Free Essay

Geologic Time

In:

Submitted By evil57belvedere
Words 669
Pages 3
Associate Level Material

Geologic Time Worksheet

Use the following table to compare ways of evaluating geologic time. Your description, similarities, and differences must each be at least 50 words.

|Time Evaluation Method |Description |Advantages of this Method |Disadvantages of this Method |
|Relative dating |The relative dating method is |Advantages of relative dating is|The biggest disadvantage of the |
| |the arrangement of numerous |vitally important for helping |relative dating method is that |
| |artifacts or events in a |determine the absolute age of an|it does not provide an age in |
| |sequence related to each other |unknown object by placing items,|years. Also the relative dating |
| |but without ties in a specific |such as rock formations, in a |method can only determine the |
| |slot of measured time and uses |proper chronological order. If |sequential order in which a |
| |a process of using past events |relative dating was not used, |series of events occurred, not |
| |to determine the age of the |there would not be a way of |when they occurred. So this |
| |artifact. This process does not |specifying a specific species |method is only like an estimate |
| |give a specific era of time, but|and having it categorized by the|not a specific. |
| |yet an estimate of time(Murck, |correct age. | |
| |Skinner, & Mackenzie, 2008). | | |
|Absolute dating |The absolute dating method is |Advantages of absolute dating |Some disadvantages to the |
| |the age by determination of any |are that it gives an absolute |absolute dating technique is |
| |object with a reference to a |time of age of an artifact or |that if you want to get accurate|
| |certain time frame, for example;|structures. Experts can have a |results, the sediment that is to|
| |a fixed calendar or in years |more accurate date and have the |be tested cannot have any light |
| |before present this can be based|ability to place the discoveries|exposed to it which would |
| |on measurable chemical or |of geological events, |compare to resetting the time of|
| |physical qualities with an |paleontological sites on both a |the specimen which would make |
| |association through written |human and global record, and |sampling difficult. Also if |
| |records which is also called |artifacts. This method has more |there is not enough evidence to |
| |chronometric dating (Murck, |benefits when compared to |show an era of time then |
| |Skinner, & Mackenzie, 2008). |relative dating. |absolute dating cannot be found |
| | | |out. |

In the following space, explain the role of fossils in developing the Geologic column. Your explanation must be between 200 and 300 words.

Fossils reveal information about the climate and other environmental characteristics of the time and location in which they were formed. Comparing early fossils to later ones provides evidence of environmental and climate change over millions of years. Fossil records also express the impact of catastrophic events on living organisms, such as the sudden extinction of dinosaurs 65 million years ago after a large meteor landed in the Gulf of Mexico. Fossils provide valuable clues to geologists searching for natural resources. The presence of specific types and amounts of plant pollen and spore fossils helps geologists date deposits of coal and confirm their connection, indicating the type of coal likely to be present, says the U.S. Geological Survey. Fossils also play a vital role in developing and supporting theories of continental drift and plate tectonics. Mesosaurus fossils, for example, are found in both Africa and South America. This animal existed only in shallow, fresh-water environments, indicating the two land areas were joined when it existed during the late Paleozoic Era. Younger rocks lie atop older rocks, and any fossils they contain occur in a similar, universal and predictable order. The earliest known fossils, dated to 3.5 billion years ago, consist of bacteria, then algae and microscopic plankton. Scientific data gathered from the 1800s to the present indicate that living organisms have become more complex as time has passed.

Murck, B. W., Skinner, B. J., & Mackenzie, D. (2010). Visualizing geology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/376967/Mesosaurus

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Critical and Creative Thinking Week 1

