2006-09-16 12:04:54 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Earth's age is based on several things:
1) dating meteorites. When we find a meteorite from this solar system that has a similar composition to earth, you get many young ages, but the oldest and most common date to 4.6 Ga (billion years).
2) isotope trends. When you look at certain radiogenic isotope ratios that change with time, like Rb/Sr or U/Pb, you find that many rocks with differnt ratios of many ages form a line, and the line traces back to an origin of 4.6 Ga as well.
The oldest life is 3 1/2 Ga, the oldest rock is about 4 Ga, and the oldest date ever found is on the highly durable mineral Zircon from Australia, it's date is 4.2 Ga. So, there is no direct method, it is based on inferences. However, many different inferences lead to the same number 4.559 Ga (to be specific).
You would have to throw out everything we know and love about Geology to accept a young earth view. When you look at the Grand Canyon, how can you believe that only took 6000 years to form?
There is no belief to it: this is scientific FACT!
2006-09-16 12:33:57 · answer #1 · answered by QFL 24-7 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
It is a joke to say the earth is only 6000 years old, as some religions believe I cannot add anything to QFL 24-7 's very succinct answer,But 250 years ago no one would have believed you.( in fact it would have been considered heresy ) We have learnt an incredible amount about our earth in the past 2 centuries.
2006-09-17 01:24:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
6 billion earth and a little over 6 thousand people
2006-09-16 19:42:49 · answer #3 · answered by dude_port 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The Earth, a planet in the solar system, is 4.6 billion years old.
2006-09-16 21:29:24 · answer #4 · answered by carolcoach64 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
6 million years old
2006-09-16 19:06:49 · answer #5 · answered by Zoe 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Neither is right. The earth 4.6 billion years old.
2006-09-16 19:07:04 · answer #6 · answered by Califrich 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's definitely a lot older than 6000 years.
There's so many things archiologists have found that are proven to be older than that.
2006-09-16 19:20:54 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
6,000 yrs. old, if earth was 6 million yrs old wouldn't u think life would be easier in every aspect of life? I am a creationist.
2006-09-16 19:15:00 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
6 million. Think about it if Dinosaurs were born wat was born before them ? The earth has been here for more than a million years, more like A BILLION MILLION TRILLION years,
2006-09-16 19:12:35 · answer #9 · answered by Teya 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Don't know and don't care, since we will never know. I have noticed that the same dummies who tell us one species changed into another species are the ones who tell us it's billions of years old. That fact alone is pretty solid evidence they don't know what they are talking about.
2006-09-16 19:24:24 · answer #10 · answered by retiredslashescaped1 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