Paul Renne

Director, Berkeley Geochronology Center; professor at UC Berkeley

Appears in 1 story

Born: 1957

Education: University of California, Berkeley

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

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Pompeii eruption gives scientists a sharper clock for Earth's past

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As of October 2026: Lead author of the Science Advances study

A team of geochronologists used the historically documented eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE to sharpen argon-argon dating, one of geology's most versatile clocks. The method now dates the eruption to within 13 years of the day Pliny the Younger recorded nearly 2,000 years ago.

Updated Oct 2