The Concept of Deep Time
The Concept of Deep Time is a Grade 7 science skill from Amplify Science California, Chapter 3: Investigating the Rate of Plate Movement. Students learn that geologic time, or deep time, is the vast scale of hundreds of millions of years over which small plate movements of 2 centimeters per year accumulate to thousands of kilometers of displacement, making the theory of plate tectonics mathematically possible.
Key Concepts
To understand how slow moving plates can rearrange the entire world, one must understand geologic time . A movement of 2 centimeters a year seems insignificant in a human lifetime.
However, over hundreds of millions of years—a scale known as deep time —these small movements add up to thousands of kilometers. Deep time is the essential context that makes the theory of plate tectonics mathematically possible.
Common Questions
What is deep time in geology?
Deep time refers to the vast geological time scale spanning hundreds of millions of years. It is the essential context that makes slow geological processes like plate movement add up to large-scale changes.
How does deep time make plate tectonics possible?
Plates move only about 2 centimeters per year, which seems insignificant. But over hundreds of millions of years of deep time, these small movements add up to thousands of kilometers of displacement.
Why is the concept of deep time hard for people to grasp?
Humans experience time on a scale of decades, making it difficult to comprehend hundreds of millions of years. Deep time is so vast it requires a fundamentally different way of thinking about scale.
What textbook covers deep time for Grade 7?
This topic is covered in Amplify Science California, Grade 7, Chapter 3: Investigating the Rate of Plate Movement.