The Age of the Earth (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Explore how scientists estimate the true age of the Earth using different clues—from ocean chemistry to rocks and cooling models. This book surveys several methods, weighing their assumptions and the order of magnitude they suggest for geological time.

From the early ideas of Leibnitz to modern discussions of radioactivity and sodium accumulation, it lays out the questions geologists face when trying to date the planet. It compares three main approaches—age from rock layers, denudation of continents, and the cooling history of the globe—with note of each method’s strengths and uncertainties. The work also revisits Halley’s classical idea about the ocean’s salinity and its potential to reveal very old ages, framed against more recent data and reasoning.

• Understand how different lines of evidence point toward very large timescales for Earth’s history


• See how chemical denudation and sodium accumulation are used to infer age


• Learn how models of refrigeration and cooling influence age estimates


• Compare: stratigraphy, chemistry, and thermal history in one integrated view

Ideal for readers of geology and earth science who want a clear, method-by-method look at how scientists estimate the Earth's age.

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