Relative Dating Principles 1: Lower strata are older than those lying on top of them. Principle of Superposition: In an otherwise undisturbed sequence of sedimentary strata, or rock layers, the layers on the bottom are the oldest and layers above them are younger.

How do the basic principles of relative dating differ from one another?

Relative dating cannot establish absolute age, but it can establish whether one rock is older or younger than another. Relative dating requires an extensive knowledge of stratigraphic succession, a fancy term for the way rock strata are built up and changed by geologic processes.