Question
Arrange the rock layers from oldest to youngest. Reexamine the rock outcrops if you need to. Record the order in the Student Guide.
TOOLS
youngest
Breccia
Conglomerate
Age
Dolostone
Shale
oldest
TOOLS
youngest
Breccia
Conglomerate
Age
Dolostone
Shale
oldest
Answers
GPT-5 mini
I don’t have the outcrop image or the layer relationships, so I can’t determine the correct order yet. Please either upload the photo/diagram of the outcrop or describe the layers and any cross‑cutting or inclusion relationships (for example: “from top to bottom: shale, conglomerate, dolostone, breccia” or “an igneous dike cuts all layers,” etc.).
How I’ll determine the order once I have that:
- Use the principle of superposition: in an undisturbed sequence, the bottom layer is oldest and the top layer is youngest.
- Use cross‑cutting relationships: a feature (dike, fault, intrusion) that cuts others is younger than what it cuts.
- Use inclusions: rock fragments (clasts) inside another rock are older than the host rock.
- Look for unconformities (gaps in the record) and tilting/folding that can change the relative order.
If the layers are simply stacked and you tell me their vertical order (top → bottom), I will return the requested oldest → youngest list ready to record in your Student Guide.
How I’ll determine the order once I have that:
- Use the principle of superposition: in an undisturbed sequence, the bottom layer is oldest and the top layer is youngest.
- Use cross‑cutting relationships: a feature (dike, fault, intrusion) that cuts others is younger than what it cuts.
- Use inclusions: rock fragments (clasts) inside another rock are older than the host rock.
- Look for unconformities (gaps in the record) and tilting/folding that can change the relative order.
If the layers are simply stacked and you tell me their vertical order (top → bottom), I will return the requested oldest → youngest list ready to record in your Student Guide.