Using Stalagmites to Date the Past

Using Stalagmites to Date the Past

TNRT Archive – Retained for reference information

Scientists possess a new tool for dating past events and cross-checking other direct dating techniques; this tool is also suitable for testing young- and old-earth creation models. Speleothems—carbonates, such as stalagmites, found in caves—provide some of the most precise chronologies of the past 500,000 years due to the radioisotopes found in them. Until recently, ice cores gave the best chronologies because their annual layering provides a straightforward way to determine dates. However, ice cores reside far from human civilization, and time-resolution degrades as the layers compress deeper in the cores. In contrast, speleothems are located in most continental areas and provide exceptional chronologies even at earlier times. Additionally, common dates derived from speleothems and ice cores match. This new technique brings a new level of timing precision and spatial detail to the geological sciences. Further, present results dramatically confirm that Earth is far older than 10,000 years, in line with RTB’s biblical creation model.