Final answer:
Uranium Series (Absolute Dating) entails using the radioactive decay of isotopes such as uranium-238 to date geological samples, with a particular focus on minerals like zircon, allowing scientists to age materials up to several billion years old.
Step-by-step explanation:
Uranium Series (Absolute Dating)
The Uranium Series, or U-Pb geochronology, is an absolute dating method used to determine the age of rocks and minerals. It relies on the radioactive decay of isotopes such as uranium (238U) and thorium, eventually reaching a stable isotope of lead (206Pb). The ratio of remaining uranium to lead in a sample indicates the amount of time that has passed since the rock solidified. U-Pb geochronology is an essential method for estimating ages, especially using minerals such as zircon, yielding ages between 4,500 million years ago (Ma) to as recent as 5 Ma.
Absolute dating techniques like this are pivotal in geology and paleontology, as they utilize the known and stable decay rates of radioactive isotopes. For uranium-238, this method can date materials that are several billion years old due to its long half-life of 4.5 × 109 years. Modern estimates suggest that the oldest rocks on Earth solidified about 3.5 × 109 years ago, a dating confirmed by consistent geological evidence and the precise measurement of radioactive decay called activity.