“How old is it?” is one of the first questions you’ll probably ask when you see an interesting rock or fossil. It’s certainly one of the first things that a geologist wants to know. As you’ll discover, finding the answer could involve you in topics as varied as investigating rock layers above or below the sea, studying fossils and their evolution or using radioactive elements as geological clocks.
Dating methods
Much of the time it is enough to know what is called a ‘relative’ date. Relative dating places a rock somewhere in a time sequence – one rock is older than some rocks, younger than others – but this does not tell you the actual number of years ago that the rock was formed. However, scientists often need to know actual dates of geological events so they can study landscape and environmental change.
Methods of ‘absolute’ dating provide dates, in numbers of years, for some types of rock. Geologists know, for example, that the Jurassic period lasted from about 251 to 145.5 million years ago. However, these dates sometimes change, as geologists continually work to refine them. Many geologists find it more convenient to refer to period names rather than actual dates. After all, it’s easier to call a movie Jurassic Park than Between About 251 and 145.5 Million Years Ago Park.
The dating method a geologist chooses depends on several things. Sometimes only relative dating is possible, as the rocks being studied do not contain material suitable for absolute dating. Most absolute dating methods measure radioactive elements in some way, so can only be used on rocks that contain these elements.
Our collection of resources on dating the past includes New Zealand research that uses a variety of dating approaches, covering different time spans:
- The construction of geological timescales involves relative and absolute dating. Date range involved: up to 4.6 billion years ago.
- The dating a dinosaur and other fossils from Hawke’s Bay uses relative dating and matching the fossils with those from other places that have been accurately dated. Date range involved: 90 to 65 million years ago.
- Near Whanganui, layers of rock record cycles of climate change over millions of years. The relative order of events has been worked out, and absolute dates have been determined for points through the sequence. Date range involved: the last 5 million years.
- In a South Island peat bog, detailed dates have been obtained for vegetation changes during the last two ice ages. Absolute dating methods were chosen to suit the material available. Date range involved: the last 150,000 years.
Our resources provide numerous opportunities for exploring the nature of science. Geologists’ ideas of how New Zealand has developed over time can change as new data is collected. For example, detailed studies of fossils and developments in dating techniques mean that dates on the New Zealand geological timescale are continually being refined. In another example, investigations of rocks near Whanganui have helped to change global models of past cycles of climate change.
Other aspects of the nature of science include the role of discovery in science, choosing the most suitable method for an investigation and the use and understanding of ‘big numbers’. Students also encounter units of geological time that do not have standard lengths, in contrast to more familiar scientific units. Students also have the opportunity to communicate their ideas about science in classroom activities and to use the Science Learning Hub as a research tool.
Nature of science
The word ‘absolute’ is a bit confusing when used for dating methods. Absolute dating does not give an exact, single year for a geological event. Any date has an error associated with it. For example, the end of the Cretaceous period may be written 65.0 ± 0.3 million years ago.
Take up the challenge
Help your students understand more about fossils, timescales, big numbers and/or dating methods with one of these activities below:
- Fossil correlation – students date fossils from one site by matching them to fossils already dated somewhere else, using real data from Mangahouanga, made famous by paleontologist Joan Wiffen.
- Build a timescale – develop a timescale for a person’s life. The techniques of relative and absolute dating are similar to those used in the construction of a geological timescale.
- Big numbers in science – investigate the use of big numbers, such as millions and billions, and they encounter ways to understand what these big numbers mean.
- Which dating method? – learn to recognise some of the different relative and absolute dating methods.
- Rock layers and relative dating – observe rocks layer located near Whanganui, watch an animation about how they were formed and use relative dating to work out the order in which the rocks were created in the interactive Relative rock layers.
- Absolute dating rock layers – an interactive that asks students to choose the best absolute dating method for each layer of rock in a cliff, based on material present in each rock. Note that as Flash Adobe is no longer used, only the transcript for this interactive is currently available, we are looking into replacing this.
Use this Connected article to investigate why it took 10 years to correctly identify the remains of an ancient giant parrot – Squawkzilla.
Question bank
The Dating the past – question bank provides an initial list of questions about measuring the age of rocks and fossils and places where their answers can be found. The questions support an inquiry approach.
Key terms
For explanations of key concepts, see Dating the past – key terms.
Timeline
Explore the timeline to find out about developments in how geologists discover the ages of rocks and fossils.
