The characterization of late Holocene climates in northern Australia has, in the past, been based on local investigations. This examination of the chenier record of northern Australia indicates that there has been a statistically significant regional change in conditions between 1600–2800 years bp, possibly a period of relative aridity. Support for this conclusion may be found in the vegetation record from the Atherton Tableland where numerical comparisons of dryland fossil and modern pollen spectra suggest that rainfall may have been up to 50% higher during the period 7000 to 3000 bp.

Radiocarbon age anomalies, resulting from ingestion of old carbonate, were measured in shell carbonate of live-collected snails from arid and semi-arid areas of Israel and the West Bank. The age anomalies were found to be similar to those in land snails from other climatic regions and averaged ca 1600 yr in Trochoidea seetzeni, 2200 yr in Sphincterochila spp, 800 yr in Levantina sp, and 1700 yr in coastal dune species. The differences are associated with ecological differences among taxa. The uncertainties of the age anomalies average several hundred years within each group. This renders radiocarbon dates of late Holecene snails relatively imprecise, whereas it has almost no effect on the age uncertainties of relatively old samples (ie, those with large errors of measurement). Procedures for correction for fractionation are discussed.

An international review of liquid scintillation low-level counting procedures and instrumentation made it possible to assess in detail those elements which lead to high-precision liquid scintillation radiocarbon dating with a Figure of Merit of 32,000. Current research is documented and future possibilities are alluded to.

Results of the 14C measurements in atmospheric CO2 in the first half of 1986 are presented. CO2 samples were systematically collected in Krakow in two-week cycles and, after conversion to benzene, measured in a liquid scintillation spectrometer. 14C activity and 13C/12C ratio are reported as δ14C and δ13CPDB, respectively. For about three weeks after April 26, 1986 (the Chernobyl accident) an increase of ∼9% above the normal level for Krakow was observed. A rough estimate of the 14C release to the lower atmosphere during the accident gave a value 900 Ci, which is ∼1.8 × 10−5 of the total activity released to the atmosphere.

When single species of foraminifera picked from marine sediments are 14C dated with Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS), bioturbation puts limits on the minimal sample size to be used, as uncertainty is added to the result by statistics of the picking process. The model presented here simulates the additional statistical uncertainty introduced into the measurement by the coupling of bioturbation and small sample amounts. As there is no general solution for this problem, we present two simple cases only. The model can also be used to simulate more complicated situations occurring in sediments.

Results are presented of a study of counter performance and vial characteristics for three liquid scintillation counters used at the SMU Radiocarbon Laboratory: the Intertechnique LS20, Packard Tri-Carb 460C, and LKB Wallac Rack Beta 1217. Modifications to photomultiplier tube high voltage, pre-amplifier gain, energy window settings, counting vial design, and sample holder design have resulted in reduced background, higher counting efficiency, and greater long-term stability for the Intertechnique and Packard counters. Square quartz counting vials are used in the Intertechnique and Packard counters with excellent results. Use of Teflon vials in the LKB counter requires careful cleaning procedures and long counting times.

The following list consists of dates, obtained by liquid scintillation counting of benzene, for archaeologic samples mostly measured from June 1985 to June 1986.

The levels and sources of the measurement background in an AMS 14C dating system have been studied in detail. The relative contributions to the total background from combustion, graphitization, storage, handling, and from the accelerator were determined by measuring the C concentrations in samples of anthracite coal ranging in size from 15μg to 20mg. The results show that, for the present system, the uncertainty in the background is greater than that due to measurement precision alone for very old or for very small samples. While samples containing 100μg of carbon can yield useful 14C dates throughout the Holocene, 200 to 500μg are required for dating late Pleistocene materials. With the identification of the procedures that introduce contamination, the level and uncertainty of the total system background should both be reducible to the point that 100μg of carbon would be sufficient for dating most materials.

The measurements reported here are a continuation of tropospheric radiocarbon measurements in carbon dioxide carried out since 1961 at our China Lake, California collection facility. The data show a continued decrease in radiocarbon activity from ca 330‰ in 1977 to 215‰ in 1983 in agreement with similar analyses in Europe for the same time interval.

An assessment of the contamination contribution of various sample preparation procedures used at the Isotrace Radiocarbon Facility, University of Toronto, is described. Samples of geologic material, millions of years old, or samples derived therefrom, were tested because these would presumably contain only dead carbon. Results showed, however, that 14C contamination could be detected in several samples, complicating the contamination assessment. Best estimates of the contamination contribution from sample preparation were reported as: cracking: <0.17% modern, acetylene synthesis: <0.25% modern, combustion: <0.39% modern, and handling: <0.54% modern. These estimates were reported as upper limits because they likely represented 14C derived from two sources: sample preparation and the sample itself.

