Two simple algorithms are suggested here to correct for the effect of diffusion and diagenetic sulfate reduction on radiocarbon age determination of marine porewater. The correction algorithms were developed from mass balances of sulfate, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and 14C of the DIC (14CDIC) in vertical concentrations profiles in porewater starting from the sediment water interface. The algorithms were tested on data collected during our recent study of sediment porewaters extracted from the deep Eastern Mediterranean. The real ages of these porewaters varied from present (top of the core) to approximately 30 ka BP (bottom of the core) covering most of the dynamic range of the 14C method (approximately 5 half lives). These ages were markedly older than the ages calculated from 14CDIC analyses by the regular age equation.

It is clearly demonstrated that in this case the correction of the apparent age for diffusion across the sediment/water interface is overwhelmingly larger than the correction for the effect of sulfate reduction. The correction for the effect of 14C diffusion alone results in a perfect match between the calculated apparent 14C ages and the real ages of porewater and therefore is the preferred algorithm for correcting apparent ages of porewater.

Processing and measurement of 200 biomedical samples has provided an opportunity to better understand the characteristics of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) analysis of such samples. We have utilized established procedures (Vogel 1992) and developed new methods for handling various biological samples. We have included secondary standards of known isotope ratio for all assays. A method of determining maximum precision for each unknown sample value is also reported. The presented data are an update of the ongoing radiocarbon AMS biomedical program at Purdue University.

Saline groundwaters from the Israeli coastal aquifer were analyzed for their radiocarbon and tritium content to assess the rate of seawater penetration. The low 14C values (28–88 pMC versus 100–117 pMC in seawater) imply an apparent non-recent seawater source, or water-rock interactions along the penetration route. The latter process is supported by measurable tritium values at some locations, which imply a relatively rapid rate of seawater intrusion. In other locations, low tritium values (<2 T.U.) indicate that recent seawater (<50 yr) did not penetrate inland. The low δ13C values in saline groundwater (average of −5.3‰ versus 0‰ in seawater) indicate that the dissolved carbon pool is comprised of a significant fraction of organic carbon. A linear negative correlation between δ13C and 14C implies that this organic source is old (low 14C values).

We summarize the basic operation of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) systems used to measure radiocarbon and discuss the calculations used to convert AMS output to 14C data.

The spatial variation in radiocarbon concentration was studied in the Coastal Aquifer of Israel. Lower concentrations were found in the western section of the aquifer (55–70 pMC) as compared to the eastern section (80–100 pMC). Since no correlation was found between the tritium and radiocarbon values, these variations could not simply be explained by a difference in ages, or by a difference in the degree of old calcite dissolution as similar δ13C values were found throughout the aquifer. The results are best explained when viewing the differences in 14C values within the same coastal aquifer, where the eastern section of the aquifer is a more open system and the western section is a more closed system. In general, the age of the groundwater in the coastal aquifer was found to be less than 50 years old (14C >55 and measurable tritium).

For more than 15 years, the radiocarbon community has participated in a series of laboratory intercomparisons in response to the issue of comparability of measurements as perceived within the wider user communities (Scott et al. 1990; Rozanski et al. 1992; Gulliksen and Scott 1995; Scott et al. 1997). In this report, we provide an update on the current 14C laboratory intercomparison and reflect on future issues linked to the laboratory intercomparison program, not least those resulting from a significant growth in the number of accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facilities providing routine dating of small samples (milligram size).

We present a data model designed for laboratories in which many different methods are used. The main feature of the model is the recursive relationships of data records in the subsample table. This makes it possible to model all steps from the preparation of the sample to the final value and enables the raw data to be stored together with the final values, even if many preparation steps or many subsamples are involved. We show ways to adopt this basic model to laboratories with many years of data. The data model is extended to include laboratory records and attribute data, e.g. the geographical coordinates of the sampling site or links to the various projects for which the samples are used.

Radiocarbon and tritium analyses are used to show that the accepted conceptual hydrological model of the Yarkon-Taninim aquifer is untenable. The conventional model would have the groundwater flow in the carbonate Judea Group aquifer from the Beer Sheva region in the south to discharge at the Yarkon springs. Moreover, the conventional model considers the Judea Group aquifer to be a single hydrological entity. However, analysis of the Yarkon springs and surrounding wells demonstrate that it is stratified into upper and lower aquifers.

The water in the deeper aquifer is fresher, cooler and younger compared to the water in the overlying aquifer. The deeper aquifer water type is identical in composition to the Ca-Mg-HCO3 Judean Hills recharge water immediately to the east. It is this recharge water that is dominant at the Yarkon Springs. There appears to be no derived appreciable contribution of groundwater from the Beersheva region in the south. Thus the currently accepted hydrologic model is in need of serious revision. The present study introduces new and high quality groundwater resources to be target for exploitation.

