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Name: _________________ Grade & Section: _______________ Date: ___________

Topic: Geologic time Scale (Week 6)

Learning Competencies:
1. Explain how relative and absolute dating were used to determine the subdivisions of
geologic time. S11/12ES-Ie-27
2. Describe how the Earth’s history can be interpreted from the geologic time scale
(S11/12ES-Ie-29)

Objectives:
1. Acquire familiarity with the Geologic Time Scale.
2. Describe how relative and absolute dating were used to subdivide geologic time.

Concept
Earth has experienced different climates in the past. The general climatic conditions as
well as existing species are used to define distinct geologic time periods in the history of the
earth. Geologic time is the chronology of the earth’s formation, changes, development and
existence. These events are measured in a geologic time on a clock or calendar. They use a
linear timeline based on the age of the rocks and their corresponding fossils as well as the
change in the life that occurred over millions of years.
The geologic time scale is a system of chronological measurements that relates
stratigraphy to time. It is used by geologist and paleontologists to describe the timing and
relationships between events that have occurred throughout earth’s history.
Geologists have divided Earth’s history into a series of time interval. These intervals
are not equal in length like the hours in a day. Instead, the time intervals vary in length. This is
because geologic time is divided using significant events in the history of the earth.
The geologic time scale was developed after scientists observed changes in the fossils
going from oldest to youngest sedimentary rocks. They used relative dating to divide Earth's
past in several chunks of time when similar organisms were on Earth.
Later, scientists used absolute dating to determine the actual number of years ago that
events happened. The geologic time scale is divided into eons, eras, periods, and epochs.
Index fossils are used in the formal architecture of geologic time for defining the ages,
epochs, periods, and eras of the geologic time scale. The evidence for these events is found in
the fossil record wherever there is a disappearance of major groups of species within a
geologically short amount of time.
Similarly, in what two ways is geologic time measured? Radioactive or radiometric
dating is a very important method of determining an absolute age for a rock using radioactive
isotopes. As minerals crystallizes in igneous and metamorphic rocks they trap certain isotopes
in their crystal structure that begin to decay radioactively as soon as the mineral forms.
Then, how is relative time determined? Relative time is the physical subdivision of the
rocks found in the Earth's geology and the time and order of events they represent. Absolute
time is the measurement taken from the same rocks to determine the amount of time that has
expired. Absolute time measurements can therefore be used to calibrate the relative time scale,
producing an integrated geologic or "geochronologic" time scale that combines both types of
data.
Since the Geologic Time Scale is based on the rock record, the first order is to establish
the correct succession of rocks. Initially, this was done using relative dating techniques. One
of the earliest attempts to subdivide the rock record into units of time was made by Abraham
Gottlob Werner, a German geologist. Werner divided the rock record into the following rock-
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time units (from oldest to youngest): Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary. Werner
used the Principle of Superposition extensively to establish temporal relationship among the
rock units. Fossils are also useful in determining relative ages of rocks. William “Strata” Smith
(1769 – 1839), while working in a coal mine, observed that each layer or strata of sedimentary
rock contain a distinct assemblage of fossils which can be used to establish equivalence
(correlation) between rock units separated by long distances. Moreover, he observed that these
fossils succeed each other vertically in a definite order.

The geologic time scale divides earth’s history into units of varying magnitude and
provides a meaningful time frame within which the events of the past are arranged. It is
commonly presented with the oldest time and event at the bottom and the youngest on top.
The principal subdivisions of the geologic time scale

Eons- largest time Era- major division Period- basic unit of the Epoch- smallest
unit on geologic time of time unit of the geologic time scale and unit of the
scale and divided geologic tome scale divided into epochs geologic time
into eras and divided into scale
periods
Pre-Cambrian Cambrian Age of
1. Hadean (beneath Ordovician Vertebrate
s
the earth)
2. Archean Paleozoic- (old life) Silurian Age of
(ancient) Devon Fishes

3. Proterozoic Mississippian Age of

Pennsylvanian Amphibians;