...Creative Thinking Questions Chapter 1 3. How do you think the principle of uniformitarianism accounts for occasional catastrophic events such as meteorite impacts, huge volcanic eruptions, or great earthquakes? The principle of uniformitarianism states the processes occurring on Earth today are very similar in manner as those throughout much of geologic times. In other words “the present is the key to the past.”(Murck, B. W., Skinner, B. J., & Mackenzie, D. (2010)). When looking at past geological events and occurrences that happened in the past with additions of new testing and technology they can predict when and if volcanic eruptions may occur, meteorite impacts and their damages, and if plate shifts will occur resulting in earthquakes. Scientists rate the earthquakes on a scale based on how damaging they are. 5. In what ways do geologic processes affect your daily life? Daily activities including the water we drink or the tress we plant to help prevent and control soil erosion are a part of geologic processes. Earth materials and processes affect our lives through our dependence on Earth resources; through geologic hazards such as volcanic eruptions, floods and earthquakes; and through the physical properties of the natural environment (Murck, B. W., Skinner, B. J., & Mackenzie, D. (2010)). Understanding Earth’s materials is important because we depend on its resources for building, soil for agricultural needs, energy resources, the air we breathe, and water...

Words: 1365 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Sexual Response Cycle

...The purpose of this assignment is for you to become very familiar with a particular geologic period. In addition, you will gain some experience preparing to present, and possibly presenting, your work. The point value of this assignment is 10 – almost as much as an exam, so you are expected to “give it your best”. You and a partner will prepare a PowerPoint deck describing the geology and paleo-biology of your geologic period, placing it in the context of the geologic time scale. This will include the following (for full credit): • The geologic time period and, the Era in which it is located • The age (in years ago) when your period began and ended • The plate boundaries before, during and after your period, with emphasis on the changes • The position of the continents before, during and after your geologic period, especially North America (or what eventually became North America), with emphasis on the changes • The climate for the continents during your geologic periods, noting any changes • What marks the boundaries (start, end) of your geologic period – why is this time segment given “period” status? • What were the dominant life forms before, during and after your geologic period. To begin the process, it is suggested that you and your partner(s) meet to get organized and decide who will do what by when. You can meet either in-person or electronically. You could even use Facebook. • Decide who will do what...

Words: 376 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Glg 101 Tutorial Learn by Doing / Glg101Tutorial.Com

...Resources: pp. 156–170 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix F Answer the questions listed in Appendix F from the lab book. Write your responses in Appendix F. Complete ALL of Appendix F. Post the completed Appendix F in the individual forum. Due day 7. ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Groundwater Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resource: pp. 213–227 of Geoscience Laboratory and Appendix N. Answer the Appendix N questions from your lab book. Write your responses in Appendix N. Complete ALL of Appendix N. Post completed Appendix N to the individual forum. Due day 7 ================================================= GLG 101 Assignment Relative and Absolute Geologic Time Lab (UOP) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.glg101tutorial.com Resources: pp. 4–20 of the lab book and Appendix E Answer the questions in...

Words: 2964 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Geological Time Worksheet

...Associate Level Material Geologic Time Worksheet Use the following table to compare ways of evaluating geologic time. Your description, similarities, and differences must each be at least 50 words. |Time Evaluation Method |Description |Advantages of this Method |Disadvantages of this Method | |Relative dating |The ability to figure out past |By looking at the layers of |The disadvantages to this study | | |sequences of events thus telling|sediment stacked on top of each |and the determining how old | | |us the approximate age |other and studying the fossils |these layers of sediment might | | |difference from one formation to|found within these layers gives |be is the fact that we do not | | |another. This was done by |us the ability to formulate the |know how long it took to make | | |looking at the different layers |approximate age of each layer |one layer. We also do not know | | |of sediment formed in a mountain|and how long it took to form |if there was a time period that | | |side which turned into rock. The|each layer. Also we can tell |a layer of sediments was not | | |layers piled upon each other let|that any fractures...

