Rates of change and chronological problems during the late-glacial period

Results of high-resolution AMS super(1) super(4) C dating of terrestrial plant macrofossils from late-glacial and early-Holocene lake deposits in Switzerland show three periods with constant radiocarbon ages. These plateaux of constant age occur at 12 700, 10 000, and 9500 y BP. A comparison of this...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Climate dynamics 1992, Vol.6 (3-4), p.233-239
Main Authors: LOTTER, A. F, AMMANN, B, STURM, M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
External geophysics
Meteorology
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Summary:Results of high-resolution AMS super(1) super(4) C dating of terrestrial plant macrofossils from late-glacial and early-Holocene lake deposits in Switzerland show three periods with constant radiocarbon ages. These plateaux of constant age occur at 12 700, 10 000, and 9500 y BP. A comparison of this radiocarbon chronology with a varve chronology documents discrepancies between the sidereal and the radiocarbon time-scale for the late-glacial period. The age-plateaux and the time-scale discrepancies have a significant impact on the estimation of rates of change during this period: estimates of rates of change can be very misleading if calculated on the basis of radiocarbon ages. This is illustrated by an example of estimated rates of late-glacial and early Holocene palynological change in Switzerland.
ISSN:0930-7575
1432-0894
DOI:10.1007/BF00193536