Carbon-14 time scale extended: comparison of chronologies
Thermal diffusion isotopic enrichment of carbon-14 has extended the radiocarbon dating range to about 75,000 years ago. Twenty-eight samples obtained up to June 1976, mainly from northwest Europe, were dated. Consideration of the basic assumptions of carbon-14 dating and of the sources of contamination indicates that the ages are generally reliable. Together with the pollen analytic and stratigraphic evidence, the dates yield a more detailed radiocarbon time scale for climatic variations in northwest Europe, showing three early glacial interstades. The radiocarbon time scale agrees with the Camp Century chronology and with the thorium-230 ages of corals representing high sea level stands on New Guinea. There is a discrepancy between the radiocarbon time scale and the deep-sea chronology, which may be due to correlation errors. With a modified interpretation of the correlation, all four time scales agree within the estimated experimental uncertainties of the dating techniques used.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Groningen, Netherlands
- OSTI ID:
- 6934895
- Journal Information:
- Science; (United States), Journal Name: Science; (United States) Vol. 200:4337; ISSN SCIEA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
400700* -- Radiochemistry & Nuclear Chemistry
ACTINIDE ISOTOPES
ACTINIDE NUCLEI
AGE ESTIMATION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CARBON 14
CARBON ISOTOPES
CLIMATES
CNIDARIA
CORALS
EUROPE
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GLACIERS
HEAVY NUCLEI
INVERTEBRATES
ISOTOPE DATING
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
THORIUM 230
THORIUM ISOTOPES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES