Hornblende which occurs in igneous and metamorphic rocks is well suited for age determination by the fission track method. The tracks which are readily etched in hydrofluoric acid are annealed in 1 hr at 530° C. Extrapolation of the experimentally determined temperatures suggest that a temperature of 200° C for one m.y. will erase all the tracks present before the heating. Fission track ages of hornblende agree with the main orogenic metamorphic cycles.
