Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T05:09:58.101Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Progress and Challenges in K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 July 2017

Paul R. Renne*
Affiliation:
Berkeley Geochronology Center 2455 Ridge Rd., Berkeley, CA 94709, [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

K-Ar and more recently the 40Ar/39Ar variant are well established dating methods. The 40Ar/39Ar method requires irradiation with neutrons, posing some complications that are greatly outweighed by the benefits. The 40Ar/39Ar method is particularly powerful due to the availability of internal reliability criteria, the ability to analyze single crystals, and the amenability of the analyses to automation. 40Ar/39Ar dating has the capability for unsurpassed precision and is applicable to the broadest range of geologic environments and time scales of any radioisotope dating technique. For chronostratigraphic applications, 40Ar/39Ar is most important in the Cenozoic, becoming progressively less useful into the early Phanerozoic due to alteration and loss of radiogenic argon. Precision and accuracy of 40Ar/39Ar dating have been improved considerably in recent years, but an uncertainty of about 1% in the decay constant for 40K, probably mainly in the electron capture decay branch, still limits accuracy at about this level. Inconsistent use of standards (neutron fluence monitors) and attribution of variable ages to standards is still a source of confusion, but straightforward recalculation procedures can overcome the underlying problems provided that appropriate standards are used.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © by the Paleontological Society 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allègre, C.J., Hofmann, A., and O'Nions, K., 1996, Argon constraints on mantle structure: Geophysical Research Letters 23 (24) 35553557.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, S.J.A., and Fletcher, I.R., 1999, SHRIMP U-Pb dating of the preeruption growth history of zircons from the 340 ka Whakamaru Ignimbrite, New Zealand: Evidence for >250 k.y. magma residence times: Geology 27: 10351038.Google Scholar
Cassignol, C., and Gillot, P.-Y., 1982, Range and effectiveness of unspiked potassium-argon dating: Experimental groundwork and applications, in Numerical Dating in Stratigraphy (ed. Odin, G. S.), p. 159179, Wiley, Chichester.Google Scholar
Cerling, T. E., Brown, F. H., and Bowman, J. R., 1985, Low temperature alteration of volcanic glass: Hydration, Na, K, 18O and Ar mobility: Isotope Geoscience, v. 52, p. 281293.Google Scholar
Channell, J.E.T., Mazaud, A., Sullivan, P., Turner, S., and Raymo, M.E., 2002, Geomagnetic excursions and paleointensities in the Matuyama Chron at Ocean drilling Program Sites 983 and 984 (Iceland Basin): Journal of Geophysical Research 107 (6): Article #2114.Google Scholar
Dalrymple, G. B., and Lanphere, M. A., 1969, Potassium-argon dating: W. H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 258 pp.Google Scholar
Dalrymple, G. B., Alexander, E. C. Jr., Lanphere, M. A., and Kraker, G. P., 1981, Irradiation of samples for 40Ar/39Ar dating using the Geological Survey TRIGA reactor: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1176.Google Scholar
Daze, A., Lee, J.K.W., and Villeneuve, M. (2003) An intercalibration study of the Fish Canyon sanidine and biotite 40Ar/39Ar standards and some comments on the age of the Fish Canyon Tuff, Chemical Geology 199, 111127.Google Scholar
Dong, H., Hall, C.M., Peacor, D.M., and Halliday, A.N., 1995, Mechanisms of argon retention in clays revealed by laser 40Ar/39Ar dating: Science 267: 355359.Google Scholar
Evernden, J.F., Savage, D.E., Curtis, G.H., and James, G.T., 1964, Potassium-Argon Dates and the Cenozoic Mammalian Chronology of North America: American Journal of Science 262: 145198.Google Scholar
Foland, K.A., Fleming, T.H., Heimann, A., and Elliot, D.H., 1993, Potassium argon dating of fine-grained basalts with massive Ar loss - application of the 40Ar/39Ar technique to plagioclase and glass from the Kirkpatrick Basalt, Antarctica. Chemical Geology 107, 173190.Google Scholar
