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| po·tas·si·um-ar·gon dat·ing |
noun |
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| Definition: |
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method for dating rocks: a technique for estimating the age of rocks older than 250,000 years, based on the time taken for the radioactive decay of the potassium-40 isotope into a stable argon isotope. The half-life of potassium-40 is about 1.28 x 109 years, and the ratio of potassium to argon in the specimen gives an indication of its age.
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