Geochronology is the scientific discipline focused on determining the absolute and relative ages of rocks, minerals, fossils, and geological events, thereby establishing the temporal framework of Earth’s history. It relies on quantitative dating methods, primarily radiometric techniques such as U–Pb, Ar–Ar, Rb–Sr, and Sm–Nd systems, which exploit the known decay constants of radioactive isotopes in specific mineral phases. These data are integrated with stratigraphic principles and chronostratigraphic units to construct calibrated timescales, constrain rates of tectonic, magmatic, and surface processes, and correlate geological records across regions and datasets.
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