Permian Insects

Phanerozoic- evident Mesozoic- (middle Triassic Age of Reptiles;

or visible life life) Jurassic Flowering plants
Birds
Cretaceous
Cenozoic- (recent Tertiary Pliocene
life) Miocene
Age of Oligocene
Mammals
Eocene
Paleocene
Quarternary Pleistocene

The first human fossil was found during Cenozoic Era. The oldest organisms are the
trilobites. They lived during Paleozoic Era, in the Silurian and Ordovician period. They can be
600 million years old. In Cenozoic Era, the recent fossil may be found in the uppermost layer
of the rock. Rock layers in the Cambrian period also have traces or imprints of mollusks that
lived during that time. Most of them were invertebrates. The age of the oldest fossil is 17,190
years old, a petrified wood.
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Activity 1: Drawing or Illustrating the Geologic Time Scale

Sometimes geologists want to know about an event that occurred before humans were
around to record it. They have evidence of when the event occurred by looking at rocks, which
contain fossils and other information. To keep all of the events in order, geologists have created
the geologic time scale. The geologic time scale is divided into 3 eons, and each eon is
subdivided into eras. Eras are then subdivided into periods, which are further separated into
epochs.
Draw / illustrate a geologic time scale that shows the timeline of life events that
occurred on Earth over millions of years. Use the rubrics below as your guide in making your
drawing/illustration.
Rubrics for Drawing or Illustrating the Geologic Time Scale
Criteria Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4
(2 points) (3 points) (4 points) (5 points)
Readability The timeline is The timeline is The overall The overall
difficult relatively appearance appearance
to read. Many readable. There of the timeline of the timeline
events is some is fairly is well
are crowded. disorganization organized and organized and
Poor or easy to easy to
organization. crowding. read. read. Spatial
planning
is evident.
Calculations Few to no Some Calculations Calculations
calculations calculations are complete complete
submitted. No incomplete or with simple with full
units missing solutions solutions and
included. units. and units
May be units
incorrect.
Graphics Graphics are Some graphics Most graphics All graphics are
not are are effective and
effective and effective but t effective. They appropriate.
poorly hey may are They
selected. be too few or appropriate in have been
Perhaps too too many size, carefully
few or not or not colour and selected to
appropriate appropriate in selection enhance
in size size the topic

Creativity Timeline is Timeline is Timeline is Timeline

somewhat colorful but colourful demonstrates
colourful but resembles a and has many a high level of
shows a displayed unique creativity and
low level of exemplar and and creative originality
creativity has only a details
and originality few unique
/original
qualities.
Total
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Drawing/Illustration of your Geologic Time Scale:

Guide Questions:
1. How would you explain the connection between eons, epochs eras and periods? What
is the relationships among eons, eras, epochs, and periods of the geologic time scale?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How did life on Earth change from one period of geologic time to the next?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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The history of the Earth covers a vast expanse of time, so scientists divide it into smaller
sections that are associated with particular events that have occurred in the past. The largest
time span of the geologic time scale is the eon. It is an indefinitely long period of time that
contains at least two eras. Geologic time is divided into two eons. The more ancient eon is
called the Precambrian, and the more recent is the Phanerozoic. Each eon is subdivided into
smaller spans called eras. The Precambrian eon is divided from most ancient into the Hadean
era, Archean era, and Proterozoic era.
Activity 2: Venn diagram of Relative Vs. Absolute Dating
There are several methods used to find the relative age of a fossil. Relative and absolute
dating is a method that measures the age of a material by comparing the amount of a radioactive
substance with the amount of its decay product.
Use the Venn Diagram to compare the relative and absolute dating methods. Choose
from the word box the correct words or phrases that described each. Write your answers on the
diagram.

 Finding the estimate age of an object.

 Finding the age of an object.
 Find the exact age of an object.
 Comparing the object to things around it or an event in time.
 Find the specific age of an object by examining the material that the object is made up
of.
 Estimates the order of geological or prehistoric events.
 Allows to estimate the precise age of old fossils, rocks and the earth by using carbon
dating.
 Use atoms to determine age.

