Which type of plate boundary creates a zone

of tension by moving the plates apart?

A. convergent boundary
B. divergent boundary
C. transform fault
D. none of these
When two tectonic plates collide, the oceanic
crust usually subducts beneath the
continental crust because it is
A. denser than continental crust
B. thicker than continental crust
C. thinner than continental crust
D. less dense than continental crust
Which of the following diagrams shows
transform fault boundary movement?
A. C.

B. D.
Which of the following is associated with
volcanic arcs?
A. convergent
B. divergent
C. transform
D. all of these
Which of the following landforms is said to be
a low area between hills or mountains?
A. Arc
B. Valley
C. Ridge
D. Trench
 This is the theory that supports
continental drift theory and seafloor
spreading.

Plate Tectonics
Week
5
Formation
of
Rock Layers
 Lesson
Objectives:
1. Describe how layers of stratified
rocks are formed;
2. Describe the different methods
(relative and absolute dating) to
determine the age of stratified
rocks.
 The Earth had undergone geological alterations and
evolutionary processes that changed its features.
The exogenic and endogenic processes that
happened on the surface and within the inner
portion of the Earth may contribute to these
alterations that occurred.

The rocks are being studied by geologists because they

contain clues of what the Earth had been in the past.
Animasola Rock Formation in Masbate
Principle of Uniformitarianism

His Principle of
Uniformitarianism states
that the current geologic
processes, such as volcanism,
erosion, and weathering, are
the same processes that were
at work in the past.
Scottish geologist, chemist
and naturalist
How are rock layers are formed?

Stratified rocks also known as derivatives rock, may be

fragmental or crystalline.

These rocks are products of sedimentary

processes. These are made of visible layers of
sediments. The formation of rock layers depends
on their stratigraphy and stratification.
How are rock layers are formed?

Stratigraphy Stratification
 It is the study of the rock layers  It is also known as bedding,
(strata). which is the layering that
 It is the branch of geology that happens in sedimentary and
deals with the description, igneous rocks formed at the
correlation, and interpretation of surface of the Earth that
stratified sediments and comes from lava flows or
stratified rocks on and within the other volcanic activity.
Earth.
Nicholas Steno
As early as the mid-1600s, he
studied the relative position of
sedimentary rocks.
His work on the formation of rock layers and the
fossils they contain was crucial to the development of
modern geology.

The principles he stated continue to
be used today by geologists and
paleontologists.
Danish Scientist
Stratigraphic Laws are basic
principles that all geologists use
in decoding or deciphering the
spatial and temporal
relationships of rock layers.
 LAW OF SUPERPOSITION
The largest and heaviest rock layer that settled first at
the bottom is the oldest rock layer. The lightest and
smallest that settled last is the youngest rock layer.
 LAW OF SUPERPOSITION

in other words, the

law of superposition
states that each layer
is older than the one
above it.
 LAW OF CROSS-CUTTING RELATIONSHIP

 a fault or dike a slab

rock cuts through
another rock
 when magma intrudes
on the rock, that fault
or magma is younger
than the rock
 LAW OF INCLUSIONS

A rock mass that contains

pieces of rocks called
inclusions is younger
than the other rock
masses.
 LAW OF ORIGINAL HORIZONTALITY

sediments are deposited

in flat layers, if the rock
maintains horizontal
layers, it means it is not
yet disturbed and still
has its original
horizontality.
 LAW OF UNCONFORMITIES

Describes a layer of
rock that has been
deformed or eroded
before another layer
is deposited,
resulting in rock
layer mismatching.
3 types of UNCONFORMITIES
Disconformity Angular Non-
Unconformity conformity
It originates from It produced an It originates between
horizontal angular sedimentary rocks,
metamorphic or igneous
sedimentary rock discordance with rock when sedimentary
layers that is lifted underlying rock lies above and was
deposited on the pre-
and the top layers horizontal layers. existing and eroded
eroded. metamorphic or igneous
rock.
LAW OF FAUNAL SUCCESSION

different strata
contain an
assemblage of
fossils by which
rocks may be
identified and
correlated over
long distances.
 Who’s OLDER, Who’s YOUNGER?
In what layer was the first rock formed? B
What letter is the second layer of the
rock? A
What happens in the rock represented
by letter D? (cutting, or insertion) cutting
What three layered letters is cut by letter
D? C,A,B
What takes place in letter F? (fault, folds)
fault
 Who’s OLDER, Who’s YOUNGER?
What environmental factors occur in
letter E? (weathering and erosion,
volcanic eruption) erosion
Which rock layer is the oldest?
B
Which rock layer is the youngest? E
Which layer describes the law of
horizontal continuity? C
Which layer shows an angular
conformity? B
 RELATIVE AND ABSOLUTE DATING
Geologists have
established a set of
principles that can be
applied to sedimentary
and volcanic rocks that
are exposed at the Earth’s
surface to determine the
relative ages of geological
events preserved in the
rock record.
 RELATIVE DATING
Relative dating uses a sequence of rocks to get a grasp on the
succession of events that took place in the past.

It can only determine if

a rock layer is young or
old but it doesn’t state
the exact age of the
layer.
 ABSOLUTE DATING
Absolute dating allows the determination of the exact
numerical age of rocks and fossils.

The absolute date of

rocks is obtained through
radiometric methods.
It is also known as
numerical dating or
radiometric dating
 ABSOLUTE DATING of Rocks
Radioactive elements decay because they are composed of unstable isotopes
that decompose spontaneously.
Each atom has a certain probability of decaying at any time. It has half-life
or time for it to decompose into half.

Radioactivity is not affected by geologic processes

and is easily measured in the laboratory. Aside from
those, daughter isotopes accumulate in rocks.
The longer the rock exists, the more daughter
isotopes accumulate.
Commonly Used Isotopes for AD
 Relative Dating vs. Absolute Dating
RELATIVE DATING
Qualitative method of dating
Uses stratigraphic method to
identify the order of formation of
the remains.
It gives a relative age of the
remains.
Less specific.
Cheaper and time-efficient.
ABSOLUTE DATING
Quantitative method of dating
Uses radiometric techniques to
identify the specific age of
rocks/objects.
It gives the exact age of the
remains.
More specific
Expensive and time-consuming.
 #MahuScie
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