Sedimentary dating

The discoveries from Yellowstone park could affect how certain sequences of sedimentary rock are dated, and and also provide a means by which scientists can search for evidence of life on other planets.

This can not only be done with sedimentary rocks collected from the Earth's surface but also with rocks from other planets.Carbon-14 is a method used for young (less than 50,000 year old) sedimentary rocks.This method relies on the uptake of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope of carbon, carbon-14 by all living things.So abundant, in fact, that it accounts for about 4% by weight of the Earth's crust.Calcium carbonate takes several different geological forms.