Part 3: Combining Dating Techniques To the right is a cross section through sedi
ID: 291476 • Letter: P
Question
Part 3: Combining Dating Techniques To the right is a cross section through sedimentary and volcanic rock layers. Sedimentary Rock Layer B contains a dinosaur bone. 5. Which two of the absolute age dating methods would you use to determine the age of volcanic Rock Layers A and C? volcanic 6. How could you determine the age of the dinosaur bone? volcanic 7. If volcanic Rock Layer A is determined to be 90 Ma, and volcanic Rock Layer C is determined to be 80 Ma, what is the age of the dinosaur bone? 8. Two students are debating the age of the dinosaur bone. Student 1: The bone is between 80 and 90 million years old. You can't be more specific because you can't determine how fast the layers were deposited. Student 2: I think the dinosaur lived 85 million years ago because the bone is exactly in the middle of the two volcanic layers. With which student do you agree? Why?Explanation / Answer
5. i. To get an age in years, we use radiometric dating of the rocks. Not every rock can be dated this way, butvolcanic ash deposits are among those that can be dated.
ii. position of the fossils above or below a datedash layer allows us to work out their ages. The volcanic ash layer is dated as 507 million years old.
6.The age of the dinosour bones can be dated by the dating of uppr and lower volcanic layer.
7. Then, the age of dinosaur bone is intermediate in between 90 ma to 80 ma.
8. I agree with 1st conclusion because the dinosour bones starts from the upper part of volcanic layer A to the lowest part of volcanic layer C