Radiocarbon Dating Methods and the Creation Model
by Owen Borville
February 22, 2019
Geology
Radiometric dating methods including radiocarbon dating used by mainstream scientists are based on false assumptions. For example, index fossils are commonly used to assign dates to fossils without actually using standard laboratory radiometric dating techniques. These index fossils are found on a time scale chart produced by evolutionists and commonly known as the geologic time scale, where particular fossils are assigned to a particular epoch of time spanning up to hundreds of millions of years. When radiometric dating techniques are actually used, evolutionists and old earth scientists have been known to find different dates for a particular fossil sample using the same radiometric technique. In addition, different dates also have been found for a sample using different techniques. The inaccurate results found using radiometric dating techniques opens questions about the reliability of these techniques. Evolutionists commonly have an assumed age of a particular fossil in mind before a laboratory radiometric dating is performed. If the laboratory results do not match the assumed age based on the rock layer containing the fossil or particular index fossils found within the same rock layer, the laboratory age will likely be discarded and more tests using the same dating technique or a different technique will be used until the desired age is found. In other words, the evolutionist uses assumed ages in order to determine supposed actual ages of particular fossil samples. Creationists have noted that this procedure is common in the geology and paleontology fields in that fossil samples are assumed to fit a particular age period based on where the sample was found.
Fossils With Organic Material
In addition, fossils that contain organic material have been erroneously dated in the millions of years. Organic material cannot be older than around 50,000 years even using the evolutionist's techniques and time scale because organic material simply cannot exist at any older age. Evolutionists and old-earth geologists simply ignore the organic material in the sample and assume ages in the millions of years to comply with their standard model and doctrine. Radiometric dating methods commonly show grossly inaccurate ages on these fossils in the scale of millions of years when it is obvious that these fossils are only a few thousand years old or less.
The Best Dating Method
The best dating method is to recognize that most sediments and rock layers that are observed on Earth today, along with the fossils included, were deposited after the global Genesis Flood which occurred less than 5,000 years ago. These layers are found above what evolutionists call the Pre-Cambrian/Cambrian boundary or the Great Unconformity. Creationists recognize this boundary as the Pre-Flood/Post-Flood boundary. Most other rocks (basement rocks, cratons) underneath this boundary were created less than 6,000 years ago.
The Carbon-14 Dating Method
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon which decays into nitrogen-14 and has a half-life of 5,730 years. This half-life means that every 5,730 years, half of the carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14. This process continues until there is no carbon-14 left. Discovered in 1940 by Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben, Carbon-14 is one of three naturally-occurring isotopes of carbon. Measurable amounts of carbon-14 have been found in fossils, including fossilized wood, ancient mammalian fossils, coal, oil, and natural gas, in addition to marble and diamonds (1), which are natural occurring materials supposedly millions or billions of years old, according to the proponents of the old-earth model. However, the fact that carbon-14, which decays with a half-life of 5,730 years is still found in these fossils and minerals implies a young earth.
Radiocarbon dating methods are a form of radiometric dating developed in the 1950’s by Willard Libby and are only suitable for carbon-based or carbon-containing material. Fossils and rocks have been laboratory dated using the carbon-14 method and have revealed ages in the thousands, not millions or billions of years. Diamonds have been dated using carbon-14 methods, and results have shown ages in the thousands of years, not millions or billions of years as the old-earth advocates believe. Old-earth advocates commonly claim that carbon-14 presence in fossils and rocks is a result of contamination. However, creationists have made a strong priority that carbon-14 presence in laboratory samples is not the result of contamination. The likelihood that carbon-14 would form in fossils or carbon-containing materials after deposition by radioactive methods is unlikely (1). In addition, creationists have noted that the crystal structure of diamonds, the hardest naturally occurring substance, would make contamination unlikely. Old-earth advocates claim that diamonds have ages more than a billion years old, but the carbon-14 presence gives evidence of a young existence compatible with the creationist timeline.
Carbon dating methods attempt to measure the current amount of radioactive carbon inside a particular sample and the carbon-isotope ratio. The method primarily measures the amount of the carbon-14 isotope of carbon that is unstable and radioactive. Only materials that contain carbon can be tested by carbon dating and the maximum age that can be tested is around 50,000 years, because radioactive carbon material simply cannot exist any longer. Therefore, the carbon-dating methods are used on samples believed to be less than 50,000 years old, including human historical artifacts. This does not mean that the earth is 50,000 years old, but that the method of carbon dating is impossible for anything older because carbon cannot exist for longer ages. Therefore, when mainstream scientists claim to determine ages of millions of years for fossils and materials containing organic material, they use different dating methods which are disputed by creationists, such as potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating.