We present prehistoric mercury accumulation rates in a dated sediment core from Lagoa da Pata, a remote lake in São Gabriel da Cachoeira, northern Amazon. The sediment samples were subdivided for mercury and radiocarbon analyses. A group of 18 samples have been prepared at ANU for 14C dating by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The dating results show a good correlation with depth in the core, down to 41,500 BP. Three distinct sections are clearly identified in the core. They consist of upper and lower organic-rich layers, separated by an inorganic layer which represents a short period of rapid accumulation around 18 ka BP. The mercury accumulation rate is found to be larger in the upper layer (18 ka to present) than in the lower one (41 ka to 25 ka), by a factor of three. The larger accumulation rate of mercury is probably associated with warmer temperatures and a higher frequency of forest fires during the Holocene.

Accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating of the late glacial section of laminated sediments from Lake Gościąż and Lake Perespilno, Poland, performed with time resolution of 20–30 years suggests quasi-periodic oscillations of δ14C. The regularity of oscillations has been checked by the Maximum Entropy and Fast Fourier Transform methods (MEM and FFT), which revealed peaks at 200 and 230 yr. These periods are similar to those found in the high-precision Holocene δ14C record, and attributed to the changing sun. The analytical assessment of the significance of the FFT and MEM peaks is problematic because of non-uniform spacing and various uncertainties in the input data. The significance of the peaks has therefore been studied by the Monte-Carlo method. Because the original data were approximated with a spline function, the amplitude of the MEM and FFT peaks depends on the stiffness of the spline, which is strongly related to the “real” uncertainty of 14C ages. The Monte-Carlo experiments demonstrate that the significance levels of the MEM and FFT peaks also depend on the spline stiffness. Therefore, the existence of solar 14C variations in the Late Glacial remains an open question.

Eleven samples of aquatic plants from three Estonian lakes were analyzed for their radiocarbon content in a collaboration between the laboratories in Tallinn and Uppsala. δ13C values for the actual species were compiled to allow normalization of activities measured in Tallinn without δ13C values. The range for well determined species is usually a few per mil and the statistical uncertainty ≥1‰. δ13C values vary considerably for different Potamogéton species and Myriophýllum spp. Lake Äntu Sinijärv and Lake Päidre are hard-water lakes containing 300 and 200 mg HCO3–/L, respectively. One sample consisted of a carbonate crust deposited on a Ceratophýllum demersum plant in L. Äntu Sinijärv. Its Δ14C value was −147.3 ± 6.7‰ in 1990, whereas the plant had a value of −74.1 ± 8.0‰ (δ13C = −35.0‰). The same species in L. Päidre had a Δ14C value of +8.0 ± 8.8‰ (δ13C = −25.2‰) in 1992. Other species in L. Päidre contained more 14C, from a Δ14C value of about +30‰ to about +155‰, the latter value measured in Tallinn on floating leaves of Nuphar lútea, close to that of the contemporaneous atmospheric CO2. In the third lake, Lake Punso, containing ≤30 mg HCO3–/L, the stems of Nuphar lútea exhibited in 1990 a memory effect: the activity, Δ14C = 209.6 ± 10.3‰, significantly exceeded that of the contemporaneous atmospheric CO2. However, the floating leaves of the same plant had the Δ14C value 143.1 ± 10.0‰, close to the atmospheric 14C level in 1990. The memory is explained by nutrients stored in the root stock, used when the growth starts.

A heuristic approach, nicknamed “transition dating,” was used to date sequences of early Iron Age contexts using a series of 14C determinations. The basic principles of transition dating are simple and intuitive: 1) attempt to date transitions between periods, phases, etc. rather than the phases themselves, and 2) the most plausible date for that transition is one that is later than the dates from contexts preceding it, and is still earlier than the dates succeeding it. Hypotheses regarding the actual date of each transition may be evaluated using an appropriate loss function. These loss functions can also be adjusted or weighted by the user to account differentially for the various factors causing the distortion or “fuzz” in the dates.

This paper highlights some of the main developments to the radiocarbon calibration program, OxCal. In addition to many cosmetic changes, the latest version of OxCal uses some different algorithms for the treatment of multiple phases. The theoretical framework behind these is discussed and some model calculations demonstrated. Significant changes have also been made to the sampling algorithms used which improve the convergence of the Bayesian analysis. The convergence itself is also reported in a more comprehensive way so that problems can be traced to specific parts of the model. The use of convergence data, and other techniques for testing the implications of particular models, are described.

The source of endogenic organic and inorganic carbon in lacustrine sediments is the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the lake water. The relation between the radiocarbon levels of DIC in Lake Kinneret and of CO2 in the atmosphere has been investigated. The ratio of the former to the latter was found to be 0.814 ± 0.013. This ratio is used for calibrating the age of the sediment according to the natural fluctuations in the atmospheric levels of 14C that occurred during the past 10,000 years.

