The best possible time resolution: How precise could a radiocarbon dating method be?

I. Svetlik; A. J.T. Jull; M. Molnár; P. P. Povinec; T. Kolář; P. Demján; K. Pachnerova Brabcova; V. Brychova; D. Dreslerová; M. Rybníček; P. Simek

doi:10.1017/RDC.2019.134

The best possible time resolution: How precise could a radiocarbon dating method be?

I. Svetlik, A. J.T. Jull, M. Molnár, P. P. Povinec, T. Kolář, P. Demján, K. Pachnerova Brabcova, V. Brychova, D. Dreslerová, M. Rybníček, P. Simek

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Today, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technology enables us to carry out very precise measurements of radiocarbon (¹⁴C). Unfortunately, due to fluctuations in the ¹⁴C calibration curve, the resulting calibrated time intervals vary from decades up to centuries in calibrated age. Within a time scale of several decades, we can find several time intervals on the ¹⁴C calibration curve which correspond with periods of rapid increases in atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ activity. Some of these “high slope” parts of the calibration curve could be used for fine time resolution for radiocarbon dating of individual samples. Nevertheless, there are certain limitations owing to the properties of the samples measured. We have prepared a time-resolution curve for the ¹⁴C dating method, applying calibration curve IntCal13 and assuming an uncertainty of ¹⁴C analyses ±15 yr BP (for recent samples). Our curve of the time resolution covers the last 50 ka. We found several time intervals with time resolution below 50 yr BP for the last 3 ka. Several time intervals which can enable substantially better time resolution compared to neighboring parts of the calibration curve were also found for periods older than 3 ka.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1729-1740
Number of pages	12
Journal	Radiocarbon
Volume	61
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/RDC.2019.134
State	Published - Dec 2019
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Curve of time resolution
IntCal13
Radiocarbon dating
Tree rings

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Archaeology
General Earth and Planetary Sciences

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10.1017/RDC.2019.134

Cite this

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title = "The best possible time resolution: How precise could a radiocarbon dating method be?",

abstract = "Today, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technology enables us to carry out very precise measurements of radiocarbon (14C). Unfortunately, due to fluctuations in the 14C calibration curve, the resulting calibrated time intervals vary from decades up to centuries in calibrated age. Within a time scale of several decades, we can find several time intervals on the 14C calibration curve which correspond with periods of rapid increases in atmospheric 14CO2 activity. Some of these “high slope” parts of the calibration curve could be used for fine time resolution for radiocarbon dating of individual samples. Nevertheless, there are certain limitations owing to the properties of the samples measured. We have prepared a time-resolution curve for the 14C dating method, applying calibration curve IntCal13 and assuming an uncertainty of 14C analyses ±15 yr BP (for recent samples). Our curve of the time resolution covers the last 50 ka. We found several time intervals with time resolution below 50 yr BP for the last 3 ka. Several time intervals which can enable substantially better time resolution compared to neighboring parts of the calibration curve were also found for periods older than 3 ka.",

keywords = "Curve of time resolution, IntCal13, Radiocarbon dating, Tree rings",

author = "I. Svetlik and Jull, {A. J.T.} and M. Moln{\'a}r and Povinec, {P. P.} and T. Kol{\'a}{\v r} and P. Demj{\'a}n and {Pachnerova Brabcova}, K. and V. Brychova and D. Dreslerov{\'a} and M. Rybn{\'i}{\v c}ek and P. Simek",

note = "Funding Information: This publication was supported by OP RDE, MEYS, under the project “Ultra-trace isotope research in social and environmental studies using accelerator mass spectrometry”, Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000728, by institutional funding of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO61389005), and by The Czech Republic Grant Agency, projects no. 17-22102s and GA18-11004S. The research at Debrecen was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the project of GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00009 “ICER”. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.",

year = "2019",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1017/RDC.2019.134",

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AU - Svetlik, I.

AU - Jull, A. J.T.

AU - Molnár, M.

AU - Povinec, P. P.

AU - Kolář, T.

AU - Demján, P.

AU - Pachnerova Brabcova, K.

AU - Brychova, V.

AU - Dreslerová, D.

AU - Rybníček, M.

AU - Simek, P.

N1 - Funding Information: This publication was supported by OP RDE, MEYS, under the project “Ultra-trace isotope research in social and environmental studies using accelerator mass spectrometry”, Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000728, by institutional funding of the Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences (RVO61389005), and by The Czech Republic Grant Agency, projects no. 17-22102s and GA18-11004S. The research at Debrecen was supported by the European Union and the State of Hungary, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund in the project of GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00009 “ICER”. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 by the Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

PY - 2019/12

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N2 - Today, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technology enables us to carry out very precise measurements of radiocarbon (14C). Unfortunately, due to fluctuations in the 14C calibration curve, the resulting calibrated time intervals vary from decades up to centuries in calibrated age. Within a time scale of several decades, we can find several time intervals on the 14C calibration curve which correspond with periods of rapid increases in atmospheric 14CO2 activity. Some of these “high slope” parts of the calibration curve could be used for fine time resolution for radiocarbon dating of individual samples. Nevertheless, there are certain limitations owing to the properties of the samples measured. We have prepared a time-resolution curve for the 14C dating method, applying calibration curve IntCal13 and assuming an uncertainty of 14C analyses ±15 yr BP (for recent samples). Our curve of the time resolution covers the last 50 ka. We found several time intervals with time resolution below 50 yr BP for the last 3 ka. Several time intervals which can enable substantially better time resolution compared to neighboring parts of the calibration curve were also found for periods older than 3 ka.

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The best possible time resolution: How precise could a radiocarbon dating method be?

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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