2007-01-20 04:16:54 · 8 answers · asked by Karolina B 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
approximately 4.5 billion years old..
2007-01-20 04:23:32 · answer #1 · answered by snowflake_052592 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The generally accepted age for the Earth and the rest of the solar system is about 4.55 billion years (plus or minus about 1%). This value is derived from several different lines of evidence.
Unfortunately, the age cannot be computed directly from material that is solely from the Earth. There is evidence that energy from the Earth's accumulation caused the surface to be molten. Further, the processes of erosion and crustal recycling have apparently destroyed all of the earliest surface.
The oldest rocks which have been found so far (on the Earth) date to about 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago (by several radiometric dating methods). Some of these rocks are sedimentary, and include minerals which are themselves as old as 4.1 to 4.2 billion years. Rocks of this age are relatively rare, however rocks that are at least 3.5 billion years in age have been found on North America, Greenland, Australia, Africa, and Asia.
While these values do not compute an age for the Earth, they do establish a lower limit (the Earth must be at least as old as any formation on it). This lower limit is at least concordant with the independently derived figure of 4.55 billion years for the Earth's actual age.
The most direct means for calculating the Earth's age is a Pb/Pb isochron age, derived from samples of the Earth and meteorites. This involves measurement of three isotopes of lead (Pb-206, Pb-207, and either Pb-208 or Pb-204). A plot is constructed of Pb-206/Pb-204 versus Pb-207/Pb-204.
If the solar system formed from a common pool of matter, which was uniformly distributed in terms of Pb isotope ratios, then the initial plots for all objects from that pool of matter would fall on a single point.
2007-01-20 12:33:44 · answer #2 · answered by rajeev_iit2 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old.
This number has been cross-checked in a number of ways, all
converging towards this value.
Do not pay attention to all the gibberish that say that the Earth should be only 4000 or 5000 years old !!!
2007-01-20 12:26:46 · answer #3 · answered by giorgio s 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Widely accepted scientific evidence indicates that the Earth was formed around 4.57 billion years ago.
You could get more information from the link below...
2007-01-21 02:26:03 · answer #4 · answered by catzpaw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth has been here about 4.5 billion years ago.
2007-01-20 12:34:41 · answer #5 · answered by Melia 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
from my point of view it will be 46 next month
2007-01-20 13:59:14 · answer #6 · answered by fuufingf 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
approximately 4.6 billion years
2007-01-20 12:36:11 · answer #7 · answered by wildwildmars 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Older than the dinosaurs...
2007-01-20 12:24:05 · answer #8 · answered by chazzer 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