Relative Dating Absolute Dating

VENN DIAGRAM
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Guide Questions:
1. Absolute dating cannot provide the age of a rock within a range of 100 years of
accuracy. Why?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
2. How does the process of radioactive decay allow us to determine the age of a rock or
a fossil?
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Geologists determine the relative ages of rocks and other structures by examining their
places during a sequence. If a layer of rock is offset by a fault, which may be a break in the
Earth’s surface, you recognize that the layers had to be there before a fault could cut through
them.
Absolute dating can be achieved using historical records and through the analysis of
biological and geological patterns resulting from annual climatic variations. Since 1950 the
physical sciences contributed a number of historical of absolute dating techniques that have a
revolutionary effect on archaeology and geology. These techniques are based upon the
measurement of radioactive processes. Geologists often need to know the age of the material
that they find. They use absolute dating methods, sometimes called numerical dating, to give
rocks an actual date, or date range, in number of years.
Activity 3: Assessment
Read and analyze the statements carefully then fill in the correct answer by choosing the
word/s in the box below.
Temporal Time-stratigraphic unit eon
age 4.0 2.5
prokaryotes

1. The geological time scale is the ____________________ framework in which

geologists view Earth history.
2. Geological time units correspond to the time that a specified____________________
was deposited.
3. The geologic-time unit representing the longest interval of time is the ____________.
4. The geologic-time unit representing the smallest interval of time is the ___________.
5. The first life forms on planet Earth occur during the Archean between about _______
and____________ billion years ago and are called___________.
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Topic: Geologic Processes and Hazards (Week 6)

Learning Competencies: Describe the various hazards that may happen in the event of
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides. S11/12ES-If-30

Objective:
1. Describe and explain the hazards associated with earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and
landslides.

Concept

EARTHQUAKE
What will you do in case a great earthquake with a magnitude of 8.0 or stronger
suddenly occurs and you are inside the classroom? Do you know what are the hazards are when
an earthquake of this magnitude happens?
The magnitude of an earthquake describes the extent and severity of the damage it may
cause. Magnitude measures the energy released at the source by the earthquake at a certain
location. Intensity is determined from the effects on people, human structures and the natural
environment. An earthquake is caused by the sudden released of slowly accumulating strain
energy along a fault within the earth’s crust. Depending on its magnitude and location an
earthquake can cause ground shaking, surface fault rupture and ground failure such as
landslides and liquefaction and in some coastal areas can cause tsunami. The type of hazard
depends on the strength of seismic activity along with such factors as local topographic and
built features, subsurface geology and groundwater. Large earthquake will always be followed
by a sequence of aftershocks.
Ground shaking - the vibration of the land surface. If occurs if an earthquake generates
enough shaking intensity causing man-made structures like buildings, bridges and dams to be
severely damaged. It caused cliffs and sloping ground to be destabilized resulting in landslides
and other mass movement. The severity and damaged caused by ground shaking are determined
by factors such as topography, bedrock type, and the location and orientation of the fault
rupture.
Surface faulting – this is also known as surface rupture which is the offset or tearing of
the ground surface by differential movement along a fault during an earthquake. This effect is
generally associated with magnitude of 5.5 or greater and is restricted to earthquake-prone
areas. It is associated with shallow earthquakes, that is the epicenter is less than 20 kilometers.
Earthquake-induced landslides – this occurs under a wide range of conditions: in
steeply sloping to nearly flat land; in bedrock, loose sediments, fill and mine dumps; under dry
and very wet conditions. Moisture content can also be considered a criterion for classification:
son=me earthquake-induced landslides can occur only under very wet conditions.
Rock avalanches or rockslides – this originates on over-steepened slopes in weak rocks.
It is a stream of very rapidly moving debris derived from the disintegration of a fallen rock
mass of very large size. Rock avalanche s are among the most hazardous and destructive
landslides phenomena due to speed, size and run-out distance which can destroys the entire
village and killed thousands of people. Primarily this is due to the mountain’s unstable
geological structure and mining activities in the area.
Rock falls – this is a sudden, steep drop of rock fragments or debris. Rock fall
commonly occurs on a steep cliffs and may involve a single rock or a mass of rocks. as rocks
falls down it may plummet freely through the air or strike and loosened other rocks in the cliff
face. At the base of the cliff, the rock fragments accumulate in a sloping pile known as talus.
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The largest rock in the pile tend to be located the farthest from the cliff face because of their
greater size and momentum. Rockfalls are the result of cliff and hillside erosion.
Mudflows – this are rapidly moving wet earth flows that can be initiated by earthquake
shaking or a heavy rainstorm. Mudflow triggered by an earthquake occurs when the soil is
saturated with water or the water content of soil is high. It becomes more destructive if the soil
is drenched by rainwater. Mudflow causes siltation of rivers and lakes affecting water and food
supply of the community.
Liquification – is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil are reduced
by earthquake shaking. When liquefaction occurs, the strength of the soil decreases and the
ability of the soil deposit to support foundations for buildings and bridges is reduced. The
structure collapse because the soil where their foundation rest is weakened the soil cannot hold
their weight any longer. Liquefaction occurs in saturated soils; that is. Soils where the space
between individual particle is completely filled with water. Water exerts pressure o the soil
particles and this influences how tightly the particles themselves are pressed together. Prior to
an earthquake, the water pressure is relatively low. However, earthquake shaking can cause the
water pressure to increase to the point where the soil particles can readily move with respect to
each other.

VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS
Volcanic eruptions, like earthquakes are related to tectonic plate motion. Volcanoes
bring about a diversity of hazards to humans, including clouds of hot gasses carrying rock and
sand, blast effects, ash falls and mud flows. On the positive side, it can be said that, unlike
earthquakes, volcanoes generally give plenty of warning, although the actual moment of
eruption may come as an unpleasant surprise. Whenever a volcano erupts it creates hazards. It
places man in great danger and alter the landscape. It destroys the vegetation and kills both
plants and animals.
Lava flows – lava is molten rock that flows out of a volcano or volcanic vent.
Depending on tis composition and temperature, lava can be very fluid or sticky (viscous).
Fluids flows are hotter and move the fastest; they can form streams or rivers or spread out
across the landscape in lobes. Lava flows can be easily avoided since they don’t move faster
than walking speed, but a lava flow usually cannot be stopped or diverted. Lava flows are
extremely hot which can cause severe burns and often burn down vegetations and structures.
Pyroclastic density current (Pyroclastic flow) – this is an explosive eruptive
phenomenon which is a mixture of pulverized rock, ashes and hot gases and can move at speeds
of hundreds of miles per hour which can be deadly and can destroys anything in its path.
Pyroclastic falls – this is also known as volcanic fallout, occur with tephra fragmented
rock ejected from volcanic vent during an eruption and falls to the ground some distance away
from the vent. Some pyroclastic falls contain toxic chemicals that can be absorbed into plants
and local water supplies which can be dangerous for both people and livestock.
Lahars – this is a specific kind of mudflow made up of volcanic debris. They can form
in number of situations; when small slopes collapses, it gathers water on its way down a
volcano; through rapid melting of snow and ice during an eruption, from heavy rainfall on loose
volcanic debris, when a volcano erupt through a crater lake or when a crater lake drains because
of overflow or wall collapse. Lahars are not as fast or hot as other volcanic hazards, but they
are extremely destructive.
Volcanic landslides – a landslide or debris avalanche, a rapid downhill movement of
rocky material, snow and ice. Volcano landslides range in size from small movements of loose
debris on the surface of a volcano to massive collapse of the entire summit or sides of a volcano.
Volcanic gases - are gases given off by active volcanoes. These include gases trapped
in cavities in volcanic rocks, dissolved or dissociated gases in magma and lava, or gases
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emanating from lava, from volcanic craters or vents. Volcanic gases can also be emitted through
ground water heated by volcanic action. Health hazards can range from minor to life threatening.
Carbon dioxide - Carbon dioxide constitutes approximately 0.04% of the air in the
Earth's atmosphere. In an average year, volcanoes release between about 180 and 440 million
tons of carbon dioxide. When this colorless, odorless gas is emitted from volcanoes, it typically
becomes diluted to low concentrations very quickly and is not life threatening. However,
because cold carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air it can flow into in low-lying areas where it
can reach much higher concentrations in certain, very stable atmospheric conditions. This can
pose serious risks to people and animals. Breathing air with more than 3% CO2 can quickly lead
to headaches, dizziness, increased heart rate and difficulty breathing. At mixing ratios exceeding
about 15%, carbon dioxide quickly causes unconsciousness and death.
Sulfur dioxide - Sulfur dioxide is a colorless gas with a pungent odor that irritates skin
and the tissues and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat. SO2 emissions can cause
acid rain and air pollution downwind of a volcano, high concentrations of sulfur dioxide produce
volcanic smog (VOG) causing persistent health problems for downwind populations. During
very large eruptions, SO2 can be injected to altitudes of greater than 10km into the stratosphere.
Here, SO2 is converted to sulfate aerosols which reflect sunlight and therefore have a cooling
effect on the Earth's climate. They also have a role in ozone depletion, as many of the reactions
that destroy ozone occur on the surface of such aerosols.
Hydrogen sulfide - Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable gas with a strong,
offensive odor. It is sometimes referred to as sewer gas. Interestingly, the human nose is more
sensitive to H2S than any gas monitoring instrument we have today: air mixtures with as little
as 0.000001% H2S are associated with a rotten egg smell. Unfortunately, however, our sense of
smell is not a reliable alarm - at mixing ratios above about 0.01%, H2S becomes odorless and
very toxic, causing irritation of the upper respiratory tract and, during long exposure, pulmonary
edema. Exposure to 500 ppm can cause a human to fall unconscious in 5 minutes and die in an
hour or less.
Hydrogen halides - are strong, toxic acids. When magma ascends close to the surface,
volcanoes can emit the halogens fluorine, chlorine and bromine in the form of hydrogen halides
(HF, HCl and HBr). These species are all strong acids and have high solubility; therefore, they
rapidly dissolve in water droplets within volcanic plumes or the atmosphere where they can
potentially cause acid rain. In an ash-producing eruption, ash particles are also often coated with
hydrogen halides. Once deposited, these coated ash particles can poison drinking water supplies,
agricultural crops, and grazing land.

