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.

What does relative age dating do?

Relative dating puts geologic events in chronological order without requiring that a specific numerical age be assigned to each event. This method uses the orientation of the Earths magnetic field, which has changed through time, to determine ages for fossils and rocks.