Es History of The Earth

Earth Science
11 Quarter 2 –

Module 5:
History of the Earth
At the end of this lesson, you are expected to:
Describe how layers of rocks (stratified rocks) are formed
Describe the different methods (relative and absolute dating) of determining the age of
stratified rocks
Fossil Dating
Relative
and
Absolute
Dating
HOW DO WE
KNOW THE AGE
OF FOSSILS?
-Scientists use 2
methods to determine
the age of fossils:
1. Relative Dating
2. Absolute Dating
Relative and Absolute
Dating
What is Dating?
 When geologists date rocks, they are

determining how long ago they formed.
 Two ways to do this:
Relative Dating
Absolute Dating
Relative Dating
 Determining how old something is
compared to something else
 Use words like “older” or “younger”
instead of exact numbers
I. Relative Dating
 Relative Dating is when you give the

age of a rock or fossil compared to
another rock or fossil.
Example:
Rock A is OLDER than Rock B.
An actual age in years is not determined.
II. Rules of Relative Dating
1. Law of Superposition: When sedimentary rock layers
are deposited, younger layers are on top of older
deposits.
Principles of Relative Age Dating
Superposition
• The principal that in
undisturbed rock layers, the
oldest rocks are on the
bottom
• Each layer is younger than
the one below it
Rules of Relative Dating
2. Law of Original Horizontality: Sedimentary rock
layers are deposited horizontally. If they are tilted,
folded, or broken, it happened later.
Original Horizontality
• Most rock forming materials are
deposited in horizontal layers
• Some layers are deformed or
disturbed (tilted or folded) after
formation
Lateral Continuity
• Sediments are deposited in large,
continuous sheets in all lateral
directions
• The layers continue until they this
out or meet a barrier
• Something (a river) might cut
through layers, but placement
doesn’t change
Inclusions
• A piece of an older rock that becomes part of a
new rock
• Part of an older rock may break off and fall into

soft sediment or magma and becomes part of it
as rock hardens
• Vertical intrusion=dike
• Principal of Inclusions
If one rock contains pieces of another rock, the
rock containing the pieces is younger than the
pieces
Rules of Relative Dating
3. Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships: If an igneous

intrusion or a fault cuts through existing rocks, the
intrusion/fault is YOUNGER than the rock it cuts through
Cross Cutting
Relationships
• If one geologic feature
cuts across another
feature, the feature that it
cuts across is older
Unconformity
• A surface where rock has eroded producing a gap in the rock record
Unconformity
Disconformity
• Younger sedimentary rock
layers are deposited on top of
older horizontal sedimentary
layers that have been eroded
Unconformity
Angular Unconformity
• Sedimentary layers are
deposited on top of
folded or tilted
sedimentary layers that
have been eroded
Unconformity
Nonconformity
• Sedimentary layers are
deposited on older
igneous or metamorphic
layers that have been
eroded
Unconformity
Correlation
• Matching rocks and fossils from
separate locations
Index Fossils
• Represent species that existed on
Earth for a short length of time, were
abundant and inhabited many
locations.
Order these layers from oldest to youngest
Youngest layer
Oldest layer
Order the events from oldest to youngest
YOUNGEST LAYER/EVENT
Fault
Gray Layer
Multicolored layer
Spotted Layer
OLDEST LAYER/EVENT
Absolute age
• The numerical
age in years of
a rock or
object
Absolute Dating
 Determining how old something is

 Use numbers (in millions of years,
mya)
 Only works for Igneous Rocks
Absolute Dating
• Determines the specific age of a

fossil
• Looks at chemical properties
• 2 types:
Carbon-14 (radiocarbon)
Potassium-Argon
Absolute age
• Isotope
Atoms of the same element that have different numbers of neutrons
Hydrogen Hydrogen-2 Hydrogen-3

Absolute age
• Radioactive Isotopes
Radioactive Decay
• Process by which an unstable element
naturally changes into another element
that is stable
• Radioactive isotopes decay at a
constant rate
Absolute age
Half-Life
• Time required for half the parent isotope to
decay into daughter isotopes
Released Energy
Absolute age
Hydrogen-3 Helium-3

