A relative age dating activity. Purpose: When geologist try to relatively date layers of rock it is often like solving a puzzle. In this activity you will learn to determine the sequence of geologic events from cross-sections of strata (rocks) in a given area.

Whats up a relative dating activity?

Before geologists can correlate the ages of rocks from different areas, they must first figure out the ages of rocks at a single location. Within a single locality, geologists are able to determine which rock units are the oldest and which are youngest. This type of analysis is called relative age dating.