isochroneanalyse

Isochrone analysis is a method used in various fields, most notably in geology and archaeology, to estimate the age of a geological formation or artifact. The fundamental principle involves using isotopes that decay at a known rate. Specifically, isochrone analysis relies on the concept of an isochrone line, which is a graphical representation of the relationship between the parent isotope and its stable daughter product in a suite of samples from the same origin. When these samples are plotted on a graph, with the parent isotope on one axis and the daughter product on the other, they will ideally fall along a straight line.

The slope of this isochrone line is directly proportional to the age of the samples, and the intercept provides information about the initial ratio of the daughter product present when the system closed. Common isotope pairs used in isochrone analysis include rubidium-strontium (Rb-Sr), samarium-neodymium (Sm-Nd), and uranium-lead (U-Pb). The accuracy of the age determination depends on several factors, including the assumption that the system remained closed (no loss or gain of parent or daughter isotopes) since its formation, and that the initial isotopic ratio was uniform across all samples. Isochrone analysis is a powerful tool for geochronology, providing reliable age constraints for rocks, minerals, and sometimes even archaeological materials.