Geometry.Net - Science: Radiometric Dating

Geologic Time: Radiometric Time Scale
radiometric dating methods are the strongest direct evidence that geologists have for the age of the Earth.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/geotime/radiometric.html

Extractions: The discovery of the natural radioactive decay of uranium in 1896 by Henry Becquerel, the French physicist, opened new vistas in science. In 1905, the British physicist Lord Rutherfordafter defining the structure of the atom made the first clear suggestion for using radioactivity as a tool for measuring geologic time directly; shortly thereafter, in 1907, Professor B. B. Boltwood, radiochemist of Yale Uniyersity, published a list of geologic ages based on radioactivity. Although Boltwood's ages have since been revised, they did show correctly that the duration of geologic time would be measured in terms of hundreds-to-thousands of millions of years. A technician of the U.S. Geological Survey uses a mass spectrometer to determine the proportions of neodymium isotopes contained in a sample of igneous rock. The next 40 years was a period of expanding research on the nature and behavior of atoms, leading to the development of nuclear fission and fusion as energy sources. A byproduct of this atomic research has been the development and continuing refinement of the various methods and techniques used to measure the age of Earth materials. Precise dating has been accomplished since 1950. A chemical element consists of atoms with a specific number of protons in their nuclei but different atomic weights owing to variations in the number of neutrons. Atoms of the same element with differing atomic weights are called isotopes. Radioactive decay is a spontaneous process in which an isotope (the parent) loses particles from its nucleus to form an isotope of a new element (the daughter). The rate of decay is conveniently expressed in terms of an isotope's half-life, or the time it takes for one-half of a particular radioactive isotope in a sample to decay. Most radioactive isotopes have rapid rates of decay (that is, short half-lives) and lose their radioactivity within a few days or years. Some isotopes, however, decay slowly, and several of these are used as geologic clocks. The parent isotopes and corresponding daughter products most commonly used to determine the ages of ancient rocks are listed below:
Radiometric Dating
Educational materials on the topic.Category Science Earth Sciences Geochronology radiometric datingradiometric dating. How do we determine the age of a rock? Relative dating Steno's Laws, etc. radiometric dating. Principles of radiometric dating.
http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~pgore/geology/geo102/radio.htm

Extractions: Quantify the date in years. Radiometric Dating Naturally-occurring radioactive materials break down into other materials at known rates. This is known as radioactive decay Radioactive parent elements decay to stable daughter elements. Radioactivity was discovered in 1896 by Henri Becquerel. In 1905, Rutherford and Boltwood used the principle of radioactive decay to measure the age of rocks and minerals (using Uranium decaying to produce Helium. In 1907, Boltwood dated a sample of urnanite based on uranium/lead ratios. Amazingly, this was all done before isotopes were known, and before the decay rates were known accurately. The invention of the MASS SPECTROMETER after World War I (post-1918) led to the discovery of more than 200 isotopes. Many radioactive elemtns can be used as geologic clocks. Each radioactive element decays at its own nearly constant rate. Once this rate is known, geologists can estimate the length of time over which decay has been occurring by measuring the amount of radioactive parent element and the amount of stable daughter elements Examples: In the above table, note that the number is the
Radiometric Dating
radiometric datingthe process of determining the age of rocks from the decay of their radioactive elementshas been
http://asa.calvin.edu/ASA/resources/Wiens.html

Extractions: RWiens@Prodigy.Net [A PDF version of this document is also available.] First edition 1994; revised version 2002. Radiometric datingthe process of determining the age of rocks from the decay of their radioactive elementshas been in widespread use for over half a century. There are over forty such techniques, each using a different radioactive element or a different way of measuring them. It has become increasingly clear that these radiometric dating techniques agree with each other and as a whole, present a coherent picture in which the Earth was created a very long time ago. Further evidence comes from the complete agreement between radiometric dates and other dating methods such as counting tree rings or glacier ice core layers. Many Christians have been led to distrust radiometric dating and are completely unaware of the great number of laboratory measurements that have shown these methods to be consistent. Many are also unaware that Bible-believing Christians are among those actively involved in radiometric dating. This paper describes in relatively simple terms how a number of the dating techniques work, how accurately the half-lives of the radioactive elements and the rock dates themselves are known, and how dates are checked with one another. In the process the paper refutes a number of misconceptions prevalent among Christians today. This paper is available on the web via the American Scientific Affiliation and related sites to promote greater understanding and wisdom on this issue, particularly within the Christian community.
A Radiometric Dating Resource List
Large annotated directory of internet resources on radiocarbon and other radioactive dating methods, Category Science Earth Sciences Geochronology radiometric datingA radiometric dating Resource List updated links checked, 16 April2002. The real Toast? Reliability of radiometric dating. Are
http://www.tim-thompson.com/radiometric.html

