Sedimentary rocks cannot be used to determine dates on the geologic time scale because the numerical age
A)is the time that the rocks were exposed at the surface.
B)retains too much error associated with diagenesis.
C)is the age of the igneous rocks that make up the sediment.
D)is reset when the sediments are buried and cemented.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sedimentary rocks can only provide relative ages, based on the layers of sediment deposited on top of one another. The numerical age of the sedimentary rocks can only be determined if they are interbedded with volcanic ash or lava flows, or if they contain fossils that can be dated using radiometric techniques. The numerical age of the igneous rocks that make up the sediment can be used to determine the age of the sedimentary rocks they intruded, but this does not apply to all sedimentary rocks.

Sedimentary Rocks Cannot Be Used to Determine Dates on the Geologic