Foland, K.A., Hubacher, F.A., and Arehart, G.B., 1992, 40Ar/39Ar dating of very fine-grained samples - an encapsulated-vial procedure to overcome the problem of 39Ar recoil loss: Chemical Geology 102, 269276.Google Scholar
Foland, K.A., Linder, J.S., Laskowski, T.E., and Grant, N.K., 1984, Ar-40/Ar-39 Dating of Glauconites - Measured Ar-39 Recoil Loss From Well-Crystallized Specimens: Isotope Geoscience 2 (3): 241264.Google Scholar
Harrison, T.M., 1983, Some Observations On The Interpretation Of Ar-40/Ar-39 Age Spectra: Isotope Geoscience 1 (4): 319338.Google Scholar
Hilgen, F.J., Krijgsman, W., and Wijbrans, J.R., 1997, Direct comparison of astronomical and 40Ar/39Ar ages of ash beds: Potential implications for the age of mineral dating standards: Geophysical Research Letters 24: 20432046.Google Scholar
Humayun, M. and Clayton, R.N., 1995, Precise determination of the isotopic composition of potassium: Application to terrestrial rocks and lunar soils. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 59, 21152130.Google Scholar
Jourdan, F., Verati, C., and Féraud, G., 2006, Intercalibration of the Hb3gr 40Ar/39Ar dating standard: Chemical Geology 231: 177189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kaneoka, I., 1980, Rare gas isotopes and mass fractionation: An indicator of gas transport into or from a magma: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 48, p. 284292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kossert, K. and Günther, E., 2004, LSC measurements of the half-life of 40K: Applied Radiation and Isotopes 60: 459464.Google Scholar
Kuiper, K.F., Hilgen, F.J., Steenbrink, J., and Wijbrans, J.R., 2004, 40Ar/39Ar ages of tephras intercalated in astronomically tuned Neogene sedimentary sequences in the eastern Mediterranean: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 222: 583597.Google Scholar
Kwon, J., Min, K., Bickel, P., and Renne, P.R., 2002, Statistical methods for jointly estimating decay constant of 40K and age of a dating standard: Mathematical Geology 34 (4): 457474.Google Scholar
Lanphere, M. A., Baadsgaard, H. (2001) Precise K-Ar, 40Ar-39Ar, Rb-Sr and U/Pb mineral ages from the 27.5 Ma Fish Canyon Tuff reference standard. Chemical Geology 175, 653671.Google Scholar
Leakey, L.S.B., Curtis, G.H., and Evernden, J.F., 1961, Age of Bed I, Olduvai Gorge, Tanganyika: Nature 191:478479.Google Scholar
Leost, I., Feraud, G., Blanc-Valleron, M.M., and Rouchy, J.M., 2001, First absolute dating of Miocene langbeinite evaporites by Ar-40/Ar-39 laser step-heating: [K2Mg2(SO4)3] Stebnyk mine (Carpathian Foredeep Basin): Geophysical Research Letters 28 (23): 43474350.Google Scholar
Lo, C.H., & Onstott, T.C., 1988, 39Ar recoil artifacts in chloritized biotite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 53, 26972711.Google Scholar
Lo Bello, P., Féraud, G., Hall, C. M., York, D., Lavina, P., and Bernat, M., 1987, 40Ar/39Ar step-heating and laser fusion dating of a Quaternary pumice from Neschers, Massif Central, France: The defeat of xenocrystic contamination: Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section) 66: 6171.Google Scholar
Ludwig, K.R., 2003, ISOPLOT/EX, version 3. A geochronological toolkit for Microsoft Excel. Berkeley Geochronology Center, Special Publication 4.Google Scholar
McDougall, I., and Harrison, T.M., 1999, Geochronology and Thermochronology by the 40Ar/39Ar Method (2nd Ed.), Oxford University Press, 269 pp.Google Scholar
Merrihue, C., and Turner, G., 1966, Potassium-argon dating by activation with fast neutrons: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 71, p. 28522857.Google Scholar
Min, K., Mundil, R., Renne, P.R., and Ludwig, K.R., 2000, A Test for Systematic Errors in 40Ar/39Ar Geochronology Through Comparison with U-Pb Analysis of a 1.1 Ga Rhyolite: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 64(1): 7398.Google Scholar
