Geochronology Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
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2 Dating methods 3 Radiometric dating 4 Incremental dating 5 References |
Introduction
Geochronology is the science of determining the age of rocks, fossils, and sediments. A variety of dating methods are used by geologists to achieve this.
Dating methods
Radiometric dating
By measuring the rate of radiocative decay of a radioactive isotope with a known half-life, geologists can establish the absolute age of the parent material. A number of radioactive isotopes are used for this purpose, and depending on the rate of decay, are used for dating different geological periods.
- Radiocarbon dating. This technique measures the decay of Carbon-14 in organic material (e.g. plant macrofossils).
- Uranium-series dating. This technique is used to date speleothems, corals, carbonates, and fossil bones.
- Potassium-argon dating and argon-argon dating. These techniques are used to date igneous and volcanic rocks. They are also used to date volcanic ash layers within or overlying paleoanthropologic sites.
- Fission track dating
- Cosmogenic isotope dating
Incremental dating
Incremental dating techniques allow the construction of year-by-year annual chronologies, which can be fixed (i.e. linked to the present day and thus calendar or sidereal time) or floating.
- Dendrochronology.
- Ice cores.
- Lichenometry.
- Paleomagnetic dating
- Varves.
References
Lowe, J.J., and Walker, M.J.C. (1997), Reconstructing Quaternary Environments (2nd edition). Longman publishing ISBN 0582101662Smart, P.L., and Frances, P.D. (1991), Quaternary dating methods - a user's guide. Quternary Research Associaiton Technical Guide No.4 ISBN 0907780033
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