Across
- 2. The process by which sediment is laid down or added to existing rock layers, often occurring as a result of erosion, transportation, and settling.
- 4. A geological period approximately 358.9 to 298.9 million years ago, known for its extensive coal deposits and the development of early land plants and forests.
- 5. Fossilized evidence of organismal activity, such as footprints, burrows, or feces.
- 6. The accumulation of differences between closely related populations or species, leading to the formation of new species.
- 7. A depression or low-lying area where sediment accumulates over time, eventually forming sedimentary rock layers.
- 8. Concentric circles visible in the cross-section of a tree trunk or branch, representing one year of growth.
- 11. A characteristic or trait that increases an organism's chances of survival and reproduction in a given environment.
- 13. Fossils that show intermediate forms between two different species, providing evidence for evolutionary transitions.
- 14. The arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence, often established through the analysis of tree rings or other methods.
- 16. Periods of geological time characterized by the presence of large ice sheets and lower global temperatures.
- 19. A sedimentary structure in which particles within a bed of sediment are sorted by size, with larger particles at the bottom and finer particles at the top, indicating deposition from a sediment-laden current.
- 20. The process by which glaciers shrink in size and volume due to melting or sublimation.
- 21. The technique of matching and aligning patterns of tree rings from different trees to establish accurate chronologies.
- 22. Unsorted sediment deposited directly by a glacier as it melts, consisting of a mixture of rock fragments, sand, and clay.
Down
- 1. The current geological epoch, beginning approximately 11,700 years ago after the last major ice age.
- 3. A rapid diversification of life forms that occurred at the beginning of the cambrian period, resulting in the emergence of most major animal phyla.
- 9. Subdivisions of geological time within a period, characterized by distinctive features such as climate or biological evolution.
- 10. A surface of erosion or non-deposition that separates older rock layers from younger ones, indicating a gap in the geological record.
- 12. Movements of the Earth's lithospheric plates that result in changes to the Earth's surface, such as the formation of mountain ranges or ocean basins.
- 15. The scientific study of tree rings to determine past climate conditions, dating of archaeological and geological artifacts, and understanding forest ecology.
- 17. The formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution.
- 18. The remains of plants and animals that lived for a limited period.