How is the age of meteorites determined?

Meteorites are measured by the decay of long-lived radioactive isotopes of elements that occur naturally in rocks and minerals and that decay with half lives of 700 million to more than 100 billion years to stable isotopes of other elements. read more

As a result, nickel abundances can be used to determine the sequence of crystallization within iron meteorite classes. The IAB, IIICD, and IIE iron meteorites exhibit geochemical characteristics that are distinct from those of the other classes of irons. read more

Note that there are vast ranges of time exhibited in the decay rates, allowing a suitable measure if one knows or guesses the approximate age. The clock most suitable for meteorites is the decay of Rubidium (87 Rb) into Strontium (87 Sr), which has a half-life of about 49 billion years. read more

Abstract—Within experimental error, meteorites have one age as determined by three independent radiometric methods. The most accurate method (Pb207 gives an age of 4-55 ± 0-07 X 109 yr. read more