Presented with an outcrop containing a succession of beds and only the knowledge of relative-age dating,which of the following would be the best to look for to determine the story of the outcrop?
A) a fossil that could be found in all of the beds
B) an intrusion, as it would be older than the surrounding rock
C) a fossil found in only a few layers
D) a fault, as it would be older than the surrounding rock

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of a fossil found in only a few layers would allow for correlation between those layers and potentially allow for identification of the relative ages of the other layers in between. However, the presence of a fossil found in all of the beds (A) would not be helpful in determining the relative ages of the beds, as it would not provide any distinguishing characteristics. An intrusion (B) or a fault (D) may provide information about the relative ages of the rocks, but in order to use those features for dating, additional information such as cross-cutting relationships or superposition would be necessary.

Presented with an Outcrop Containing a Succession of Beds and Only