Recent advances in radioisotope geochronology for quaternary environmental and paleoclimate reconstruction.

Reliable chronological frameworks are fundamental for reconstructing Quaternary environmental change, paleoclimate evolution, landscape development, and human history. Recent advances in radioisotope geochronology have substantially improved the accuracy, precision, and temporal resolution of dating across diverse geological and environmental archives. This review synthesizes developments in major Quaternary dating methods radiocarbon (14C), lead-210 (210 Pb), cesium-137 (137Cs), uranium-series, potassium-argon (K-Ar), argon-argon (40Ar/39Ar), and cosmogenic radionuclide techniques (10Be, 26Al, 36Cl, 81Kr) and highlights emerging analytical technologies including accelerator mass spectrometry, multi-collector ICP-MS, atom trap trace analysis, Bayesian age-depth modelling, and integrated multi-proxy approaches. Applications spanning terrestrial, marine, lacustrine, archaeological, and glacial settings demonstrate the value of combining complementary methods to build robust chronologies for sedimentation, tectonics, landscape evolution, paleoclimate reconstruction, and groundwater studies. Improvements in calibration datasets, uncertainty quantification, computational modelling, and high-resolution analytics have expanded the applicability of radioisotope geochronology to more complex systems. Persistent challenges contamination, open-system behaviour, reservoir effects, inheritance, and post-depositional alteration necessitate rigorous sample selection and methodological validation. We recommend prioritizing standardized analytical protocols, enhanced calibration frameworks, interdisciplinary integration, and adoption of machine-learning-assisted chronological modelling to further improve precision and reproducibility. Continued innovation in radioisotope geochronology promises more reliable chronological frameworks for investigating Quaternary environmental change and for reconstructing Earth's climatic, geological, and ecological conservation.