Creationists also believe that the earth's magnetic field was stronger in the past before the Flood event and has gradually decreased in strength, which would have resulted in a smaller amount of radioactive carbon-14 production in the past and increased amount of recent production. Therefore, the weaker magnetic field we have today allows more radioactive carbon-14 production and makes carbon-14 dating techniques report inaccurately high ages up to 50,000 years or more when the actual age should be within the 6,000-year time frame.
(1) Paul Giem, “Carbon-14 Content of Fossil Carbon,” Origins 51 (2001): 6–30.
Dinosaur Fossils and Carbon-14 Dating
Dinosaur fossils, which have reportedly been tested to have ages in the millions of years by potassium-argon dating, have been tested by creationists with carbon-dating methods and ages of less than 50,000 years have been obtained. Mainstream scientists assume that all dinosaur fossils are more than 65 million years old, so any younger age obtained is often discarded. Mainstream scientists also assume that dinosaur fossils do not contain carbon because their assumed age of over 65 million years would have eliminated any remaining carbon. Therefore, mainstream scientists do not use carbon dating on dinosaur fossils. However, creationists do believe that dinosaur fossils contain carbon and have performed carbon dating methods on these fossils, obtaining ages less than 50,000 years. Dinosaurs have fascinated humans ever since their fossilized skeletons have been discovered. People marvel at the enormous size of these creatures that once walked the earth and have since became extinct. Mainstream evolutionist scientists believe that dinosaurs appeared on earth 230 million years ago during what is called the Triassic and Jurassic Periods until a major extinction event mysteriously killed all of them 65 million years ago between the Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods. However, there is evidence that dinosaur fossils are younger, much younger than currently believed. Scientists have recently discovered the remains of red blood cells and soft tissue inside fossilized dinosaur bones in 2005 (1).
The scientists even determined that the soft tissue "retained its flexibility, elasticity, and resilience." How could this organic material remain intact without decomposing for 65 million years if there is such a time frame? The scientists claim that the cells and tissue have somehow been preserved for more than 65 million of years and the fossils could have been contaminated in the past by biological material. However, creationists use the discovery of red blood cells and soft tissue in dinosaur fossils as strong proof of a young earth, within the 6,000 year time frame. Evolutionists continue to use their radiometric isotope dating techniques to prove the millions of years in age of these fossils, however, creationists have tested dinosaur fossils with carbon dating methods and have obtained ages less than 50,000 years. Evolutionists and mainstream scientists continue to assume that ancient life is millions of years old and that the earth is billions of years old in order to support their non-negotiable theory of evolution. Creationists also deny that organic material could survive for millions of years and that the existence of this organic material in dinosaur fossils is strong evidence of a 6,000 year time-frame for life and the earth itself. The larger goal of the evolutionist philosophy is to continue to discredit the idea of a young earth that agrees with the biblical scriptures and to keep religion out of science. However, a determined, growing group of creation scientists around the world sees the error in mainstream science and will continue to promote evidence for the young earth while the evolutionists remain in denial.
(1)Schweitzer,Mary H. et al. "Soft-Tissue Vessels and Cellular Preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex. Science. Vol. 307. 3/25/2005
Rocks from Volcanic Eruptions and Radiometric Dating Inaccuracies
Radiometric dating methods have been used to determine the age of volcanic rocks from recent eruptions during human history or volcanic rocks of known age. These methods commonly identify rocks from recent volcanic eruptions as millions of years old (1), giving another evidence of the inaccuracy of radiometric dating techniques. Radiometric dating techniques simply cannot be trusted, as shown with the grossly inaccurate ages assigned to rocks from these observed volcanic eruptions. If radiometric dating techniques cannot give accurate ages of rocks from known volcanic eruptions that are not even close or reasonably within the correct age, these methods of radiometric dating simply cannot be trusted. However, evolutionists and old-earth scientists continue to use these methods in order to preserve the established geologic time scale and the standard timeline for macro-evolution.
(1)Austin, S.A., 1996. Excess Argon Within Mineral Concentrates from the New Dacite Lava Dome at Mount St. Helens Volcano. CEN Tech.J., 10(3):335-343.
