Radiometric ages of Tennessee rocks

This report compiles and summarizes all known radiometric age determinations based on bedrock samples from Tennessee. Data are available for 89 sites. Specimens record both igneous and metamorphic events ranging in age from 1.3 billion to 220 million years before present. Tennessee rocks have been dated by techniques that measure the results of four different kinds of radioactive decay: thorium-lead, uranium-lead, potassium-argon, and rubidium-strontium. Most determinations meet normal scientific standards for reliability. This study focuses on clarifying published data by bringing together geochemical, geological, and geographical information for each site. In addition to data on the age of bedrock samples, this study presents basic information on the ages of meteorites from Tennessee and on the ages of sediments and organic remains from Ice Age fossil sites and more recent archeological sites. While bedrock ages are the thrust of the report, other kinds of absolute age determinations are briefly discussed. 98 references, 11 figures, 3 tables