This site provides an introduction to geologic time and the time scale used by geologists to date rock layers and events from Earth's past. Topics include relative versus absolute (radiometric) dating and the extreme age of the Earth. The site also features an interactive time scale, from the Decade of North American Geology, that is widely used in North America. The time scale is correctly proportioned to show the relative lengths of eras, periods and epochs, and includes links to paleomaps of the Earth that show the positions of the continents at the desired time. The time scale is also available in a downloadable, printable version, and links to a glossary and to related resources are included.
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Audio/Visual:Images/Illustrations
Grade Level: General Public, College Lower (13-14), High School (9-12), Middle (6-8)
Topics: Time/Earth History
Keywords: Phanerozoic Eon, Precambrian, Archean, Proterozoic, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era, Cenozoic Era, Cambrian Period, Ordovician Period, Silurian Period, Devonian Period, Carboniferous Period, Permian Period, Triassic Period, Jurassic Period, Cretaceous Period, Tertiary Period, Quaternary Period, Paleocene Epoch, Eocene Epoch, Oligocene Epoch, Miocene Epoch, Pliocene Epoch, Pleistocene Epoch, Holocene Epoch
