CHUNKY GEOLOGIC HISTORY

What is happening now happened in the past.

You need your ESRT

What is the oldest layer?

G

How do you know it’s the oldest?

It’s on the bottom.

What is the line between B & C?

An unconformity

What process changed layers C-G?

Folding

How do you know that the sill formed after the shale layer above it?

Contact metamorphism

What is the name of this index fossil?

Eurypterus

During which geologic period did Eurypterus live?

Silurian

Near which city in NY might these fossils be found?

Syracuse or Niagra Falls

During which geologic period did the initial opening of the Atlantic Ocean take place?

Jurassic

What is the estimated time of origin of Earth and solar system?

4600 million or 4.6 billion years

How long ago was the area that is now NYS on the equator?

359 million years ago

Why can’t fossils be found near Old Forge, NY?

The bedrock is not sedimentary.

Why couldn’t cavemen have a battle with T. rex?

T. rex was extinct

The following describes what useful tool in relative dating: Lived over a wide area for a

relatively short period of time.

Index fossil

Who is this guy?

Elliptocephalla

During which geologic period did it live?

Cambrian

What radioactive isotope is used for dating wood?

C14

How many half-lifes has occurred with this isotope.

2

If this isotope has a half-life of 10,000 years, what is the age of the sample?

20,000 years

What two events are good time markers because a layer

of sediment is laid down quickly?

Volcanic eruption & meteor strike

The meteor strike that brought dinosaurs to extinction signaled the end of which geologic era.

Mesozoic

Correlate these outcrops. What is the top layer

Tan siltstone