Is it possible to date the Earth?

More than 70 meteorites that have fallen to Earth have had their ages calculated by radiometric dating. By using not only the rocks on Earth but also information gathered about the system that surrounds it, scientists have been able to place Earths age at approximately 4.54 billion years.

Is it possible that carbon dating is wrong?

The group theorizes that large errors in carbon dating result from fluctuations in the amount of carbon 14 in the air. Carbon dating is unreliable for objects older than about 30,000 years, but uranium-thorium dating may be possible for objects up to half a million years old, Dr. Zindler said.

How do they date the Earth?

The age of rocks is determined by radiometric dating, which looks at the proportion of two different isotopes in a sample. Radioactive isotopes break down in a predictable amount of time, enabling geologists to determine the age of a sample using equipment like this thermal ionization mass spectrometer.

How many years will the Earth live?

By that point, all life on the Earth will be extinct. The most probable fate of the planet is absorption by the Sun in about 7.5 billion years, after the star has entered the red giant phase and expanded beyond the planets current orbit.

What is the biggest problem with radioactive waste?

Affects on Nature: One of the biggest concerns that the world has with the disposal of nuclear waste is the affect the hazardous materials could have on animals and plant life. Although most of the time the waste is well sealed inside huge drums of steel and concrete, sometimes accidents can happen and leaks can occur.

Who discovered Earth?

Eratosthenes Eratosthenes then measured the angle of a shadow cast by a stick at noon on the summer solstice in Alexandria, and found it made an angle of about 7.2 degrees, or about 1/50 of a complete circle. He realized that if he knew the distance from Alexandria to Syene, he could easily calculate the circumference of Earth.

How accurate is radioactive dating?

Absolutely. It is an accurate way to date specific geologic events. This is an enormous branch of geochemistry called Geochronology. There are many radiometric clocks and when applied to appropriate materials, the dating can be very accurate.

What are the advantages of radioactive dating?

Advantages include the ability to date an object without destroying it, having many different techniques to choose from, and the ability to procure a relatively accurate age of objects that are hundreds of thousands, millions, or even billions of years old.

Is nuclear waste really a problem?

Nuclear waste is hazardous for tens of thousands of years. This clearly is unprecedented and poses a huge threat to our future generations. Most nuclear waste produced is hazardous, due to its radioactivity, for only a few tens of years and is routinely disposed of in near-surface disposal facilities (see above).

Is nuclear waste actually a problem?

Nuclear fuel remains dangerously radioactive for thousands of years after it is no longer useful in a commercial reactor. The resulting waste disposal problem has become a major challenge for policymakers.