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Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods pp 1–19Cite as

Rb–Sr Dating

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Synonyms

Rb–Sr geochronology

Definition

Parent–daughter ratio: The ratio of rubidium (Rb) to strontium (Sr). The ratio is commonly expressed as 87Rb/86Sr, where the unstable Rb-87 isotope is referred to as the parent nuclide, being approximately 27 % of all rubidium. The daughter nuclide (Sr-87) is represented by Sr-86, which is stable and not subject to radiogenic ingrowth and constitutes approximately 9.9 % of all strontium.

Nicolaysen diagram: A diagram of Rb-87 (abscissa) versus Sr-87 (ordinate), both normalized to Sr-86 (expressed as 87Rb/86Sr and 87Sr/86Sr) illustrating the effect of age on the radiogenic decay of Rb-87 to Sr-87.

Initial isotope equilibrium: The assumption that at the time of formation of a rock, all phases therein share the same Sr isotope composition; a prerequisite for an isochron.

Isochron: A best-fit line of three or more phases in a Nicolaysen diagram with its slope corresponding to an age of phases that are in initial isotope equilibrium. Two-point...

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  1. Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Mills Road, Bldg. 61, Acton, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Dr. Oliver Nebel (Fellow, Marine Geology and IODP)

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    W. Jack Rink

  2. Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

    Jeroen Thompson

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Nebel, O. (2014). Rb–Sr Dating. In: Rink, W., Thompson, J. (eds) Encyclopedia of Scientific Dating Methods. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6326-5_116-1

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