GEoLOgic time

scale
Presentation by jastlyn baya & Abielle villegas
What is geologic
time scale?

The geologic time scale is

a record of the life forms
and geological events in
Earth’s history
 what does time
scale represents?
the geologic time scale divides up the history of the earth
based on life-forms that have existed during specific times
since the creation of the planet. These divisions are called
geochronologic units (geo: rock, chronology: time).
Most of these life-forms are found as fossils, Which are the
remains or traces of an organism from the geologic past
that has been preserved in sediment rock. Without Fossils,
scientist may not have concluded that the earth has
history that long preceds mankind
 Geological time
scale
The Geologic Time scale is divided by the following
divisions:

Eons: longest subdivisions; based on the abundance of

certain fossils
Eras: Next to longest subdivision; marked by major
changes in the fossils record
Periods: Based on types of life existing at the time
eons
Largest, most general divsion of
time.
2 eons
the eons are; Cryptozoic
(precambrian) eon and phanerozoic
eon.
precambrian and phanerozoic both
consists of three eras as shown in
the figure
 eras
Each eon is broken up into eras
major eras in earth’s history

archean (4600 mya - 2500 mya)

proterozoic (2500 mya - 540 mya)
paleozoic (540 mya - 250 mya)
mesozoic (250 mya - 65.5 mya)
cenozoic (65.5 mya - present)
periods
each era is divided into even more
specific blocks of time called
periods
various geologic events are
associated with each period
each period is again classified into
different epochs
 principles behind
geologic time scale
Nicholas Steno, a Danish physician (1638-
1687), described how the position of a
rock layer couldbe used to show the
relative age of the layer. He devised the
three main principles that underlie the
interpretation of geologic time:
 PRINCIPLES BEHIND
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
1. 5.

1 .The principle of 2.superposition: The layer on

the bottom was deposited first and so is the
oldest 3. 7.

2. The principle of horizontality: All rock

4. 8.
layers were originally deposited
horizontally.
 PRINCIPLES BEHIND
GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE
1. 5.

3. The principle of 2.original lateral continuity:

Originally deposited layers of rock extend
late rallyin all directions
3.
until either
7.

thinning out or being cut off by a different

rock layer. 4. 8.
Thank You!
Presentation by jastlyn baya & Abielle villegas