Module 4:

RECONSTRUCTING
THE HISTORY OF
EARTH
 Scientists were able to
establish the history of Earth
through evidences of the past
that are found in rocks,
fossils, and other substances
that remained on Earth.
 Finding fossils and identifying
rocks are not easy, but scientists
endeavor to reconstruct Earth’s
time line and establish a timescale
that may be used for current and
future studies in Earth exploration.
 Stratification
of Rocks
Crustal movement, displacement
of soils, and distortion of terrains
lead to layering of rocks called
stratification.
 Records on the history of Earth
can be obtained through remains
or fossils or the composition of
sediments, making possible the
interpretation of geologic events
in that area. Stratification is
used to locate mineral deposits,
petroleum fields, and
groundwater reservoirs.
 In the late 18th century, geologists, and
paleontologist (scientists studying life-
forms in the past, usually through
fossils) started disentangling the nature
of Earth’s history. They found rock layers
containing identifiable fossils of marine
organisms. Other layers consist of beach
deposits making the shorelines of
ancient seas.
 Dating Methods
In reconstructing Earth’s history, geologists may use rock
stratigraphy to precisely date fossils or rocks based on their
placement in the strata, or the series of events as manifested
in the rock strata. If any fossil is found in a rock stratum, the
approximate date may be established. Geologists currently
use two basic types of dating, relative and absolute dating.
1. RELATIVE
DATING
 1. Relative Dating
Relative dating is a method
used to determine the
relative order of geologic
events.
Stratigraphy is important in
relative dating because the
order of events recorded or
can be found in the order of
rock formations.
 The topmost layer suggests the most
recent event, as asserted by the law of
superposition. This method does not
provide actual numerical dates for the
rocks but all are just estimates based
on the profile of the stara.
The profile of strata
includes:
-chemical composition
-rock type
-presence of organisms
The presence of fossils in geological finds is
also important to approximating age. Fossils
are usually found in sedimentary rocks.
Throughout the history of Earth, many
organisms have flourished and disappeared.
However, their remains as fossils were
preserved in sedimentary rocks.
 The presence of fossils helps geologists
figure out the approximate age of rocks
by means of correlation. They use index
fossils to establish geological timescales
of the rock by matching the fossil with
the established period of its existence.
 BIG IDEA
Relative dating provides the correct sequence of
events and not the actual numerical dates of the
rocks. Absolute dating, on the other hand,
provides the approximate age of the rock through
radiometric dating. So the next time you find a
cliff or road cutting exposing rock strata, you
may be able to work out the age order of the
rocks.
Since the formation of life on Earth, many forms
of organisms evolved from a single-celled
organism. Scientist were able to establish the
geologic sequence of certain fossils that lived on
Earth. Hence, index
RELATIVE fossils now serve as a guide
DATINgeologic
in determining G timescale of near an
identified fossil, it can be assumed that both
fossils were from the same period.
 In the late 17th century, the
principle of geologic timescale
was introduced by Nicholas Steno
(1638-1686) who explained that
each layer could represent a
"slice" of time.
 Over the course of time, many geologist
used Steno’s principle, and by the 19th
century, Earth’s history was defined more
precisely. Geologist that if two strata found
in distant places have the same fossils,
they could have been laid down in the
same geologic time period.
2. ABSOLUTE
DATING
 The Absolute Dating method
can tell which sediments were
deposited first and can also
tell the approximate age of
specimen.
-The most used and accepted form of
Absolute dating method is radioactive decay
dating.
-Most absolute dating make use of
radiometric methods where radioactive
materials are used to compute the age of
rocks. 
Isotopes which known, so if you are
able to measure the parent and
daughter isotope in rocks, you can
calculate when the rocks where
formed.
 Since different elements have unique
decay rates certain elements are used
for dating a particular age range. For
example, the decay of isotope Ur-238
to Pb-206 may be used for rocks older
than one million years.
 Major
Subdivision
of Geologic
Time
The most effective way to communicate
among scientists in interpreting
geological and fossil finds is to use
stratigraphic nomenclature as basis for
geologic time.
Hence a geologic timescale (GTS)
was established in 1990s. The GTS
is, by far. The accepted system
of chronological measurement
connecting rock stratigraphy to
geologic time.
 The term“ geologic time” refers to
interval of time occupied by Earth's
geologic history. Usually, it extends
from about 3.9billion years ago which
RELATIV E
is based on the oldest rock ever
DATING
discovered by man represented and
interpreted from several rock strata.
 The GTS was established based on the
type of organisms found in that
particular stratum. Since fossil are
preserved in rocks, they became the
basis for stratigraphic data of Earth's
surface. The fossils were later named
fossil markers (index marker) as guide to
namong rock stratum.
 Evidence from radiometric
dating shows Earth is roughly
4.56billion years old. The geologic
time of Earth's history has been
organized into units based on
geologic and biologic events that
occurred in each period.
 Geologic time shows descending order of
duration using units of abstract time:
eons,eras,periods and epochs. Enns are
divided into eras, which are further divided
into periods, epochs, and finally ages. Years
are expressed in MYA or MA which means
“million years ago”.
 Evolution of Earth
The history and evolution of Earth are
described using geologic timescale. In
essence, two eon have been named that
would distinguish the formative years and
the beginning of the biological evolutions
of Earth — the Precambrian Eon and
Pharenozoic Eon.
 Precambrian Eon
Theories that are partially
supported by rock evidence state that
Earth's transformation from the
gaseous liquid to solid Earth during the
Precambrian Eon.
The oldest fossils found were dated around
3.5 billion years old. Only living forms that
are known exist in extreme conditions were
present during time. It was presumed that
if the condition of the primitive Earth did
not change, no organism of the present
could have been formed.
 Phanerozoic Eon
The Phanerozoic Eon is characterized
by a physical environment that started
to be more or less conducive to
organisms that were involving.
-As this eon is divided into Paleozoic,
Mesozoic, and Cenozoic Eras, various
geologic processes and biologic complexities
became more evident in each succeeding
phase.
-The Paleozoic Era would be characterized
by larger rocks with fossilized organisms that
are multicellular and bigger than sponges.
 Geologically, most lands were found in the
southern part of the Earth. The drifting of
continents was also established during this
era. While Earth continues to evolve, it has
presumably reached a more stable
atmosphere so that in the succeeding era, the
Mesozoic Era, larger animals and plants were
formed, including the dinosaurs that
flourished on Earth.
 It was only after the mass extinction of
reptiles that marked the Age of Mammals
in the Cenozoic Era. The present times is
in the Cenozoic Era with rapid
evolutionary development and changing
climates. An era usually ends with the
extinction of the dominant species that
had lived in that period of time.
 ESSENTIAL LEARNING
The key to the present in the past. Geologist and
paleontologists continue to dig up information
about Earth's past through rocks and fossils
found on its surface. Since the geologic
timescale was established, it became easier for
scientist to determine the age of new fossils.
 This, together with the new environment
that is described by the rock strata can tell
certain geologic events that may have
contributed to the existence, adaption, and
possible extinction of those organisms.
 Reconstructing the history of Earth does not
only provide interesting ideas how Earth's
dynamism worked before but it may also give a
clue on what can happen in the future based on
any evolutionary patterns and origins achieved
through each stage of development.
 Members:
HONEY FAYE DEL MENDO
ROMEL MURGUIA
NASH IVAN L. DIVIDINA
ANTHONY H. VIGO
ERIKA MAY S. CABANTUD
SAMANTHA ANDREA DE LUCAS