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unit 4 vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| absolute age | The age of a rock given as the number of years since the rock formed. |
| half-life | The length of time required for half of the radioactive atoms in a sample to decay |
| radioactive decay | A spontaneous process in which unstable nuclei lose energy by emitting radiation |
| carbon dating | The determination of the age or date of organic matter from the relative proportions of the carbon isotopes carbon-12 and carbon-14 that it contains |
| relative dating | Method of determining the age of a fossil by comparing its placement with that of fossils in other layers of rock |
| law of superposition | The geologic principle that states that in horizontal layers of sedimentary rock, each layer is older than the layer above it and younger than the layer below it. |
| law of horizontality | In a sequence of sedimentary rocks, layers of rock were originally formed lying horizontally |
| law of uniformitarianism | The idea that the same processes seen occurring now also occurred in the past |
| law of cross-cutting relationships | Principle that a fault or intrusion is younger than any other body of rock it cuts through |
| law of inclusions | If one rock body contains fragments of another rock body it must be younger than the fragments of rock it contains. |
| intrusion | An igneous rock layer formed when magma hardens beneath Earth's surface. |
| extrusion | An igneous rock layer formed when lava flows onto Earth's surface and hardens. |
| fault | A crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other |
| fossil | A trace of an ancient organism that has been preserved in rock. |
| index fossil | A fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to date the rock layer in which it is found |
| meteorite | A meteoroid that passes through the atmosphere and hits Earth's surface. |