G1
Lesson Summary
Vocabulary Link
- uniformitarianism
- relative age
- original horizontality
- superposition
- unconformity
- fault
- cross-cutting relationships
- inclusion
- correlation
- absolute age
- radioactive decay
- atomic number
- isotope
- parent element
- daughter element
- radiocarbon dating
- fossils
- paleontology
- index fossils
- Uniformitarianism, the principle that current geologic forces also operated in the past, is the underlying principle for all of geology.
- Relative age of rocks refers to the geologic sequence of events.
- Relative age can be determined through unconformities, cross-cutting relationships, inclusions, and rock correlations.
- The absolute age of rocks refers to the actual age of rocks.
- Radioactive decay is the primary method of determining the absolute age of rocks.
- Radiocarbon dating, relying on the decay of carbon-14, is extremely useful for dating organic material.
- Index fossils are useful in determining the absolute age of rocks.