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Spatial Variability of Bomb 14C in an Upland Peat Bog

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

S M L Hardie ,
M H Garnett ,
A E Fallick ,
A P Rowland  and
N J Ostle
S M L Hardie*
Affiliation:
NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
M H Garnett
Affiliation:
NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom
A E Fallick
Affiliation:
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, United Kingdom
A P Rowland
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
N J Ostle
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Library Avenue, Bailrigg, Lancaster, LA1 4AP, United Kingdom
*
Corresponding author. Email: s.hardie.l@research.gla.ac.uk
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Abstract

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As part of a study investigating the carbon balance of a blanket bog, we made an assessment of the spatial variation of radiocarbon concentrations in the surface layers of a small area of peatland in the north of England. The peat depth at which bomb-14C content was the highest varied considerably between cores sampled from across the site. At several sampling locations, 14C levels >100% Modern were confined to the surface 8 cm, whereas bomb 14C was evident at 1 site, located only meters away, to a depth of at least 12–16 cm. Using the layer where 14C levels first exceeded 100% Modern as a chronological reference layer, we estimated the carbon accumulation rate over the last 50 yr for the surface peat at each site (range ∼20 to ∼125 g C m2 yr-1). Our results show that although carbon accumulation over the last 50 yr was similar across the site, variation in the depth to which bomb 14C was evident implied considerable variation in the vertical peat growth rate.

Type
Articles
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 49 , Issue 2 , 2007 , pp. 1055 - 1063
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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