#4: GTS

Activity
Name: __________________________ Section: _______________ Score: _____

Task 1: Read these passages from the text and answer the questions that follow.
Geologic Time

The age of the Earth is about 4.6 billion years old or 4,600,000,000. Because of this very big
number, the measurement used when referring to the age of the Earth is called Geologic Time. Geologic
Time is the chronological time related to the events that have occurred during Earth's history. It is used by
geologists (study Earth's matter), paleontologists (study Earth's organisms), and other Earth scientists to
describe the timing and relationships of these events.

The Geologic Time of the Earth has been determined by using methods which can determine the
age of rocks, fossils, and other materials that are part of the Earth. Geologists use radioactivity to discover
the age of substances found throughout the Earth. They measure the amount of certain radioactive elements
in a rock such as uranium or lead. The radioactive elements change over time, and this helps geologists
determine the approximate age of the rock. If the rock includes fossils, this helps identify what appeared
during various time-periods of the Earth's existence.

The Geologic Time System (GTS) is used to show the development of the Earth during its 4.6-
billion-year existence. The scale is broken down into eons, eras, periods, epochs, and events. There are
three main eras used by geologists: Cenozoic, Mesozoic, and Paleozoic and the Precambrian Eon, which
contains three other shorter eras. The eras are then broken down further into periods, and some of the
periods are split into epochs. The use of the GTS is helpful to show the different events that have taken
place on the Earth beginning with the formation of the Earth's crust to human civilization today.

Geologic Time Scale Basics

The history of the Earth covers a vast expanse of time, so scientists divide it into smaller sections that are
associated with events that have occurred in the past. The approximate time range of each time span is
shown on the poster. The largest time span of the geologic time scale is the eon. It is an indefinitely long
period of time that contains at least two eras. Geologic time is divided into two eons. The more ancient eon
is called the Precambrian, and the more recent is the Phanerozoic. Each eon is subdivided into smaller
spans called eras. The Precambrian eon is divided from most ancient into the Hadean era, Archean era, and
Proterozoic era. See Figure 1.

Precambrian Eon
Proterozoic Era 2500 - 550 million years ago
Archaean Era 3800 - 2500 million years ago
Hadean Era 4600 - 3800 million years ago

Figure 1. Eras of the Precambrian Eon

Early life during the Precambrian Era is found in the seas only. The algae and other organisms
during this time-period released oxygen into the air, and continue to do so today. It is why the ocean's
organisms are vital for the existence of future life on the Earth.
Single-celled and simple multicellular organisms first developed during the Precambrian eon. There are
many fossils from this time because the sea-dwelling creatures were trapped in sediments and preserved.

The Phanerozoic eon is subdivided into three eras – the Paleozoic era, Mesozoic era, and Cenozoic
era. An era is often divided into several smaller time spans called periods. For example, the Paleozoic era is
divided into the Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian periods. During
the Paleozoic Era and future periods, many organisms became extinct and then new organisms came back
many years later. During the Earth's development, this was not unusual. Remember, all of this is taking
place over millions and millions of years. Extinction occurs over an extended period, especially when it is
due to the cooling of the Earth, and then it takes many more years for organisms to appear again. Some
organisms, though, do survive during extinction cycles.

Paleozoic Era
Permian Period 300 - 250 million years ago
Carboniferous Period 350 - 300 million years ago
Devonian Period 400 - 350 million years ago
Silurian Period 450 - 400 million years ago
Ordovician Period 500 - 450 million years ago
Cambrian Period 550 - 500 million years ago
Figure 2. Periods of the Paleozoic Era

The Mesozoic Era contains the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, as illustrated in Figure 3.
It is often called the Age of the Dinosaurs because of its famous inhabitants. This was the era when
dinosaurs walked the Earth. Scientists cannot be 100% sure of the causes for the dinosaurs' extinction, but
the theories include meteorites or asteroids colliding with Earth, glaciation which causes Earth to be
covered in ice, or other reasons.

