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RADIOCARBON AND ATMOSPHERIC 14CO2 PIONEER ATHOL RAFTER

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 October 2021

Jocelyn C Turnbull Open the ORCID record for Jocelyn C Turnbull [Opens in a new window] ,
Dave C Lowe ,
Martin R Manning Open the ORCID record for Martin R Manning [Opens in a new window]  and
Rodger Sparks
Jocelyn C Turnbull*
Affiliation:
Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory, GNS Science, 30 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt, New Zealand CIRES, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
Dave C Lowe
Affiliation:
LOWENZ, Wellington, New Zealand
Martin R Manning
Affiliation:
Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, NZ
Rodger Sparks
Affiliation:
Rafter Radiocarbon Laboratory, GNS Science, 30 Gracefield Rd, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
*
*Corresponding author. Email: j.turnbull@gns.cri.nz
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Abstract

Direct atmospheric 14CO2 measurements began in New Zealand in 1954, initially to improve 14C as a dating tool, but quickly evolving into a method for understanding the carbon cycle. These early 14CO2 measurements immediately demonstrated the existence of an “Atom Bomb Effect,” as well as an “Industrial Effect.” These two gigantic tracer experiments have been utilized via 14CO2 measurements over the years to produce a wealth of knowledge in multiple research fields including atmospheric carbon cycle research, oceanography, soil science, and aging of post-bomb materials.

Keywords

atmospherebomb effectRafterSuess effect

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Type
Review Article
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 64 , Issue 3: Seven Decades of Radiocarbon Dating: Remembering the Pioneers & Looking Towards the Future. Part 1 of 2 , June 2022 , pp. 435 - 443
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press for the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona

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References

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