Author Question: Briefly explain why it is often difficult to assign a reliable numerical date to a sample of ... (Read 193 times)

moongchi · **on:** Jul 14, 2018

Briefly explain why it is often difficult to assign a reliable numerical date to a sample of sedimentary rock.

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

How does the area of Earth's surface covered by oceans compare with the area covered by continents?

What will be an ideal response?

meltdown117 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 14, 2018

Answer to Question 1

A sedimentary rock may include particles that contain radioactive isotopes, but the rock's age cannot be accurately determined because the grains that make up the rock are not the same age as the rock in which they occur. Rather, the sediments have been weathered from rocks of diverse ages.

Answer to Question 2

About 71 of Earth's surface is covered in oceans, compared to the remainder covered in continents.