How Do Scientists Know The Age Of Earth?

How Do Scientists Know The Age of Earth?

Scientists have a theory that there was a huge explosion that happened nearly six billion years ago called the Big Band Theory. This caused particles speeding through space. These particles got pulled by a gravitatoinal force. The little particles got pulled to larger chunks which formed galaxies and solar systems.

Earth is 4.54 billion years old. Scientists measure Earth's age by four different methods. These methods are called Geologic Column, Radiation Measurment, Stratigraphic Superposition, and the Fossil Record. The most common used is the Geologic Column.

The Geologic Column represents what scientists think was taking place during each time period. The Geologic Column illustrates Earth's development over time.

The Fossil Record has shown that the distribution of fossils are not random. It shows the animals, insects, and plant life that were alive in earlier years.

Stratigraphic Superposition

The Fossil Record

Begining of Earth

Methods

Radiation Measurment

Geologic Column

The Radiation Method was discovered by Henry Becquerel in 1896. This has been a very useful tool in dating events and important prehistory of man reaching back to about 50,000 years ago.

Stratigraphic Superposition is a branch of geology which studies rock layers. Rock layers have revealed so much about Earth. Scientists can learn from fossil remains of fish and other species of aquatic life forms. How did under water life forms get on rocks above water? Erosion, folding, and faulting have occured lifting up aquatic species fossils that now is land.