Earth and Life

Science

Introduction

L
A
W
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Stratification
Stratification
Stratification
Stratification
Stratification
Stratified
rocks, also
known as
derivatives
rock, maybe
fragmental or
crystalline

These are made of visible layers of sediments. The

formation on rock layers depend on its stratigraphy
and stratification
Stratification
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

It is also known as bedding, which is the

layering that happens in sedimentary and
igneous rocks formed at the surface of the
Earth that comes from lava flows or other
volcanic activity.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Nicholas Steno

Danish scientist who studied the relative

position of sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary
rocks are formed particle by particle, bed by
bed, and the layers are piled one on top of the
other. These rock layers are also called strata.
Stratigraphic Laws
Stratigraphic laws are basic principles that all geologists use in decoding or deciphering the spatial and

Original
temporal relationships of rock layers. These includes the following:

Horizontality, Lateral Continuity, Superposition, Cross

Cutting, Law of Inclusions and the Law of Faunal
Succession.
Law of
Superposition
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The largest and heaviest rock layer that settled

first at the bottom is the oldest rock layer. The
lightest and smallest that settled last is the
youngest rock layer

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 Law of Inclusions

A rock mass that contains pieces of rocks

called inclusions are younger than the other
rock masses.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Law of Cross
Cutting
Relationship
➢ a fault or dike- a slab rock cuts through another
rock
➢ when magma intrudes to the rock, that fault or
magma is younger than the rock
Law of Original
Horizontality

sediments are deposited in flat layers, if the

rock maintains in horizontal layers, it means it
is not yet disturbed and still has its original
horizontality
Law of Unconformities
➢ rock layers that are formed without interruptions are conformable.
➢ describes a layer of rock that have been deformed or eroded before another layer is deposited,
resulting in rock layer mismatching
Law of Faunal
Succession
first recognized by William Smith
➢ different strata contain particular
assemblage of fossils by which rocks may be
identified and correlated over long distances
 Unconformities
There are three types of unconformities.

1. An unconformity in which stratified (layers)

of rock rests upon unstratified rock is called
a nonconformity.

2. The boundary between a set of tilted layers

and a set of horizontal layers is called an
angular unconformity.

3. The boundary between horizontal layers of

old sedimentary rock and younger, overlying
layers that are deposited on an eroded
surface is called a disconformity.