Question

If horizontal layers of sedimentary rock have a vertical fault running through them, how might a geologist use relative dating to determine when the fault occurred?

Answer 1

The layers had to be there before the fault could form if the fault ran through the horizontal layers. The relative age of the rocks is older than the relative age of the fault.

Step-by-step explanation:

Answer 2

Relative dating is a discipline of knowing the relative order of past happenings without actually knowing their absolute age, in other words, it is a just an estimated age. In this problem, relative dating could be use in determining when the fault occurred by seeing how many rock layers goes through and geologists match up rock layers over those distances.