Geologic+History

What is a fossil and what does it reveal about earth’s past?

What is relative dating, and how is it used to order past events?

What is absolute time and how is it measured?

How do scientist organize the major events of earth’s past?

How do Precambrian time and the Paleozoic Era differ?

What are the major events of the Mesozoic Era?

What significant events characterize the Cenozoic Era?

Describe current theories about the origin of the universe and solar system

Geologic history can be reconstructed by observing sequences of rock types and fossils to correlate bedrock at various locations. The characteristics of rocks indicate the processes by which they formed and the environments in which these processes took place. Earth’s early atmosphere formed as a result of the out gassing of water vapor, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and lesser amounts of other gases from its interior.

The evolution of life caused dramatic changes in the composition of Earth’s atmosphere. Free oxygen did not form in the atmosphere until oxygen-producing organisms evolved.

The pattern of evolution of life-forms on Earth is at least partially preserved in the rock record. Fossil evidence indicates that a wide variety of life-forms has existed in the past and that most of these forms have become extinct. Human existence has been very short.

Calculating ages using half lives

Sequencing rock layers based on law of superposition

Correlating rock layers