This is the correct order of the sediment layers from shallowest to deepest:
- Shallowest
- Second youngest sediment layer
- Highest carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio
- Second oldest sediment layer
- Lowest carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio
- Deepest
What are the layers?
This order is based on the principle of stratigraphic superposition, which states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the layers are arranged from oldest at the bottom to youngest at the top. The carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio can also be used to determine the relative age of sediment layers, as older layers will have a lower ratio than younger layers.
Therefore, the shallowest layer is the youngest, and the deepest layer is the oldest. The layer with the lowest carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio is the oldest, and the layer with the highest carbon-14 to carbon-12 ratio is the youngest. The second youngest layer is the one that is above the oldest layer, and the second oldest layer is the one that is below the youngest layer.
Complete question:
Drag the labels to the appropriate positions in the diagram.