Words: 646 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Uniform

...Uniformitarianism or Catastrophism Uniformitarianism is a geological doctrine. States the current geologic processes, occurring at the same rates observed today, in the same manner, account for all the Earth’s geological features. Meaning it assumes that geological processes are essentially unchanged today from that of the past, and that there have no catastrophic events in the earth’s history. The present processes are thought to explain all past events, with the slogan “the present is the key to the past”. This was a direct rejection of the prevalent theory catastrophism, which held that only violent disasters could modify the surface of the earth. At present we hold uniformitarianism to be the truth with great disasters such as volcanoes, asteroids, floods, and earthquakes as regular cycles of the earth. This theory of uniformitarianism on the slow natural processes that was observed on the landscape. If given enough time, a stream could shape a valley, ice could erode a rock, and sediment could accumulate and form new landforms. It’s speculated that it would take millions of years to shape the earth into it contemporary form. The earth is estimated to be about 4.55 billion years old and the planet has had enough time for slow, continuous processes to mod and shape the earth. However, we also know that disasters have a profound impact on the landscape. Catastrophism is the idea that much of the Earth’s crustal features formed as a result of past catastrophic activity...

Words: 326 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Ppt Chapter 2 Eclogy

...Special Creation 1.- Introduction 2.- Relatedness of life forms 3.- Change through time 4.- The age of the Earth II: Correspondence among data sets and Theory of Evolution I: General background: 1.- Introduction 1.1.- Before the establishment of the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin the leading explanation in Europe for the origin of species was the Theory of Special Creation. This theory held that all organisms were created by God during the six days of creation as described in the Bible's book of Genesis. The theory stated that species are unchanged since their creation, or immutable, and that variation within each species is strictly limited. 1.2.- The Theory of Special Creation also stated that creation of all the organisms was recent (approx. 6,000 years ago). 1.3.- By the time that Darwin began working with his theory dissatisfaction with the Theory of Special Creation had begun to grow. Research in the biological and geological sciences was advancing rapidly, and the data clashed with creationism's central tenets and predictions. 1.4.- Scientific theories frequently have two components: (i) A statement of a fact: A claim about a pattern that exists in the natural world (ii) Which process is responsible for this patter 1.5.- The three main statements of facts made by the Theory of Special Creation are: (i) Species were created independently of one another (ii) Species do not change through time (iii) Species were created recently 1.6.- According to the Theory of Special Creation...

Words: 2687 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Billions of Years vs. Thousands of Years

...There is a lot of factors like rocks layers, plants, animals, sun, moon and many more facts that can predict how many years has the earth been around. But to find the truth if it’s a Billions of years or Thousands of years we would have to compare the two and even look into scientist discovering facts. Or do we go off the what God has created and the Bibles authors? When we read about how or what makes the earth Billions of years? There was a Geologic time scale that was invented in 1800’s. Within this invention, this scale was only to find the geologic ages, with out the information of periods or events. By this we believe the earth was formed about 4 billions years ago. This dates have been proven by analyzing samples of rocks , solar systems, and minerals. Scientist have collaborated and scientifically giving proves of objects, like how old it the oldest rock on earth or the oldest mineral and where did it come from. Material (Oldest earth rock), Age (4.0 billion years), and Methods (radiometric) our how the geologic scale combinations of specific source that tell the what scientist have documented and dated there sources. These are examples of why some assume the age of the earth is a billion years old. One big scientists believer was James Hutton studied rocks and fossils and believed the they made millions of years ago. But with every study he had to make people understand the laws of nature and the different events that life has formed within the earth. There...

Words: 851 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Faunal Succession

...Extinction Happens 1 2 3 Thomas Henry De La Beche (1796‐1855), sketch of life in ancient Dorset, 1830 4 5 A few unfortunate but widely-recognized facts about the history of science (and society and religion and...) • rich, old, straight* white guys are (mostly) everywhere • the participation of women was (in many cases) actively discouraged or discounted • the participation of non-white guys and all poor guys was (in most cases) actively discouraged and/or discounted • some aspects of scientific discovery have been highly exploitative, of both nature and of local cultures • scientific ideas have been hijacked and inappropriately used to justify many things, both good and bad 6 * or so they claimed… Ph.D.s full-time faculty 7 8 State Revenue Contribution ($Billion) 1.2 +3% +14% tuition + scale 0.9 0.6 state contribution negative scale 0.3 0 2015 Sources: http://nicic.gov/statestats/?st=WI 2016 http://doc.wi.gov/Home https://www.wisconsin.edu/about-the-uw-system/ http://www.doa.state.wi.us/Documents/DEBF/Budget/Biennial%20Budget/2015-17%20Executive%20Budget/2015-17_Executive_Budget.pdf There is no extinction, There is no evolution, it’s all EVOLUTION! it’s all EXTINCTION! “Goal” is towards God, man created in his image (Lamarck) Catastrophic changes in Earth cause extinction of created forms. 10 (Cuvier) 9 Homologous structures • anatomical parts which share similarities that are not functionally necessary • pre-Darwinian explanations involved...

