potassium-argon dating Hear it!

potassium-argon dating definition

potassium-argon dating (-är′gän′)

an indirect method of dating fossils, esp. those in very ancient volcanic rock, by using potassic minerals in the same strata as a reference: a natural radioactive isotope of potassium, K-40, decays steadily into argon, which accumulates in the minerals and is measured to determine age

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.