Geologic Time Scale Definition
The geologic time scale is an arrangement of events used as a measure of the relative or absolute age of any part of geological time. Earth's 4.6 billion year history is organized this way.
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Rock Layers (Geologic Time)
Fun Facts
- The geologic time scale subdivides time into duration, eons, eras, periods, epochs, and ages.
- By examining where fossils are found in rock layers, scientists have been able to put together the geologic time scale.
- Rock layers tell us when different organisms went extinct and when new organisms showed up on Earth.
Why Do We Need To Know About Geologic Time Scale
Learning about the geologic time scale helps us understand Earth’s history. Paleontologists look at fossils and geologists study rocks to learn about Earth’s past and how life evolved over billions of years.
These studies are useful for finding natural resources and learning about changes in the environment. For example, finding the KT boundary helps us learn about big extinctions and why they happened. This information is useful for guessing what might happen in the future and for studying rocks on Mars and the Moon.
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