Lesson 1Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon (K-Ar, Ar-Ar): minerals suitable (whole-rock basalt, sanidine, groundmass, plagioclase), age ranges, sample preparation, excess argon issuesLooks into K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating, best minerals and rocks like basalts common in Botswana, lab steps like irradiation and heating, age plots, problems with extra or old argon, checking for changes, and suitable ages from recent lava flows to old volcanic and changed rocks.
40K decay scheme and argon retentionSuitable minerals and rock typesIrradiation, flux monitors and standardsAge spectra, plateaus and isochronsExcess argon, recoil and alteration testsLesson 2U-Pb in zircon and baddeleyite: applications to granitoids, ash/tuff, concordia diagrams, Pb loss and inheritanceCovers U–Pb dating of zircon and baddeleyite, how uranium and lead get into crystals, concordia plots, reasons for scatter, lead loss, old cores, fixing common lead, and uses for granite bodies, dark intrusions, and ash layers in Botswana sequences.
U and Pb partitioning in accessory mineralsID-TIMS, LA-ICP-MS and SIMS approachesConcordia, discordia and age interpretationPb loss, metamorphism and inheritanceApplications to plutons and ash layersLesson 3Paleomagnetism as an auxiliary absolute/relative tool: polarity stratigraphy correlation, sampling procedures, secular variation curvesShows how ancient magnetism gives age clues via magnetic flips and changes over time. Covers field sampling, lab cleaning of signals, matching to global timelines, and linking with radiometric dates and rock layers for Botswana sites.
Remanent magnetization carriers and typesField sampling strategies and orientationLaboratory demagnetization and componentsPolarity stratigraphy and GPTS correlationSecular variation curves and age modelingLesson 4Radioisotopic dating fundamentals: parent-daughter systems, half-life, closure temperature, isochronsExplains basics of radioactive dating: parent to daughter change, half-life times, when minerals seal in daughters, straight-line age plots, fixing starting amounts, spotting leaky systems, and handling lab errors.
Radioactive decay equations and half-lifeParent–daughter systems and mineral hostsClosure temperature and diffusion effectsIsochron theory and data regressionAssessing open-system behavior and errorsLesson 5Luminescence dating (OSL/IRSL/TL): dating feldspar and quartz in sediments, burial dose measurement, sample handling to avoid light exposure, age ranges and dose rate estimationIntroduces light-based dating of quartz and feldspar in sands, trapped energy physics, measuring dose since burial, dark sampling to keep signals safe, radiation rate checks, age limits, and fixes for saturation or fading signals.
Trapped charge physics and luminescence signalsOSL, IRSL and TL measurement protocolsField sampling and light-safe handlingDose rate components and environmental dosimetryAge calculation, limits and fading correctionsLesson 6Radiocarbon (C-14): materials dated, calibration, reservoir effects, upper limit ~50 kaDetails carbon-14 making, decay, measuring, good organics and shells, cleaning steps, wiggle curves for true ages, lake or sea delays, limit around 50,000 years, and reading probability graphs.
14C production, decay law and measurementDatable materials and sample pretreatmentCalibration curves and calendar agesMarine and freshwater reservoir effectsLimits, background and contamination controlLesson 7Common laboratory and field errors across methods: contamination, reworking, diagenesis, inheritance, open-system behavior, and analytical uncertaintiesReviews field and lab pitfalls biasing ages like dirt mixing, moved bits, chemical changes, old bits carried over, leaky minerals, machine glitches, data slips, with ways to spot, fix, and check quality.
Sampling bias, mixing and reworkingContamination and modern carbon inputsDiagenesis, alteration and resettingInheritance and detrital grain complicationsAnalytical uncertainties and QA/QCLesson 8Cross-validation and multi-method strategies: choosing primary and backup methods, integrating stratigraphic constraints and biostratigraphyCovers planning multi-dating setups, picking main and spare clocks, folding in layer order and fossil ages, sorting clashing dates, building solid timelines with clear error notes for Botswana fieldwork.
Criteria for choosing primary methodsSelecting complementary backup techniquesIntegrating stratigraphy and biostratigraphyReconciling discordant or outlier agesChronological models and uncertainty budgetsLesson 9Fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology: apatite and zircon for cooling histories, track annealing, effective temperature ranges, sample selectionIntroduces track and helium clock methods in apatite and zircon for cooling paths, track fading, gas escape, seal temps, picking good samples, spread in ages, and modelling uplift stories.
Spontaneous fission tracks and etching methodsTrack annealing, kinetics and partial zones(U-Th)/He diffusion and closure conceptsMineral selection and radiation damage effectsThermal history and exhumation modeling
