Chapter 3 Notes? Flashcards
Apparent age
Age based on evidence obtained by indirect means; may not be the same as actual age
Archeology
The scientific study of the material remains of past human life and activities
Daughter product
A new element formed as a result of radioactive decay
Ejecta (volcanic)
Material blown out in the eruption of a volcano
Half life
The time needed for one half of the atoms of a radioactive substance to decay
Fiat creation
Brought into existence by a divine being
Lunar
Pertaining to the moon
Inorganic
Pertaining to things from non-living sources
Isotope
Atoms of the same element, but with different numbers of neurons
Meteorite
A celestial body that enters earth’s atmosphere and hits the surface
Principle of uniformity (2 things)
The idea that the processes at work today account for all the geologic features in the world.
“The present is the key to the past”
Radioactive decay
The process of one element becoming another by giving off particles or rays
Radiometric age
The age determined by comparing the amount of radioactive parent element and its stable daughter product present in the sample
Radiometric dating
The measurement of geologic time by means of the rate of disintegration of radioactive elements
Salinity
The concentration of salt in a solution
