HISTORY

OF THE
EARTH
Week 6
 EARTH’S HISTORY

• All the processes that have been discussed

require long periods of time to create a
noticeable change on Earth’s surface. Thus,
one of the most important contributions of
geologist to mankind is the geologic time
scale, which holds a history that is
exceedingly long.
 Relative Dating

• Used to determine which samples are

older while absolute dating gives a
numerical date for the samples. Both are
methods used by geologist to determine
the age of rocks and fossils.
• Requires one to know the basic principles
of superposition, original horizontally,
principle of cross- cutting relationships and
unconformities.
Law of Superposition

• is the most basic principle. It states that

in an undeformed sequence of
sedimentary rock, the layers found on
the top are the youngest rocks and the
layers at the bottom are the oldest. This
principle has only been clearly stated in
1669 by Danish anatomist, geologist and
priest, Nicolaus Steno.
Principle of Original Horizontality

• which states that sediments are

deposited in a horizontal
position. Layers of sediments are
deposited by gravity into flat
layers.
Principle of Cross – Cutting Relationships

• determines which events

happened first depending on
which rocks are affected. Then
geologic layer that cuts another
is younger than the layer it cuts
through.
Unconformities
• rock layers that have not been
interrupted are considered
conformities. But there is no place on
Earth that has a complete
conformable stratum since external
and internal processes have always
interrupted the deposition of the
sediments.
Unconformities

Angular unconformity - is characterized by having

tilted or folded sedimentary rocks below younger,
horizontal layers of rock.

Disconformity – determine where there are missing

parallel rock layers. Erosion takes place and removes
the younger top layers and then deposition would
once again happen.

Nonconformity – characterized by an igneous or

metamorphic rock found below a sedimentary rock.
 Absolute Dating

• Is a method that uses unstable elements to

determine the exact age of a rock.
• Isotopes are elements that have the same
number of protons but different number of
neutrons. Most isotopes are stables but some
may be unstable. This is because the force
that bind the protons and neutrons in the
nucleus of the isotope are not strong enough
to hold them together, resulting to
radioactive decay.
Definition

•Radioactive isotopes or parent isotopes –

unstable isotopes
•Daughter products – when the parent isotope
undergo radioactive decay it will form new
isotope
•Half – life – the time it takes from one half of the
nuclei in the sample to decay
•Radiometric dating – knowing the half-life of the
radioactive isotope and its parent daughter ratio,
geologist can exactly determine the age of the
sample.
……………………………………………………………………

GEOLOGIC TIME SCALE

How did life evolve through the
course of history of Earth?
• Using relative dating to determine which
rocks and fossils are older were the first
basis for the geologic time scale. Then
upon the discovery of radiometric dating,
numerical dates of the rocks were then
determined.
• The geologic column has subdivisions
assigned, namely eons, eras, periods and
epochs.
…………..
• Eons represent the longest amount of time. There are
two main eons in the history of Earth: the Phanerozoic
and the Precambrian eon.
• The Precambrian can be further divided into three eons:
Hadean, Archean, and Proterozoic eons. Eons are followed by
eras.
• The Phanerozoic eon is divided into three eras: Paleozoic,
Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.
• The end of an era is marked by a change in life forms on Earth.
These eras are further divided into periods, which are
characterized by a less profound change in life forms.
• Periods are made up of few epochs, the smallest unit in the
geologic time scale.