The radiocarbon ages of dendrochronologically dated wood spanning the AD 1950–6000 BC interval are now available for Seattle (10-yr samples, Stuiver & Becker 1993) and Belfast (20-yr samples, Pearson, Becker & Qua 1993; Pearson & Qua 1993). The results of both laboratories were previously combined to generate a bidecadal calibration curve spanning nearly 4500 years (Stuiver & Pearson 1986; Pearson & Stuiver 1986). We now find that minor corrections must be applied to the published data sets, and therefore, give new bidecadal radiocarbon age information for 2500–6000 BC, as well as corrected radiocarbon age averages for AD 1950–500 BC. Corrected average 14C ages for the 500–2500 BC interval are given separately (Pearson & Stuiver 1993). The Seattle corrections (in the 10–30 14C-yr range) are discussed in Stuiver and Becker (1993), whereas Pearson and Qua (1993) provide information on Belfast corrections (averaging 16 yr). All dates reported here are conventional radiocarbon dates, as defined in Stuiver and Polach (1977). Belfast 14C ages back to 5210 BC were obtained on wood from the Irish oak chronology (Pearson et al. 1986). Wood from the German oak chronology (Becker 1993) was used by Belfast for the 5000–6000 BC interval. For the overlapping interval (5000–5210 BC), Belfast reports weighted Irish wood/German wood 14C age averages. The Seattle 14C ages for the AD interval were either on Douglas fir wood from the US Pacific Northwest, or Sequoia wood from California (Stuiver 1982). The BC materials measured in Seattle were mostly part of the German oak chronology. Thirteen samples (5680–5810 BC) from the US bristlecone pine chronology (Ferguson & Graybill 1983) were measured in Seattle as well. Here, the final Seattle decadal 14C ages resulted from averaging German oak and bristlecone pine ages.

B. P. Konstantinov and G. E. Kocharov (1965, 1967) addressed the complex problem of astrophysical phenomena and radiocarbon. Currently available data show that the determination of cosmogenic 14C in accurately dated samples of terrestrial and atmospheric origin is one of the most reliable and promising methods for studying cosmic-ray variations in the past. 14C dating samples of terrestrial origin has helped solve the problem of long-term (100 yr or more) 14C variations and, accordingly, of cosmic-ray variations in the past. Short-term (ca. 11 yr or less) variations are still under investigation (Alexeyev et al. 1971; Damon, Long and Wallick 1973).

We discuss our progress in three principal applications of 14C dating of recent and fossil soils: 1) new methods; 2) problems of interpreting 14C soil data (e.g.,14C age of soils, age of soils, duration of humus formation, rate of carbon cycling); and 3) 14C analysis of soil organic matter (OM) in pedology and paleogeography (e.g., soil genesis and evolution, humus formation and OM metamorphosis, geochronology and stratigraphy of Late Pleistocene and Holocene sediments). We suggest exploring the above issues in the analysis of each 14C profile in conjunction with paleogeographical data, and by simulation of the carbon cycle in each type of profile.

The sole purpose of this paper is to present a previously published 14C data set to which minor corrections have been applied. All basic information previously given is still applicable (Pearson & Stuiver 1986). The corrections are needed because 14C count-rate influences (radon decay in Seattle, a re-evaluation of the corrections applied for efficiency variation with time previously unrecognized in Belfast) had to be accounted for in more detail. Information on the radon correction is given in Stuiver and Becker (1993). The Belfast corrections were necessary because the original correction for efficiency variations with time was calculated using two suspect standards (these were shown to be suspect by recent observations) that overweighted the correction. A re-evaluation (Pearson & Qua 1993) now shows it to be almost insignificant, and the corrected dates (using the new correction) became older by about 16 years.

We report AMS 14C measurements on subannual samples of coral from the Galapagos Islands that span the period, 1970–1973. Both the major 1972 El Niño/Southern Oscillation event and intra-annual changes in regional upwelling of 14C-depleted waters associated with alternation of surface-ocean current patterns are evident in the record. Our data show that the corals preserve a detailed record of past intra-annual variations of the 14C content of surface ocean water.

The radiocarbon ages of dendrochronologically-dated wood samples, each covering 10 years, are now available for the cal AD 1950–6000 BC age range. The decadal calibration curve constructed from these data comprises 1) the previously published AD 1950–2500 BC portion (Stuiver & Becker 1986), to which minor 14C age corrections were applied, and 2) the new 2500–6000 BC extension.

