Claim CD002:
Radiometric dating falsely assumes that initial conditions are known, that
none of the daughter components are in the mineral initially.
Source:
Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Green Forest, AR: Master
Books, p. 139.
Response:
- Isochron methods do not assume that the initial parent or daughter
concentrations are known.
In basic radiometric dating, a parent isotope (call it P) decays to a
daughter isotope (D) at a predictable rate. The age can be calculated
from the ratio daughter isotope to parent isotope in a sample.
However, this assumes that we know how much of the daughter isotope
was in the sample initially. (It also assumes that neither isotope
entered or left the sample.)
With isochron dating, we also measure a different isotope of the same
element as the daughter (call it D2), and we take
measurements of several different minerals that formed at the same time
from the same pool of materials. Instead of assuming a known amount of
daughter isotope, we only assume that D/D2 is initially
the same in all of the samples. Plotting P/D2 on the x
axis and D/D2 on the y axis for several different samples
gives a line that is initially horizontal. Over time, as P decays to
D, the line remains straight, but its slope increases. The age of the
sample can be calculated from the slope, and the initial concentration
of the daughter element D is given by where the line meets the y
axis.
If D/D2 is not initially the same in all samples, the
data points tend to scatter on the isochron diagram, rather than
falling on a straight line.
- For some radiometric dating techniques, the assumed initial conditions
are reasonable. For example:
- K-Ar (potassium-argon) dating assumes that minerals form with
no argon in them. Since argon is an inert gas, it will usually be
excluded from forming crystals. This assumption can be tested by
looking for argon in low-potassium minerals (such as quartz), which
would not contain substantial argon daughter products.
40Ar/39Ar dating and K-Ar isochron dating can
also identify the presence of initial excess argon.
- The concordia method is used on minerals, mostly zircon, that reject
lead as they crystalize.
- Radiocarbon dating is based on the relative abundance of carbon-14
in the atmosphere when a plant or animal lived. This varies
somewhat, but calibration with other techniques (such as
dendrochronology) allows the variations to be corrected.
- Fission-track dating assumes that newly solidified minerals will not
have fission tracks in them.
Links:
Stassen, Chris, 1998. Isochron dating.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/isochron-dating.html
Further Reading:
Dalrymple, G. Brent, 1991. The Age of the Earth. Stanford: Stanford
University Press.
created 2003-4-19, modified 2004-9-3