Relative Age of Rock Layers

By Angie Bottarini
Last updated over 3 years ago
22 Questions

What is the Law of Superposition?

What is the Principle of Inclusion?

What are extrusions?

What are intrusions?

What is the Law of Cross-Cutting Relations?

What is unconformity?

What is an index fossil?

List some similarities and differences bewteen the rock layers in North America and Europe.

List the kinds of fossils that are found in each rock layer in North America and Europe.

In North America, what “fossils clues” in layers A and B indicate the kind of environment that existed when these rock layers were formed? How did the environment change in layer D?

1. In Europe, which layer is the oldest? How do you know?

Looking at North America, which of the layers formed most recently? Explain why.

For North America, are layers C and E intrusions or extrusions? Explain why.

For North American layers C and E, why are fossils not present?

Again, looking at North America, what kinds of fossils are located at layer F?

When comparing Europe to North America, which North American layer likely formed at the same time as European layer W? Give an explanation for your answer.

Which rock layers from the North America location are missing in the European location?

What is it called when rock layers are missing from an area and what causes this to happen?

At the Europe site, which is older, intrusion V or layer Y? Explain why.

Match the North American layers to the European layers that formed under similar conditions/time.

Using the Geologic Time scale table, what time periods do layers B and W represent in Earth’s history? Explain why.

What time period does layer D represent in Earth’s history? Explain why.