LANDSLIDES
Landslide define as a variety of processes that results in a downward and outward
movement of slope forming materials including rock, soil, artificial fill or a combination f these.
The materials may move by falling, toppling, sliding, spreading or flowing. Landslide is a
general term used to describe the downslope movement of soil, rock and organic materials under
the effects of gravity and also the landform that results from such movement.
Rotational slide – this slide in which the surface rupture is curved concavely upward
and thee slide movement is roughly rotational about an exist that is parallel to the ground surface
and transverse across the slide.
Translational slide – the landslide mass moves along a roughly planar surface with little
rotation or backward tilting.
Block slide – is a transitional slide in which the moving mass consist of a single unit or
a few closely related units that move downslope as a relative coherent mass.
Fall – falls are abrupt movements of masses of geologic materials such as rocks and
boulders, which become detached from steep slopes or cliffs. Separation occurs along
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discontinuities such as fractures, joints, and bedding planes and movement occurs by free-fall,
bouncing and rolling. Falls are strongly influenced by gravity, mechanical weathering and the
presence of interstitial water.
Topple – toppling failures are distinguished by a forward rotation of a unit or units
about some pivotal point, below or low in the unit, under the actions of gravity and forces
exerted by adjacent units or by fluids in cracks.
Debris avalanche – this is a variety of very rapid debris flow.
Debris flow – a debris flow is a form of rapid mass movement in which a combination
of loose soil rock, organic matter, air, and water mobilize as slurry that flows downslope. Debris
flows commonly used by intense surface-water flow, due to heavy precipitation or rapid snow
melt that erodes and mobilizes loose soil or rock on steep slopes.
Mudflow – a mudflow I an earthflow that consisting of material that is wet enough ti
flow rapidly and that contains at least 50 percent sand-, silt, and clay-sized particles.
Creep – is the imperceptibly slow, steady, downward movement of slope-forming soil
or rock. Movement is caused by shear stress sufficient to produce permanent deformation, but
too small to produce shear failure.
Types of creep: (1) seasonal – where movement is within the depth of soil affected by
seasonal changes in soil moisture and soil temperature; (2) continuous – where shear stress
continuously exceeds the strength of the material and (3) progressive – where slopes are
reaching the point of failure as other types of mass movements.
Lateral speeds are distinctive because they usually occurs on a very gentle slopes or flat
terrain. The dominant moved of movement is lateral extensions accompanied by shear or tensile
fractures. The failure is caused by liquefaction, the process whereby saturated, loose,
cohesionless sediments usually sands and silts that are transformed from the solid into a liquified
state. Failure is usually triggered by paid ground motion, such as experienced during an
earthquake.

