In a study published today (Sept. 25) in the journal Science Advances, scientists from the Berkeley Geochronology Center, UC Berkeley and the University of Padua in Italy report that argon-argon dating calibrated with the inferred date of the eruption — Aug. 24, 79 C.E. — is now significantly more precise, making it one of the most versatile dating methods available.
“If you want to put together the eruptive history of a volcano in relatively recent time, precision and accuracy really count,” said study leader Paul Renne, a Berkeley professor in residence of earth and planetary science and director of the independent Berkeley Geochronology Center. “The study shows that you can achieve that kind of highly useful precision and accuracy into the historical realm.”