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potassium-argon dating |
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potassium-argon datingMethod for determining the age of igneous rocks based on the amount of argon-40 in the rock. Radioactive potassium-40 decays to argon-40 with a half-life of about 1.3 billion years, making this method useful for dating rocks that are billions of years old. A more sophisticated method, called argon-argon dating, provides a more accurate estimate of the original potassium-40 content by means of the ratio of argon-40 to argon-39 in the rock, thus yielding a more accurate age determination. See also dating. potassium-argon dating [pə′tas·ē·əm ′är‚gän ′dād·iŋ] (geology) Dating of archeological, geological, or organic specimens by measuring the amount of argon accumulated in the matrix rock through decay of radioactive potassium. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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