Calibrating a long-term meteoric10Be accumulation rate in soil

Reusser, L., Graly, J., Bierman, P. and Rood, D.H. (2010) Calibrating a long-term meteoric10Be accumulation rate in soil. Geophysical Research Letters, 37(19), L19403. (doi: 10.1029/2010GL044751)

Abstract

[1] Using 13 samples collected from a 4.1 meter profile in a well-dated and stable New Zealand fluvial terrace, we present the first long-term accumulation rate for meteoric 10Be in soil (1.68 to 1.72 × 106 at/(cm2·yr)) integrated over the past ∼18 ka. Site-specific accumulation data, such as these, are prerequisite to the application of meteoric 10Be in surface process studies. Our data begin the process of calibrating long-term meteoric 10Be delivery rates across latitude and precipitation gradients. Our integrated rate is lower than contemporary meteoric 10Be fluxes measured in New Zealand rainfall, suggesting that long-term average precipitation, dust flux, or both, at this site were less than modern values. With accurately calibrated long-term delivery rates, such as this, meteoric 10Be will be a powerful tool for studying rates of landscape change in environments where other cosmogenic nuclides, such as in situ 10Be, cannot be used.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Rood, Dr Dylan
• Authors: Reusser, L., Graly, J., Bierman, P., and Rood, D.H.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: Geophysical Research Letters
• ISSN: 0094-8276
• Published Online: 15 October 2010