Nowadays, there is a large number of time series of natural data to study geophysical and astrophysical phenomena and their characteristics. However, short length and data gaps pose a substantial problem for obtaining results on properties of the underlying physical phenomena with existing algorithms. Using only an equidistant subset of the data with coarse steps leads to loss of information. We present a method to recover missing data in time series. The approach is based on modeling the time series with manifolds of small dimension, and it is implemented with the help of neural networks. We applied this approach to real data on cosmogenic isotopes, demonstrating that it could successfully repair gaps where data was purposely left out. Multi-fractal analysis was applied to a true radiocarbon time series after recovering missing data.

This work is a study of changes of the radiocarbon concentration in the youngest part of Lake Gościąż sediments in the calendar time scale during the last 150 years. This period includes the time of the nuclear weapons tests performed in the upper atmosphere in the 1950s and the 1960s, which caused large release of 14C and 137Cs into the environment. On the basis of this study, the isotope dilution factor for 14C and the exchange time of carbon between the atmosphere and Lake Gościąż was estimated. The chronology of the upper part of the sediments was constructed using many interdisciplinary investigations. Among them, measurements of 137Cs in the sediment were used. An unexpected discrepancy between the previously constructed time scale and that suggested by 137Cs is observed in one of the cases.

The probabilistic radiocarbon calibration approach, which largely has replaced the intercept method in 14C dating, is based on the so-called Bayes' theorem (Bayes 1763). Besides single-sample calibration, Bayesian mathematics also supplies tools for combining 14C results of many samples with independent archaeological information such as typology or stratigraphy (Buck et al. 1996). However, specific assumptions in the “prior probabilities”, used to transform the archaeological information into mathematical probability distributions, may bias the results (Steier and Rom 2000). A general technique for guarding against such a bias is “sensitivity analysis”, in which a range of possible prior probabilities is tested. Only results that prove robust in this analysis should be used. We demonstrate the impact of this method for an assumed, yet realistic case of stratigraphically ordered samples from the Hallstatt period, i.e. the Early Iron Age in Central Europe.

Radiocarbon measured in seawater dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) can be used to investigate ocean circulation, atmosphere/ocean carbon flux, and provide powerful constraints for the fine-tuning of general circulation models (GCMs). Time series of 14C in seawater are derived most frequently from annual bands of hermatypic corals. However, this proxy is unavailable in temperate and polar oceans. Fish otoliths, calcium carbonate auditory, and gravity receptors in the membranous labyrinths of teleost fishes, can act as proxies for 14C in most oceans and at most depths. Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths are suited to this application due to the well-defined distribution of this species in the Barents Sea, the ability to determine ages of individual Arcto-Norwegian cod with a high level of accuracy, and the availability of archived otoliths collected for fisheries research over the past 60 years. Using measurements of 14C derived from Arcto-Norwegian cod otoliths, we present the first pre- and post-bomb time series (1919–1992) of 14C from polar seas and consider the significance of these data in relation to ocean circulation and atmosphere/ocean flux of 14C. The data provide evidence for a minor Suess effect of only 0.2‰ per year between 1919 and 1950. Bomb 14C was evident in the Barents Sea as early as 1957 and the highest 14C value was measured in an otolith core from a cod with a birth date of 1967. The otolith 14C data display key features common to records of 14C obtained from a Georges Bank mollusc and corals from the tropical and subtropical North Atlantic.

This paper covers three different methods of matching radiocarbon dates to the ‘wiggles’ of the calibration curve in those situations where the age difference between the 14C dates is known. These methods are most often applied to tree-ring sequences. The simplest approach is to use a classical Chi-squared fit of the 14C data to the 14C curve. This gives the calendar date where the data fit best and allows tests of how good the fit is. The only drawback of this method is that it is difficult to ascertain the uncertainty in the date found in this way. An extension of this technique uses a Monte-Carlo simulation to sample possible 14C concentrations consistent with the measurement made and for each of these possibilities performs a Chi-squared fit. This method yields a distribution of values in the calendrical time-scale, from which the overall dating uncertainty can be derived. A third, rather different approach, based on Bayesian statistics, calculates the relative likelihood of each possible calendar year fit. This can then be used to calculate a range of most likely dates in a similar way to the probability method of 14C calibration. The theories underlying all three methods are discussed in this paper and a comparison made for the fitting of specific model sequences. All three methods are found to give consistent results and the application of any one of them depends on the nature of the scientific question being addressed.

Radiocarbon measurements in seawater samples taken at six stations in the southwestern North Pacific visited during the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 1997 Pacific Ocean Expedition were carried out at the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). Three stations were located close to GEOSECS stations, and three were in the vicinity of Bikini and Enewetak Atolls, which may be influenced by former nuclear weapons testing. Compared with the GEOSECS data (1973), our results show an increase of 14C in intermediate waters. Furthermore, it is estimated that bomb-produced 14C inventories in the water column have increased by more than 20% during the last 24 years. However, vertical profiles of Δ14C at the stations near Bikini and Enewetak Atolls show a similar general trend to those found in other stations.