Earth’s History Test: Monday, February 13, 2017
The Rock Cycle
 Why is it called a cycle? Does it always start/end in the same place?
 Types of rock. How does each form? (Sedimentary, Igneous, Metamorphic)
Fossils: (Study the “Getting Into the Fossil Record” online activity!)
 Form in what type of rock? How do they form? How can we use fossil data to predict past environments?
 Besides in rock, what other substances can fossils form in? (There are 4 more besides rock)
 Who studies them?
 The fossil record- How do we use it? What does it tell us?
 Body vs. Trace Fossils examples and definitions!
 Using ice core data and tree rings
 Explain WHY a turtle would fossilize better than a caterpillar
Relative age of rocks/fossils (based on layers)
 Relative Dating- put layers/rock in order from oldest to youngest
o Pictures with: igneous intrusions, faulting, folding, tilting, erosion, uplifting, unconformities
 Law of Superposition
 Principle of Original Horizontality
 Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships
Absolute age of rocks/fossils (based on radiometric dating)
 Absolute Age- what does this mean?
 Radiometric dating and decay: How is it used? Different methods?
 Bracketing (on the “Radiometric Dating Information: notes)
o If a layer of sedimentary rock sits between igneous rock layers that we can determine the age of, we
can estimate the age of the sedimentary rock
 What is a half-life?
 What are index fossils and how are they used? Correlation of rock layers
There is a Study Island practice quiz that you can take to help you study!! Due by 10:00 PM Sunday, February 12
for EXTRA CREDIT! (extra credit based on the score you earn)
Sedimentary rock
Metamorphic rock
Igneous rock
Magma vs. Lava
Uniformitarianism
Fossil
Paleontologist
Trace Fossil
Body Fossil
Ice core
Tree ring
Relative Age
Relative Dating
Law of Superposition
Unconformity
Principle of Original Horizontality
Principle of Crossing Cutting Relationships
Tilting
Erosion
Faulting
Folding
Absolute Age
Absolute Dating
Radioactive Decay
Half-life
Radiometric-dating
Index Fossil