Vesuvius Eruption of 79 CE Helps Refine Argon-Argon Dating

A new study used the well-documented eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE to improve the precision of argon-argon dating. Pliny the Younger’s eyewitness account supplied a known date for testing the method, which measures the ages of rocks and minerals. The eruption that buried Pompeii and killed Pliny the Elder thus helps sharpen a tool for dating Earth’s past.

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Argon-argon dating is used to estimate the ages of rocks and minerals. Because the 79 CE eruption of Mount Vesuvius is historically documented, it offers a rare fixed point for checking how precisely that method performs. A first-hand account by Pliny the Younger gave the study a known date. The same event left Pompeii buried and led to Pliny the Elder’s death. By tying a dating technique to a securely dated volcanic event, the work aims to improve a method for reconstructing Earth’s past.

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