Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and its Cosmic Surroundings

Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and its Cosmic Surroundings

by G. Brent Dalrymple
Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and its Cosmic Surroundings

Ancient Earth, Ancient Skies: The Age of Earth and its Cosmic Surroundings

by G. Brent Dalrymple

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Overview

How old is Earth? How old are the planets, the Moon, meteorites, stars, and the Universe itself? How do scientists know these things? If you’ve ever asked yourself some or all of these questions, then this book is for you.

Planet Earth and the other bodies of the Solar System are 4.5 billion years old. They reside in a galaxy (the Milky Way Galaxy) that is 12-14 billion years old, and are part of a universe that is 13-15 billion years old. G. Brent Dalrymple, a geologist and widely recognized expert on the age of Earth, reviews the evidence that has led scientists to these conclusions and describes the methods by which this evidence has been gathered.

The book is written in a highly accessible style, free of mathematics and complex graphs, and is intended for non-scientists who have an interest in the subject. People with scientific backgrounds who wish to have a thorough summary of the subject will also find the book useful.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780804749336
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Publication date: 06/08/2004
Edition description: 1
Pages: 264
Sales rank: 814,076
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

G. Brent Dalrymple is Professor Emeritus and the former Dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University.

Table of Contents

Prefacevii
About the Authorxi
1Sleuthing the Past1
2The Birth of the Universe, the Galaxy, the Solar System, and Earth14
3Early Attempts24
4Clocks in Rocks: How Radiometric Dating Works54
5Earth's Most Ancient Rocks82
6Moon Rocks: Samples from Our Nearest Neighbor103
7Meteorites: Ancient Wanderers of the Solar System130
8Lead Isotopes: Hourglass of the Solar System156
9The Formation History of Earth and Meteorites: Sorting Out the Details178
10The Ages of the Universe, the Galaxy, and the Elements188
11Summing Up and Looking Ahead205
Recommended Reading215
References216
Glossary221
Index239
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