Circular Reasoning in Dating Methods

A Close Examination of Radiocarbon, Tree Rings, and Varves

Overview

Trees grow annual rings; and in lakes thin sediment layers called varves are deposited. Like radiocarbon, these are used as dating methods. It is claimed these methods agree with one another. But closer examination renders them questionable at best. The key to their misuse is circular reasoning, which only proves what is assumed to begin with. For instance, radiocarbon is calibrated against tree rings, but then the tree-ring master chronology is calibrated using radiocarbon. And varves are counted at one per year, but then the counts are corrected using the radiocarbon in organic debris found in the varves themselves. Thus there is no objective dating standard for these three methods. Instead, this forced agreement renders these dating methods totally unreliable. They cannot be used to discredit the Bible's timescale for earth's history.