Min, K., Renne, P.R., and Huff, W.D., 2001, 40Ar/39Ar dating of Ordovician K-bentonites in Laurentia and Baltoscandia: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 185(1–2): 121134.Google Scholar
Mundil, R., Ludwig, K.R., Metcalf, I., and Renne, P.R., 2004, Age and Timing of the End Permian mass extinction: U-Pb geochronology of closed system zircons: Science 305: 17601763.Google Scholar
Nomade, S., Renne, P.R., Vogel, N., Deino, A.L., Sharp, W.D., Becker, T.A., Jaouni, A.R., and Mundil, R., 2005, Alder Creek Sanidine (ACs-2): A Quaternary 40Ar/39Ar dating standard tied to the Cobb Mountain geomagnetic event: Chemical Geology 218 (/3/4): 319342.Google Scholar
Nomade, S., Renne, P.R., and Merkle, R.K.W., 2004, 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on ore deposition and cooling of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa: Journal of the Geological Society of London 161: 411420.Google Scholar
Onstott, T.C., Miller, M.L., Ewing, R.C., Arnold, G.W., and Walsh, D.S., 1995, Recoil refinements: Implications for the 40Ar/39Ar dating technique. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 59, 18211834.Google Scholar
Paine, J.H., Nomade, S., and Renne, P.R., 2006, Quantification of 39Ar recoil ejection from biotite during neutron irradiation as a function of grain dimensions: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70 (6): 15071517 Google Scholar
Reid, M.R., Coath, C.D., Harrison, T.M., and McKeegan, K.D., 1997, Prolonged residence times for the youngest rhyolites associated with Long Valley Caldera: 230Th-238U ion microprobe dating of young zircons: Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 150, p. 2739.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., 2000, K-Ar and 40Ar/39Ar Dating, in Quaternary Geochronology: Methods and Applications (Noller, J.S., Sowers, J.M., and Lettis, W.R., Eds.): American Geophysical Union Reference Shelf Series 4: 77100.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., 2001, Reply to Comment on “40Ar/39Ar age of plagioclase from Acapulco meteorite and the problem of systematic errors in cosmochronology” by Trieloff, Mario, Jessberger, Elmar K., and Fiení, Christine: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 190 (3–4): 255257.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Knight, K.B., Nomade, S., Leung, K.-N., and Lou, T.-P., 2005, Application of deuteron-deuteron (D-D) fusion neutrons to 40Ar/39Ar geochronology: Applied Radiation and Isotopes 62: 2532.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Sharp, W.D., Montantez, I.P., Becker, T.A., and Zierenberg, R.A., 2001, 40Ar/39Ar dating of Late Permian evaporites, southeastern New Mexico, USA: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 193 (3/4): 539547.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Swisher, C.C., Deino, A.L., Karner, D.B., Owens, T., and Depaolo, D.J., 1998, Intercalibration of Standards, Absolute Ages and Uncertainties in 40Ar/39Ar Dating: Chemical Geology (Isotope Geoscience Section) 145 (1–2): 117152.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Sharp, W.D., Deino, A.L., Orsi, G., and Civetta, L., 1997, 40Ar/39Ar Dating into the Historical Realm: Calibration against Pliny the Younger: Science 277: 12791280.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Zichao, Z., Richards, M.A., Black, M.T., and Basu, A.R., 1995, Synchrony and Causal Relations Between Permian-Triassic Boundary Crises and Siberian Flood Volcanism: Science 269: 14131413.Google Scholar
Renne, P.R., Deino, A.L., Walter, R.C., Turrin, B.D., Swisher, C.C., Becker, T.A., Curtis, G.H., Sharp, W.D., and Jaouni, A.-R., 1994, Intercalibration of astronomical and radioisotopic time: Geology 22: 783786.Google Scholar
Roddick, J.C., 1983, High precision intercalibration of 40Ar-39Ar standards: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 47: 887898.Google Scholar
Scaillet, S., 2000, Numerical error analysis in 40Ar/39Ar dating. Chemical Geology, 162, p. 269298.Google Scholar
