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Rocks and minerals are tested to discover their age, how they were formed, and what they are made of. Mining and energy exploration companies rely on this information in order to make decisions on investments and revenues involving billions of dollars. Academically, the study and testing of rocks and minerals adds to the base of scientific knowledge which has a multitude of uses to governments, businesses, and individuals.

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What clues tells geologists how extrusions are formed?

I am learning about this in my Science class, and when a geologist looks at an extrusion, they know it's an extrusion because it is Igneous rock, and an extrusion helps tell the reletive ages of the layers around it.


Why don't geologists find fossils in a metamorphic rock?

Metamorphic rock is formed deep in the Earth's crust under tremendous heat and pressure. Fossiles are formed in sedimentary rock near the surface.


What method do geologists to determine the absolute age of a rock?

Radioactive dating is used to determine the absolute ages of rocks. By Jennifer Palos


What can the geologists conclude about the age of rocks?

Geologists can determine the age of rocks through various methods, including radiometric dating, which measures the decay of radioactive isotopes within the minerals. By analyzing the ratios of parent and daughter isotopes, they can calculate the time elapsed since the rock formed. Additionally, the principles of stratigraphy, such as the law of superposition, allow geologists to infer relative ages based on the sequence of rock layers. Together, these techniques provide a comprehensive understanding of a rock's age and its geological history.


Why can't geologists use rocks from earth to learn how long ago earth formed?

Geologists can't use rocks from Earth to determine the planet's age because those rocks have all been recycled through the rock cycle over time. This means that the original rocks from when Earth formed no longer exist. Instead, geologists use radiometric dating of rocks from Earth's surface to estimate its age.

Related Questions

How do geologists learn how a rock formed?

Geologists study the rock's mineral composition, texture, and structure to determine how it formed. They also consider the rock's surroundings and the geological processes that may have been involved in its formation, such as volcanic activity or sedimentary deposition. By analyzing these factors, geologists can piece together the rock's history and understand how it was created.


How are index fossils used by uniformitarian geologists?

Uniformitarian geologists will use this method to determine which layer of rock formed at which time period of earth's history, and the order of the formation.


Geologists would used qualitative measurement to?

- to determine the chemical nature of a rock - to determine the age of a rock by comparison


What clues tells geologists how extrusions are formed?

I am learning about this in my Science class, and when a geologist looks at an extrusion, they know it's an extrusion because it is Igneous rock, and an extrusion helps tell the reletive ages of the layers around it.


What clues does extrusion tell geologists?

Geologists study where intrusion and extrusion formed in relation to other rock layers. This helps geologists understand the relative ages of the different types of rock! Hope it helps;)😊


What is the fossil called that geologists use to determine rock ages?

Index Fossil


What do geologists observe when studying a rock sample?

Geologists observe the color, texture, mineral composition, and structure of a rock sample to determine its formation process, age, and geological history. They may also conduct tests to analyze the chemical composition and physical properties of the rock.


What do Geologists use radiometric dating to date sedimentary rock?

Geologists use radiometric dating of volcanic ash layers within sedimentary rock to determine the age of the sedimentary rock. By dating the igneous rock layers above and below the sedimentary rock, geologists can establish a bracket of time within which the sedimentary rock was deposited.


What describes a rock's texture geologists determine?

The size shape and pattern of the rocks grains


Why don't geologists find fossils in a metamorphic rock?

Metamorphic rock is formed deep in the Earth's crust under tremendous heat and pressure. Fossiles are formed in sedimentary rock near the surface.


What do geologists use to determine the absolute ages of rock?

Radioactive dating is used to determine the absolute ages of rocks. By Jennifer Palos


What method do geologists to determine the absolute age of a rock?

Radioactive dating is used to determine the absolute ages of rocks. By Jennifer Palos