Isochrons Remove Much Uncertainty from Radiometric Dating

Using the ratios of isotopes which arise from radioactive decay with those which do not, and are therefore unchanged, permits the forming of isochron lines. Using multiple minerals with different uranium concentrations from a given rock allows one to construct a whole-rock isochron.

Moon Rock Isochron

Lead-Lead Isochron

Index

References

Rubidium-Strontium Isochron from Apollo-17 Moon Rock

The rubidium-strontium whole-rock isochron method was used to date moon rocks. One particular sample from Apollo-17 gave the following whole-rock isochron.

Index

References

Lead-Lead Isochrons

The fact that the natural radioactive series of uranium end in lead plus the existence of the non-radiogenic ²⁰⁴Pb isotope makes possible the formation of Pb-Pb isochrons.

After Patterson, 1956

Index

References