what steps are needed to be follow to determine a rock or a fossil age?
Answer Yes, there are several ways to date rocks. The first, and generally easiest, is to compare the rock to rocks above and below the in-place rock. Generally, sedimentary rocks below are older and rocks above are younger. This is called relative age dating. Also, igneous rocks can cut through existing rocks…the igneous rocks are therefore younger. Also, there is absolute age dating, where a precise age of the rock can be determined. This can be done by a number of methods, including Carbon (C14) isotope analysis, argon-argon dating, oxygen isotope analysis, potassium-argon dating, etc,etc. Each of these techinques have different error envelopes and each is better suited to specific rocks of specific ages. Another way is through Zircon grains. Some rocks containing zircon crystals, indicating that they are remnants of rocks long since eroded away, have been dated at 4.3 billion years making them the oldest geologic material found to date. I could go on and on, but I don’t want to b
