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Absolute and Relative Ages

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Synonyms

Absolute age dating; Geochronology; Numerical ages of rocks; Radiometric dating; Relative age dating; Relative ages of rocks

Definition

In geochronology, the “absolute age” of a rock is the age obtained from the measurement of the spontaneous decay of radioactive nuclides contained in the rock, or its constituent minerals, into their radiogenic daughter isotopes. It differs from the “relative age” of a rock, which is determined from spatial relations between rock formations (stratigraphy), giving only qualitative information on the period when the rock formed.

History

Relative dating of rocks is a method known since the foundation of the principles of stratigraphy by Nicolas Steno (1638–1686), a Danish scientist and Catholic Bishop who was a pioneer in both anatomy and geology. In his major contribution to geology – Dissertationis prodromusof 1669 – Steno is credited with three of the five defining principles of stratigraphy, the Earth science’ discipline which studies the...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geotop, Research Centre for the Dynamics of the Earth System, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Daniele L. Pinti

Authors
  1. Daniele L. Pinti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniele L. Pinti .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical-, Environm., Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, WASHINGTON, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Centre Francois Viète, Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Pinti, D.L. (2022). Absolute and Relative Ages. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5155-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5155-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Absolute and Relative Ages
    Published:
    07 December 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5155-2

  2. Original

    Absolute and Relative Ages
    Published:
    22 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5155-1

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