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Which is likely to give the oldest radiometric age date?

Option 1: quartz
Option 2: granite
Option 3: zircon
Option 4: metamorphic rock

User Jinjinov
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Zircon is likely to give the oldest radiometric age date, especially based on the evidence from the Jack Hills zircons in Australia, which are almost 4.4 billion years old.

Step-by-step explanation:

Among the options listed, zircon is likely to give the oldest radiometric age date. This is demonstrated by the fact that the oldest known rocks on Earth are the Jack Hills zircons from Australia, which have been dated to be almost 4.4 billion years old through uranium-lead dating. Zircons are robust in retaining their isotopic system and can therefore yield very old ages without showing signs of resetting even if the rocks they reside in have been subjected to metamorphism or alteration.

Other minerals like hornblende in metamorphic rock can give the age of metamorphism rather than the age of formation. Granite, as an igneous rock, can provide a date for when it crystallized, but this may not necessarily be the oldest date compared to zircons. While quartz is a common mineral found in many rocks, it is less commonly used for radiometric dating, as it lacks suitable isotopic systems for this purpose.

User TomekK
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