Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 10.1 Various estimates of the age of the Earth derived by the
sediment accumulation method.
Maximum
sediment
thickness
[
a
including
Precambrian]
(in feet)
Age of the
Earth [
c
or time
since start of
Cambrian]
(millions of
years)
Rate in years
for depositing
[
b
or eroding]
one foot of
sediment
Date
Authority
1860
J. Phillips
72,000
1,332
54 (38-96)
1869
T. H. Huxley
100,000
1,000
100
1871
S. Haughton
177,200
8616
1,526
1878
S. Haughton
177,200
-
200
1880
A. R. Wallace
177,200
158
28
1883
A. Winchell
-
-
3
6,000
b
1889
J. Croll
12,000
72
1890
A. De
Lapparent
150,000
600
90
1892
A. R. Wallace
177,200
158
28
1892
A. Geikie
100,000
730-6,800
73-680
1893
W. J. McGee
264,000
6,000
1,584
1893
W. Upham
264,000
316
100
1893
C. D. Walcott
-
-
45-70
3,000
b
95
c
1893
T. M. Reade
31,680
1895
W. J. Sollas
164,000
100
17
704
c
1897
J. G.
Goodchild
-
-
1897
J. J. Sederholm -
-
35-40
1899
A. Geikie
-
-
100
1900
W. J. Sollas
265,000
100
26.5
335,800
a
1909
W. J. Sollas
100
80
1909
J. Joly
265,000
300
80
1914
J. Joly
-
-
87