Extractions: A Radiometric Dating Resource List The real heart of the age-of-the-earth debate (if "debate" is the right word) is always radiometric dating. There are lots of ways to guesstimate ages, and geologists knew the earth was old a long time ago (and I might add that they were mostly Christian creationist geologists). But they didn't know how old . Radiometric dating actually allows the measurement of absolute ages, and so it is deadly to the argument that the earth cannot be more than 10,000 years old. Radiometric methods measure the time elapsed since the particular radiometric clock was reset. Radiocarbon dating, which is probably best known in the general public, works only on things that were once alive and are now dead. It measures the time elapsed since death, but is limited in scale to no more than about 50,000 years ago. Other methods, such as Uranium/Lead, Potassium/Argon, Argon/Argon and others, are able to measure much longer time periods, and are not restricted to things that were once alive. Generally applied to igneous rocks (those of volcanic origin), they measure the time since the molten rock solidified. If that happens to be longer than 10,000 years, then the idea of a young-Earth is called into question. If that happens to be billions of years, then the young-Earth is in big trouble. Priscoan (4.00-4.03 Ga) orthogneisses from northwestern Canada
Radiometric Dating And The Geological Time Scale
This document discusses the way radiometric dating and stratigraphic principlesare used to establish the conventional geological time scale.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dating.html

Extractions: his document discusses the way radiometric dating and stratigraphic principles are used to establish the conventional geological time scale. It is not about the theory behind radiometric dating methods, it is about their application , and it therefore assumes the reader has some familiarity with the technique already (refer to "Other Sources" for more information). As an example of how they are used, radiometric dates from geologically simple, fossiliferous Cretaceous rocks in western North America are compared to the geological time scale. To get to that point, there is also a historical discussion and description of non-radiometric dating methods. The example used here contrasts sharply with the way conventional scientific dating methods are characterized by some critics (for example, refer to discussion in "
The Radiometric Dating Game
The radiometric dating Game (Some updates to this article are now available. The sections on the branching ratio and dating meteorites need updating.) The radiometric dating Game. How radiometric dating works in general
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/ce/dating.html

Extractions: The sections on the branching ratio and dating meteorites need updating.) However, this causes a problem for those who believe based on the Bible that life has only existed on the earth for a few thousand years, since fossils are found in rocks that are dated to be over 500 million years old by radiometric methods, and some fossils are found in rocks that are dated to be billions of years old. If these dates are correct, this calls the Biblical account of a recent creation of life into question. After study and discussion of this question, I now believe that the claimed accuracy of radiometric dating methods is a result of a great misunderstanding of the data, and that the various methods hardly ever agree with each other, and often do not agree with the assumed ages of the rocks in which they are found. I believe that there is a great need for this information to be made known, so I am making this article available in the hopes that it will enlighten others who are considering these questions. Even the creationist accounts that I have read do not adequately treat these issues. At the start, let me clarify that my main concern is not the age of the earth, the moon, or the solar system, but rather the age of life, that is, how long has life existed on earth. Many dating methods seem to give about the same ages on meteorites. Thus radiometric dating methods appear to give evidence that the earth and meteorites are old, if one accepts the fact that decay rates have been constant. However, there may be other explanations for this apparent age. Perhaps the earth was made from older pre-existing matter, or perhaps decay rates were briefly faster for some reason. When one considers the power of God, one sees that any such conclusions are to some extent tentative. For some evidence for a young universe, see
Radiometric Dating Methods Q&A
Defending the Christian faith beginning with Genesis AiG Worldwide Creation Education Prayer Good News About Us Psalm 119160 Thy word is true from the beginning radiometric dating Questions and Answers Q A Topics Q A Index page
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/faq/dating.asp

