Process / pipelineAbsolute age determination
Geochronological Dating
Geochronological dating is the determination of absolute ages of rocks and minerals using the decay of radioactive isotopes. Pioneered by Rutherford and Soddy (1902), this method provides numerical anchors for geological timescales and enables quantitative understanding of geological processes. Modern techniques (K-Ar, Rb-Sr, U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar) span from recent to ancient events and are essential for calibrating relative chronologies and assessing rates of geological change.
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Sources
- Dickin, A. P. (2005). Radiogenic Isotope Geology (2nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. DOI: 10.1017/CBO9780511614071 ↗
- Faure, G., & Mensing, T. M. (2005). Isotopes: Principles and Applications (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. link ↗
- McDougall, I., & Harrison, T. M. (1999). Geochronology and Thermochronology by the 40Ar/39Ar Method (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. link ↗