NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory

Chronology overview

Quantifying geological time is central to our understanding of the evolution of the Earth System. By establishing the exact timing of geologic events, such as climatic transitions and evolutionary changes, we can test hypotheses that invoke cause and effect relationships between different components of the Earth System. Radio-isotopic dating provides the means to obtain precise and accurate temporal constraints on nearly all types of geological archives, from the ocean sediments that record Cenozoic climate change, to xenoliths from the lower crust which record plate tectonic processes.

NIGL has established a centre of international excellence in geochronology emphasising the U-Th-Pb radioactive decay system. This capability has evolved much in recent years in response to user demand towards addressing a wider range of problems (for example, erosion studies, Quaternary and Holocene dating, high-precision dating of the stratigraphic record and the events it records).

NIGL also plays a crucial role in providing geochronological data for UK and international BGS geology programmes.

635 Ma glacial deposit from Namibia