How old is Earth?

Interesting report. In geology, the Earth's age is not based upon radiometric ages of rocks from Earth and the report shows this. The Earth's age is a model age, integrated with astronomical objects like lunar rocks and meteorite ages obtained. Some items not covered in this article. Exposure ages of meteorites compared to their radiometric ages used. These can be billions of years younger for the meteorites. Why not publish both ages found, side by side in the age dating? Lunar rock dating places the Moon very close to the Earth, this is part of the giant impact model today too. The Moon could be inside 5 earth radii compared to the present mean near 60.3 earth radii distance from our planet. The lunar period is very short, < 1 day period. The Earth's length of day is very dynamic, changing too along with the rotation speed of the Sun and the solar energy output, the Faint Young Sun problem. All of these astronomical changes can affect the geologic time scale in use today, not just radiometric years calculated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Catastrophe
I note that the age accepted here is 4.54E+9 years old +/- 50E+6. However, the article makes it clear the oldest dated rocks are 4.03E+9 years old and zircon crystals said to be 4.3E+9 years old. That leaves about 240 million years unexplained and not dated. Much wiggle room here in astronomical calculations in the solar system that could alter the time scale in use. A question. Is the 4.54E+9 years old age for the Earth, a proto-earth age model? Using the oldest dated rocks on Earth as 4.03E+9 years old, extrapolating linearly the Moon's present recession rate, the Moon could be near 36 earth radii distance with a lunar month < 13 days. The Earth's length-of-day (LOD) is very different too, spinning faster with a much shorter LOD than present. The Sun is spinning much faster than present and the Faint Young Sun is shining now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Catastrophe

Catastrophe

"Science begets knowledge, opinion ignorance.
Rod, is there any point is asking "what are the missing rocks?", as well as where? Any chance they were involved in plate tectonics? Could they have been buried, considering the amount of material constantly arriving from space? I do understand that there are areas which have not been subject to plate tectonics.

Cat :)

P.S. We could also be looking for some pretty rare samples?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rod
Cat, in your post #4 question, yes there is a point here. I have always wanted to see a proto-earth rock on display in the museum :) The model age for the Earth promoted since Clair Patterson, clearly has more work needed in my opinion :) The space.com article stated about meteorite dating, "More than 70 meteorites that have fallen to Earth have had their ages calculated by radiometric dating. The oldest of these are between 4.4 billion and 4.5 billion years old."

I would like to see these 70+ accepted meteorites presented with all their radiometric ages found, including isochrons that perhaps were discarded. This includes their cosmic ray exposure ages, I think such clocks will be vastly younger ages based upon various meteorite reports I read. Other reports I read suggest there are more than 60,000 meteorites now in the inventory. Publish the age claims showing warts and all here :) That includes 70 meteorites that likely needed to complete one billion or more revolutions around the Sun using the heliocentric solar system model. Oh, and the Grand Canyon, I know there are various isochrons found using different parent-daughter elements that have a wide range of age values obtained from the same strata layers. Good investigative reporting requires full disclosure in my view.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Catastrophe
The age of the Earth can only be done by knowing what came before.
Assuming our Solar System originated by a Supernova cycle from our Sun, than we can date meteorites and take an average date, we also assume that our Solar System has gone through a Nebulae collecting other matter.

From dating meteorites we are looking at about 7 Billion years.
From looking at Metamorphic Sedimentary Rocks 4.4 Billion years
Life oldest about 4,3 billion
Time for the Earth to cool 2 billion years estimate,
Age of the Earth between 6.4 and 7 Billion years.

Lucky I have a time Inverter that allows me to go back in time.
Lucy had one, i have to return it.
 

Latest posts