JC Excellente Christian Academy Inc.: Earth Science Quarter 2 - WEEK 5

JC Excellente Christian Academy Inc.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL. CHRISTIAN VALUES

Blk. 40 Lot 73 Road 1 Minuyan II, CSJDM Bulacan
Earth Science
Quarter 2 – WEEK 5
TOPIC: Major Events in Earth’s Past – (Part 2)
INSTRUCTION:
1. Relative Dating
 Principle of Original Horizontality
 When sediments are deposited, they form essentially horizontal or flat layers (Figure 1). A
corollary of this principle is that tilted sedimentary rocks were originally horizontal and that they
must have been subjected to rock deformation (i.e. folding).
 Try to relate this principle with the activity on the rock layering model. Ask the learners to recall
how sediments from suspension formed a horizontal sediment layer.
 Relate the tilting of beds to the lesson on rock deformation, particularly folding.
Layering or bedding as a result of sediment deposition.
 Law of Superposition
 New rock layers are always deposited on top of existing rock layers. Therefore, deeper layers
must be older than those closer to the surface.
 The sediments poured into the pail of water settles into horizontal layers. The bottommost layer
is the oldest and the topmost layer is the youngest.
 Principle of Lateral Continuity

 Rock layers extend laterally and cover very broad areas, especially if they formed at the bottom
of ancient seas. As long as there is sufficient supply of sediments, the layer will continue to
extend further.
 If a geologist studying the distribution of rocks will encounter the same rock types on the
opposite side of the river valley in Figure 3b, upon applying the Principle of Lateral Continuity,
he can conclude that these rocks previously formed a continuous layer and that the part of the
original layer of rock must have been eroded by the river.
 Layers of the same rock type are found across canyons at the Grand Canyon. Take note of the
white layer on the top that is continuous throughout despite the presence of gaps in between.
 Principle of Lateral Continuity
 This principle states that a layer or stratum must always be older than any feature that cuts or
disrupts it. For example, if a layer is cut by a fault, the layer is older than the fault that cuts
across it.
 Principle of Unconformity
 An unconformity is a surface of non-deposition or erosion. Accumulation of sediments continues
until the supply of sediments is cut off or if the area is subject to uplift and erosion. Uplift to the
surface (e.g. from the bottom of the ocean to the surface) exposes rocks to the agents of
weathering and erosion.
 Figure below illustrates the sequence of events that can lead to the formation of an angular
unconformity.
 The horizontally layered sedimentary unit on top is separated from the underlying folded rocks
by an unconformity. Rocks above an unconformity are younger than the rocks below.
Formation of an angular uniformity. Sediments are initially deposited as horizontal layers (a). The resulting rocks
layers are then subject to folding (b). Rock deformation (folding) is often associated with uplift. Exposure of the folded
rock layers to the surface results to erosion (c). Finally, the folded and eroded rocks undergo subsidence allowing the
resumption of deposition (d). The unconformity (represented by the undulating surface) represents a period of erosion.
Types of unconformities
a. Angular Unconformity - attitude of beds above and below the surface of erosion or unconformity are
not the same (beds are not parallel to each other).
b. Nonconformity - the layer below the erosional surface is either a metamorphic rock or an igneous rock.
The layer above the erosional surface is a sedimentary rock.
c. Disconformity - sedimentary rock strata above and below the surface of erosion are parallel to each
other.
d. Paraconformity - strata or beds are parallel to each other. There is no discernable erosional surface;
however, there is a gap in the ages between the rock units. A paraconformity represents a period of non-
deposition.
Types of Unconformities
2. Absolute Dating
 With the discovery of radioactivity in the late 1800s, scientists were able to measure the absolute age
or the exact age of some rocks in years. Absolute dating allows scientists to assign numbers to the
breaks in the geologic time scale and get an absolute age of a rock or fossil.
 Methods used in the absolute dating of rock layers:
 Radiocarbon Dating
- This is used to find the age of once living materials between 100 and 50,000 years old. It is
usually used to determine ages of human fossils and habitation sites.
 Potassium-Argon Dating
- Potassium is common in many minerals, such as feldspar, mica, and amphibole. With its
half-life, the technique is used to date rocks from 100,000 years to over a billion years old.
- Potassium-40 decays to argon-40 with a half-life of 1.26 billion years.
- Argon is a gas, allowing it to escape from molten magma. Thus, any argon that is found in an
igneous crystal probably formed as a result of the decay of potassium-40. Measuring the ratio
of potassium-40 to argon-40 yields a good estimate of the age of that crystal.
 Uranium-Lead Dating
- Two uranium isotopes are used for radiometric dating:
 Uranium-238 decays to lead-206 with a half-life of 4.47 billion years.
 Uranium-235 decays to form lead-207 with a half-life of 704 million years
- Uranium-lead dating is usually performed on zircon crystals. When zircon forms in an
igneous rock, the crystals readily accept atoms of uranium but reject atoms of lead. If any
lead is found in a zircon crystal, it can be assumed that it was produced from the decay of
uranium.
EVALUATION:
1. Discuss the following questions:
a. What is the half-life of the 100 atoms of Carbon-14 (represented by the 5-centavo coin)?
b. If each flip represents 5730 years, how many years would it have taken for all of your Carbon-14 5-
centavo coins to become Nitrogen-14 5-centavo coins?

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JC Excellente Christian Academy Inc.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE.LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL. CHRISTIAN VALUES

TOPIC: Major Events in Earth’s Past – (Part 2)

Layering or bedding as a result of sediment deposition.

 Principle of Lateral Continuity

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