Schmitt, A.K., Grove, M., Harrison, T.M., Lovera, O.M., Hulen, J., and Walters, M., 2003, The Geysers - Cobb Mountain Magma System, California (Part 1): U-Pb zircon ages of volcanic rocks, conditions of zircon crystallization and magma residence times: Geochimica et Comochimica Acta, v. 67, p. 34233442.Google Scholar
Schmitz, M.D., and Bowring, S.A. (2001) U-Pb zircon and titanite systematics of the Fish Canyon Tuff: an assessment of high-precision U-Pb geochronology and its application to young volcanic rocks. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 65, 25712587.Google Scholar
Schmitz, M.D., Bowring, S.A., Ludwig, K.R., and Renne, P.R. (2003) Comment on “Precise K-Ar and 40Ar-39Ar, Rb-Sr and U-Pb mineral ages from the 27.5 Ma Fish Canyon Tuff reference standards” by Lanphere, M.A. and Baadsgaard, H. (2003) Chemical Geology 199,277280.Google Scholar
Schoene, B., Crowley, J.L., Condon, D.J., Schmitz, M.D., and Bowring, S.A., 2006, Reassessing the uranium decay constants for geochronology using ID-TIMS U-Pb data: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70: 426445.Google Scholar
Simon, J.I., and Reid, M.R., 2005, The pace of rhyolite differentiation and storage in an ‘archetypical’ silicic magma system, Long Valley, California: Earth and Planetary Sciences Letters 235: 123140.Google Scholar
Smith, M.E., Singer, B., and Carroll, A., 2003, Ar-40/Ar-39 geochronology of the Eocene Green River Formation, Wyoming: Geological Society of America Bulletin 115 (5): 549565.Google Scholar
Smith, P.E., Evensen, N.M., York, D., and Moorbath, S., 2005, Oldest reliable terrestrial Ar-40-Ar-39 age from pyrite crystals at Isua west Greenland: Geophysical Research Letters 32 (21): Art. No. L21318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, P.E., Evensen, N.M., York, D., and Odin, G.S., 1998, Single-Grain 40Ar-39Ar Ages of Glauconies: Implications for the Geologic Time Scale and Global Sea Level Variations: Science 279: 15171519.Google Scholar
Spell, T.L., McDougall, I. 2003. Characterization and calibration of 40Ar/39Ar dating standards. Chem. Geol. 198, 189211.Google Scholar
Steiger, R. H., and Jäger, E. (1977) Subcommission on geochronology: convention of the use of decay constants in geo- and cosmochronology. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 36, 359362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tetley, N., McDougall, I., and Heydegger, H.R., 1980, Thermal neutron interferences in the 40Ar/39Ar dating technique: Journal of Geophysical Research 85: 72017205.Google Scholar
Tucker, R. D., 1992, U–Pb dating of Plinian-eruption ashfalls by the isotopic dilution method: A reliable and precise tool for time-scale calibration and biostratigraphic correlation: Geol. Soc. Am. (abstracts with progs.), v. 24, p. A198.Google Scholar
Turner, G., and Cadogan, P., 1974, Possible effects of 39Ar recoil in 40Ar-39Ar dating. Proceedings of the 5th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 16011615.Google Scholar
Vasconcelos, P., Brimhall, G.H., Becker, T.A., and Renne, P.R., 1994a, 40Ar/39Ar analysis of supergene jarosite and alunite: Implications to the paleoweathering history of western US and west Africa: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 58: 401420.Google Scholar
Vasconcelos, P., Renne, P.R., Brimhall, G.H., and Becker, T.A., 1994b, Direct dating of weathering phenomena by 40Ar/39Ar and 40K-40Ar analysis of supergene K-Mn oxides: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 58: 16351665.Google Scholar
Villa, I.M., 1997, Direct determination of 39Ar recoil distance. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 61, 689691.Google Scholar
Wänke, H., and König, H., 1959, Eine neue Methode zur Kalium-Argon-Alterbestimmung und ihre Anwendung auf Steinmeteorite: Zeitschrift Naturforschung, v. 14a, p. 860866.Google Scholar
Williams, I. S., Tetley, N. W., Compston, W., and McDougall, I., 1982, A comparison of K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages of rapidly cooled igneous rocks: two points in the Palaeozoic time scale re-evaluated. J. Geol. Soc. London. 139, 557568.Google Scholar