How old is the Earth?

Discussion in 'Earth Science' started by Saint, Feb 23, 2020.

  1. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    How do scientists measure the age of the Earth?
    How accurate is that answer?
     
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  3. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    Look it up, you dolt. You can find the answer in 30 secs on Wikipedia.
     
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  5. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    anyone seen ophiolite (john galt) lately?
     
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  7. foghorn Valued Senior Member

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    There's something about Saint's posts, that reminds me of the following:
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51595285
     
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  8. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Machines are taking jobs from honest trolls.
     
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  9. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    What an interesting possibility.

    But then, how would that account for all the other damnfool questions?
     
  10. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    1. Radioactive decay.
    2. Stratigraphic superposition (i.e. looking at geological layers in rocks and considering the deposition time).
    3. The fossil record.

    It's accurate to within about 1%, or 45 million years.
     
  11. Michael 345 New year. PRESENT is 72 years oldl Valued Senior Member

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    Wait until they start accusing each other of being Political Incorrect

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  12. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    They check to see how many candles are on its birthday cake.
    99.9999997431183689938 pounds accurate.
     
  13. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    I know my own age within 24 hours, if the government records are to be believed - and what is reality when compared to government records?

    I know my age within 1 hour, if my mother can be believed (she was there) and if my memory of what she said many years ago can be trusted (it can't).

    The age of the earth is not known with quite the same precision but it can be reproduced.
     
  14. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    half life of carbon-14 can determine earth's life?
     
  15. origin Heading towards oblivion Valued Senior Member

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    Of course not! This has been explained to you already.
     
  16. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    Perhaps?
    Knowing the age of the oldest rock found on earth gives us knowledge of that rock, and not necessarily of the earth?
     
  17. C C Consular Corps - "the backbone of diplomacy" Valued Senior Member

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    Resurfacing processes removed the oldest, mundane rock deposits. But obstinate minerals like zircons have been radiometric dated up to 4.4 billion years old. The Moon's landscape is more pristine in terms of erosion and tectonic effects, so even common rock samples brought back by Apollo missions have measured 4.4 to 4.5 billion years. (Such is relevant because it is theorized that the Moon was created by the ejecta from a primordial collision between Earth and another large body, as the material gravitationally coalesced again.)

    Interpretative claims about biological material residing in super-ancient zircon crystals have been made. If valid, that would have life present on Earth within less than a few hundred million years after the planet formed.

    A recent study challenges the previous George W. Wetherill calculation that it took circa a hundred million years for the Earth to fully form. The new research reduces it to around five million years.
     
  18. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    AFAIK, Theia is the name of the large body that had a (near) head-on collision with earth and sheared a large chunk from the earth that coalesced into the moon. Other hypothesized effect was the stabilization of the earth rotation and the introduction of water . IOW, Theia was one of the causal events responsible for the appearance of life on earth.

    Collision Between Theia And Earth Brought Water To Our Planet
    https://www.medicaldaily.com/collision-between-theia-and-earth-brought-water-our-planet-435570
     
  19. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    THEIA was the Titan goddess of sight (thea) and the shining ether of the bright, blue sky (aithre). ... Theia bore the Titan Hyperion three shining children--Helios the Sun, Eos the Dawn, and Selene the Moon.
    ...........
    So
    The earth existed before the collision
    ?
     
  20. Write4U Valued Senior Member

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    Yes, the Earth must have existed before joining with Theia. Apparently she died giving birth to the Moon (Luna?).
     
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  21. James R Just this guy, you know? Staff Member

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    Not carbon-14, but other longer-lived radioactive isotopes can certainly be used.
     
  22. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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  23. Saint Valued Senior Member

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    But I did read that they trace human skulls with carbon 14 and claim the prehistoric humans existed hundreds thousand years ago.
     

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