<p><a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/s/416009/do-nuclear-decay-rates-depend-on-temperature/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Current consensus</a> says heat does not affect the rate of radioactive decay and if it does it is due to <a href="https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/400129/does-temperature-affect-nuclear-decay">time dilation</a>, the effect of whihc is very small. Thus the heating of meteorites as they enter Earth's atmosphere will not affect their radiometric dating.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-03-22T18:21:23.433Z
2020-03-22T18:21:23.433Z
Fred
<p>This may be more of an age-dating question. When a meteorite travels through the Earth's atmosphere, I assume that it gets really hot.  Is the temperature of reentry hot enough to affect the radiometric dating process? Does heat influence the quality of radiometric dates, or does the rock have to completely melt to &quot;reset to clock&quot;?</p>
<p>I have found similar questions on Earth Science:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/17965/how-can-radiometric-dating-of-meteorites-determine-the-age-of-the-earth-wouldn">How can radiometric dating of meteorites determine the age of the earth? Wouldn&#39;t this only determine the age of the decaying nuclide in each rock?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2830/why-is-earths-age-given-by-dating-meteorites-rather-than-its-own-rocks">Why is Earth&#39;s age given by dating meteorites rather than its own rocks?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2855/how-do-we-know-the-asteroids-formed-at-the-same-time-as-earth">How do we know the asteroids formed at the same time as earth?</a></li>
</ul>
<p>But those don't quite answer the question I have.</p>

<meteorite><dating><age>
Does the heat of reentry affect the reliability of radiometric dating of meteorites?
Inkenbrandt
# Does the heat of reentry affect the reliability of radiometric dating of meteorites?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-22)

This may be more of an age-dating question. When a meteorite travels through the Earth's atmosphere, I assume that it gets really hot. Is the temperature of reentry hot enough to affect the radiometric dating process? Does heat influence the quality of radiometric dates, or does the rock have to completely melt to "reset to clock"?

I have found similar questions on Earth Science:

* [How can radiometric dating of meteorites determine the age of the earth? Wouldn't this only determine the age of the decaying nuclide in each rock?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/17965/how-can-radiometric-dating-of-meteorites-determine-the-age-of-the-earth-wouldn)
* [Why is Earth's age given by dating meteorites rather than its own rocks?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2830/why-is-earths-age-given-by-dating-meteorites-rather-than-its-own-rocks)
* [How do we know the asteroids formed at the same time as earth?](https://earthscience.stackexchange.com/questions/2855/how-do-we-know-the-asteroids-formed-at-the-same-time-as-earth)

But those don't quite answer the question I have.

**Tags:** meteorite, dating, age


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-03-22. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

[Current consensus](https://www.technologyreview.com/s/416009/do-nuclear-decay-rates-depend-on-temperature/) says heat does not affect the rate of radioactive decay and if it does it is due to [time dilation](https://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/400129/does-temperature-affect-nuclear-decay), the effect of whihc is very small. Thus the heating of meteorites as they enter Earth's atmosphere will not affect their radiometric dating.


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