Mesozoic Era
Cretaceous Period 150 - 65 million years ago
Jurassic Period 200 - 150 million years ago
Triassic Period 250 - 200 million years ago

Figure 3. Periods of the Mesozoic Era

The two periods of the Cenozoic Era are the Tertiary and Quaternary. A period is divided into an
even smaller unit called an epoch. The Tertiary period of the Cenozoic era is comprised of the Paleocene,
Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, and Pliocene. The Earth is currently in the Cenozoic Period, which so far,
has lasted for about 65 million years. The era is known as the 'Age of Mammals', and the Quaternary Period
is known as the 'Age of Man.'
The Quaternary period of the Cenozoic era includes the Pleistocene and Holocene (Recent) epochs.
See Figure 4.
 Cenozoic Era
Quaternary Period 2 million years ago - present
Recent (or Halocene) 0.01 million years ago - present
Pleistocene 2 - 0.01 million years ago
Tertiary Period 65 - 0.01 million years ago
Pliocene 5 - 2 million years ago
Miocene 25 - 5 million years ago
Oligocene 35 - 25 million years ago
Eocene 55 - 35 million years ago
Paleocene 65 - 55 million years ago
Figure 4. Periods and Epochs of the Cenozoic Era

Answer the questions in the spaces provided.

1. How old is the Earth?

2. Why did early geologic time scales not include the number of years ago that events happened?

3. Explain the relationships among eons, eras, epochs, and periods of the geologic time scale.

4. Dinosaurs went extinct about 66 million years ago. Which period of geologic time was the last in
which dinosaurs lived?

5. Can scientists use the same principles they use to study Earth’s history to also study the history of
other planets? Why?
 6. Why are sedimentary rocks more useful than metamorphic or igneous rocks in establishing the
relative ages of rock?

7. Which is likely to be more frequently found in rocks: fossils of very old sea creatures or very old
land creatures?

8. Match the description with the appropriate subdivision of the geologic time scale. Use each term
once.

Description Term

_____ Hadean, Archaean, and Proterozoic A. Paleozoic

_____ Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous B. Cenozoic

_____ Tertiary and Quaternary C. Precambrian

_____ Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, D. Mesozoic

Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian
Our Changing Earth
Scientists measure the breakdown of certain atoms in rocks to estimate the age
of the Earth. Current measurements suggest that the Earth is approxi-mately
4600 million years old (4 600 000 000 or 4.6 billion years old). It has undergone
many changes throughout its long history. Some changes caused mass
extinctions to occur. A mass extinction is the complete removal of many species
from the surface of the Earth at the same time. Fossils, the preserved remains of
organisms from the past, and other evidence of mass extinctions show
significant changes in the balance of life on Earth. Scientists have subdi-vided
the geologic time scale to reflect these significant events throughout Earth’s
history. Although unfortunate for the organisms at the time, mass extinctions
allow us to identify transitions from one period to another.

The physical features of the Earth have also changed over time. Alfred Wegener
(1880 – 1930) proposed the theory of continental drift to explain the distribu-tion
of fossils, patterns and formation of mountain ranges, and how the shapes of the
continents appeared as if they could fit together much like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Figure 5. A fossil of Archeopteryx
He suggested that, at one time, the continents were joined together as a
single supercontinent called Pangaea. Over millions of years, Pangaea broke apart and the continents gradually
moved to their present locations. At the time,Wegener could not explain what caused the massive continents to
move. Scientists later developed the theory of plate tectonics to explain how and why continents move. The surface
of the Earth, called the crust, is broken into several large chunks or plates. As currents of molten (magma) or
partially molten rock beneath a section of crust move, they drag the floating plate along with them. Fossil evidence of
tropical plants in Antarctica and elsewhere suggest that as the plates moved, their climate dramatically changed.
Organisms that could not cope with these changes died and some were preserved as fossils.

Figure 6. The breakup of Pangaea and movement of the continents over time
1. What was Pangaea? What evidence supports the past existence of Pangaea?

2. Describe the theory of continental drift and identify who first proposed this theory.

3. How did the theory of plate tectonics improve on the theory of continental drift?