Before the advent of radioactive dating methods, varves (annual deposits of sediments) and dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) provided the most accurate means of absolute dating. Today, however, radiocarbon is the single most useful dating method.Before the advent of radioactive dating methods, varves (annual deposits of sediments) and dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis) provided the most accurate means of absolute dating

Which method of dating rocks provides exact dates?

radiometric dating methods To establish the age of a rock or a fossil, researchers use some type of clock to determine the date it was formed. Geologists commonly use radiometric dating methods, based on the natural radioactive decay of certain elements such as potassium and carbon, as reliable clocks to date ancient events.