Carbon-14 in Diamonds
Diamonds are known as one of the most precious gemstones and one of the world's most sought after materials. Composed of pure carbon, diamonds are also known as the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth. Because of its strong atomic structure that gives it its hardness, diamonds are also very immune to contamination from outside sources. Most natural diamonds originate deep inside the Earth in the mantle layer under high pressure and temperature, about 150 to 250 kilometers deep or more. Some of these diamonds which form in the mantle layer are lifted to the surface of the Earth through vertical volcanic pipes and deposited in an igneous rock known as kimberlite, named after the town in South Africa which is the site of one of the world's largest diamond mines. Some diamonds are also carried by fluvial deposits on the surface and can be found in rivers and streams.
Most carbon atoms have an atomic mass of 12, however the mass can vary among what are called isotopes, which are different forms of the same element with the same chemical properties but with a different mass (same number of protons but different number of neutrons). Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are the more common isotopes of carbon, while carbon-14 is the radioactive isotope of carbon. Evolutionists believe that diamonds formed between one to three billion years ago, however creationists disagree. Carbon-14, the radioactive version of carbon, has been found inside diamonds, which gives great evidence that diamonds are not billions of years old but only thousands of years old in agreement with the creationist model. Carbon-14 has a laboratory-tested half-life of 5,730 years, which means that every 5,730 years, half of the amount of carbon-14 in the sample decays. Therefore within about 50,000 years, most of the carbon-14 in the sample should be gone, so how can diamonds be billions of years old?
In addition, the dates determined by carbon-14 dating are often overestimated because of uncertainty with the amount of carbon-14 in relation to carbon-14 in the atmosphere at the time of formation. Creationists also believe that catastrophic events in the Earth's history, such as the global Genesis Flood created catastrophic changes to the composition of the atmosphere and therefore carbon-14 dates will likely be significantly inaccurate. However, the existence of carbon-14 in a material points toward an origin in the thousands of years and not millions or billions of years. The evidence shows that diamonds are much younger than evolutionists believe, and should be aged within the thousands of years, not billions of years.
by Owen Borville
February 22, 2019
Geology
Radiometric dating methods including radiocarbon dating used by mainstream scientists are based on false assumptions. For example, index fossils are commonly used to assign dates to fossils without actually using standard laboratory radiometric dating techniques. These index fossils are found on a time scale chart produced by evolutionists and commonly known as the geologic time scale, where particular fossils are assigned to a particular epoch of time spanning up to hundreds of millions of years. When radiometric dating techniques are actually used, evolutionists and old earth scientists have been known to find different dates for a particular fossil sample using the same radiometric technique. In addition, different dates also have been found for a sample using different techniques. The inaccurate results found using radiometric dating techniques opens questions about the reliability of these techniques. Evolutionists commonly have an assumed age of a particular fossil in mind before a laboratory radiometric dating is performed. If the laboratory results do not match the assumed age based on the rock layer containing the fossil or particular index fossils found within the same rock layer, the laboratory age will likely be discarded and more tests using the same dating technique or a different technique will be used until the desired age is found. In other words, the evolutionist uses assumed ages in order to determine supposed actual ages of particular fossil samples. Creationists have noted that this procedure is common in the geology and paleontology fields in that fossil samples are assumed to fit a particular age period based on where the sample was found.
Fossils With Organic Material
In addition, fossils that contain organic material have been erroneously dated in the millions of years. Organic material cannot be older than around 50,000 years even using the evolutionist's techniques and time scale because organic material simply cannot exist at any older age. Evolutionists and old-earth geologists simply ignore the organic material in the sample and assume ages in the millions of years to comply with their standard model and doctrine. Radiometric dating methods commonly show grossly inaccurate ages on these fossils in the scale of millions of years when it is obvious that these fossils are only a few thousand years old or less.
The Best Dating Method
The best dating method is to recognize that most sediments and rock layers that are observed on Earth today, along with the fossils included, were deposited after the global Genesis Flood which occurred less than 5,000 years ago. These layers are found above what evolutionists call the Pre-Cambrian/Cambrian boundary or the Great Unconformity. Creationists recognize this boundary as the Pre-Flood/Post-Flood boundary. Most other rocks (basement rocks, cratons) underneath this boundary were created less than 6,000 years ago.
