Sedimentary rocks are typically dated indirectly, by comparing the fossil content of basins with the geological timescale. In this study, we employed an absolute dating approach to date 19\,Myr old sediments in the Paris Basin, using uranium–lead dating of calcite nodules associated with soil formation. The precision of our new ages enable more accurate comparisons (independent of their fossil contents) between the Paris Basin and other basins of similar age.

We use a method called cosmogenic nuclide dating on bedrock surfaces and moraine boulders to determine the relative length of time an alpine glacier was larger or smaller than its current extent over the past 15 000 years. We also discuss several important limitations to this method. This method gives information on the duration of past ice advances and is useful in areas without other materials that can be dated.