Seismic Stratigraphy and Geochronometry
Stratigraphy is a geological subdiscipline that refers to geological and archaeological layers that make up an archaeological deposit.
Stratigraphy Science
William “Strata” Smith was one of the earliest practitioners of stratigraphy in geology. He noticed that layers of fossil-bearing stone seen in road cuts and quarries were stacked in the same way in different parts of England. It wasn’t used as a consistent technique until around the turn of the XIX century. Then the technique has been refined, and tools such as the Harris Matrix assist in picking out the sometimes quite complicated and delicate deposits.
The major areas of stratigraphy include seismic, biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, geochronometry, and magnetostratigraphy. The most basic type of stratigraphy is lithostratigraphy, which is simply the study and description of rock layers. Earth scientists working in the area of lithostratigraphy identify various types of layers, which include formations, members, beds, groups, and supergroups. The best places for exploration are Saudi Arabia, Grand Canyon, Arizona.
Biostratigraphy
Biostratigraphy involves the study of fossilized plants and animals to establish dates for and correlate relations between stratigraphic layers. Scientists in this field identify categories of biostratigraphic units, the most basic being a biozone. Magnetostratigraphy is based on the investigation of geomagnetism and the reversals in Earth’s magnetic field that have occurred over time.
Chronostratigraphy
Chronostratigraphy is devoted to studying the ages of rocks and what they reveal about geologic time, or the vast stretch of history (approximately 4.6 billion years) over which Earth’s geologic development has occurred. It is concerned primarily with relative dating, whereas geochronometry includes the determination of absolute dates and time intervals. Typically this calls for the use of radiometric dating.