Earthquake Glossary - carbon 14 age
carbon 14 age
An absolute age obtained for geologic materials containing bits or pieces of carbon using measurements of the proportion of radioactive carbon (14 C) to daughter carbon (12 C). These dates are independently calibrated with calendar dates. This is used to determine when past earthquakes occurred on a fault.
(Image courtesy of Harmon D. Maher, Jr., Univ. of New England)
Learn more about radiometric dating
