Week 5 – Geologic Dating Methods, Careers & Truth Types Applied

This week we’ll be exploring the major types of methods different types of geologists use to tell us as best as possible how old things are on earth and their stories. How exactly do we know how old a dinosaur fossil is and what can we learn from knowing its age, or the stories of petrified wood, mummies, bones, a tree trunk, artifacts and so forth?

Let’s get started…

Geologic Career Types

1. Review the list of the top 10 types of geologic careers and write down which field you personally would prefer if you had to choose and explain why you made that geologic career choice? Come prepared to share in class.
   • General Geologist
     • Studies rocks, Earth materials, and how the Earth changes over time.
   • Environmental Geologist
     • Studies pollution, erosion, land use, flooding, and protecting the environment.
   • Petroleum Geologist
     • Searches for oil and natural gas and studies underground rock layers.
   • Paleontologist
     • Studies fossils and ancient life found in rock layers.
   • Seismologist
     • Studies earthquakes, faults, and the movement of the Earth.
   • Hydrologist
     • Studies water, including rivers, groundwater, flooding, and water quality.
   • Mineralogist
     • Studies minerals, their properties, and how they form.
   • Volcanologist
     • Studies volcanoes, magma, lava, eruptions, and volcanic hazards.
   • Geophysicist
     • Uses physics and instruments to study what is happening beneath the Earth’s surface.
   • Engineering Geologist
     • Studies the ground and rock conditions for buildings, roads, tunnels, dams, and construction projects.

Types of Truth

Review the following list of the types of truth and become familiar with them. From there research each one on your own on google or AI and then download/Print this worksheet to fill it out as you watch the videos below. Bring your printed worksheet filled out in full to class where we’ll discuss it and give out rewards for awesome answers/great ideas/novel thought.

Main Types of Truth

1. Objective Truth
   • A fact that is true whether anyone believes it or not.
2. Subjective Truth
   • A truth based on personal feelings, opinions, or preferences.
3. Empirical Truth
   • A truth learned through observation, testing, and measurement.
4. Absolute Truth
   • A truth that is always true and does not change.
5. Normative or Social Truth
   • A truth people agree on as part of a shared system, name, or rule.
6. Pragmatic Truth
   • A truth considered useful because it works in practice.
7. Logical or Analytical Truth
   • A truth that is true by definition or clear reasoning.

Watch these geologic dating videos and answer the questions

1. What exactly is an isotope?
2. How many natural occurring carbon isotopes are there?
3. What is the most common and the most rare carbon isotopes?
4. What carbon isotope is the “perfect candidate” for dating organic material on earth?

Radiometric Dating

1. What is a half-life mean?
2. What limitations does carbon dating have?
3. How many years on average is carbon dating a reliable tool to tell how old organic material is?

Dendrochronology Dating

1. What does it mean if you see a larger tree ring compared to a smaller tree ring?
2. What type of tree is more reliable?

Luminescence Dating

1. How far back can luminescence dating go compared to radiocarbon dating?

Archeological Dating Methods

1. How does Stratigraphy dating work?
2. What is Typological dating operate?
3. What does “BP” mean?
4. What is Obsidian dating? How far can this dating method be accurate?
5. What material example could be dated using Archaeomagnetic Dating?

Biostratigraphy dating

Potassium-argon dating

Potassium-argon dating

1. What is the half-life of uranium discussed?
2. The more lead

1. Write a 300 to 500 word essay describing your feelings and thoughts about what you learn from Russell M. Nelson about the tie between science and religion. Come prepared to discuss your thoughts in class.