Radiocarbon dating in estuarine environments

Olsen, J., Ascough, P. , Lougheed, B. C. and Rasmussen, P. (2017) Radiocarbon dating in estuarine environments. In: Weckström, K., Saunders, K. M., Gell, P. A. and Skilbeck, C. G. (eds.) Applications of Paleoenvironmental Techniques in Estuarine Studies. Series: Developments in paleoenvironmental research (20). Springer: Dordrecht, pp. 141-170. ISBN 9789402409888 (doi: 10.1007/978-94-024-0990-1_7)

Abstract

Radiocarbon (14C) is a radioactive cosmogenic isotope continuously produced in the upper atmosphere where it rapidly oxidises to 14CO2. As 14CO2, 14C enters the global carbon cycle and is incorporated into living organisms which can be radiocarbon dated following death. Radiocarbon is among the most common radiometric methods used to provide age estimates some 40–50,000 years back in time. Here, a review of the radiocarbon method covering commonly encountered problems in estuarine environments is given. Emphasis will be on methodological procedures concerning how to estimate the 14C reservoir age in these environments, including how reliably error estimates can be calculated. Subsequently, three case studies are presented, providing a short overview of investigations of 14C reservoir age variability in estuarine environments.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ascough, Dr Philippa
• Authors: Olsen, J., Ascough, P., Lougheed, B. C., and Rasmussen, P.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1571-5299
• ISBN: 9789402409888