What is the age of the Earth in geologic and creationist views?

Answer 1

Views About the Age of the EarthOld Earth ViewCurrent estimates are between 4.5 and 4.6 billion years. Methods used to find the age of the earth involve radiometric dating of meteorite samples, which would have formed at the same time as the earth.

The oldest rock samples, zirconium oxides, were discovered in situ and then analyzed to an accuracy of a few million years. These samples yield an age of something on the order of 3.9 billion years or so. But the earth "recycles" rock, and we have to look around a bit to find "old" rock. That is why we cannot place the age of the earth with native material.

No matter how old the earth is, it is clear from the geological column that fossils are laid down in sequence, with the most recent fossils above the earliest ones. Any method that established a minimum age for the most recent fossils would at least provide a minimum age for the earth. Early in the 19th century, Charles Lyell examined the Etna volcano on Sicily and studied the historical records of frequent eruptions. He noticed that each time it erupted, a new layer of lava would be added, causing the mountain to grow at a measurable rate. By knowing the height of the volcano, its approximate rate of growth and the frequency of eruptions, Lyall determined that the volcano must be several hundred thousand years old. At the edge of the volcano, under the first lava flows, he found fossil shells that were virtually identical to the shells of molluscs still found in the Mediterranean Sea. From this, he deduced that the fossils were geologically recent, that a hundred thousand years was geologically short, and that the age of the earth must be immense.

Even many creationists now accept the evidence for the immense age of the Earth. No longer do all creationists follow The Bible literally, instead we now have the traditional "Young-Earth" creationists and the "Old-Earth" creationists who largely accept that the Earth really is around 4.5 billion years old.

Use the link to the related question on how scientists can date rock using radiometry.

Another argument for Old EarthUnfortunately, the age cannot be computed directly from material that is solely from the Earth. There is evidence that energy from the Earth's accumulation caused the surface to be molten. Further, the processes of erosion and crustal recycling have apparently destroyed all of the earliest surface.

The oldest rocks which have been found so far (on the Earth) date to about 3.8 to 3.9 billion years ago (by several radiometric dating methods). Some of these rocks are sedimentary, and include minerals which are themselves as old as 4.1 to 4.2 billion years. Rocks of this age are relatively rare, however rocks that are at least 3.5 billion years in age have been found on North America, Greenland, Australia, Africa, and Asia.

While these values do not compute an age for the Earth, they do establish a lower limit (the Earth must be at least as old as any formation on it). This lower limit is at least concordant with the independently derived figure of 4.55 billion years for the Earth's actual age.

Young Earth ViewThere is a great deal of scientific evidence which suggests that the earth is nowhere near the ages claimed. Most of this evidence comes through the work of researchers who do not believe in the Bible account of creation. The evidence would allow the Bible chronology with a relatively recent creation around 6000 years ago to be correct. AnswerNo one knows for sure but many people think they know how old earth is. The evolutionist would say the earth is millions of years old. Dr. Kent Hovind thinks the earth is 6000 or 7000 years old. He said it's that old because if you add up all the ages of the people in the Bible it comes to that long. He made a chart of how old each person was and how old the earth was. There are lots of theories on how old is the earth but no one has time machine to go back in time. But they also found problems with the theory if the earth is millions of years old.

[As an informational but relevant note, Kent Hovind holds no degrees from any accredited institution. (He is not a "Doctor" of anything.) And at this writing, he is currently housed in Federal prison. A link is provided for factual data.]

No one knows for sure...there is no way for us to know for sure how old the Earth is. Just the simple fact that we have so many different answers to this equation demonstrates this point. The measurements are based largely on assumptions. A millennium ago, we assumed the earth was the center of the universe. Several centuries ago, we assumed the earth was flat. Just before last century, we assumed man could not fly. Today, we assume that our methods of measurement are constant, and therefore reliable.

For now, we cannot be sure. Who knows? Maybe soon the next Galileo, Columbus, or even the next Wright Brothers will show up, giving us the magical constant that will give each of these equations the same, and correct, answer.