Geologic History of Earth Review

Front

What is absolute dating in geology?

Back

Absolute dating is a method used to determine the actual age of a rock or fossil by measuring the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Front

What does the term 'half-life' mean?

Back

Half-life is the time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay into daughter atoms.

Front

What is the principle of uniformitarianism?

Back

The principle of uniformitarianism states that the geologic processes that occur today are the same as those that occurred in the past.

Front

What are the three main groups of vertebrates in the order of their appearance on Earth?

Back

1. Fish 2. Amphibians 3. Reptiles.

Front

What does it mean when we say that a geologic process is 'destructive'?

Back

A destructive geologic process is one that breaks down or removes material from the Earth's surface, such as erosion or weathering.

Front

How do scientists use fossils to understand Earth's history?

Back

Scientists use fossils to determine the relative ages of rock layers and to understand the types of organisms that existed at different times in Earth's history.

Front

What is the significance of the Law of Superposition?

Back

The Law of Superposition states that in undisturbed sedimentary rock layers, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest layers are at the top.

Front

What is radiometric dating?

Back

Radiometric dating is a technique used to date materials by comparing the abundance of a radioactive isotope to its decay products.

Front

What is the difference between relative dating and absolute dating?

Back

Relative dating determines the sequence of events, while absolute dating provides a specific age or date for an event.

Front

What role do tectonic plates play in Earth's geology?

Back

Tectonic plates are large sections of the Earth's crust that move and interact, causing earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountains.