Question

Imagine a scientist is studying a sedimentary rock formation that spans the three most recent geologic eras. Rock layers from each era are present in the rock formation. In what order, from top (closest to the surface) to bottom (deepest), should the scientist expect to find layers from each geologic era?

Choices:
A) Paleozoic Era
B) Mesozoic Era
C) Cenozoic Era

Answer 1

The scientist should expect to find the layers from the three geologic eras in the following order, from top to bottom: Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and Paleozoic Era. Sedimentary rock layers are formed over time, with newer layers being deposited on top of older layers. The order of the rock layers is determined by the principle of superposition.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scientist should expect to find the layers from the three geologic eras in the following order, from top to bottom: Cenozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, and Paleozoic Era.

Sedimentary rock layers are formed over time, with newer layers being deposited on top of older layers. Therefore, the topmost layer would belong to the most recent geologic era, which is the Cenozoic Era. The Mesozoic Era would be found below the Cenozoic Era, and finally, the Paleozoic Era would be the deepest layer in the rock formation.

This order is determined by the principle of superposition, which states that in an undisturbed sequence of sedimentary rocks, the oldest rocks are found at the bottom, and the youngest rocks are found at the top.