1. The rock layers in Figure 1 are arranged from oldest at the bottom to youngest at the top, following the Law of Superposition. In Figure 2, the layers are also arranged with the oldest at the bottom and youngest at the top, but they are tilted due to tectonic forces after deposition.
2. The rocks in Figure 1 are horizontal, indicating they were deposited flat and have not been significantly disturbed since formation. The rocks in Figure 2 are tilted, suggesting they were subjected to tectonic forces that deformed them after deposition.
3. The tilting of the rock layers in Figure 2 likely occurred after the layers were deposited and lithified. This deformation is typically caused by tectonic activity, such as compression or faulting, which can tilt, fold, or uplift rock layers.
4. Yes, you can determine the relative ages of the rock layers in both figures using the Law of Superposition. In Figure 1, the layers are horizontal, so the bottom layer is oldest and each successive layer above is younger. In Figure 2, even though the layers are tilted, the original depositional sequence is preserved: the lowest layer in the sequence (now tilted) is still the oldest, and each layer above it is progressively younger.
5. If you found a fossil in Layer A (the bottom layer in both figures), it would be older than any fossil found in Layer B, C, or D. Since Layer A is the oldest layer in the sequence, any organism preserved as a fossil within it lived before the organisms preserved in the overlying layers.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of rock layers worksheet.
