Directly dating geologic events: U‐Pb dating of carbonates

Abstract

Carbonates are ubiquitous, forming in a variety of settings including caves, soils, the oceans, during burial from hydrothermal fluids, and along faults. U‐Pb dating of carbonates is applicable to almost the entire geologic time scale, with results from Pleistocene speleothems showing great promise for dating records <1 Ma old. Here we review studies of U‐Pb dating of carbonates from a range of depositional and diagenetic environments and consider published results with regard to stratigraphic associations and the behavior of U and Pb in various fluids. We detail the steps required to select suitable samples, summarize current laboratory techniques, and provide directions for improvement of analytical protocols. The U‐Pb dating of carbonates has tremendous potential for dating events of geologic interest and is virtually untapped.