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Methodological tests using Amazonian soil samples for 14C-AMS dating

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2025

Renata M Jou Open the ORCID record for Renata M Jou [Opens in a new window] ,
Kita D Macario Open the ORCID record for Kita D Macario [Opens in a new window] ,
Luiz C Pessenda ,
Fabiana B Gomes ,
Fabiana M Oliveira Open the ORCID record for Fabiana M Oliveira [Opens in a new window] ,
Renan Pedrosa ,
Eduardo Q Alves ,
Stewart Fallon ,
Leonardo J C Santos  and
Vanderlei Maniesi
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Renata M Jou*
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Fluminense Federal University - UFF, Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, BA, 40170-110, Brazil
Kita D Macario
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Fluminense Federal University - UFF, Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil Graduate Program in Geosciences (Geochemistry) of the Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, 24020-141, Brazil
Luiz C Pessenda
Affiliation:
Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo – CENA-USP, Av. Centenário, 303 - São Dimas, Piracicaba, SP, 13400-970, Brazil
Fabiana B Gomes
Affiliation:
Research Group Geosciences of the Federal University of Rondônia – UNIR, Av. Pres. Dutra, 2967 - Olaria, Porto Velho, RO, 76801-016, Brazil Rioterra Studies Center, R. Padre Chiquinho, 1651 - Centro, Porto Velho, RO, 76803-786, Brazil
Fabiana M Oliveira
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Fluminense Federal University - UFF, Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil Graduate Program in Chemistry of the Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, 24020-141, Brazil
Renan Pedrosa
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Fluminense Federal University - UFF, Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil Graduate Program in Geosciences (Geochemistry) of the Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, 24020-141, Brazil
Eduardo Q Alves
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Fluminense Federal University - UFF, Av. Gal. Milton Tavares de Souza, s/n, Niterói, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil Graduate Program in Geosciences (Geochemistry) of the Fluminense Federal University, Niterói, RJ, 24020-141, Brazil
Stewart Fallon
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, National University of Australia – ANU, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 0200, Australia
Leonardo J C Santos
Affiliation:
Federal University of Paraná - UFPR, Rua XV de Novembro, 1299 - Centro, Curitiba, PR, 80060-000, Brazil
Vanderlei Maniesi
Affiliation:
Research Group Geosciences of the Federal University of Rondônia – UNIR, Av. Pres. Dutra, 2967 - Olaria, Porto Velho, RO, 76801-016, Brazil
Alexis S Bastos
Affiliation:
Research Group Geosciences of the Federal University of Rondônia – UNIR, Av. Pres. Dutra, 2967 - Olaria, Porto Velho, RO, 76801-016, Brazil Rioterra Studies Center, R. Padre Chiquinho, 1651 - Centro, Porto Velho, RO, 76803-786, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Renata M Jou; Email: renatajou@gmail.com
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Abstract

Although radiocarbon-accelerator mass spectrometry (14C-AMS) is an important tool for the establishment of soil chronology, its application is challenging due to the complex nature of soil samples. In the present study, chemical extraction methodologies were tested to obtain the most representative age of Amazonian soil deposition by 14C-AMS. We performed acid hydrolysis with different numbers of extractions, as well as treatments combining acid and bases and quartered and non-quartered samples. The ages of the soil organic matter (SOM) fractions were compared to the ages of naturally buried charcoal samples at similar depths. The results showed that the age of the non-hydrolyzable inert fraction of soil was closer to the age of charcoal and older than the ages of humin. It was also observed that the quartering process can influence the results, since the dating of the humin fraction showed variability in the results. Our results are important to provide information about the most suitable method for the 14C-AMS dating of soil samples for paleoenvironment reconstruction studies.

Keywords

AMSBrazilchemical pretreatmentSOM fractionsSouth America

Information

Type
Conference Paper
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 68 , Issue 1: CLARa2 Proceedings of the 2nd Latin American Radiocarbon Conference , February 2026 , pp. 83 - 94
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of University of Arizona

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Footnotes

Selected Papers from the 2nd Latin American Radiocarbon Conference, Mexico City, 4–8 Sept. 2023

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