CHAPTER 3

A LAND
BEFORE TIME
LESSON 3.1
HISTORY OF
EARTH
THE PRINCIPLE OF
UNIFORMITARIANISM
 James Hutton proposed that the geologic
processes has occurred on the Earth over time.
This process takes a long time.

 Uniformitarianism is the idea that the same

geologic processes shaping the Earth today are
the same as the processes that have acted on
Earth in the past.
Sedimentary rocks, which are formed in layers,
provide useful information in relative dating.

Relative dating is used to determine whether an

object is older or younger than other objects.

To deduce the geologic history of Earth, there

are certain ideas or laws that need to
be considered:
• Law of original horizontality- sedimentary
rocks are originally formed in horizontal
layers.

• Law of superposition- in any undisturbed

sequence of layers of rock, the oldest
layer would be at the bottom, and the
youngest would be at the top.
• Principle of cross-
cutting relationships-
any rocks or fault that
cuts across other rocks
is younger than those
it cuts across.

• Idea of
unconformities-
surfaces of erosion
that separate younger
rocks from older ones.
 LESSON 3.2
ABSOLUTE
.

DATING
Absolute dating is the method of measuring the
absolute age of an object.

Scientists analyze isotopes of radioactive elements.

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that have

similar number of protons but different number of
neutrons.

Most isotopes are stable, in that they stay in

their original form. Other isotopes are unstable, in
that they break down into stable isotopes or
other elements. They are called radioactive.
Half-life is the time needed for half of a sample of a
radioactive substance to undergo radioactive decay.
After every half-life, the amount of parent material
decreases by one-half.

Radiometric dating- another dating method

achieved by determining the absolute age of a
sample based on the ratio of parent material to
daughter material.

There are four radiometric dating methods based

on the estimated age of an object: potassium-
argon, uranium-lead, rubidium-strontium, and
carbon-14 methods.
LESSON 3.3
GEOLOGIC
TIME SCALE
Another way to find the relative ages of rocks is
through the use of index fossils.

A fossil is the remnant of any ancient plant or

animal that has been preserved in crystallized
rocks.

The age of the fossil is equal to the age of the

rock from where it is found.
Scientists divided the 4.6 billion years of the
Earth's rich history into different spans of time
to conveniently indicate a major geological or
paleontological event.

This time spans include:

Age (million of years)
Epoch (tens of millions of years)
Period (one hundred million years)
Era (several hundred million years)
Eon (half billion years or more)
LESSON 3.4
EARTH'S PAST
During the Hadean eon, Earth was constantly
exposed to meteorites and volcanic activities.

During the Archean eon, continent formation

began.

The Proterozoic eon was marked by the

existence of multicellular animal life.
During the Mesozoic era, dinosaurs ruled the
surface of Earth.

During the Cenozoic era, humans left their

marks on land, as observed in the stone tools
that were used.
THANK
YOU!