Words: 2536 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

Critical and Creative Thingking Questions

...changed; although the objective conditions have changed radically the principle of uniformitarianism accounts for the outcome of the catastrophe or natural calamity. 4. In this chapter we have suggested that Earth is a close approximation of a natural closed system, and we have hinted at some of the ways that living in a closed system effects each of us. Can you think of some other ways? Mainly a closed system is a system which is isolated from a larger system or environment. Closed systems, are detained to be isolated from their environment. The effect that changes in a reservoir, like CO2 levels have a close system effect on us. 5. In what ways do geologic process affect your daily life? There are several ways that Geologic Processes affect our lives. By description a geologic process is a normal way of modifying the face of the Earth. With this significance, the processes such as withering, desertification, stratification, soil erosion,and alluvion. These processes can sometimes take form in natural disasters such as Tsunami and Earthquake. It is then obvious that changes in the face of the Earth can be negative or valuable to us. It is in Human nature to be adaptive to these changes. I believe that it affects our way of survival. The geological process affects or lives through weathering, erosion and plate tectonic changes, even earth quakes.The geological process affects or lives through weathering, erosion and...

Words: 1068 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Glg 101 with Lab Week 1 Review Questions

...Week One Review Questions Student’s Name GLG 101 Due Date Teacher’s NAme Chapter 1: Critical and Creative Thinking Questions 3 & 5 3. How do you think the principle of uniformitarianism accounts for occasional catastrophic events such as meteorite impacts, huge volcanic eruptions, or great earthquakes? Uniformitarianism is a theory that states that past events are happening today and will happen in the future. What we do today has an effect on the geologic formation and structure and can lead to natural disasters. 5. In what ways do geologic processes affect your daily life? Daily life can be interrupted by flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires destroying communities and resources that provide stability. Chapter 2: Critical and Creative Thinking Questions 1 & 3 1. When astronauts brought back rock samples from the Moon, the minerals present were mostly the same as those found on Earth. Can you think of reasons why this might be so? Would you expect minerals on Mars or Venus to be the same, or at least very similar, to those on Earth? Moon and Earth are close neighbors so some of the similarities are to be expected. Mars, Venus and Earth are inner planets and similar because they are small and made up of solid rock like materials. 3. Which of the following materials are minerals, and why (or why not)? Water; beach sand; diamond; wood; vitamin pill; gold nugget; fishbone; emerald. Water is not a mineral because it is a liquid. Beach sand...

Words: 715 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Fossil Record

...Animals with hard parts are obviously more likely to be preserved than those that have only soft bodies. Animals may have hard parts, but if they are fragile (perhaps thin), they will not preserve as well as those that have more resistant structure. Some hard parts may have a chemistry that allows then to dissolve easily, reducing their chances of preservation. Some animals have an anatomy that predisposes then to breaking up after death. Vertebrates, for examples, have bony skeletons, but the bones are held together by soft tissue tendons and muscles. Vertebrates often fall apart after death, and their bones may be scattered by water currents, predators, scavengers, etc. Plants fall apart after death, or even during life. Flowers, pollen/spores, leaves, and even branches may be shed during life; stems and trunks may be broken away from roots after death, and the result is that plant parts (even from the same plant) may end up being fossilised in different places. Some creatures molt off their hard parts during life. We have already mentioned leaf fall in deciduous plants. But all arthropods except insects molt off their outer skeletons as they grow (adult insects don't grow). So crustaceans, trilobites, and so on may drop a dozen or more outer skeletons into the fossil record before they finally die. Molting may act as a bias suggesting that a species was MORE abundant than it was in reality. Size Large fossils are easier to see Large shells or bones are stronger, so...

