2007-01-13 06:35:02 · 9 answers · asked by TeganMc 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
Drilling samples are taken from the oceans' floors and various radiometric dating methods can determine the sample's age.
2007-01-13 06:39:24 · answer #1 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Actually, yes. There are some magnetic properties in the rock on the bottom of the ocean. Right now, all magnets point north. But in years to come, the poles will actually reverse, making them point south. Meanwhile, volcanoes that are churning newly made "magnetic" rock onto the ocean floor, have the rock's metals going north or south each pole reversal. So scientists can figure out how old it is by which way the metals are facing.
2007-01-13 06:48:23 · answer #2 · answered by The Great Walrus 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Also, that depends on your world outlook as far as Science is concerned.
Do you subscribe to: Evolution, Big Bang, Intelligent Design, Creationism and I'm quite sure that there are a few more Ideas on the age of our planet out there.
If you are a Secular Humanist---be living in evolution then billions of years would be appropriate. Giving way to the facts (measurables) like dust which increases with every generation of more and more people being hatched, decay of living aquatic zoologics (fish, amphibians, Mammals, protozoa) and Plants.
On the other hand, If you believe in a younger Earth.
Then, Maybe the Biblical account has merit. Let's say about 5-6K years as the youngest.
It is well known that the Jews subscribe mostly to the Genesis account for at least the number of years since Adam, 56## years lunar calendar, so why stop there? If that is a possibility, then it won't be too much of a reach to say that in 6 days G-d Created .....on day 2 G-d separated the waters below from the waters above.
2007-01-13 06:47:41 · answer #3 · answered by M_Palidin_2001 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Plate tectonics. look it up. It show newly formed ground and land that will someday disappear. The worlds surface is changing and in millions of years time the plates will have shifted and all the countries in the world will no longer be. The canaries were formed hundreds of years ago and just like the ocean floor they were formed and will be ground up. If you study this topic you will learn your answers. Carbon dating is also another good method
2007-01-13 06:44:52 · answer #4 · answered by Guigsy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to make a guess based on assumptions.
No-one knows for sure.
However it does not look very old since there is not much mud on the sea floor. If it was millions of years old then where is the sediment?
Also if the sea was old it would have much more salt in it, based on the current rate of acquisition of salt.
This article is fairly technical.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/tj/v16/i1/plate_tectonics4.asp
2007-01-13 07:58:53 · answer #5 · answered by a Real Truthseeker 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You can't.
Dating techniques cannot be calibrated.
Every dating technique is ALWAYS wrong when used on something of known age, yet they are ASSUMED correct when something of unknown age is tested.
It is impossible to objectively and scientifically know the exact age of the ocean floor, or any other geologic feature. Guessing is the only technique used by anyone . . . even "scientists".
2007-01-13 06:45:13 · answer #6 · answered by s2scrm 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋
it done by magnetic dating and radio active decay dating using half liefs of certain radio active isotopes or so my geolocial engineering daughter informs
2007-01-15 07:21:51 · answer #7 · answered by dottydog 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Below are two very interesting websites on this very subject.
2007-01-13 07:18:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
by studying how the earth was made, physical geology
2007-01-17 04:53:07 · answer #9 · answered by Laura Marie B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