27.3 & 27.4 Vocabulary

Question 1

uniformitarianism

Answer 1

the theory that changes in the earth’s crust during geological history have resulted from the action of continuous and uniform processes

Question 2

relative dating

Answer 2

the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another, without knowing their specific ages

Question 3

principle of superposition

Answer 3

when two or more waves overlap in space, the resultant disturbance is equal to the algebraic sum of the individual disturbances

Question 4

aquifer

Answer 4

is an underground layer of water-bearing permeable rock, rock fractures or unconsolidated materials

Question 5

porosity

Answer 5

the percentage of void space in a rock

Question 6

absolute dating

Answer 6

he process of determining an age on a specified chronology in archaeology and geology

Question 7

unconformity

Answer 7

is a buried erosional or non-depositional surface separating two rock masses or strata of different ages, indicating that sediment deposition was not continuous

Question 8

water table

Answer 8

an underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock

Question 9

fossil

Answer 9

the preserved remains of plants and animals whose bodies were buried in sediments, such as sand and mud, under ancient seas, lakes and rivers

Question 10

infiltration

Answer 10

the downward movement of water through the land surface