What can rocks tell us about Earth's history?

Rocks tell us a great deal about the Earth's history. Igneous rocks tell of past volcanic episodes and can also be used to age-date certain periods in the past. Sedimentary rocks often record past depositional environments (e.g deep ocean, shallow shelf, fluvial) and usually contain the most fossils from past ages. Metamorphic rocks tells us about plate tectonic movements and how the continents were shoved together and pulled apart. Meteorites from space are among the oldest rocks in the solar system and tells us the age and formation of the early Earth.

Through the study of rock layers (stratigraphy), fossil evidence, mineral composition, and isotopic dating methods, scientists can reconstruct the Earth's past climate, tectonic activity, and biological evolution over millions to billions of years. Rocks can tell us about Earth's history by providing information about past geological events, environmental conditions, and the evolution of life.