( ( As ( scientists ( recognized ( that ( ( layers ( of rock ) ) ( had ( been ( deposited ( in ( ( sequence , ) ( one ( on ( top ( of another ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ( , ( they ( ( derived ( ( ( the ( law superposition ) ) , ) ( which ( says ( that ( ( in ( ( ( ( ( any sequence ) ( of strata ) ) , ) ( ( not later ) disturbed ) ) , ) ) ( ( ( the order ) ( ( in which ) ( they ( were deposited ) ) ) ) ( ( is ( from bottom ) ) ( to top ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) . ) ) ) )
(ROOT (S (SBAR (IN As) (S (NP (NNS scientists)) (VP (VBD recognized) (SBAR (IN that) (S (NP (NP (NNS layers)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN rock)))) (VP (VBD had) (VP (VBN been) (VP (VBN deposited) (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (NN sequence)) (, ,) (NP (NP (CD one)) (PP (IN on) (NP (NP (NN top)) (PP (IN of) (NP (DT another)))))))))))))))) (, ,) (NP (PRP they)) (VP (VBD derived) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN law) (NN superposition)) (, ,) (SBAR (WHNP (WDT which)) (S (VP (VBZ says) (SBAR (IN that) (S (PP (IN in) (NP (NP (DT any) (NN sequence)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN strata))) (, ,) (VP (ADVP (RB not) (RB later)) (VBN disturbed)) (, ,))) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN order)) (SBAR (WHPP (IN in) (WHNP (WDT which))) (S (NP (PRP they)) (VP (VBD were) (ADJP (JJ deposited)))))) (VP (VBZ is) (PP (IN from) (NP (NN bottom))) (S (VP (TO to) (VP (VB top)))))))))))) (. .)))
As scientists recognized that layers of rock had been deposited in sequence, one on top of another, they derived the law superposition, which says that in any sequence of strata, not later disturbed, the order in which they were deposited is from bottom to top.
(ROOT (S (S (NP (NP (JJ Deeper) (NNS layers)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN rock)))) (VP (MD must) (VP (VB be) (ADJP (ADJP (JJR older)) (PP (IN than) (NP (NNS layers)))) (ADVP (RBR closer) (PP (TO to) (NP (DT the) (NN surface))))))) (, ,) (NP (DT this)) (VP (VBZ is) (NP (NP (DT the) (NN law)) (PP (IN of) (NP (NN superposition))))) (. .)))