Senior High School
Earth and Life Science
Quarter 1 - Module 5
Deformation of the Crust and Rock
Dating
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What I Need To Know
This module is designed to deepen your knowledge about Deformation of the Crust and Rock
Dating.
The module is divided into two lessons, namely:
Lesson 1 – Plate Tectonics
Lesson 2 – Stratification and Rock Dating
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. explain how the movement of plates leads to the formation of folds and faults
(S11/12ES-Id-22);
2. describe how layers of rocks (stratified rocks) are formed (S11/12ES-Id-25); and
3. Describe the different methods (relative and absolute dating) to determine the age of
stratified rocks (S11/12ES-Id-25).
Lesson
Plate Tectonics
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What’s In
Plate Tectonics
The Earth’s crust is divided into plates, known as tectonic plates. Tectonic plates move due to
the convection currents in the Earth’s interior. The movement of the plates depends on the
boundaries between them. These boundaries can be convergent, divergent, or transform. These
plate movements cause rocks to be deformed due to tensional stress at divergent boundaries;
compressional stress at convergent boundaries or shear stress at transform boundaries.
Types of fault (Adapted from
[Link]
What’s New
Arrange the scrambled letters to form the correct term related to the topic based on the given
description. Write you answer on your answer sheet.
1. T U R N A C F E -
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- breaking of rocks
2. C I T A L N I N E
- a type of fault when blocks of rock are bent upwards
3. S E V E R E R
- A fault develops when compressional forces exist. Compression causes one block to be
pushed up and over the other block.
4. D O L F
- bending of rocks
5. M A R D I O N F E T O
- breaking or bending of rock when subjected to stress
What is It
Rock Deformation
When subjected to stress, rocks can deform by either breaking (fracture) or bending (fold).
A. Fracture
• Since the pressure and temperature are low at the Earth’s surface, rocks tend to break or
fracture when subjected to compressional and tensional stresses. The pressure exerted in the
blocks of rocks exceeds the rock's internal strength.
Types of Fault:
1. Dip-slip faults involve the vertical movement of the blocks of rock.
• A normal fault occur when tensional forces act in opposite directions and cause
one slab of the rock to be displaced up and the other slab down.
• A reverse fault develops when compressional forces exist. Compression causes
one block to be pushed up and over the other block.
2. Strike-slip fault involves a horizontal movement of blocks of rock and is caused
by shear stress.
(Adapted from [Link]
B. Fold
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Deep within the crust, where pressure and temperature are high, rocks are plastic-like; thus,
they do not break but they tend to bend or fold. When rocks in this area are compressed, they
become thicker. When rocks become thinner, they are pulled apart.
Types of Fold:
1. Anticline - When blocks of rock are bent upwards
2. Synclines - are formed when blocks of rock bend downwards.
3. Monocline - A slightly bent rock from the parallel undeformed layers
What’s More
Direction. Identify the following types of fault.
1._________________ 2. _________________ 3. __________________
What I Have Learned
TRUE OR FALSE: Write True, if the statement is correct and False, if the statement
is false. Write your answer on your answer sheet.
1. Tensional stress occurs at convergent boundaries.
2. The movements of tectonic plates cause rocks to be deformed due to tensional stress,
compressional stress and shear stress.
3. Compressional stress happens at transform boundaries.
4. Strike-slip fault involves a horizontal movement of blocks of rock and is caused by shear
stress.
5. Deep within the crust, bending or folding or rocks tend to happen because the pressure and
temperature are low.
What I Can Do
Answer the question briefly.
Philippine fault is an example of strike- slip fault or transform fault. When an earthquake occurs
on this fault, what are the directions of movement of the rock slabs?
3
Lesson
Stratification and Dating of Rocks
2
What’s In
Stratification is the process in which sedimentary rocks or sediments are arranged in layers.
These create the banding pattern visible in stratified rock. The rock layers is formed by erosion
and weathering of mountains and the particles is transported and deposited in the sedimentary
basin, then the sediment particles is cemented over hundreds of years to form layers. These
sediments are deposited horizontally by gravity.
What’s New
Direction. Select from the words on the box that corresponds to the given definition in each item.
Write you answer on your answer sheet.
Compaction beds
Sedimentary rocks gravity
Rock strata bedding plane
Stratification
1. Individual rock layers
2. The boundary between two sedimentary layers that represent separate depositional events
3. Several rock layers
4. Driving force of deposition process
5. The process in which sedimentary rocks or sediments are arranged in layers
What is It
Geologists tend to use the term “rock strata” when referring to many rock layers that appear
over large areas. The singular form “stratum” a Latin word that means spread out, can be used
for a single layer, but individual rock layers are called beds.
● Stratigraphic section- A sequence of sedimentary layers stacked one atop the other
Stratification occurs in most sedimentary rocks and in those igneous rocks formed at the Earth’s
surface, as from lava flows and volcanic fragmental deposits.
Bedding plane- is the boundary between two sedimentary layers that represent separate
depositional events.
Unconformity- indicates a gap in the section caused by removal of sediment from the top of
one layer before deposition of the overlying sediment. The surface where new rock layers meet
a much older rock surface beneath them.
Cross bedding- is characterized by a pattern of thin sediment layers that accumulated at an
angle to the main strata, often reflecting shifts of direction by waves along a coast, currents in
streams, or wind over sand dunes.
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Bedding plane (Adapted from
[Link] )
Methods of Dating Rocks:
1. Relative dating – these are events which is placed in a proper order of formation, sequence,
without knowing the absolute occurring date, it uses fossils which is the prehistoric remains that
in which preserved in a rock.
youngest
oldest
Sequence in relative dating
2. Absolute dating – a method of measuring the absolute age of an event of an object. In
determining the absolute age of rocks and fossils, scientist analyze isotopes of relative objects.
What’s More
Direction. Refer to the picture below to answer the questions.
1. Which layer is older between B
and C?
2. Which layer is youngest?
3. Which layer is oldest?
What I Have Learned
Direction. Fill in the missing process on stratification of rocks.
• Deposition
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• Compaction & Cementation
• Erosion
• Weathering
What I Can Do
Differentiate relative and absolute dating.
Assessment
Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of paper.
1. The following are plate boundaries, EXCEPT______.
A. convergent B. divergent C. insurgent D. transform
2. It refers to the bending of rock
A. fold B. fault C. crack D. flat
3. What rock deformation happens when rock breaks due to stress?
A. spread B. fold C. fracture D. melt
4. Which type of fold that will form when blocks of rock bend downwards?
A. monocline B. anticline C. syncline D. dip-slip
5. What happen to rocks in areas that are compressed?
A. become smaller B. become thicker
C. become thinner D. become smoother
6. Which of the following causes rock deformation?
A. high moisture and pressure B. low moisture and pressure
C. high pressure and temperature D. no pressure and temperature
7. It is the process in which sedimentary rocks or sediments are arranged in layers. A.
stratification B. deformation
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C. compaction D. deposition
8. The boundary between two sedimentary layers that represent separate depositional events is
called_________.
A. unconformity B. bedding plane
C. rock strata D. cross bedding
9. Which of the following is NOT a process in the formation of the rock layers?
A. deposition B. weathering C. erosion D. shaping
10. It indicates a gap in the section caused by removal of sediment from the top of one layer
before deposition of the overlying sediment.
A. cross bedding B. bedding plane
C. unconformity D. stratigraphic section
References
TG for SHS Earth & Life Science, CHED and PNU,
pp. 102-107;
Quipper School (2016), Retrieved: June 14, 2020 from
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
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