Given the law of superposition and assuming an undisturbed "pancake" stratigraphy each successive layer is younger than the the underlying one. Therefore, the fault is the 'youngest' feature in the system because the rocks need to form first in order for a fault to truncate them.
100 year old
The rock age of a normal fault can be determined by analyzing the age of the rocks on either side of the fault. Normal faults typically form in response to extensional forces, where older rocks are uplifted and younger rocks are deposited in the hanging wall. By dating the rocks on either side of the fault, geologists can determine the relative timing of fault movement.
The relative age of a fault or igneous intrusion that cuts through an unconformity is younger than the unconformity but older than the rock it cuts through. This is because the fault or intrusion must have formed after the deposition of the rock layers below the unconformity but before the deposition of the rock layers above the unconformity.
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.
The size of fossils can be used to help determine the relative age of rock layers in faunal succession. Generally, smaller and simpler organisms are found in older rock layers, while larger and more complex organisms are found in younger rock layers. This principle is known as the Law of Faunal Succession.
100 year old
100 year old
The relative age of the fault is younger than the sedimentary rock layers it cuts across. The fault must have formed after the deposition of the sedimentary rock layers, as it disrupts them.
100 year old
100 year old
100 year old
The fault must be younger because it cuts across the existing rocks, indicating that it formed after the rocks were already in place. This suggests that the faulting event occurred after the deposition of the rock layers.
How could the rock be faulted if it came after the faulting? It wouldn't be there to fault. So therefore, what ever the fault cuts through, it must be younger than it in order for it to be able to cut the rock in the first place.
The rock age of a normal fault can be determined by analyzing the age of the rocks on either side of the fault. Normal faults typically form in response to extensional forces, where older rocks are uplifted and younger rocks are deposited in the hanging wall. By dating the rocks on either side of the fault, geologists can determine the relative timing of fault movement.
The relative age of a fault or igneous intrusion that cuts through an unconformity is younger than the unconformity but older than the rock it cuts through. This is because the fault or intrusion must have formed after the deposition of the rock layers below the unconformity but before the deposition of the rock layers above the unconformity.
The fault will be younger than the rocks it faulted (cross-cutting relationships).
"The fossils found in this rock layer are older than the fossils found in the layer above it." "The granite intrusion is younger than the surrounding sedimentary rocks." "The volcanic ash layer is slightly older than the layer of soil above it." "The erosion pattern on the hillside indicates that the granite rocks are older than the layers of sediment deposited on top of them." "The cross-cutting relationship between the fault and the layers of rock indicate that the fault is younger than the rock layers it cuts through."