Dating Rocks

How Can A Geology Professor Believe That The Earth Is Young? Supplemental Reading A. Radiometric dating—find a process with a known rate (potato parable) involves assumptions which must be accepted:

1. Assumption 1: Constant decay rate through history 2. Assumption 2: The system is closed to the environment (nothing has happened in the process to add to or to take away from the amount of each isotope) 3. Assumption 3: Known concentrations at the start 4. Assumption 4: The earth is old 5. Assumption 5: Creation is not a possible option Long Age Isotope Decay Sequences Radiometric Dating And The Bible: A Historical Review Supplemental Reading Can Radioisotope Dating Be Trusted? Supplemental Reading Radiometric Dating Using Isochrons Supplemental Reading Consequences Of Time Dependent Nuclear Decay Indices On Half Lives

B. Problems with the assumptions

1. The process is not totally isolated from the environment a. Uranium can be converted by water percolation b. Leaching and biological activities can add and remove isotopes 2. Assumed concentrations have been demonstrated to be wrong— Some igneous rocks from recent volcanoes have both radioisotope samples and give wrong age

C. Other problems with radiometric dating

1. In the Grand Canyon, igneous rocks from top layer (volcano reported by Indians) dated older than igneous rocks from the bottom 2. Different dating procedures (U/Pb vs. Rb/Sr) result in drastically different ages Anomalous "Ages" Myths Regarding Radiocarbon Dating Doesn't Carbon Dating Prove the Earth Is Old? Supplemental Reading