How Old Is Earth?

In most people’s estimation, Earth is either as old as the Bible says it is or it is as old as scientific evidence says it is. We may never know precisely which is correct, if either one is. According to most research, the Earth may be 70 million years old or it may be much older. Some have expressed the belief that the planet has been in existence for a billion years.

Biblical records and other theological studies have indicated that Earth as created by God is only a few thousand years old. Then there is the theory that the truth lies somewhere between the millions/billions estimates and the few thousand years beliefs.

For our basic, laymen’s purposes, there are three fundamental ways to try to determine Earth’s age. One focuses entirely on finding, studying and dating the oldest rocks available on the planet’s surface.

A second method uses dating of other objects in the solar system, including samples from Earth’s moon. The third method involves the dense metal lead. Scientists try to measure how lead was and is distributed in the solar system. Each of these systems comes up with different numbers for the age of the Earth.

Scientists have been measuring the magnetic field of the Earth for nearly two centuries. In that time, the field has “decayed” or decreased by about 7 percent. At this rate then, the Earth could only be a little more than 20,000 years old. Other studies have used radiometric measurements that provide slightly different lengths of existence. Geologists have used the extensive study of fossils to determine that Earth has a history that goes back 600 million years. This method is not clearly proven to be accurate, but it does give us some idea that the Earth may indeed have been in existence a billion years ago.

Astronomers have watched the Earth’s moon closely for decades and have determined that this moon is moving away from Earth at a very slow rate. Using measurements and estimates, these scientists propose that if the moon was touching the Earth or was very, very close to it that would have occurred about 1.2 billion years ago.

Yet, the most extensive study of geological evidence, rocks and solar system material extends this number to more than 3 billion years. In fact, one detailed study proposes four or five numbers ranging in the 3-billion-year range.

Just to confuse things a bit more, some who have looked at this subject closely use the human population figures beginning with the 6 billion people on Earth in 1999. Using the dates at which the planet’s population passed 5 billion, 4 billion, 3 billion, 2 billion and 1 billion, this method shows that it would have taken about 5,000 years to produce 6 billion people from two original human beings.

Going back to the opening paragraph, there is strong evidence for a few thousand years and for a few billion years. For many people on both sides, this all depends on what you believe.

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