The following activity will show you the way in which geologists try to match rock layers from one location with those of a nearby area in order to compare their ages. The process of matching similar materials is known as correlation. The placing of rock layers into a single column is called relative dating. We know the oldest rocks must have been laid down first even though we can not tell in number of years just how old the rocks are. Fossils are records of the past and provide scientist with a fairly accurate dating method.
Correlation is a useful tool in the exploration and production of our natural resources.
The examples that you will work with today are simple representations of field data. Since we are unable to physically inspect an outcrop, we will use the data to correlate rock or fossil beds from one location to another. Geologists working in the field are faced with far more complex interpretations to solve than these selections. Draw lines connecting the matching layers. In Kansas, the Department of Health and Environment require oil companies and water well drillers to keep a log of each well they drill and turn it into the state.