This volume provides an overview of (1) the physical and chemical foundations of dating methods and (2) the applications of dating methods in the geological sciences, biology, and archaeology, in almost 200 articles from over 200 international authors. It will serve as the most comprehensive treatise on widely accepted dating methods in the earth sciences and related fields. No other volume has a similar scope, in terms of methods and applications and particularly time range. Dating methods are used to determine the timing and rate of various processes, such as sedimentation (terrestrial and marine), tectonics, volcanism, geomorphological change, cooling rates, crystallization, fluid flow, glaciation, climate change and evolution. The volume includes applications in terrestrial and extraterrestrial settings, the burgeoning field of molecular-clock dating and topics in the intersection of earth sciences with forensics. The content covers a broad range of techniques and applications. All major accepted dating techniques are included, as well as all major datable materials.

William Jack Rink is Professor of Earth Sciences at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He has a B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geology from Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. His research encompasses both fundamental studies of radiation exposure dating methods and applications of electron spin resonance, uranium series dating, and luminescence dating of archaeological sites in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America, and geochronology of near-shore and ancient coastal geomorphologic features. He was elected to the New York City Explorer's Club in 2005.

Jeroen W. Thompson is Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences at McMaster University. He holds a B.Sc. in Physics and a B.Sc. in Anthropology (Michigan State University), as well as a M.Sc. in Physics (University of Connecticut) and a Ph.D. in Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences (McMaster University). His research is highly interdisciplinary, including diverse applications of radiation dosimetry and detection that span laboratory and field work. In particular, he has applied electron paramagnetic resonance and optically-stimulated luminescence dosimetry both forensic dosimetry and geochronology. He is currently a research management consultant, with specific focus on radiation and environmental sciences.