Question

This outcrop of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks in northern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, provides a great example of the kinds of relative age relationships that geologists observe in the field. Put the features in order from oldest (bottom) to youngest (top). The rocks have not been overturned

A) Precambrian Rocks → Unconformity → Paleozoic Rocks

B) Unconformity → Precambrian Rocks → Paleozoic Rocks

C) Paleozoic Rocks → Unconformity → Precambrian Rocks

D) Paleozoic Rocks → Precambrian Rocks → Unconformity

Answer 1

The correct order from oldest to youngest for the rock outcrop in northern Cape Breton is Precambrian Rocks, followed by an Unconformity, and then Paleozoic Rocks.

Step-by-step explanation:

The rocks in northern Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, from oldest to youngest are organized as follows: Precambrian Rocks are the oldest, followed by an Unconformity, and then Paleozoic Rocks. The correct sequence from oldest to youngest is thus A) Precambrian Rocks → Unconformity → Paleozoic Rocks. This order reflects the geological time scale and the principle of superposition, which states that in an undisturbed sequence of rocks, the oldest rocks are at the bottom.

Geologists determine relative age relationships by studying rock formations and their features according to geologic principles, like the principles of superposition and original horizontality. An unconformity indicates a time gap in the geological record where rock layers are missing, often due to erosion or non-deposition, which is followed by the deposition of newer rock layers.