Which statement reflects the principle of cross-cutting relationships?

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Multiple Choice

Which statement reflects the principle of cross-cutting relationships?

Explanation:
Cross-cutting relationships tell us that a feature that cuts through other rocks must be younger than the rocks it disrupts. When a fault displaces existing layers, or magma intrudes and then solidifies, those cutting features must form after the rocks they cut or intrude. So stating that faults and igneous intrusions are the youngest captures this idea most directly: they occur after the surrounding rocks, recording later events in the geologic history. The essence is that the cutter is younger than what it cuts, and that’s exactly what calling faults and intrusions the youngest expresses.

Cross-cutting relationships tell us that a feature that cuts through other rocks must be younger than the rocks it disrupts. When a fault displaces existing layers, or magma intrudes and then solidifies, those cutting features must form after the rocks they cut or intrude. So stating that faults and igneous intrusions are the youngest captures this idea most directly: they occur after the surrounding rocks, recording later events in the geologic history. The essence is that the cutter is younger than what it cuts, and that’s exactly what calling faults and intrusions the youngest expresses.

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