Methods for Estimating the Age of the Earth

Fossils and evolution

Rates of deposition of sediments
Cooling of the Earth from a molten state
Radiometric Dating

Radiometric Dating of Rocks

1896-1898

Radioactivity discovered by:

Henri Becquerel and

Marie and Pierre Curie.

 Phenomenon of Radioactivity

Some elements, such as uranium

(U) and thorium (Th), are unstable:

They decay spontaneously.

 Age of the Earth

Geologic Time
Scale

 The Atom

 NaCl
1
8 2 7 8 2

11protons 17protons

Na = silvery metal
Cl = poisonous gas

NaCl = Salt

Examples of Atomic Numbers

Element NumberofProtons
Na 11
Cl 17
C 6
N 7
O 8
Fe 26
U 92

 Phenomenon of Radioactivity

Some elements, such as uranium

(U) and thorium (Th), are unstable:

They decay spontaneously.

 Uranium Nucleus

spontaneously emits a particle from its

nucleus called an alpha particle (2 protons +
2 neutrons).

 Alpha Particle

emits a particle from its nucleus called

an alpha particle (2 protons + 2 neutrons).

 Uranium - Thorium Decay

spontaneous
U He + Th
238 4 234

92 decay 2 90

parent daughter product

alpha particle = Thorium:

2 protons + 2 neutrons = 90 protons +
positively charged ion of 144 neutrons
Helium

 Beta Particle Emission

But, Th is also unstable, and it emits a

234
90
beta particle

 Thorium - Protactinium Decay

beta
Th + Pa
234 234

90 particle 91

beta particle = an
electron discharged from Protactinium:
the nucleus when a 91 protons +
neutron splits into a 143 neutrons
proton and an electron

 Title

beta particle =
an electron
discharged from
the nucleus when
a neutron splits
into a proton and
an electron

 U Pb
Series

This process is
called radioactive
decay, and
eventually
uranium (parent)
decays to lead
(daughter
product).

 U Pb
Series

The rate at
which this
process occurs
is measured in
terms of the
half life.

 Half Life

Half Life = Number of years for 1/2 of the

original number of atoms to decay from U to Pb

The phenomenon of radioactivity
relates to our story about the age
of the Earth in two ways:

(1) As radioactive elements decay in

the Earth, they heat up the
surrounding rocks.

(2) Radiometric Dating

As radioactive elements decay in the Earth, they heat up
the surrounding rocks.

So, there is a source of heat inside the Earth that Kelvin

didn't know about.

Thus: While the Earth was cooling off, it was also being
heated up (due to radioactive decay in its interior), and
the Earth took much longer to cool than Kelvin thought.

 Radiometric Dating

Assume: Rate of decay (half life) of long-lived

elements has not varied since the Earth was formed.

This is an example of uniformitarianism.

The Principle of Uniformitarianism

The physical, chemical and biological laws that operate

today have also operated in the geologic past.

To estimate the age of a rock:

D = amount of daughter product.

P = amount of parent.

For a particular radioactive element in a rock,

determine the present ratio = D/P.

 Rate of decay (from theory and measurement)

Make assumptions about original ratios (from theory of

geochemistry).

D
D

As time passes, the amount of parent decreases, and the

amount of daughter product increases. This provides a way
of estimating the amount of time since the "clock" got
started (i.e., since the rock solidified).

 Title

Potassium - Argon Dating

 Electron Capture

 Title

Electron
Capture

 Potassium - Argon Dating
K/Ar clock begins when K bearing minerals crystallize
in a rock.
The new minerals will contain K40, but will not contain
Ar40 (because Ar40 does not combine with other
elements).

As time passes: Uniformitarianism

K40 Ar40 (half-life = 1.3 billion years)

K40/Ar40 ratio can be measured to determine age

 Potassium - Argon Dating
K40/Ar40 ratio can be measured to determine age.

K40 Ar40 (half-life = 1.3 billion years)

K40/Ar40 > 1 less than 1.3 billion years old

K40/Ar40 = 1 1.3 billion years old
K40/Ar40 < 1 more than 1.3 billion years old

Half-Lives of Radioactive Isotpes

Examples of Very Old Rocks Found on Earth:

3.4 billion year old granites - South Africa.

3.7 billion year old granites - Greenland.

Oldest terrestrial rocks > 3.8 billion years.

Oldest terrestrial rocks (4.0 billion years?) are deep in

the interiors of continents.

Oldest terrestrial rocks (4.0 billion years?) are deep in
the interiors of continents.

But, rocks on the Earth have been weathered,
metamorphosed and recycled through a very
dynamic planet.

Thus, the Earth's earliest rocks have been

recycled, and we need to look beyond Earth to
find evidence of when the Earth solidified.

 Plate Tectonics

Rock
Cycle

Mountain
Building
and
Erosion

Oldest terrestrial rocks (4.0 billion years?) are deep in
the interiors of continents.

Similar Rock Structures

The Earth's earliest rocks have been weathered,
metamorphosed and recycled through a very
dynamic planet.

We need to look beyond Earth to find evidence of

when the Earth solidified.