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Author Topic:   fossils and carbon dating
IrishRockhound
Member (Idle past 4458 days)
Posts: 569
From: Ireland
Joined: 05-19-2003


Message 27 of 30 (41104)
05-23-2003 12:30 PM
Reply to: Message 26 by MarkAustin
05-23-2003 6:52 AM


This is just a little bit extra in the interests of getting the whole story...
Creationists probably give out about radiometric dating being inaccurate because, if you're not careful in your initial studies, it can be. Rb/Sr dates tend not to be used as much these days because it's very easy for geological and environmental effects to distort the ratio; on the island of Mull (Scotland) they dated the volcanic rock using isotopes and the values were literally all over the place - this was due to hydrothermal alteration.
Neodynium isotope dating is considered to be more reliable, as well as radioactive isotopes like uranium - but knowing the conditions of the rock you're studying is just as important as the dates you eventually get, because there is a chance that something in the history of the rock messed them up.
The Rock Hound
------------------
"Science constantly poses questions, where religion can only shout about answers."

This message is a reply to:
 Message 26 by MarkAustin, posted 05-23-2003 6:52 AM MarkAustin has not replied

  
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