A quick note to thank you for the list of references you sent. My interest in this topic came from looking at the timing of many of the landforms that one comes across during years of interpreting what we see in the field, specifically in trying to relate these to Biblical history.
It was interesting to see the New England area of NSW featured in some of the articles, [e.g. here and here] an area where I have searched for gold.
It was rewarding to see how well the explanations support what we see with peneplains and incised valleys in so many parts of the world, particularly when one looks back at the explanations that were taught to us as students and accepted by other geologists and scientists over the intervening years.
For quite some time I was troubled by the results of radiometric dating. My first doubts go back to when I first sent material off for investigation. When I was asked in advance for an estimate of the sample’s age my suspicions were aroused. Though of course in those days one could not question dates given by laboratories that were held in such high regard. So with dating data being an ongoing problem in trying to understand things, I was gratified to see that others have investigated the ins and outs of dating techniques to find out how it is that they could be so wrong, and where necessary, when lacking concrete proof, have said that they are wrong and that is that! That seems to describe my thoughts.
For the last 40 years I have been searching for precious metals, concentrating more recently on areas with improved chances of success for IRGDs (Intrusive Related Gold Deposits). One of my earlier problems was the suggestion that the gold potential in different intrusive systems should only be compared for those of the same age. But of course all the millions of years go out the window when Biblical ages are adopted, which supports my deduction that age is relatively unimportant in this work, that factors such as rock-type, structure and geochemistry are the main considerations.
So thanks for your help in improving my appreciation of time in the development of Earth history.
Good to see someone with a lifetime of experience open to look at geology from a new perspective.
J.S.
My husband is an attorney, when he heard that dating labs request/require an estimate of the sample’s age in advance, he couldn’t believe it. In a court of law, that’s called “leading the witness,” and would be thrown out as inadmissable evidence. In his viewpoint, if a sample’s date isn’t reliable enough to be accepted on its own merits, then it doesn’t qualify as evidence.