Radiocarbon in annual coral rings from the eastern tropical Pacific ocean

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981 · Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/GL008i001p00059· OSTI ID:6805174

Druffel, E M

Sixty radiocarbon measurements were performed on aragonite from annually banded corals collected from three sites in the Galapagos Islands. Preanthropogenic ..delta../sup 14/C values of coral that grew around A.D. 1930 averaged -70%/sub 0/. This is substantially lower than average values previously reported (-51%/sub 0/) for corals from Florida and Belize in the western North Atlantic Ocean. A decrease of 6% was noticed in coral that grew from 1930 to 1954. This decrease could be interpreted as a Suess effect in surface ocean water. The 100%/sub 0/ increase in ..delta../sup 14/C for coral that grew from 1954 to 1973 is the result of bomb-produced /sup 14/C that was introduced to the surface ocean waters. The /sup 14/C levels in corals that grew during El Nino years were considerably higher than those for normal years. These higher values are attributed to the absence of upwelling at the equator during El Nino events.

• Research Organization: Department of Chemistry, University of California, San Diego La Jolla, California 92093
• OSTI ID: 6805174
• Journal Information: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Geophys. Res. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 8:1; ISSN GPRLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580500* -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CNIDARIA
CORALS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EXPLOSIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
NUCLEI
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
RADIOISOTOPES
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES