GEOLOGIC HISTORY

Chapter 5.1 | Pg 127-133

JAMES HUTTON
Theory of the Earth
Processes that we
observe today
such as erosion
and deposition
remain uniform, or
do not change,
over time

Uniformitarianismgeologic processes
that occurred in the
past can be
explained by current
geologic processes
Hutton observed
gradual, geologic
change

CATASTROPHISM
Huttons theory
suggested that
Earth was much
older than
scientists thought
But, his theory was
not accepted for
decades

Catastrophism- all
geologic change
occurs suddenly
It was thought that
Earths features
were formed during
rare, sudden events
called catastrophes

CHARLES LYLE
Principles of
Geology
Reintroduced the
theory of
uniformitarianism
Challenged the
theory of
catastrophism

MODERN GEOLOGY
Most change is
gradual and
uniform
Catastrophes that
cause geologic
change have
occurred during
Earths history
Asteroid strike that
may have caused
extinction of
dinosaurs

RELATIVE DATING
Scientists can use the order of rock layers
to determine the relative age of the
objects (Ex. fossils) within the layers
Fossils in the bottom layers are older than
fossils in the top layers

Estimating the age of rock layers in this

way is called relative dating

THE GEOLOGIC COLUMN

Geologic columnan ordered
arrangement of
rock layers that is
based on the
relative ages of
rocks
The oldest rocks are
at the bottom

An ideal sequence
of rock layers that
contains all of the
known fossils and
rock formations on
Earth
Constructed by
piecing together
rock sequences
from all over the
world

ABSOLUTE DATING
Absolute datingmethod that
measures the age
of fossils in years
More precisely
determines the age
of the fossil or rock

Atoms- the
particles that make
up all matter
Unstable atoms will
decay releasing
energy and/or
particles

HALF-LIFE
Each kind of
unstable atom
decays at its own
rate
Half-life- the time
that it takes for
half of the unstable
atoms in a sample
to decay

Scientists can
determine the
approximate age of
a sample of rock by
measuring the
ratio of unstable
atoms to stable
atoms

HALF-LIFE
Uranium-238 has a
half-life of 4.5
billion years
Scientists can use
the decay of
uranium-238 to
date rocks or fossils
that are many
millions of years old

Carbon-14 has a
half-life of 5,780
years
Scientists use
carbon-14 to date
fossils and other
objects that are less
than 50,000 years
old
Human artifacts

HALF-LIFE

HALF-LIFE
1. The half-life of isotope X is 2.0 years. How
many years would it take for a 4.0 mg
sample of X to decay and have only 0.50
mg left?

2. An isotope of cesium-137 has a half-life of

30 years. If 12.0 g of cesium-137 decays
over a period of 90 years, how many
grams of cesium-137 would remain?

PALEONTOLOGY
Paleontology- the
study of past life
Use fossils- the
remains of
organisms
preserved by
geologic processes

Invertebrate
paleontologists
Vertebrate
paleontologists
Paleobotanists- study
plant fossils
Some study past
ecosystems and piece
together the
conditions under which
the fossils formed

HOMEWORK DUE WEDNESDAY

Read pages 134-139
Page 139 #1-5, 8