Geology 3Earth’s History & Fossils

Miss Kelly – B206kellywms.weebly.com

akelly@alpinedistrict.org

Name: ___________________________________________ Period: ___________Lab Activities Score

Starter Questions / ___Vocabulary /12Day 1: Relative Dating Lab /22Day 2: Interpreting Earth’s History /30Day 3: Strata and Layers /9 Which Came First /71Day 4: Fossils /11Total:

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Starter Questions:

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Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Vocabulary

1. Word: FossilDefinition:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Examples:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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2. Word: Paleontology Definition:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Examples:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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3. Word: Index fossilsDefinition:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Examples:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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4. Word: Relative datingDefinition:_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Examples:_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Drawing

Drawing

Drawing

Drawing

Earth’s HistoryRelative Dating

Pre Lab Questions: 1. What is relative dating?

2. How do Geologists use relative dating to understand Earth’s history?

Introduction: Now that you have learned a little about relative dating, you will look at the historical record that has been left through fossils. Fossils are remains or evidence of past life. Materials: per group: marker, 24 in x 34 in piece of butcher paper, one set of imaginary fossils, scissors, glue, meter stickProcedure:1. Measure out a table on your butcher paper that looks like the one below. Measure the height and width of the columns and rows as indicated:Time Period (5 inches wide)

Began (years ago)(5 inches wide)

Fossils (8 inches wide)

Idahoan (youngest)

30,000 3 inches (each row here must be 3 inches tall)

Californian 80,000 3 inches

Montanian 170,000 3 inches

Coloradian 280,000 3 inches

Oregonian 395,000 3 inches

Texian 445,000 3 inches

Nevadian 545,000 3 inches

Ohioian 745,000 3 inches

Wyomington (oldest) 995,000 3 inches

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2. The group of "fossils" you will work with are imaginary animals. Each fossil on your sheet is marked with a time period. Cut out each fossil (including the time period if given). 3. Arrange the fossils by age. On your data chart, place each fossil next to the period from which the fossil came from. The term "upper" means more recent (the rock layer was deposited more recently) and should be placed higher. The term "lower" means an earlier time period. In each fossil column, you may have 3 specimens, one from the main time period, one from the upper and one from the lower.

4. While keeping the fossils in the proper age order,arrange them by appearance. To help you understand the specimen, view the diagram. Arrange the fossils using the following steps.

The oldest fossil and the youngest fossil are identified for you.

Your job is now to arrange the fossils in age order. Which ones will be near the bottom? Which ones will be near the top?

5. Once all the fossils have been placed correctly according to time and appearance, tape or glue the fossils in place.

Analysis

1. Examine the fossil that was unearthed in a museum, apparently the labels and other information were lost. Using your fossil record, determine the time period that this fossil is likely from. How do you know?

2. Why are there blanks in your record? How is this similar to real life?

3. Living organisms would look most similar to the organisms in the ____________ time period. How do you know?

4. Conclusion: How does this activity demonstrate how relative dating works? Be sure to include a definition of relative dating in your answer.

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Interpreting Earth’s HistoryEvidence Geologic process /event

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Interpreting Earth’s History through Strata

1. Rocks originally form in ________ layers

Sediments form ________________________________ layers in fluids

2. Layers are continuous even when cut

The layer of _______________________ on one side of the canyon is probably the same layer of dirt on the other side of the canyon.

3. Law of Super Positiona. Oldest layer is on ______________

b. Youngest layer is on ______________

4. Unconformity (gaps of time)Anytime we have a piece of history erased and continued because of uplift & erosion.

Unconformity =

Deposition à Uplift / ___________ à Deposition

5. Cross Cutting Relations

If a Rock is cut by a ________________ or igneous Intrusion, it is the Youngest event.

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Interpreting Earth’s HistoryNotice how we interpret the following cross cut using the principles of superposition & cross cutting relations as discussed earlier.

Oldest:1. Shale Layer A2. Sandstone Layer B3. Limestone Layer C4. Sandstone Layer D5. Igneous Intrusion E6. Fault FYoungest

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A

B

C

D

E

F

Purpose: The purpose of this lab review is to use the skills you’ve learned to organize each site by sequential order using the six relative dating principles you’ve learned in class. These principles are listed below:

1. Law of Superposition2. Principle of Original Horizontality3. Principle of Original Continuity

4. Unconformity5. Cross Cutting Relations

What to do: There are 6 geological cross sections at six different sites. At each site, try to figure out the geological sequential order from youngest to oldest and write the sequence in order in the space provided below.

Site 1:1. Yng2. 3. 4. 5. 6.7. 8. 9. Old

Site 2:1. Yng:2. 3.4. 5. 6. 7.8. 9. 10. 11. Old:

Site 3:1. Yng:2. 3. 4.5. 6.7. Old:

Site 4:1. Yng:2. 3. 4. 5. Old:

Site 5:1. Yng:2. 3. 4. 5.6. 7.8. 9. Old:

Site 6:1. Yng:2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.8. Old:

Site 7:1. Yng:2. 3. 4. 5.6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.16. Old:

Site 8: 1. Yng 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Old

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Which came first? /71

Earth’s History II

The earth is constantly changing. Rocks in the rock layer tell a little bit of the history of that area. But what does each layer mean?

Each layer of rock has a piece of history to tell concerning the location it was found. Rock Layer History of Environmental Settings

Basalt Dike Igneous or Volcanic activityLimestone Shallow inland sea – coral reefsGypsum Playa Shallow lake/pond – EvaporatedSandstone Deposits in a flood planeCross bed Sandstone Ancient Sand DuneConglomerate Riverbed or Pebble BeachGneiss Metamorphism via overlying mountainsShale Lake bottom – claySlate What once was a lake bottom got metamorphosed Breccia Formed from an ancient flash flood, alluvial fanQuartzite Orogenic mountain building eventGranit Magmatic Batholithic intrusionMarble Heat & pressured marblePumice Volcano explosionSchist Metamorphosed rock undergone more metamorphismVeining Heated water solution w/ dissolved minerals going through cracks

Fossils just add to the story of the environmental settings of its time when it died.

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Fossils Notes5 Types of Fossils (List and add short definition)

How do fossils provide evidence about Earth’s history?

What is an index fossil?

How is an index fossil useful?

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Earth’s History Review

1)

a) Which layer would be the youngest overall?

b) Which layer would be the oldest overall?

c) How do we know that layer “d” at site one is the same as layer “2” at site two?

2) If you find fossils of a tree in a lower layer and a fish fossil in an upper layer what can you infer about the history of this area?

3) A large layer of sandstone is found in Southern Utah. What type of environments could the layer have formed in?

4)

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d

c

b

a Site 2

Site 1

Place the layers/events in order from oldest to youngest.

5) Scientists have determined that layer 4 is 200 million years old. If you find fossils in layer 5, what can you determine about its age?

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