Process of Radioactive Decay

1. Radioactive
isotopes=unstable
2. Decay (change) over time Unstable due Extra neutron
to an extra decays into a
3. As they decay, they neutron proton
release energy
4. Form new, stable isotopes
Parent Daughter
Absolute age
• Carbon-14
(C-14))
6 protons,
8
neutrons
Absolute age
• Radiocarbon
Dating
For organic materials
only
In a live organism, C-14
(unstable) decays to C-12
(stable)
Absolute age
• Radiocarbon Dating
In dead organisms, C-14 decays to N-14
Measure ratio of C-14 to N-14
For remains under 60,000 years old
In remains older, not enough C-14 is left
to measure accurately
Absolute age
Uranium-235 (U-235)
• Igneous Rock
• U-235 trapped in minerals
• Decays to Pb-207 (lead)
• Measure ratio of U-235 to
PB-207
Absolute age
Uranium-235 (U-235)
• Sedimentary Rock
• Harder to date with U-235
• Grains come from various areas
and were formed at different
times
• Age would be for one grain, not
whole rock
Absolute age
Earth’s Age
• 4.54 billion years old
• Based on radiometric
dating of moon and
meteorites
Carbon-14 Dating
• Also known as Radiocarbon dating
• Used to date organic substances
• Scientists measure the radiocarbon in the

fossil to determine its age
• Can only date specimens up to about 60,000

years old
Potassium-Argon Dating
• Scientists determine the age of the rock

surrounding the fossil to determine the fossil’s
age.
• Used only for inorganic substances (rocks and

minerals)
• Scientists measure the amount of argon in the

rock to determine its age
• Dates rock 60,000 years old and older

How Absolute Dating Works
 When magma/lava cools, radioactive elements are incorporated into the minerals
 Examples:
-- Potassium 40
-- Uranium 235
How Absolute Dating Works
 These elements begin to decay at a known rate starting when the rock cools
 We can measure how much of the element is left
 Tells us how much time has passed since the rock formed.
What can we learn from this?
 Geologist
Basalt, dated to 80
mya
 T-Rex Fossil Sandstone
Basalt flow, dated

to 100 mya
So when did this T-Rex live?
Between 100 and 80 mya
This may not seem very accurate, but compared to
the 4,500 million years the earth has been around it
gives us a lot more information than we had before
What can we learn from this?
 Absolute Dating
Helps us determine the age of the earth
Helps us determine when specific events in the history of
the earth happened (ex. Extinction of the dinosaurs)
 Relative Dating
Can help us estimate the time span between major
earthquakes, storms, tsunamis etc
Can help us determine the order that life forms developed
on earth
QUIZ
Which rock layer is the
oldest? Youngest?
Youngest
Oldest
If you wanted to figure out the
exact age of a rock, what
technique would you use?
a.Relative Dating
b.Carbon-14 Dating
c.Law of Superposition
d.Potassium-Argon Dating
If you were looking to find the
exact age of a fossil that is at
least 1 million years old, what
technique would you use?
a. Carbon-14 Dating
b. Potassium-Argon Dating
c. Relative Dating
d. You can’t; it is impossible
If you wanted to figure out the
exact age of a fossil that is
less than 40,000 years old,
what technique would you
use?
a. Carbon-14 Dating
b. Potassium-Argon Dating
c. Relative Dating
d. You can’t; it is impossible
LEARNI ESCOTE

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Earth Science

Describe how layers of rocks (stratified rocks) are formed

 When geologists date rocks, they are

 Relative Dating is when you give the

• Part of an older rock may break off and fall into

3. Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships: If an igneous

 Determining how old something is

• Determines the specific age of a

Hydrogen Hydrogen-2 Hydrogen-3

• Also known as Radiocarbon dating

• Used to date organic substances

• Scientists measure the radiocarbon in the

• Can only date specimens up to about 60,000

• Scientists determine the age of the rock

• Used only for inorganic substances (rocks and

• Scientists measure the amount of argon in the

• Dates rock 60,000 years old and older

 We can measure how much of the element is left

Basalt flow, dated

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