The Carbon-14 Dating Method
Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope of carbon which decays into nitrogen-14 and has a half-life of 5,730 years. This half-life means that every 5,730 years, half of the carbon-14 decays into nitrogen-14. This process continues until there is no carbon-14 left. Discovered in 1940 by Martin Kamen and Sam Ruben, Carbon-14 is one of three naturally-occurring isotopes of carbon. Measurable amounts of carbon-14 have been found in fossils, including fossilized wood, ancient mammalian fossils, coal, oil, and natural gas, in addition to marble and diamonds (1), which are natural occurring materials supposedly millions or billions of years old, according to the proponents of the old-earth model. However, the fact that carbon-14, which decays with a half-life of 5,730 years is still found in these fossils and minerals implies a young earth.
Radiocarbon dating methods are a form of radiometric dating developed in the 1950’s by Willard Libby and are only suitable for carbon-based or carbon-containing material. Fossils and rocks have been laboratory dated using the carbon-14 method and have revealed ages in the thousands, not millions or billions of years. Diamonds have been dated using carbon-14 methods, and results have shown ages in the thousands of years, not millions or billions of years as the old-earth advocates believe. Old-earth advocates commonly claim that carbon-14 presence in fossils and rocks is a result of contamination. However, creationists have made a strong priority that carbon-14 presence in laboratory samples is not the result of contamination. The likelihood that carbon-14 would form in fossils or carbon-containing materials after deposition by radioactive methods is unlikely (1). In addition, creationists have noted that the crystal structure of diamonds, the hardest naturally occurring substance, would make contamination unlikely. Old-earth advocates claim that diamonds have ages more than a billion years old, but the carbon-14 presence gives evidence of a young existence compatible with the creationist timeline.
Carbon dating methods attempt to measure the current amount of radioactive carbon inside a particular sample and the carbon-isotope ratio. The method primarily measures the amount of the carbon-14 isotope of carbon that is unstable and radioactive. Only materials that contain carbon can be tested by carbon dating and the maximum age that can be tested is around 50,000 years, because radioactive carbon material simply cannot exist any longer. Therefore, the carbon-dating methods are used on samples believed to be less than 50,000 years old, including human historical artifacts. This does not mean that the earth is 50,000 years old, but that the method of carbon dating is impossible for anything older because carbon cannot exist for longer ages. Therefore, when mainstream scientists claim to determine ages of millions of years for fossils and materials containing organic material, they use different dating methods which are disputed by creationists, such as potassium-argon (K-Ar) dating.
Creationists also believe that the earth's magnetic field was stronger in the past before the Flood event and has gradually decreased in strength, which would have resulted in a smaller amount of radioactive carbon-14 production in the past and increased amount of recent production. Therefore, the weaker magnetic field we have today allows more radioactive carbon-14 production and makes carbon-14 dating techniques report inaccurately high ages up to 50,000 years or more when the actual age should be within the 6,000-year time frame.
(1) Paul Giem, “Carbon-14 Content of Fossil Carbon,” Origins 51 (2001): 6–30.
Dinosaur Fossils and Carbon-14 Dating
Dinosaur fossils, which have reportedly been tested to have ages in the millions of years by potassium-argon dating, have been tested by creationists with carbon-dating methods and ages of less than 50,000 years have been obtained. Mainstream scientists assume that all dinosaur fossils are more than 65 million years old, so any younger age obtained is often discarded. Mainstream scientists also assume that dinosaur fossils do not contain carbon because their assumed age of over 65 million years would have eliminated any remaining carbon. Therefore, mainstream scientists do not use carbon dating on dinosaur fossils. However, creationists do believe that dinosaur fossils contain carbon and have performed carbon dating methods on these fossils, obtaining ages less than 50,000 years. Dinosaurs have fascinated humans ever since their fossilized skeletons have been discovered. People marvel at the enormous size of these creatures that once walked the earth and have since became extinct. Mainstream evolutionist scientists believe that dinosaurs appeared on earth 230 million years ago during what is called the Triassic and Jurassic Periods until a major extinction event mysteriously killed all of them 65 million years ago between the Cretaceous and Tertiary Periods. However, there is evidence that dinosaur fossils are younger, much younger than currently believed. Scientists have recently discovered the remains of red blood cells and soft tissue inside fossilized dinosaur bones in 2005 (1).