Extractions: Defending the Christian faith beginning with Genesis AiG Worldwide Creation Education Prayer Good News ... About Us Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Alien/UFOs Apologetics Archaeology Arguments NOT to use Bible Cloning Countering the Critics Creation Compromises Creation: Why It Matters Darwin, Charles Design Features Dinosaurs Education Embryonic Recapitulation Environmentalism Flood Fossils Geocentrism Genesis Genetics Geology God History Human Life: Abortion Ice Age Information Theory Jesus Christ Linguistics Mammoths Morality and Ethics Mutations Natural Selection Origin of Life Philosophy Plate Tectonics Probabilities Racism Radiometric Dating Religion (humanism, etc.) Speciation Thermodynamics and Order Young Age Evidence Recommended Resources Answers Book (Semi-technical) Fingerprints of Creation (video) God at Ground Zero In the Minds of Men Does Carbon Dating Disprove the Bible? (booklet) ... Mythology of Modern Dating Methods (Technical) Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth (Technical) The Young Earth Radiocarbon, Creation, and the Flood (video)
More Bad News For Radiometric Dating
More Bad News for radiometric dating Most scientists today believe that life has existed on the earth for billions of years. This belief in long ages for the earth and the existence of life is derived largely from radiometric dating.
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~plaisted/ce/dating2.html

Extractions: Most scientists today believe that life has existed on the earth for billions of years. This belief in long ages for the earth and the existence of life is derived largely from radiometric dating. These long time periods are computed by measuring the ratio of daughter to parent substance in a rock and inferring an age based on this ratio. This age is computed under the assumption that the parent substance (say, uranium) gradually decays to the daughter substance (say, lead), so the higher the ratio of lead to uranium, the older the rock must be. Of course, there are many problems with such dating methods, such as parent or daughter substances entering or leaving the rock, as well as daughter product being present at the beginning. Here I want to concentrate on another source of error, namely, processes that take place within magma chambers. To me it has been a real eye opener to see all the processes that are taking place and their potential influence on radiometric dating. Radiometric dating is largely done on rock that has formed from solidified lava. Lava (properly called magma before it erupts) fills large underground chambers called magma chambers. Most people are not aware of the many processes that take place in lava before it erupts and as it solidifies, processes that can have a tremendous influence on daughter to parent ratios. Such processes can cause the daughter product to be enriched relative to the parent, which would make the rock look older, or cause the parent to be enriched relative to the daughter, which would make the rock look younger. This calls the whole radiometric dating scheme into serious question.
Nuclear Physics Past, Present And Future
Information and links on nuclear physics, nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, other nuclear applications (including diagnostic imaging, radiometric dating), and related issues. Impressive site developed and maintained by high school students.
http://tqd.advanced.org/3471/
Luminescence Radiometric Dating
Luminescence radiometric dating. Luminescence is a phenomenon exhibitedby many crystals, such as diamond, quartz, feldspars and calcite.
http://www.tim-thompson.com/luminescence.html
Geochronology Laboratories, University Of Vienna, Austria
Uses radiometric dating and classical geochronological methods to constrain the timing of geological processes, primarily in the Eastern Alps, the Carpathian Pannonian region and adjoining area, and the Bohemian Massif. Includes descriptions of several isotopic techniques.
http://www.univie.ac.at/geochron/
A Radiometric Dating Resource List
A radiometric dating Resource List. updated links checked, 16 April 2002
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/8851/radiometric.html
Leibniz-Labor
This laboratory at the University of Kiel provides radiometric dating and studies the use of stable and radioactive isotopes for archaeometry, palaeoclimate research and as tracers in environmental studies.
http://www.uni-kiel.de/leibniz/indexe.htm
Isochron Dating
Generic radiometric dating. The In short, radiometric dating methods givereliable results most of the time, but not always. With
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/isochron-dating.html
IN BRIEF: A Summary Of The Technical Article 'Radiometric Dating And The Age Of
IN BRIEF A Summary of the Technical Article 'radiometric dating and theAge of the Earth' (page 4144 in this issue). by Ralph Matthews, Ph.D.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/docs/v5n1_brief.asp

Extractions: SUBSCRIBE to the full-color CREATION family magazine TODAY! Before 1955, it was popular to believe the age of the earth was only 3 billion years. During 1955 an evolutionary scientist by the name of Patterson claimed the age of the earth to be the same as that of meteorites. These he dated at 4.5 billion years. He believed that the meteorites were left-over remains of material dating from the time of formation of the earth and other planets. The value of 4.5 billion years for the age of the earth is now the popular belief used by most evolutionary scientists. This is accepted in spite of the 1972 research by a scientist named Gale , showing that Patterson's beliefs about where the lead in meteorites came from, was provably wrong. Gale showed that there was simply too much lead in meteorites to claim that it formed from uranium. Much of the lead had originally been in the meteorite. Therefore, despite the claims in school books, university lectures, and in the media, meteorites and the earth are not 'proven' to be 4.5 billion years old.
Radiometric Dating
radiometric dating A questionable method for establishing the old age of rocks.The unreliable basis for the Geologic Time Scale of earth. radiometric dating.
http://www.radiometric-dating.com/
Radiometric Dating & Does God Exist?
radiometric dating. is Very Unreliable, Does God Exist? Home About Us Join Us Support Us Copyright © 2002 RadiometricDating.com, All Rights Reserved.
http://www.radiometric-dating.com/Does-God-Exist.htm
- Radiometric Dating Game -
Evolutionists claim radiometric dating supports their claims of a multimillion-yearhistory of macro-evolution. They're lying. The radiometric dating Game.
http://www.trueorigin.org/dating.asp

