Activity Summary: Students will be able to explain the origin of sediments due to erosion and sediment transport from terrestrial to marine environments, AND analyze data on radioactive decay in zircon to assess the age of turbidite-forming events.

This lesson has students use or observe models to understand turbidite formation. Students then analyze data from cores and sediment taken from a seafloor sediment fan to determine the mineral content and age of turbidite events within the fan. Before conducting this lesson, students should be familiar with minerals, radioactive decay and half-life as used to date rocks and minerals, and erosion.

This lesson has been revised and updated based on From the Mountains to the Ocean.