Deep Time

Question 1

What is deep time?

Answer 1

The immense span of geologic time

Question 2

What are the laws of relative age?

Answer 2

Law of original horizontality
Law of superposition
Law of original continuity
Law of cross cutting
Law of inclusions

Question 3

What is uniformitarianism?

Answer 3

Physical processes observed today are the same throughout history.

Question 4

What is the law of continuity?

Answer 4

Flat rock layers are unlikely to have been disturbed

Question 5

What is the law of superposition?

Answer 5

The youngest layer is on top and the oldest on bottom

Question 6

What is the law of cross cutting?

Answer 6

Younger fractures e.g. faults and dikes must be younger than country rock

Question 7

Why is the law of inclusions?

Answer 7

Similar to xenoliths inclusions are older than material.

Question 8

How do fossils help in dating?

Answer 8

As time markers

Question 9

What are the three types of unconfirmities?

Answer 9

Angular unconformity
Nonconformity
Disconformity

Question 10

What is an unconformity?

Answer 10

Igneous or metamorphic rock overlain by sedimentary strata

Question 11

What is the parent isotope?

Answer 11

The isotope that decays to form the daughter isotope

Question 12

What are the 4 eons?

Answer 12

Phanerozoic
Proterozoic
Archean
Hadean

Question 13

When was the Phanerozoic eon?

Answer 13

542 million years ago to present

Question 14

When was the Proterozoic eon?

Answer 14

2.5 billion to 542 million years ago

Question 15

When was the Archean eon?

Answer 15

3.8 to 2.5 billion years ago

Question 16

When was the Hadean eon?

Answer 16

4.6 to 3.8 billion years ago

Question 17

What are the three eras?

Answer 17

Cenozoic
Mesozoic
Paleozoic