This list contains the results of 14C determinations obtained at the laboratory in 1985. ∗δ13C values are estimated (Stuiver & Polach, 1977).

Bone would seem to be an ideal material for 14C dating because this calcified tissue contains 20 weight per cent protein. Fossil bone, however, can lose most of its original organic matter and frequently contains contaminants having different 14C ages. Numerous 14C dates on bone have been available to archaeologists and geologists but many age determinations have been inaccurate despite over 30 years of research in the field following the first 14C age determinations on bone (Arnold & Libby, 1951). This situation remained unchanged until simple pretreatments were abandoned and more bone-specific fractions were isolated. The ideal solution is to use accelerator mass spectrometer 14C dating, which facilitates the use of milligram-sized amounts of highly purified compounds—an approach impossible to pursue using conventional 14C decay-counting methods.

Four different bone collagen preparation procedures were compared and were found useful as a means of assessing the nature of contaminants present in a sample. Weathered bone however appeared to contain contaminants that could not be eliminated by any of the procedures studied.

A technique for 14C measurement of small volume (0.5L) oceanic water samples by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) is described. Samples were taken from a CTD/rosette system used for standard hydrographic work. After CO2 extraction and target preparation, the samples were measured at the Zürich tandem accelerator facility. On the basis of 14C data from samples collected on a station in the northern Weddell Sea, the precision of the measurements is estimated to ca ±8‰. The error in the present AMS results is dominated by the statistical error in 14C detection. From results of duplicate targets, it is concluded that a precision of ±5° can be reached. The 14C data are discussed in relation to the Weddell Sea hydrography.

The dates presented in this list were determined between June 1974 and October 1983. They relate to projects in North America and in Algeria. Dates with numbers prior to SMU-500 have generally no correction for fractionation. Following this initial series of dates an increasing number of δ13C/12C measurements were made by an outside laboratory, especially if the submitter requested a fractionation correction or if the sample was of carbonate or bone.

The vertical profile of radiocarbon at (30° N, 170° E) measured in 1980 was compared with the GEOSECS data measured in 1973. 14C was extracted from 200L of sea water, converted to C2H2, and analyzed with a gas proportional counter. Our profile and that of GEOSECS were in good agreement below 700m depth without systematic deviation of Δ14C values between both measurements. On the other hand, a Δ14C increase was observed above 700m depth, reflecting the transient addition, in 6.6 years, of bomb 14C to the intermediate layer from the atmosphere.

Results presented below were obtained by the Radiocarbon Laboratory of Tbilisi State University from 1976 to 1983. Throughout that period dates were determined not only for archaeologic samples but also for samples of mineral waters, soil humus, and geologic origin. Georgian wines of 1909–1975 were also analyzed but the results obtained are not discussed in this paper as they were published elsewhere (Burchuladze et al, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982).

Most of the 14C measurements reported here were made between October 1985 and October 1986. Equipment, measurement, and treatment of samples are as reported previously (R, 1968, v 10, p 36–37; 1976, v 18, p 290; 1980, v 22, p 1045; 1986, v 28, no. 3, p 1111).

The radiocarbon dating laboratory at Waikato was established in 1975, primarily as a research tool in the fields of geomorphology, volcanology, tephrostratigraphy, coastal studies, and paleolimnology, to cope with the increasing supply of late Quaternary lake sediment, wood, peat, and shell samples submitted by University staff and postgraduate students undertaking research in the North Island of New Zealand. The method employed is scintillation counting of benzene using the procedures and vacuum systems designed by H A Polach for the Australian National University (ANU) Radiocarbon Dating Research Laboratory (Hogg, 1982). This date list reports on samples submitted by University of Waikato researchers and assayed in the Waikato laboratory mainly between 1979 and 1985. Other dates on material submitted by individuals working in other organizations in New Zealand, and overseas, are to be reported later.

Samples processed since the last list was published (R, 1978, v 20, no. 3, p 192–199) are reported here. The dates were obtained by liquid scintillation counting of benzene, using laboratory procedures outlined in previous articles (R, 1976, v 18, no. 2, p 151–160; R, 1977, v 19, no. 3, p 383–388).