Radioactive dating is a method of dating rocks and minerals using radioactive isotopes. This method is useful for igneous and metamorphic rocks, which cannot be dated by the stratigraphic correlation method used for sedimentary rocks. Over 300 naturally-occurring isotopes are known.Radioactive dating is a method of dating rocks and minerals using radioactive isotopes

What type of rocks can be dated using isotopic methods?

There are many isotope pairs that can be employed in dating igneous and metamorphic rocks (see Table 19.2), each with its strengths and weaknesses.

What determines which isotope will be used for the dating process?

Isotopic dating of rocks, or the minerals in them, is based on the fact that we know the decay rates of certain unstable isotopes of elements and that these rates have been constant over geological time.