Unexpected Problems in AMS 14 C Dating of Fen Peat

Four fen peat sequences in northern Finland were dated by the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon method in order to study past peatland dynamics and carbon accumulation patterns. Initially, plant macrofossils were used for dating. However, the dates were severely disordered, with marked inversions in all sequences. In one 140-cm peat core, for example, all ages fell within a ∼1000-yr time window. Following these unreliable results, a few bulk peat samples were dated to help assess if any of the plant macrofossil-derived dates were reliable. Bulk dates did not help to solve the problem. This study evaluates the possible sources of error but is unable to single out one clear cause. It is probable that many factors related to the fen environment, such as flooding and root intrusion, may have contributed to the errors. Peat plant macrofossils and bulk peat samples are considered to be reliable dating materials, but the examples given herein highlight the difficulties that can be associated with AMS dating of peat samples

Accelerator mass spectrometry · Archaeology · Geography · Holocene · Macrofossil · Mineralogy · Peat · Physical geography · Radiocarbon dating · Radiometric dating · Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics · Geology and Paleoclimatology Research · Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology · Geology · Paleontology

• A revised high-resolution age–depth model for Żabieniec Mire, central Poland

  Open Access•Maksymilian Jędrzejowski, Danuta J Michczyńska et al.•Radiocarbon•2026

  Incluir item

• Combustion features from short-lived intermittent occupation at a 1300-year-old Coast Salish rock shelter, British Columbia

  Open Access•M B Toffolo, Morgan Ritchie et al.•Journal of Archaeological Science…•2018

  Incluir item

• Power Centres and Marginal Landscapes

  Alex Brown, A Pluskowski•Environmental Archaeology•2020

  Incluir item

• Holocene fen–bog transitions, current status in Finland and future perspectives

  Open Access•Minna Väliranta, Niina Salojärvi et al.•The Holocene•2016

  Incluir item

• Integrating fire-scar, charcoal and fungal spore data to study fire events in the boreal forest of northern Europe

  Open Access•Normunds Stivrins, Tuomas Aakala et al.•The Holocene•2019

  Incluir item

• Development, carbon accumulation, and radiative forcing of a subarctic fen over the Holocene

  Open Access•Paul Mathijssen, Juha‐Pekka Tuovinen et al.•The Holocene•2014

  Incluir item

• From bog to fen

  Open Access•Ansis Blaus, Triin Reitalu et al.•Vegetation History and…•2019

  Incluir item

• Palynological evidence from a sub-alpine marsh of enhanced Little Ice Age snowpack in the Marrakech High Atlas, North Africa

  Open Access•Benjamin A Bell, William J Fletcher et al.•Vegetation History and…•2021

  Incluir item

• A microstratigraphic reevaluation of the Florisbad spring site, Free State Province, South Africa

  Open Access•M B Toffolo, James S Brink et al.•Geoarchaeology•2017

  Incluir item

• The environmental impact of cultural change

  Open Access•Alex Brown, Anneli Poska et al.•Quaternary International•2019

  Incluir item

• Climate and landscape change favouring early rice agriculture and appreciable human impact

  Open Access•Mingzhe Dai, Bin Zhou et al.•Quaternary International•2022

  Incluir item

• Re-examining climate-driven Malthusian collapse in Kashmir

  Open Access•Michael Spate, Dan Penny et al.•Quaternary International•2022

  Incluir item

• The Influence of Plant Species and Pretreatment on the 14 C Age of Carex -Dominated Peat Plants of a Peat Core From Jinchuan Mire, Ne China

  Open Access•Satabdi Misra, Sneha Kashyap et al.•Radiocarbon•2024

  Incluir item

• Revisiting the Timing of the Northern Lobe of the White River Ash Volcanic Event in Eastern Alaska and Western Yukon

  Open Access•Joshua Reuther, Ben Potter et al.•Radiocarbon•2020

  Incluir item

• Dating raised bogs

  Open Access•Markus Kilian, M R Kilian et al.•Quaternary Science Reviews•1995

  Incluir item

• Postglacial spatiotemporal peatland initiation and lateral expansion dynamics in North America and northern Europe

  Open Access•Meri Ruppel, Minna Väliranta et al.•The Holocene•2013

  Incluir item

• The Holocene history of Betula at Lake lilompolo, Inari Lapland, northeastern Finland

  Open Access•Eeva Maria Mäkelä, Eeva Mäkelä•The Holocene•1998

  Incluir item

• Holocene carbon accumulation rates from three ombrotrophic peatlands in boreal Quebec, Canada

  Open Access•Simon Van Bellen, Michelle Garneau et al.•The Holocene•2011

  Incluir item

• Variation in 14C age of macrofossils and different fractions of minute peat samples dated by AMS

  Open Access•Mats Nilsson, Mats B Nilsson et al.•The Holocene•2001

  Incluir item

• A Study of Errors in 14 C Dates of Peat and Sediment

  Open Access•Ingrid U Olsson•Radiocarbon•1986

  Incluir item

• Dealing with Outliers and Offsets in Radiocarbon Dating

  Open Access•Christopher B Ramsey•Radiocarbon•2009

  Incluir item

• Bayesian Analysis of Radiocarbon Dates

  Open Access•Christopher B Ramsey•Radiocarbon•2009

  Incluir item

• A Report on Phase 1 of the 5th International Radiocarbon Intercomparison (Viri)

  Open Access•Marian Scott, E Marian Scott et al.•Radiocarbon•2007

  Incluir item

• Stepped-Combustion 14 C Dating of Bomb Carbon in Lake Sediment

  Open Access•J McGeehin, G S Burr et al.•Radiocarbon•2004

  Incluir item

• Accurate Dating of Organic Deposits by AMS 14 C Measurement of Macrofossils

  Open Access•Torbjörn E Törnqvist, Arie F M De Jong et al.•Radiocarbon•1992

  Incluir item

• Stepped-Combustion 14 C Dating of Sediment

  Open Access•J McGeehin, G S Burr et al.•Radiocarbon•2001

  Incluir item

• Discussion Reporting of 14 C Data

  Open Access•Minze Stuiver, Henry A Polach•Radiocarbon•1977

  Incluir item

• IntCal09 and Marine09 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves, 0-50,000 Years cal BP

  Open Access•Paula J Reimer, M G L Baillie et al.•Radiocarbon•2009

  Incluir item