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INTCAL98 Radiocarbon Age Calibration, 24,000–0 cal BP

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Minze Stuiver
Affiliation:
Quaternary Isotope Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1360 USA
Paula J. Reimer
Affiliation:
Quaternary Isotope Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195-1360 USA
Edouard Bard
Affiliation:
CEREGE, Europôle de l'Arbois, B.P. 80, 13545 Aix-en-Provence Cedex 4, France
J. Warren Beck
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0081 USA
G. S. Burr
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721-0081 USA
Konrad A. Hughen
Affiliation:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 USA
Bernd Kromer
Affiliation:
Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
Gerry McCormac
Affiliation:
Radiocarbon Laboratory, The Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland
Johannes Van Der Plicht
Affiliation:
Centrum voor Isotopen Onderzoek, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
Marco Spurk
Affiliation:
Universität Hohenheim, Institut für Botanik–210, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany
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Abstract

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The focus of this paper is the conversion of radiocarbon ages to calibrated (cal) ages for the interval 24,000–0 cal BP (Before Present, 0 cal BP = AD 1950), based upon a sample set of dendrochronologically dated tree rings, uranium-thorium dated corals, and varve-counted marine sediment. The 14C age–cal age information, produced by many laboratories, is converted to Δ14C profiles and calibration curves, for the atmosphere as well as the oceans. We discuss offsets in measured l4C ages and the errors therein, regional 14C age differences, tree–coral 14C age comparisons and the time dependence of marine reservoir ages, and evaluate decadal vs. single-year 14C results. Changes in oceanic deepwater circulation, especially for the 16,000–11,000 cal BP interval, are reflected in the Δ14C values of INTCAL98.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

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