Toriumpäiväys

Toriumpäiväys, also known as thorium dating, is a radiometric dating method used to determine the age of materials containing thorium. This technique relies on the radioactive decay of thorium isotopes, primarily thorium-232, and its subsequent daughter products. Thorium-232 has a half-life of approximately 14 billion years, making it suitable for dating very old geological samples.

The process involves measuring the ratios of parent thorium isotopes to their stable or long-lived daughter isotopes within a sample. By understanding the decay rate and the measured ratios, scientists can calculate how much time has passed since the material formed or solidified. This method is particularly useful for dating ancient rocks, minerals, and sediments, as well as archaeological artifacts.

Thorium dating is often employed in conjunction with other radiometric dating techniques, such as uranium-lead dating, to cross-validate results and provide a more robust age determination. The accuracy of thorium dating depends on several factors, including the initial concentration of the parent isotope, the absence of any isotopic loss or gain after the sample formed, and the precision of the measurement instruments. Applications include understanding the formation of the Earth's crust, dating meteorites, and establishing timelines for early human history.