The Geology of Pacific Northwest Streams, Lakes, & Deserts

Lab 1: Geologic Time Scale

Name:______________________________Date:___________
Background
HowoldistheEarth?Well,iftheEarthcelebrateditsbirthdayeverymillionyears,therewouldbe4,600
candlesonitsbirthdaycake!Humanshavebeenaroundonlylongenoughtolightthelastcandleonthe
cake.BecausetheEarthis4.6billionyearsold,geologistshavecreatedageologictimescaletomake
theirjobofstudyingEarthshistoryeasier.Thegeologictimescaleisastandardmethodusedtodivide
theEarthslonghistoryintosmallerparts.Justasyourlifeshistoryisbrokenupintosections,thehistory
oftheEarthisbrokenupintosmallersectionscalledTime.Yourlifehistorycanbebrokenupinto
sectionsandlabeledasdecades,like,the90s(19901999),theteens(20102019).Timecanbebroken
downevenfurther,theycalltheseeras.Justthinkhowdecadescanbebrokendownintoyears,1991,
1992,1993,etc.Erascanbefurtherbrokendowntoperiods.Justthinkabouthowyearscanbebroken
downintomonths,January,February,March,etc.

Objective
Inthisactivityyouwillconstructascalemodelofgeologictimethatwillshowtherelativeamountoftime
oftheeventsinEarthshistory.

Materials
5metersofaddingmachinetape,ruler,coloredpencils/crayons,computer(forresearch)

Directions
1.Measureout5metersofaddingmachinetapeandcut.
2.Stretchouttheaddingmachinetapeonthefloor.Tapeeachendoftheaddingmachine
tapeontothefloororastablesurface.
3.Useametersticktodrawacontinuoushorizontalline(i.e.,lengthwise)2cmfromthetop
ofthe5mstripofaddingmachinetape.Useascaleof1meterequals1billionyears.Each
millimeterthenrepresents1millionyears.
4.Atoneendofthetape,drawaverticallineacrosstheentiretapeandlabelitTODAYusinga
blackmarker.
5.MeasureoffthedistancestartingfromtheTODAYlinethatrepresents4.6billionyears(b.y.)
ago.DrawaverticallineacrosstheentiretapeatthatpointandlabelitEarthsBeginningusing
ablackmarker.Thenfilloutthedatatableonpage2.
6.Betweenthetopofthepaperandthelinemarkedat2cm,writedownthetimeusinga
bluemarkerthatapplies.Forexample,PreCambrianorPhanerozoic(seedatatableonpage
2).
7.UsingtheGeologicTimeScalechart:
a.MarkwithaverticallineeacheraandperiodinPhanerozoicTime.Writethenameof
eacherabelowthelinemarking2cmwitharedmarker.Writeeachperiodatthebottomof
thepaperwithapurplemarker.

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Streams, Lakes, & Deserts

Lab 1: Geologic Time Scale

Majorgeologictimedivision TimePeriod Measurementontape

PreCambrianTime 4,500543m.y.a.
PhanerozoicTimePaleozoicEra 543248m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraCambrianPeriod 543490m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraOrdovicianPeriod 490443m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraSilurianPeriod 443417m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraDevonianPeriod 417354m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraCarboniferousPeriod 354290m.y.a.
PaleozoicEraPermianPeriod 290248m.y.a.
PhanerozoicTimeMesozoicEra 248to65m.y.a.
MesozoicEraTriassicPeriod 248206m.y.a.
MesozoicEraJurassicPeriod 206144m.y.a.
MesozoicEraCretaceousPeriod 14465m.y.a.
PhanerozoicTimeCenozoicEra 65m.y.a.today
CenozoicEraTertiaryPeriod 651.8m.y.a.
CenozoicEraQuaternaryPeriod 1.8m.y.a.today
Suggestion:StartfromtheTODAYlineandworkyourwaybackthroughEarthshistory.

b.Usetheinternetoryourtextbooktodeterminethetimeofeacheventsinthelistbelow.
Entertheageinm.y.a.inthespaceprovided.Writedowneachofthefollowingeventson
yourtimelineusingamarker.

i.Humansappear _________
ii.Firstlandplants _________
iii.Firstfish _________
iv.Firstfloweringplants _________
v.Firstdinosaurs,mammals _________
vi.Firstbirds _________
vii.Firstmulticellularorganisms _________
viii.Thefirstprokaryote _________
ix.Firstreptiles _________
x.Extinctionthatwipedoutapproximately95%ofallspecies _________
xi.Primatesappear _________
xii.Firsteukaryote _________
xiii.Firstamphibians _________
xiv.Firstinsects _________
xv.Oxygenstartstoaccumulateinatmosphere _________

c.Drawincoloredpencilsanexampleofthemajororganismstoevolveforeach
period.Lightlycoloreacheraadifferentcolorusingcoloredpencils.

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 The Geology of Pacific Northwest Streams, Lakes, & Deserts

Lab 1: Geologic Time Scale

Analysis:
1.Howmanyyearsdoesyourtapetimescalerepresent?
2.Thelargestsectionsofgeologictimearecalled .Listthem
inorderfromyoungesttooldest.

3.Thelargestsectionsarebrokenupintosubsectionscalled .
Listtheminorderfromyoungesttooldest.

4.Byfar,thelongestgeologictimeis .

5.Whicheraislongest?_ Theshortest?

6.Inwhicherasandperiodsdiddinosaurs,mammals,floweringplantsandbirdsappearon
Earth?

7.WhichlivedonEarththelongertime,dinosaursormammals?Calculatetherangeoftimeforeach.

8.WhywoulditbehardtooutlinethehistoryoftheUnitedStatesonthegeologicscale?

9.Whyisitimpossibleforacatfossiltobefoundinthesamesedimentaryrocklayerasa
dinosaurfossil?

10.Werehumansaroundduringthetimeofthedinosaurs?Explain.

11.Howmuchofthetapehasmanbeenaround?(useapercentage).

12.Howmuchofearthsexistencewillyouseeinyourlifetime?(useapercentage).

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