Geologic Time

Earth is 4.6 Billion Years Old

Evidence in the ice records and rock
records give us clues to not only the
sequence of events that have unfolded,
but also information about the climate
throughout earth history (paleoclimate).

Oxygen isotopes in ice

Chemical composition of shells
Growth rings in coral

Data shows that last few million

years are cyclic and alternate
between warm and cold.
Medieval warm period 950 1250
Little Ice Age 1300- 1870

Relative vs. Numerical Age

Relativeagetheorderofeventsorobjects,fromfirst
(oldest)tolast(youngest)
Determinedbyapplyingsimpleprinciples,includingoriginal
horizontality,superposition,lateralcontinuity,crosscutting
relationships,inclusions,unconformities,andcorrelationofrock
unitsandfossils

Numericalagetheageofeventsorobjects,expressedasa
numberornumbers
Determinedusingradiometricdating(determininghowmuch
radioactivedecayofaspecificelementhasoccurredsincearock
formedoraneventoccurred)

Relative Age Determination

Contactssurfacesseparating
successiverocklayers(beds)

Formationsbodiesofrockof

considerablethicknesswith
recognizablecharacteristics
allowingthemtobedistinguished
fromadjacentrocklayers

Originalhorizontalitybeds

ofsedimentdepositedinwaterare
initiallyformedashorizontalor
nearlyhorizontallayers

Relative Age Determination

Superpositionwithinan
undisturbedsequenceof
sedimentaryorvolcanic
rocks,layersgetyounger
frombottomtotop
Lateralcontinuityoriginal
horizontallayerextends
laterallyuntilittapersor
thinsatitsedges

Relative Age Determination

Crosscuttingrelationshipsa
disruptedpatternisolderthanthe
causeofthedisruption

Intrusionsandfaultsareyoungerthanthe
rockstheycutthrough

Bakedcontactscontactsbetween
igneousintrusionsandsurrounding
rocks,wheresurroundingrockshave
experiencedcontactmetamorphism

Inclusionsfragmentsembeddedin
hostrockareolderthanthehostrock

Unconformities
Unconformityasurface(or
contact)thatrepresentsagapin
thegeologicrecord
Disconformityanunconformity
inwhichthecontactrepresenting
missingrocklayersseparatesbeds
thatareparalleltoeachother
Angularunconformityan
unconformityinwhichthecontact
separatesoverlyingyoungerlayers
fromerodedtiltedorfolderlayers

Unconformities
Nonconformityanunconformity
inwhichanerosionsurfaceon
plutonicormetamorphicrockhas
beencoveredbyyounger
sedimentaryorvolcanicrock
Plutonicandmetamorphicrocks
exposedbylargeamountsoferosion
Typicallyrepresentsalargegapin
thegeologicrecord

Correlation
Correlationdeterminingthetimeequivalencyofrockunits
Withinaregion,acontinent,betweencontinents

Physicalcontinuity
Physicallytracingacontinuous
exposureofarockunit
EasilydoneinGrandCanyon

Similarityofrocktypes
Assumessimilarsequencesofrocks
formedatsametime
Canbeinaccurateifverycommon
rocktypesareinvolved

Correlationbyfossils
Fossilspeciessucceedoneanotherthrough
thelayersinapredictableorder(faunalsuccession)
Similarfossilassemblages(groupsofdifferentfossilspecies)used

Geologic Time Scale

Standardgeologictimescale
Worldwiderelativetimescale
Subdividesgeologictime
basedonfossilassemblages
Dividedintoeons,eras,
periods,andepochs

Precambrianvastamount
oftimepriortothePaleozoic
era;fewfossilspreserved
Paleozoiceraoldlife
appearanceofcomplexlife;
manyfossils

Geologic Time Scale

Mesozoicera"middlelife"
Dinosaursabundantonland
Periodendedbymassextinction

Cenozoicera"newlife"
Mammalsandbirdsabundant
WearecurrentlyintheRecent
(Holocene)Epochofthe
QuaternaryPeriodofthe
CenozoicEra
Mostrecenticeagesoccurred
duringthePleistoceneEpochof
theQuaternaryPeriod

Numerical Age Dating

Numericaldatingputs
absolutevalues(e.g.,millions
ofyears)ontheagesofrocks
andgeologictimeperiods
Usesradioactivedecayof
unstableisotopes
Onlypossiblesince
radioactivitywasdiscoveredin
1896
Radioactiveisotopesdecayin
predictablemanner,givinga
characteristichalflife(timeit
takesforagivenamountof
radioactiveisotopetobe
reducedbyhalf)

Numerical Dating
Different
isotopes are
used for
different time
ranges.
Have to have
something to
date!

Combining Relative and

Numerical Ages
Radiometricdatinggivesnumerical
timebracketsforeventswithknown
relativeages
Individuallayersmaybedateddirectly
Radiometricdatingofunitsaboveand
belowbracketsageofunitsinbetween

GeologicTimeScale
DividedintofourEons
Hadean,Archean,Proterozoic,Phanerozoic

Precambrian(alltimepriortoPhanerozoic)
represents87%ofgeologictime)