Meteorites, which are the very components of our planets (through the process of accretion), are the remnants of the Solar Systems origins. Dating meteorites thus allows us to give a lower age to the Solar System (4,56 billion years old).

Why is it important to learn about meteorites?

Meteorites are rocks, but they are not like Earth rocks. The study of meteorites has helped us understand the beginnings of our solar system, how planets and asteroids formed and how impacts of large meteorites have altered Earths history and life on our planet.

What is the importance of dating rocks?

Dynamic Earth - Dating rocks. Gaining estimates of ages of rocks is crucial for establishing not only the history of geological events but also for determining the rates of geological processes. It is possible to establish the relative order of events in some rocks.

Why dont we find a lot of impact craters on Earth?

Why does the Moon have so many craters while Earth has so few? On Earth, impact craters are harder to recognize because of weathering and erosion of its surface. The Moon lacks water, an atmosphere, and tectonic activity, three forces that erode Earths surface and erase all but the most recent impacts.

How many meteors hit Earth every year?

500 meteorites It is estimated that probably 500 meteorites reach the surface of the Earth each year, but less than 10 are recovered. This is because most fall into the ocean, land in remote areas of the Earth, land in places that are not easily accessible, or are just not seen to fall (fall during the day).

What is the biggest crater on Earth?

The Yilan Crater is the largest meteorite impact crater on Earth in 100,000 years, reported Xinhua News Agency.

Does the Moon have water?

NASA recently announced that - for the first time - weve confirmed the water molecule, H2O, in sunlit areas of the Moon. This indicates that water is widely distributed across the lunar surface.

Is there a limit to radiocarbon dating?

Because C-14 dating uses the decay rate of Carbon 14 as its measure (more on this later), this gives upper and lower limits to the dating method. If the sample is too young, not enough decay has occurred. This means that the upper limit of C-14 dating is currently around 50,000 years ago.