why are the younger rocks located course hero

Where was the youngest layer of rock found?

The law of superposition states that rock strata (layers) farthest from the ground surface are the oldest (formed first) and rock strata (layers) closest to the ground surface are the youngest (formed most recently).

Why are younger rocks at the top?

Because sedimentary rock forms in layers, the oldest layer of undisturbed sedimentary rock will be on the bottom and the youngest on top. If the rock layers are bent, they may no longer be in order from oldest to youngest.

Which boundary are the rocks younger?

mid-oceanic ridgesMost divergent plates are at oceanic plate boundaries. This is where long chains of underwater volcanoes spew out lava. And it turns out, these mid-oceanic ridges (rift valleys) has the youngest geologic rocks on the planet.

Why is the age of a fault younger than the rocks in which it is found?

The rock layers had to be there in order for the fault to go through something in the first place, meaning the fault is newer.

Where are new rocks formed?

These conditions are most often found either deep in Earth's crust or at plate boundaries where tectonic plates collide. In order to create metamorphic rock, it is vital that the existing rock remain solid and not melt. If there is too much heat or pressure, the rock will melt and become magma.

Where do new rocks come from?

Lava and plates Large chunks the size of continents (called “plates”) jostle each other and this can cause earthquakes. Some of them get forced under other plates and heat up and eventually melt. This forms more lava. The lava erupts from volcanoes, then cools and forms new rocks.

Where is the youngest seafloor located?

Where is the youngest ocean floor located? The youngest ocean floor is located on the mid-ocean ridge.

Where are younger crust found?

The youngest crust (shown in red) is near mid ocean ridges and spreading zones. All three rock types in the earth's crust—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic—can also be recycled back to their original molten magma form. This process occurs when oceanic crust is pushed back into the mantle at subduction zones.

Why are the rocks near the divergent boundaries younger than those farther away from the boundary?

Over millions of years, tectonic plates may move many hundreds of kilometers away from both sides of a divergent plate boundary. Because of this, rocks closest to a boundary are younger than rocks further away on the same plate.

How do you identify the youngest layer of a rock?

The youngest rock layers are at the top and the oldest are at the bottom, which is described by the law of superposition.

Which is younger layer D or the intrusion Why?

The intrusion (D) cuts through the three sedimentary rock layers, so it must be younger than those layers. The principle of superposition states that the oldest sedimentary rock units are at the bottom, and the youngest are at the top.