Because of the short length of the carbon-14 half-life, carbon dating is only accurate for items that are thousands to tens of thousands of years old. Most rocks of interest are much older than this.

Why is radiocarbon dating using carbon-14 rarely applied geological work?

Why is radiocarbon dating only rarely applied in geological work? The half-life of carbon-14 is so short that it can only be used to date materials that are less than 70,000 years old.

How is the half-life of a radioactive parent isotope defined?

The half-life of a radioactive isotope: -is the time it takes for one half of the atoms of. the original unstable parent isotope to. decay to atoms of a new, more stable, daughter isotope.

What is the oldest geologic unit?

The oldest geologic units in the study area are the Precambrian crystalline (metamorphic and igneous) rocks (fig. 2), which form a basement under the Paleo- zoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic rocks and sediments.

What is the age of Layer 7 relative to Layer 3?

Based on the figure, what is the age of Layer 7 relative to Layer 3? Layer 7 is younger than Layer 3. superposition.

What is the process called when a radioactive isotope breaks down into a stable isotope?

The breakdown of a radioactive isotope into a stable isotope of the same element or another element is called radioactive decay.