How old is this world, Earth?

Question

age of earth ...

Answer 1

Modern geologists, based on extensive and detailed scientific evidence, consider the age of the Earth to be around 4.567 billion years (4.567×109 years). This age represents a compromise between the oldest-known terrestrial minerals – small crystals of zircon from the Jack Hills of Western Australia – and astronomers' and planetologists' determinations of the age of the solar system based in part on radiometric age dating of meteorite material and lunar samples.

The radiometric age dating evidence from the zircons further confirms that the Earth is at least 4.404 billion years old. Comparing the mass and luminosity of the Sun to the multitudes of other stars, it appears that the solar system cannot be much older than those rocks. Ca-Al-rich inclusions (inclusions rich in calcium and aluminium) – the oldest known solid constituents within meteorites which are formed within the solar system – are 4.567 billion years old, giving an age for the solar system and an upper limit for the age of the Earth. It is assumed that the accretion of the Earth began soon after the formation of the Ca-Al-rich inclusions and the meteorites. Since the accretion time of the Earth is not exactly known yet, and the predictions from different accretion models vary between several millions up to about 100 million years, the exact age of the Earth is difficult to define.

In the centuries preceding the scientific revolution, the age of the Earth was determined from the accounts of creation by religious authority. Today some religious groups continue to accept only theological accounts regarding the age of the earth, rejecting scientific evidence which contradicts their beliefs.

Answer 2

Most folk parrot that it is 4.6 billion years old, yet the main method for supporting this claim is demonstrably flawed.
Radiometric dating dated rock from a recent volcano (tens of years old) as millions of years old!.

Radiometric dating relies on some unprovable assumptions: 1. that you know the original amounts of parent and daughter & isotopes; 2 that the decay rate from parent to daughter has remained constant, 3. that no leaching or contamination has occured.

When rock is dated and has the 'wrong' date then the assumptions are changed to make it fit with the 'expected' age.

Most dating methods indicate a young earth:
Decay of magnetic field.
The dispersion of helium
the existence of comets
the amount of salt in the sea
the amount of dozens of other minerals in the sea
length of human history
etc
etc

Perhaps the parrots have not examined the evidence?

It is worth bearing in mind that all methods of dating the earth or universe are base on unprovable assumptions. If one or two methods suggest vast age, but dozens of other independent methods suggest a young age, then that tells its own story.

The idea of vast age was only suggested, post Darwin, in order to support the idea of evolution. The idea being that given enough time anything can happen (which is false).
At the time most scientists opposed the idea of an old earth. Many still do when they look at all the evidence.

Answer 3

It's 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 say that only took 6000 years to form?

Answer 4

How old is the Earth?
The current best estimate for the age of the Earth-Moon-meteorite system is 4.51 to 4.55 billion years, with a confidence of 1% or better.

Answer 5

Widely accepted scientific evidence indicates that the Earth was formed around 4.57 billion years ago.

Answer 6

7

Answer 7

If you believe a literal account of Genesis, the Earth is between 6,000 and 8,000 years old.

Answer 8

The earth is 4.56 billion yrs old

Answer 9

4.5 billion and 2 years, i know exactly because i watched discovery a couple years ago and it said 4.5 billion years

Answer 10

older than people, but younger than God... or maybe this is all a dream? Take the red pill please.

(p.s. some others might say 4.5 billion years, but I bet they weren't actually there ;)