Activity 4: Case Study Analysis

Case Brief
February 17, 2006 is perhaps the darkest day for many residents of Guinsaugon in Saint
Bernard, Southern Leyte. It is during this fateful day when they lost their loved ones to a
catastrophic landslide that buried the entire village. The deadly rock-slide debris avalanche is
due to the collapse of the portion of a 450m high, heavily-forested Mt. Can-abag after 10 days
of heavy rain and 2.6 magnitude earthquake. More than 1100 people were buried alive; of this
number, 250 were school children.

Task:
1. Explain why the landslide buried the entire village in less than two minutes.
2. Describe ways to prevent future landslide in the area.
3. Refer to the criteria given in the rubrics for the details of your answers.

Reasons why the landslide buried the entire What should be done to prevent future
village in less than two minutes. landslides?
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Rubrics

Criteria Not completed or Poor Fair Good

incorrect
Explanation about Question has not Provided little to Explanation Your response
the disaster been answered or no visual aids and provides us with adequately
the response is too the explanation is some understanding explains your
brief to adequately brief. Your as to the workings natural disaster and
answer the explanation does of your natural the diagrams have
question. not clearly and/or disaster; however been well chosen.
If the information provide enough more information The support the
has been detail as to why the would have been written
plagiarized, you disaster happens or beneficial. The information.
may have also occurs pictures needed to
received a 0 better support the
written information.
Map- of where the No map has been Map is not clear Map is satisfactory, Map has been well
disaster occurs provided. and all have not the key feature can drawn, with the
been observed. be identified but not key features clearly
all have been identified. All have
observed. been observed.
Two images of the No images have Only one image Provided 2 images, Two images have
disaster been provided. has been provided either a satellite, been chosen,
or the images are aerial or map. They satellite, aerial or
the same type. have not correctly map and they
been sourced or clearly provide a
have (if it is a map) picture of what
Geographic happened. All
techniques need geographic
attention. techniques have
been observed.
Presentation, Not clearly set out Not all geographic Demonstrates the All geographic
grammar and and has not been techniques have work has been technique have
spelling. proofread. been observed and proof read and most been observed,
Geographic further geographic work is clearly set
techniques have proofreading was techniques have out and the work
not been observed. needed. been observed. indicates it has
been proof read.

Reference:

Acledan, Michelle. 2016. Earth and Life Science for Senior High School. Philippines: Mutya
Publishing House Inc.
Ezez. 2021. . Scribd.com. https://www.scribd.com/document/370894536/Earth-and-Life-
Science.
Ezez. 2021. "!!HOT!! Physical Geology Exploring The Earth Pdf".
https://cartingtika.weebly.com/physical-geology-exploring-the-earth-pdf.html.

Prepared by:
JANICE S. ALQUIZAR
TEACHER III, DiCNHS