Extractions: Home Feedback Related Links Further Reading David Plaisted Dr. Plaisted responds to comments and criticisms of this article here However, this causes a problem for those who believe based on the Bible that life has only existed on the earth for a few thousand years, since fossils are found in rocks that are dated to be over 500 million years old by radiometric methods, and some fossils are found in rocks that are dated to be billions of years old. If these dates are correct, this calls the Biblical account of a recent creation of life into question. After study and discussion of this question, I now believe that the claimed accuracy of radiometric dating methods is a result of a great misunderstanding of the data, and that the various methods hardly ever agree with each other, and often do not agree with the assumed ages of the rocks in which they are found. I believe that there is a great need for this information to be made known, so I am making this article available in the hopes that it will enlighten others who are considering these questions. Even the creationist accounts that I have read do not adequately treat these issues. At the start, let me clarify that my main concern is not the age of the earth, the moon, or the solar system, but rather the age of life, that is, how long has life existed on earth. Many dating methods seem to give about the same ages on meteorites. Thus radiometric dating methods appear to give evidence that the earth and meteorites are old, if one accepts the fact that decay rates have been constant. However, there may be other explanations for this apparent age. Perhaps the earth was made from older pre-existing matter, or perhaps decay rates were briefly faster for some reason. When one considers the power of God, one sees that any such conclusions are to some extent tentative. For some evidence for a young universe, see
Assumptions Of Radiometric Dating
Assumptions of radiometric dating. ICR IMPACT ARTICLES radiometric dating Study UnderwayExcess Argon Skews KAr Dating Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth.
http://www.rae.org/radiodat.html

Extractions: Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth I don't claim to be an expert in radiometric dating, and I cannot go into any depth, but I will attempt to give you a few answers to your questions. If you want to study what creationists say about radiometric dating, I recommend three books, The Mythology of Modern Dating Methods and Studies in Flood Geology , both by John Woodmorappe and Creation's Tiny Mystery by Robert Gentry. John Woodmorappe's books are advertised elsewhere on my web site. These books contain an exhaustive study of radiometric dates that do not fit the results evolutionists expect. There is also an exhaustive ongoing study of this subject called the RATE (Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth) Group, a team of six scientists who are investigating the subject in depth, and have published the first of several studies. There are several methods of radiometric dating. Carbon-14 dating has limited value for evolution because its half-life is too short. The method assumes that the production of Carbon-14 in the atmosphere from nitrogen is a process that is in equilibrium, and it is not.
TWD -- Radiometric Dating
An Essay on radiometric dating. By Jonathon Woolf. radiometric dating methods arethe strongest direct evidence that geologists have for the age of the Earth.
http://my.erinet.com/~jwoolf/rad_dat.html

Extractions: Radiometric dating methods are the strongest direct evidence that geologists have for the age of the Earth. All these methods point to Earth being very, very old several billions of years old. Young-Earth creationists that is, creationists who believe that Earth is no more than 10,000 years old are fond of attacking radiometric dating methods as being full of inaccuracies and riddled with sources of error. When I first became interested in the creation-evolution debate, in late 1994, I looked around for sources that clearly and simply explained what radiometric dating is and why young-Earth creationists are driven to discredit it. I found several good sources, but none that seemed both complete enough to stand alone and simple enough for a nongeologist to understand them. Thus this essay, which is my attempt at producing such a source. Contents: I. Theory of radiometric dating What is radiometric dating? Simply stated, radiometric dating is a way of determining the age of a sample of material using the decay rates of radio-active nuclides to provide a 'clock.' It relies on three basic rules, plus a couple of critical assumptions. The rules are the same in all cases; the assumptions are different for each method. To explain those rules, I'll need to talk about some basic atomic physics.

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