The scientists even determined that the soft tissue "retained its flexibility, elasticity, and resilience." How could this organic material remain intact without decomposing for 65 million years if there is such a time frame? The scientists claim that the cells and tissue have somehow been preserved for more than 65 million of years and the fossils could have been contaminated in the past by biological material. However, creationists use the discovery of red blood cells and soft tissue in dinosaur fossils as strong proof of a young earth, within the 6,000 year time frame. Evolutionists continue to use their radiometric isotope dating techniques to prove the millions of years in age of these fossils, however, creationists have tested dinosaur fossils with carbon dating methods and have obtained ages less than 50,000 years. Evolutionists and mainstream scientists continue to assume that ancient life is millions of years old and that the earth is billions of years old in order to support their non-negotiable theory of evolution. Creationists also deny that organic material could survive for millions of years and that the existence of this organic material in dinosaur fossils is strong evidence of a 6,000 year time-frame for life and the earth itself. The larger goal of the evolutionist philosophy is to continue to discredit the idea of a young earth that agrees with the biblical scriptures and to keep religion out of science. However, a determined, growing group of creation scientists around the world sees the error in mainstream science and will continue to promote evidence for the young earth while the evolutionists remain in denial.
(1)Schweitzer,Mary H. et al. "Soft-Tissue Vessels and Cellular Preservation in Tyrannosaurus rex. Science. Vol. 307. 3/25/2005
Rocks from Volcanic Eruptions and Radiometric Dating Inaccuracies
Radiometric dating methods have been used to determine the age of volcanic rocks from recent eruptions during human history or volcanic rocks of known age. These methods commonly identify rocks from recent volcanic eruptions as millions of years old (1), giving another evidence of the inaccuracy of radiometric dating techniques. Radiometric dating techniques simply cannot be trusted, as shown with the grossly inaccurate ages assigned to rocks from these observed volcanic eruptions. If radiometric dating techniques cannot give accurate ages of rocks from known volcanic eruptions that are not even close or reasonably within the correct age, these methods of radiometric dating simply cannot be trusted. However, evolutionists and old-earth scientists continue to use these methods in order to preserve the established geologic time scale and the standard timeline for macro-evolution.
(1)Austin, S.A., 1996. Excess Argon Within Mineral Concentrates from the New Dacite Lava Dome at Mount St. Helens Volcano. CEN Tech.J., 10(3):335-343.
Carbon-14 in Diamonds
Diamonds are known as one of the most precious gemstones and one of the world's most sought after materials. Composed of pure carbon, diamonds are also known as the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth. Because of its strong atomic structure that gives it its hardness, diamonds are also very immune to contamination from outside sources. Most natural diamonds originate deep inside the Earth in the mantle layer under high pressure and temperature, about 150 to 250 kilometers deep or more. Some of these diamonds which form in the mantle layer are lifted to the surface of the Earth through vertical volcanic pipes and deposited in an igneous rock known as kimberlite, named after the town in South Africa which is the site of one of the world's largest diamond mines. Some diamonds are also carried by fluvial deposits on the surface and can be found in rivers and streams.
Most carbon atoms have an atomic mass of 12, however the mass can vary among what are called isotopes, which are different forms of the same element with the same chemical properties but with a different mass (same number of protons but different number of neutrons). Carbon-12 and Carbon-13 are the more common isotopes of carbon, while carbon-14 is the radioactive isotope of carbon. Evolutionists believe that diamonds formed between one to three billion years ago, however creationists disagree. Carbon-14, the radioactive version of carbon, has been found inside diamonds, which gives great evidence that diamonds are not billions of years old but only thousands of years old in agreement with the creationist model. Carbon-14 has a laboratory-tested half-life of 5,730 years, which means that every 5,730 years, half of the amount of carbon-14 in the sample decays. Therefore within about 50,000 years, most of the carbon-14 in the sample should be gone, so how can diamonds be billions of years old?
In addition, the dates determined by carbon-14 dating are often overestimated because of uncertainty with the amount of carbon-14 in relation to carbon-14 in the atmosphere at the time of formation. Creationists also believe that catastrophic events in the Earth's history, such as the global Genesis Flood created catastrophic changes to the composition of the atmosphere and therefore carbon-14 dates will likely be significantly inaccurate. However, the existence of carbon-14 in a material points toward an origin in the thousands of years and not millions or billions of years. The evidence shows that diamonds are much younger than evolutionists believe, and should be aged within the thousands of years, not billions of years.