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  • Granite and Limestone: Determining Rock Age in Geological Formations
    The limestone is younger than the granite.

    Here's why:

    * Intrusive igneous rocks: Granite is an intrusive igneous rock, meaning it forms when molten rock (magma) cools and solidifies beneath the Earth's surface.

    * Cross-cutting relationships: A fundamental principle in geology is that an intrusive rock is *always* younger than the rock it intrudes into. This is called the principle of cross-cutting relationships.

    * Sequence of events: The limestone must have already been deposited and solidified before the magma could intrude into it.

    Think of it like this: The limestone is a pre-existing layer of rock. The magma that forms the granite then pushes its way through the limestone, solidifying and creating the intrusive body.

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