Relative Time and Unconformities

Relative Time
• Relative Dating = sequence of events through time: establishing order in with rocks are deposited and subsequently deformed and altered.......…

Relative Time - Principles
Principle of superposition
Oldest layers on the bottom => younger layers near the top

Relative Time - Principles
• law of cross-cutting relationships

• law of inclusions

Unconformities
=> conformable beds or strata = relative continuous deposition => no periods of erosion or nondeposition (time not represented by strata).......
=> unconformity = the result of periods of erosion and nondeposition = missing time......

Unconformities
1. Disconformity
layered rocks over layered rocks…….erosion and nondeposition

Unconformities
2. Angular unconformity
layered rocks over tilted rocks………..

Unconformities
3. Nonconformity
layered rocks over crystalline rocks……..
• Recognition = Crucial => time not represented by rock

Unconformities - influence on the rock record
Application - Relative Time
- using the principles of relative time to reconstruct the geologic history of a complex area

Assignment
• Read Ch. 7
• Do the questions with figures 7.1-7.3, 7.5,7.8, 7.13, 7.14, 7.17