Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-tbj44 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-31T05:39:11.618Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Atmospheric Radiocarbon at the End of the Last Glacial: An Estimate Based on AMS Radiocarbon Dates on Terrestrial Macrofossils From Lake Sediments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Hugo Zbinden ,
Michael Andree ,
Hans Oeschger ,
Brigitta Ammann ,
Andre Lotter ,
Georges Bonani  and
Willy Wölfli
Hugo Zbinden
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Michael Andree
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Hans Oeschger
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Brigitta Ammann
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Andre Lotter
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Georges Bonani
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Willy Wölfli
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Switzerland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The main purpose of this work is to reconstruct the atmospheric Δ 14C in the glacial-postglacial transition, 14,000 – 10,000 BP, a range not covered by the tree-ring calibration curve. We measured 14C/12C ratios on series of terrestrial macrofossils from sediments of two Swiss lakes. We selected exclusively plant remains of recognizable terrestrial origin that are not affected by hard water and thus reflect atmospheric 14C concentration. Due to the scarcity of such material, we used accelerator mass spectroscopy. Cores of two lakes were measured to eliminate local effects and to check the reproducibility of results. This required a reliable, 14C-independent correlation of the cores, obtained through local pollen zone boundaries 14C ages were obtained as a function of the depth in the cores. If sedimentation rates are known ages can be converted into Δ 14C values. We also attempted estimating sedimentation rates; calculations are based on the Swedish varve chronology. Results were combined to form an entire data set. The Δ 14C curve shows an increase with time during the Allerød and decreases during Preboreal and Bølling periods. Probabilities for these 14C variations are discussed.

Information

Type
III. Global 14C Variations
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 31 , Issue 3: June 20-25, 1988 Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia , 1989 , pp. 795 - 804
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

Ammann, B, Oeschger, H, Andrée, M, Möll, M, Riesen, T, Siegenthaler, U, Tobolski, K, Bonani, B, Hofmann, H J, Morenzoni, E, Nessi, M, Suter, M, Wölfli, W, Züllig, H, Chaix, L, Hofmann, W, Elias, S A, Wilkinson, B and Eicher, U, 1985, Lobsigensee – Late-Glacial and Holocene environments of a lake on the central Swiss Plateau: Diss Bot, v 87, p 127–170.Google Scholar
Andrée, M (ms), 1984, Aufbereitung von milligrammgrossen Kohlenstoffproben für AMS 14C-Messungen: PhD dissert, Univ Bern. Google Scholar
Andrée, M, Oeschger, H, Broecker, W S, Beavan, N, Mix, A, Bonani, G, Hofmann, HJ, Morenzoni, E, Nessi, M, Suter, M and Wölfli, W, 1986a, AMS radiocarbon dates on foraminifera from deep sea sediments, in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2A, p 424–428.Google Scholar
Andrée, M, Oeschger, H, Siegenthaler, U, Riesen, T, Möll, M, Ammann, B and Tobolski, K, 1986b, 14C dating of plant macrofossils in lake sediment, in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2A, p 411–416.Google Scholar
Beer, J, Siegenthaler, U, Bonani, G, Finkel, R C, Oeschger, H, Suter, M and Wölfli, W, 1988, 10Be in the Camp Century ice core: Information on past solar activity and geomagnetism: Nature, v 331, no. 6158, p 675–679.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bonani, G, Hofmann, HJ, Morenzoni, E, Nessi, M, Suter, M and Wölfli, W, 1986, The ETH/SIN dating facility: A status report, in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2A, p 246–255.Google Scholar
Broecker, W S, Andrée, M, Wölfli, W, Oeschger, H, Bonani, G, Kenett, J and Peteet, D, 1987, The chronology of the last deglaciation: Implications to the cause of the Younger Dryas event: Paleoceanog, v 3, no. 1, p 1–19.Google Scholar
Broecker, W S and Peng, T H, 1986, Carbon cycle 1985: Glacial to interglacial changes in the operation of the global carbon cycle, in Stuiver, M and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2A, p 309–327.Google Scholar
Fromm, E, 1970, An estimation of errors in the Swedish varve chronology, in Olsson, I U, ed, Radiocarbon variations and absolute chronology, Nobel symposium, 12th: Stockholm, Almqvist & Wiksell, p 163–172.Google Scholar
Hammer, C U, Clausen, H B and Tauber, H, 1986, Ice-core dating of the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary applied to a calibration of the 14C time scale, in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2A, p 284–291.Google Scholar
Keir, R S, 1983, Reduction of thermohaline circulation during deglaciation: the effect on atmospheric radiocarbon and CO2 : Earth & Planetary Sci Letters, v 64, p 445–456.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lotter, A and Zbinden, H, 1989, Late-Glacial palyno-, 18O- and 14C-stratigraphy at Rotsee, central Swiss Plateau: Eclogae Geol Helv, v 82, no. 1, p 191–202.Google Scholar
Neftel, A, Oeschger, H, Staffelbach, T and Stauffer, B, 1988, CO2 record in the Byrd ice core 50,000–5,000 years bp: Nature, v 331, no. 6157, p 609–611.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siegenthaler, U, Eicher, U and Oeschger, H, 1984, Lake sediments as continental δ18O records from the Glacial/Postglacial transition: Ann Glaciol, v 5, p 149–152.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strömberg, B, 1985, Revision of the lateglacial Swedish varve chronology: Boreas, v 14, p 101–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stuiver, M, Kromer, B, Becker, B and Ferguson, C W, 1986, Radiocarbon age calibration back to 13,300 years BP and the 14C age matching of the German oak and US bristlecone pine chronologies, in Stuiver, M, and Kra, R S, eds, Internatl 14C conf, 12th, Proc: Radiocarbon, v 28, no. 2B, p 969–979.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M and Polach, H, 1977, Discussion: Reporting of 14C data: Radiocarbon, v 19, no. 3, p 355–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tauber, H, 1970, The Scandinavian varve chronology and 14C-dating, in Olsson, I U, ed, Radiocarbon variations and absolute chronology, Nobel symposium, 12th: Stockholm, Almqvist & Wiksell, p 173–196.Google Scholar
Wenk, Th and Siegenthaler, U, 1985, The high-latitude ocean as a control of atmospheric CO2 : Geophys Mono, v 32, p 185–194.Google Scholar