Question

The picture shows a view of rock layers at Earth’s surface. The dashed lines connect points of the same age. Major fossils contained within each rock layer are shown. The valleys are labelled X,Y, and Z.







The sedimentary rock layers at the three locations can be most accurately correlated (shown to be the same age) by comparing the :


A.
Thickness of the sedimentary rock layers
B.
Layered bands in the metamorphic basement rocks.
C.
Fossils in the sedimentary rocks
D.
Minerals in the igneous rocks

Answer 1

The sedimentary rock layers at the three locations can be most accurately correlated by comparing the:

**C. Fossils in the sedimentary rocks.**

Fossils, particularly distinctive or index fossils that are known to have existed during specific time periods, are commonly used in geology to correlate rock layers across different geographic locations. This method provides valuable information about the relative ages of the rock layers.