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1.
Caves are terrestrial depositories that preserve a large variety of organic and inorganic remains. These may contain important Quaternary climatic and ecological information. Most of the faunal remains, however, cannot be linked to any Interglacial or Glacial period exclusively. Reliable dating of such remains is therefore required. Experience has, however, shown that ESR dating of speleothems or 230Th/U dating of bones are of disputable value. Only TIMS-230Th/U dating of speleothems appears to yield reliable ages. Dating the bottom and top of speleothem layers permit assigning Pleistocene faunal remains to the OIS chronology if the deposition of the speleothems and the faunal remains are clearly correlated. Care must be taken to consider the depositional situation of each site before interpreting any age dates. In this paper we present an overview of all numerically dated paleontological cave sites in Central Europe between OIS 5 and OIS 8. A total of 25 strata were dated from 13 sites, most of them deposited during OIS 5; the rest belonging to OIS 6 and 7. Numerically dated paleontological sites older than OIS 8 are not known.  相似文献   

2.
In order to provide a better chronological constraint on a British Middle Pleistocene interglacial, a large stalagmite boss from the Mendip Hills was selected for palaeoclimate data using pollen analysis. Dating analyses by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) of uranium–thorium ratios and by magnetostratigraphy constrain the age of the sample to 450–780 ka. The isotopic consistency of the TIMS analyses, plus the presence of luminescence laminations, suggest that the sample has been preserved under closed-system conditions. Pollen assemblages have been recovered from the speleothems, despite the fact that the pH of calcite deposition is usually greater than 7. Furthermore the evidence presented here indicates that the pollen was probably transported by the speleothem feedwater, rather than entering the cave aerially. The pollen record contained within the stalagmite is interpreted as early–mid-interglacial but does not have clear Cromerian affinity. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

3.
The cave bear was a prominent member of the Upper Pleistocene fauna in Eurasia. While breakthroughs were recently achieved with respect to its phylogeny using ancient DNA techniques, it is still challenging to date cave bear fossils beyond the radiocarbon age range. Without an accurate and precise chronological framework, however, key questions regarding the palaeoecology cannot be addressed, such as the extent to which large climate swings during the last glacial affected the habitat and possibly even conditioned the final extinction of this mammal. Key to constraining the age of cave bear fossils older than the lower limit of radiocarbon dating is to date interlayered speleothems using 230Th/U. Here we report new results from one such site in the Eastern European Alps (Schwabenreith Cave), which yielded the highest density of bones of cave bear (Ursus spelaeus eremus). Although dating of the flowstones overlying this fossiliferous succession was partly compromised by diagenetic alteration, the 230Th/U dates indicate that the bear hibernated in this cave after about 113 ka and before about 109 ka. This time interval coincides with the equivalent of Greenland Stadial 25, suggesting possible climate control on the cave bear's habitat and behaviour. © 2019 The Authors. Journal of Quaternary Science Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd  相似文献   

4.
Surface sediment, speleothems, and bat guano from two adjacent, topographically different cave sites in eastern Spain have been studied palynologically to elucidate the potential of cave sediments for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. A cave opening with a large entrance and constant width presented far fewer problems of alteration in the pollen assemblages than a sac‐like cave opening with a constricted entrance. Pollen concentration is linked primarily to the amount of pollen input rather than to the result of post‐depositional alteration. Sampling should be undertaken away from parietal and rear areas and avoiding moisture zones. Lateral differences in the pollen spectra indicate that sampling should be on the basis of a multiple‐profile approach and selection of dry rather than wet sediments. If these procedures are followed, within‐cave sediments can realistically reflect not only local but also regional vegetation of the site. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

5.
Activity ratios of 234U/238U, 230Th/234U, and 230Th/232Th have been determined for calcite, gypsum and halite speleothems from caves of the Nullarbor Plain, mostly in the area N and NW of Mundrabilla Station, for the purpose of U-series dating. All calcite speleothems contain adequate amounts of uranium for dating, but some show an excess of 230Th. Stratigraphic relationships indicate that there were at least three phases of calcium carbonate deposition in the Nullarbor caves. The calcite samples, with one possible exception, have ages in excess of ca. 400000 yrs BP. This suggests that no significant amounts of calcium carbonate deposition have taken place during the last 400ka. At present, active deposition of speleothems is restricted almost entirely to gypsum and halite. The only gypsum speleothem dated was found to have a finite age of ca. 185 ka. Six dates on a small halite speleothem containing insect and arachnid remains indicate that it formed rapidly during Holocene time.  相似文献   

