Going, going, argon! Determining volcanic eruption ages with argon geochronology

Argon dating is a powerful tool for determining when volcanoes erupted in the past. This technique works on a multitude of volcanic materials—from Yellowstone ash to lava flows in New Mexico—and involves both natural radioactive decay and irradiation by nuclear reactor.

Argon dating is a powerful tool for determining when volcanoes erupted in the past. This technique works on a multitude of volcanic materials—from Yellowstone ash to lava flows in New Mexico—and involves both natural radioactive decay and irradiation by nuclear reactor. Read More