| Method | Useful Range (Years Ago) | Materials Needed |
|---|---|---|
| RADIOISOTOPIC | ||
| Carbon-14 | 35,000 | Wood, shell |
| Uranium/thorium | 10,000–350,000 | Carbonate (corals) |
| Thermoluminescence (TL) | 30,000–300,000 | Quartz silt |
| Optically stimulated luminescence | 0–300,000 | Quartz silt |
| COSMOGENIC | ||
| In situ beryllium-10, aluminum-26 | 3–4 million | Quartz |
| Helium, neon | Unlimited | Olivine, quartz |
| Chlorine-36 | 0–4 million | Quartz |
| CHEMICAL | ||
| Tephrochronology | 0–several million | Volcanic ash |
| PALEOMAGNETIC | ||
| Identification of reversals | >700,000 | Fine sediments, volcanic lava flows |
| Secular variations | 0–700,000 | Fine sediments |
| BIOLOGICAL | ||
| Dendrochronology (tree rings) | 10,000 | Wood |
| Source: D. W. Burbank and R. S. Anderson, Tectonic Geomorphology. Oxford: Blackwell, 2001, p. 39. | ||