Words: 855 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Dq1 Week 1 Mgt 488

...When a firm creates, formulates, and implements a strategy that adds value and competitive advantage that is a strategic business plan. A strategic business plan is the layout or outline that specifies how a firm is going to reach their plans or goals over a certain period of time. The plan can be very specific or very broad. It can focus on one part of the business, as well as a whole focusing on all functions within a company. This plan is important to an organization’s long-term success because it gives the company a direction or purpose in which to set goals and carry them out. A strategic business plan assists a company in providing products and services in a more efficient and effective manner. Without a strategic business plan a firm will have a difficult time maximizing the potential of its resources. New opportunities and key resources for growth or improvement will be limited or perhaps even missed. A strategic plan is important to both small and large businesses. I believe that for any company, no matter the size, it is equally important to have a strategic business plan in place. This will assist in understanding customer needs and be able to adapt to constant changes and new trends taking place within the company. With a successful strategic plan, a company has a great opportunity for becoming very successful. Innovation plays a key role in developing a company that has potential for growth and success. Innovation provides the company with ways to maintain a competitive...

Words: 277 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Why Do People Study in College?

...students can learn new knowledge and experiences from the studying in the college. There are many teachers, professors with abundant teaching experience who teach students lots of new knowledge and help them to solve the problems in their study. With their help, student can learn a lot of useful basic and professional knowledge which is very helpful for their future’ work. and study. After they finish their study in the college, students go to work in the society and contribute to the different fields. Secondly, students can learn how to arrange their own time reasonably. Before their studying in college, their life often arranged by their parents and their study often arranged by their teachers. It is very different for them to live and study in college, because students studying in college have to arrange their life and study by themselves. They have right to arrange their part time, such as when to get up, when is the sport-time, when to finish the assignment etc. This is very important experience for students’ work and life in the future. Secondly, studying in the college make students having opportunity to live with other student and learn how to cooperate with other people. Usually, people often have uncomfortable feeling to live with a stranger, because they do not know each other...

Words: 432 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Gen195

...hand, my weakness is that I can easily get confused with a situation that can lead to my hardness in heart and not consider the needs of an individual. This comes with another issue, which is my blind spot; unrealistic in role expectations. Because I depend on people in their specific roles, I forget that they are capable of making mistakes as well. So just because it fits best in a role, it does not mean he or she may have the best answer that fits in that particular role. On the same token, I must hold myself accountable to those who are dependent on me because I can also fail in my own responsibility and what people would expect of me in my role. At the present time I tend to overcome these particular situations in my everyday life and work experiences. I have improved the choices I make by taking my time and thinking things through compared to shooting from the hip. I have set action plans, which best fit my own personal life and my fellow employees that consider their ethical experience....

Words: 357 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Organisation Behaviour

...There are many definitions of Organizational Behavior (OB). In order to develop a personal operating definition of OB, I read several definitions to help form a framework of what OB means to me. The definitions I read ranged from the very complex to the very simple. Along with many OB definitions, there are also many different types of research. Mole noted four assumptions that are used in all OB research (2002). 1. Behavior is predictable 2. Behavior is caused 3. Behavior has many causes 4. Generalities can be made Personal Operational Definition With the above assumptions, as well as the concept that OB is a combination of different fields of behavioral sciences, I developed the following operational definition of OB. The study of Organizational Behavior is to observe, analyze and learn, what variables influence individual behavior, at both the individual and group levels, and understand how it affects the behavior of the organization. I will use this operating definition in my organization as we plan to make a major software change. The process is underway to replace the maintenance software system with an updated software so that a purchasing package can be procured that will integrate the two. By observing the behavior of the employees, I will be able to better understand the cause of their resistance to change. I will recommend a cross functional team to address all the concerns and determine what features of the old software are important and should be...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3