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 at K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar methods, suitable minerals and rocks like those in the Rift Valley, irradiation and step-heating processes, age spectra, excess and inherited argon problems, checking for alteration, and fitting age ranges from young basalts to old volcanic and metamorphic 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 in zircon and baddeleyite, including how U and Pb get into crystals, concordia diagrams, discordance causes, Pb loss, inheritance, correcting for common Pb, and uses for granitoids, mafic intrusions, and volcanic ash or tuff layers common in Kenya.
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 curvesExplains how paleomagnetism gives age control via polarity stratigraphy and secular variation. Covers sampling design, demagnetization steps, linking to geomagnetic polarity timescales, and combining with radiometric ages and stratigraphy for East African sequences.
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, isochronsIntroduces key ideas of radioisotopic dating, covering parent–daughter decay, half-life, decay constants, closure temperature, building isochrons, correcting initial daughter isotopes, and spotting open-system behaviour plus analytical 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 luminescence dating of quartz and feldspar in sediments, explaining trapped charge physics, measuring burial dose, sampling in total darkness, calculating dose rates, age limits, and tackling issues like signal saturation and anomalous fading in Kenyan sediments.
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 kaCovers radiocarbon production, decay, and measurement, suitable organic and inorganic materials, pretreatment steps, calibration curves, reservoir and hard-water effects, age range up to about 50 ka, and reading calibrated probability distributions.
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 common field and lab problems that skew ages, like contamination, reworking, diagenesis, inheritance, open-system behaviour, detector faults, and data processing errors, with practical tips for spotting, reducing, and quality-checking in Kenyan fieldwork.
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 biostratigraphyDiscusses planning multi-method dating approaches, picking main and backup chronometers, combining stratigraphic and biostratigraphic limits, sorting out conflicting ages, and creating solid chronologies with clear uncertainty estimates for local geology.
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 fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology in apatite and zircon, covering track formation, annealing, helium diffusion, closure temperatures, sample picking, age scatter, and modelling cooling histories and exhumation paths relevant to Kenya.
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
