What does the principle of cross-cutting relationships tell a geologist?

What does the principle of cross-cutting relationships tell a geologist?

Cross-cutting relationships is a principle of geology that states that the geologic feature which cuts another is the younger of the two features. It is a relative dating technique in geology.

What does the principle of cross-cutting relationships say about relative dating?

The Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that rock formations that cut across other rocks must be younger than the rocks that they cut across. Geologists find the cross-cutting principle especially useful for establishing the relative ages of faults and igneous intrusions in sedimentary rocks.

What is the principle of cross-cutting relationships quizlet?

The principle of cross-cutting relationships states that an igneous intrusion is always younger than the rock it cuts across. 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.

Which principle tells us that the present is the key to the past?

The principle of uniformitarianism says that the present is the key to the past.

What principles are used in relative dating?

Principles of relative dating

  • Uniformitarianism.
  • Intrusive relationships.
  • Cross-cutting relationships.
  • Inclusions and components.
  • Original horizontality.
  • Superposition.
  • Faunal succession.
  • Lateral continuity.

Which of the following falls under principle of cross-cutting relationships?

Described by Scotsman James Hutton (1726 – 1997), the Law of Crosscutting Relationships stated that if a fault or other body of rock cuts through another body of rock then it must be younger in age than the rock through which it cuts and displaces.

Why does the principle of lateral continuity work?

The principle of lateral continuity states that layers of sediment initially extend laterally in all directions; in other words, they are laterally continuous. As a result, rocks that are otherwise similar, but are now separated by a valley or other erosional feature, can be assumed to be originally continuous.

What is the principle of intrusive relationships in geology?

The principle of intrusive relationships concerns crosscutting intrusions. In geology, when an igneous intrusion cuts across a formation of sedimentary rock, it can be determined that the igneous intrusion is younger than the sedimentary rock.

What are the different types of rock intrusions?

There are a number of different types of intrusions, including stocks, laccoliths, batholiths, sills and dikes . Cross-cutting relations can be used to determine the relative ages of rock strata and other geological structures.

Which is younger an igneous intrusion or a sedimentary intrusion?

In geology, when an igneous intrusion cuts across a formation of sedimentary rock, it can be determined that the igneous intrusion is younger than the sedimentary rock. There are a number of different types of intrusions, including stocks, laccoliths, batholiths, sills and dikes .