Geological Time: Lesson 1 Review

Which principle proposed by James Hutton rejected the idea of catastrophic events shaping Earth's history?

What is the main idea behind the principle of uniformitarianism?

How does relative-age dating help determine the order of geologic events?

According to the principle of superposition, where are the oldest rocks found in undisturbed rock layers?

What can cause rock layers to tilt or fold?

How does the principle of lateral continuity help us understand rock formations?

According to the principle of cross-cutting relationships, if a geologic feature cuts across another, it is considered:

What does the principle of inclusions tell us about the age of rocks?

What are fossils?

How can fossils help us understand changes in Earth's biodiversity over time?

What can a trilobite fossil tell us about ancient oceans?

How do fossils help us infer the environments where ancient organisms lived?

What do fossils from periods of shallow seas help us reconstruct?

How can changes in climate be tracked through the fossil record?

What might a woolly mammoth fossil indicate about climate?

Geologic time tells the story of Earth's history over approximately how many years?

Which principle helps determine the relative ages of rock layers by comparing their positions?

Why is the principle of superposition important in relative-age dating?

How do fossils provide clues to Earth's past environments and climates?

What can we learn from studying rocks and fossils?