Extensive eruptions of alkalic basalt from low-elevation fissures and vents on the southern flank of the dormant volcano, Cerro Evermann, accompanied the most recent phase of volcanic activity on Socorro Island, and created the Lomas Coloradas, a broad, gently sloping terrain comprising the southern part of the island. We obtained 14C ages of 4690 ± 270 BP (5000–5700 cal BP) and 5040 ± 460 BP (5300–6300 cal BP) from lacustrine deposits that occur within volcanic sequences of the lower Lomas Coloradas. Apparently, the sediments accumulated within a topographic depression between two scoria cones shortly after they formed. The lacustrine environment was destroyed when the cones were breached by headward erosion of adjacent stream drainages. This was followed by the eruption of a thin basaltic flow from fissures near the base of the northernmost cone. The flow moved downslope for a short distance and into the drainages that presently bound the study area on the east and west. The flow postdates development of the present drainage system and may be very recent. Our 14C data, along with historical accounts of volcanic activity over the last century, including submarine eruptions that occurred a few km west of Socorro in early 1993, underscore the high risk for explosive volcanism in this region and the need for a detailed volcanic hazards plan and seismic monitoring.

We present here a model of humus accumulation in recent soils. We have estimated the coefficients of mineralization of humus and humic acid for a typical Chernozem soil. We suggest a technique for calculating the renewal time of soil with specific activity higher than the modern standard and discuss the results for different soils.

Samples of Setaria species from packrat middens, herbarium specimens and modern plants preserve a record of δ13C of atmospheric CO2 from 12,600 BP to the present. No secular trend is detected between 12,600 and 1800 BP, when the mean value of δ13C during that period was −6.5 ± 0.1‰ (the error is the standard deviation of the mean). Our value agrees with δ13C averages of pre-industrial CO2 from polar ice cores, and differs significantly from modern regional (-8.2 ± 0.1‰) and global (-7.7‰) values, which are higher because of fossil fuel burning.

Most data in this Calibration Issue are based on radiocarbon age determinations of tree-ring samples with dendrochronologically determined calibrated (cal) ages. For high-precision measurements, substantial sample amounts are needed, and the processed wood usually spans 10 or 20 tree rings. Thus, the calibration curve data points usually have decadal, or bidecadal, spacing. These curves, to be used for the calibration of samples formed over 1 or 2 decades, may not be fully applicable to samples (leaves, twigs, etc.) formed in a single growing season.

Variable 14C ages of paleosol organic matter (OM) cause difficulties in interpreting 14C data. We attempt to determine the reliability of OM 14C dates by examining different carbon-containing materials from soil horizons and paleosol fractions.

The high-precision radiocarbon calibration curve for short-lived samples (1–4 yr) of the early historical period (3rd millennium BC) presented previously (Vogel et al. 1986) has been further substantiated and extended to link with a similar curve produced by de Jong for part of the 4th millennium BC (de Jong & Mook 1980). The precise dendrochronological age of the sample set measured by de Jong has finally been fixed (de Jong, Mook & Becker 1989), so that the two sets now cover the period 1930–3900 BC, i.e., the Early Bronze Age and Late Chalcolithic periods of the Middle East. The standard calibration curve for the two sets is presented by Vogel and van der Plicht (1993).

Radiocarbon dating and carbon isotope analyses of deep peat and gases in a small ombrogenous peatland in northwestern Ontario reveals the presence of old gases at depth that are 1000–2000 yr younger than the enclosing peat. We suggest that the most likely explanation to account for this age discrepancy is the downward movement by advection of younger dissolved organic carbon for use by fermentation and methanogens bacteria. This study identifies a potentially large supply of old carbon gases in peatlands that should be considered in global carbon models of the terrestrial biosphere.

Geochemical and palynological data as well as radiocarbon dating were used to study the peat bog deposits in Niinsarre bog, northeast Estonia. The aim of this study was to establish criteria for determining a detailed chronology, which is important, for example, in studying paleoevents and historical monitoring. In some cases, we can use cumulative pollen data, as well as cumulative chemical and peat bulk density data.

Both the Pretoria and the Groningen radiocarbon laboratories performed high-precision analyses on 1–4 annual tree-ring samples made available by Bernd Becker from his South German oak dendrochronological series (Vogel et al. 1986; de Jong, Becker & Mook 1986). The Pretoria measurements were extended to overlap the Groningen set, and now cover the range from 1930 to 3350 BC (Vogel et al. 1993). The tree-ring dating of the Groningen samples has been adjusted and now ranges from 3200 to 3900 BC (de Jong, Mook & Becker 1989). Taken together, the data provide a calibration curve over two millennia, which is especially suitable for short-lived samples. The curve is shown in Figures 1A–D.

We demonstrate here that the use of either the acid-alkali or Longin method alone does not fully extract contaminants from bone-collagen fractions. We present our methods and results of extracting bone collagen that involve successive use of both of these methods.