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The Law of Cross-Cutting Relationships would be used here. If a fault cuts across a rock unit, it is younger than that rock unit. If a fault cuts across a series of rocks, but suddenly stops at a rock unit, then that rock unit which the fault stops at is younger than the fault. So let's say the order of rocks (from top to bottom), is A B C D. If the fault cuts across B C and D, but not A, then the age of the fault is sometime between A and B. If you know the absolute ages of A and B (let's say, rock A is 100 million years old and rock B is 200 million years old), then the age of the faulting is between 100 and 200 million years ago.

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Q: How might a geologist use relative dating to determine when the fault occured?
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Related questions

Radioactive dating enables geologist to determine what?

The age of rocks can be determined by radioactive dating.


What does radioactive dating enable geologist to determine?

It helps determine the absolute ages of rocks


How does a geologist determine absolute age?

Geologists determine absolute age of rocks by using radioactive dating.


What do scientists use to determine a fossil's relative age?

Carbon14 dating (isotopic dating)


What are two ways geologists determine the age of fossils?

The two methods are "RELATIVE DATING" and "ABSOLUTE DATING". :)


How can fossils be used to determine the relative ages?

They are able to tell the order in which events occured, NOT how long ago they occured.Identify the order in whicih rock units formed(:rocks makes babys with apenis


How would a geologist determine the age of rock layers and fossils if the geologist found a never before seen rock layer that contain fossils?

First step would be relative-dating: examining the new unit in the context of known rocks above and below it. Then look for correlative formations & fossils elsewhere.


How do you determine the sequence of events in rock layers?

By the law of superposition: Oldest at the bottom and youngest at the top.


Relative dating is used to determine the?

Relative age is used to determine the age and how old a geological feature or fossil.


What two ways do scientist use fossils to determine the environmental changes?

its radioactive dating and relative dating


How did scientists determine the difference in the age of rocks near mid ocean ridges from those farther away from ridges?

Good question: Geologist use these methods to determine the ages of rocks. The absolute age of the rock and relative age of the rock. Now because the mid ocean ridges are place of divergent where plates move apart, the rock farther away from the ridges are older than the younger ones that are just form close to the ride. This is called relative dating. The absolute dating use Isotopes and radiometric dating meaning they have to have a hand sample to determine this. But I think the best method here for situation like this is the Relative ages of the rocks.


What does relative dating help determine?

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