Fission track dating is based on the microscopic observation and
counting of etchable tracks left by the spontaneous fission of uranium
in minerals. Since its development in 1963 the method attracted a
steadily growing interest from geologists and geochronologists
throughout the world. Apart from its relative experimental ease the
success must be mainly ascribed to the specific ability of the method of
unravelling the thermal and tectonic history of rocks, a potential which
only became fully exploited during the last decade with the systematic
introduction of track size analysis.
The present work is the first one to deal entirely with fission track
dating covering all of its aspects from the origin of the fission
tracks, the basis of track etching and fading, the various dating
techniques as well as practical procedures and the geologic
interpretation to the most recent applications in geology and
archaeology.