rock age determination ?

     To establish the age of a rock or a fossil,


    researchers use some type of clock
    to determine the date it was formed. Geologists
    commonly use radiometric dating methods, based
    on the natural radioactive decay of certain elements
    such as potassium and carbon, as reliable clocks to
    date ancient events.
    Relative Dating of Rocks
     The relative age of rocks determines the age of rock
    layers as younger or older, but does not give the
    exact age.
     The principle of uniformitarianism states that forces
    that shaped the Earth in the past continues to shape
    the earth today (volcanoes and weathering and
    erosion by wind and water).
    Determining the relative age of a rock

     The determination of the relative age of a rock is


    based on the principle of original horizontality of
    the sediments, principle of superposition, principle
    of original lateral continuity, principle of cross-
    cutting relationships, principle of inclusions,
    principle of biological succession and the lithology
    of a rock.
    Principles in determining the age order
    of a rock
     The principle of original horizontality departs from
    the assumption that most of the sedimentary rocks are
    deposited under the action of gravity, in approximately
    horizontal layers, i.e. parallel to the surface to which
    they deposit.
     Theprinciple of superposition is based on the
    assumption that, in a regular sequence of layers, the
    oldest layer will be on the bottom of the sequence,
    while all the other layers are successively more recent.
     The principle of original lateral continuity states
    that layers of sediment extend in all directions until
    they become thinner or until they are interrupted by an
    obstacle.

     The principle of cross-cutting relationships states


    that a geological object (magmatic intrusion) cutting
    other rocks must be younger of the two features.
    Moreover, the faults (cracks along which a shift of
    rocks from one side to the other is visible) are younger
    than the rocks they cut (fault).
     The principle of inclusion states that each rock
    containing inclusions of a neighbouring rock must
    be younger than that rock

     The paleontological method is based on the


    study and interpretation of animal and vegetal
    organisms’ evolution during geological history,
    and in order to determine the relative age of a
    rock, the principle of superposition is used as a
    starting point, as well as fossil deposits preserved
    within a rock.
    Thank you !

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