Radiocarbon dating of open systems with bomb effect

Journal Article · Mon Mar 10 00:00:00 EST 1986 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JB091iB03p03836· OSTI ID:5975039

McKay, C P; Long, A; Friedmann, E I

The application of radiocarbon dating is extended to include systems that are slowly exchanging carbon with the atmosphere. Simple formulae are derived that relate the true age and the exchange rate of carbon to the apparent radiocarbon age. A radiocarbon age determination does not give a unique true age and exchange rate but determines a locus of values bounded by a minimum age and a minimum exchange rate. It is found that for radiocarbon ages as large as 10,000 years it is necessary to correct for the anthropogenic radiocarbon produced in the atmosphere by nuclear weapons testing. A one-term exponential approximation, with an e-folding time of 14.43 years, is used to model this effect and is shown to be accurate to within 3% for exchange time constants of 100 years and greater. The approach developed here is not specific to radiocarbon and can be applied to other radioisotopes in open systems.

• Research Organization: Life Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California
• OSTI ID: 5975039
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Vol. 91:B3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ATMOSPHERIC EXPLOSIONS
ISOTOPE DATING
ERRORS
BIOSPHERE
CARBON 14
CARBON CYCLE
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
AGE ESTIMATION
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON ISOTOPES
ENVIRONMENT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPLOSIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
640202* - Atmospheric Physics- Effects of Nuclear Detonations