Relative dating puts geologic events in chronological order without requiring that a specific numerical age be assigned to each event. Second, it is possible to determine the numerical age for fossils or earth materials.

What is the basis of relative dating?

Relative dating is the process of determining if one rock or geologic event is older or younger than another, without knowing their specific ages—i.e., how many years ago the object was formed.

What main principle is relative dating based?

The principle of superposition The principle of superposition is simple, intuitive, and is the basis for relative age dating. It states that rocks positioned below other rocks are older than the rocks above.

What are the two common laws of relative dating?

The Principle of Original Horizontality states that all rock layers were originally horizontal. The Law of Superposition states that younger strata lie on top of older strata. The Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships states that intrusions and faults that cut across rock are necessarily younger than that rock.