Why doesn’t radiometric dating of basalt on the ocean floor provide us with an absolute age for the planet earth?
select one:
a. new oceanic crust is produced every day
b. black smokers alter the rock so radiometric dating is ineffective
c. spreading rates at mid-oceanic ridges are variable
d. oceanic crust is recycled too frequently at subduction zones
e. mid-oceanic ridges move over time

Why doesn’t radiometric dating of basalt on the ocean floor provide us with an absolute age for the planet earth -

Oceanic crust is recycled too frequently at subduction zones,

Explanation:

The reason why radiometric dating of basalt don’t give the exact age of the sea floor because the oceanic crust is denser in nature and at the subduction zone this oceanic crust subducts under the light continental crust where it melts and thus recycling of oceanic crust takes place very frequently and hence it cannot be used for absolute dating of the oceanic crust and therefore the correct option is option ( d )  Oceanic crust is recycled too frequently at subduction zones .

answer biscay bay;