6.
To understand oxygen and carbon stable isotopic characteristics of aragonite stalagmites and evaluate their applicability to paleoclimate, the isotopic compositions of active and fossil aragonite speleothems and water samples from an in situ multi-year (October 2005-July 2010) monitoring program in Furong Cave located in Chongqing of China have been examined. The observations during October 2005-June 2007 show that the meteoric water is well mixed in the overlying 300-500-m bedrock aquifer, reflected by relatively constant δ18O, ±0.11-0.14‰ (1σ), of drip waters in the cave, which represents the annual status of rainfall water. Active cave aragonite speleothems are at oxygen isotopic equilibrium with drip water and their δ18O values capture the surface-water oxygen isotopic signal. Aragonite-to-calcite transformation since the last glaciation is not noticeable in Furong stalagmites. Our multi-year field experiment approves that aragonite stalagmite δ18O records in this cave are suitable for paleoclimate reconstruction. With high U, 0.5-7.2 ppm, and low Th, 20-1270 ppt, the Furong aragonite stalagmites provide very precise chronology (as good as ±20s yrs (2σ)) of the climatic variations since the last deglaciation. The synchroneity of Chinese stalagmite δ18O records at the transition into the Bølling-Allerød (t-BA) and the Younger Dryas from Furong, Hulu and Dongge Caves supports the fidelity of the reconstructed East Asian monsoon evolution. However, the Furong record shows that the cold Older Dryas (OD) occurred at 14.0 thousand years ago, agreeing with Greenland ice core δ18O records but ∼200 yrs younger than that in the Hulu record. The OD age discrepancy between Chinese caves can be attributable to different regionally climatic/environmental conditions or chronological uncertainty of stalagmite proxy records, which is limited by changes in growth rate and subsampling intervals in absolute dating. Seasonal dissolved inorganic carbon δ13C variations of 2-3‰ in the drip water and 5-7‰ in the pool and spring waters are likely attributed to variable degrees of CO2 degassing in winter and summer. The variable δ13C values of active deposits from −11‰ to 0‰ could be caused by kinetically mediated CO2 degassing processes. The complicated nature of pre-deposition kinetic isotopic fractionation processes for carbon isotopes in speleothems at Furong Cave require further study before they can be interpreted in a paleoclimatic or paleoenvironmental context.  相似文献   

7.
Many morphological elements in Cuba's landscape (e.g. marine terraces, tidal notches) demonstrate that coastal uplift has taken place, but the rate at which this occurs is not known. Carbonate phreatic overgrowths on speleothems have been found in a cave in Central North Cuba, ~1 km from the present coastline at 16 m asl. They form exceptional and unique mushroom‐shaped speleothems and balconies decorating the walls of the rooms. These phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) formed at the oscillating air–water interface in sea‐level controlled anchialine lakes. U/Th dating of these overgrowths suggests ages that are compatible with the Marine Isotope Stage 5e (i.e. 130–115 ka). These POS have fixed this sea‐level highstand and demonstrate that this part of Cuba has been subjected to a much lower uplift rate than previously reported, that is, less than 0.1 mm/year since the last interglacial.  相似文献   

8.
The large, extensive tufa deposits of the semi‐arid Naukluft Mountains, Namibia are potentially important palaeoenvironmental indicators in an area with few proxy records. Tufas are reliable indicators of increased moisture availability, and have been shown to be amenable to 234U–230Th dating, although two challenges are detrital contamination and open‐system behaviour. Densely cemented tufa facies are good candidates for dating, minimising these problems. We report attempts to date five densely‐cemented units, which are only found rarely within the Naukluft deposits. We applied a detailed methodology using multiple subsample analysis, measurement of insoluble residues, application of ‘isochron’ mixing lines, and attempted open‐systems modelling, alongside observations of micromorphology and cathodoluminescence in order to assess the validity of any obtained dates. Surprisingly, densely cemented tufas were found not always to be suitable for dating. Two units contained detrital contamination, which could not be corrected for using a single leachate correction or ‘isochron’ methods. Two units contained ‘excess 230Th’. This could result under a closed‐system if initial (234U/238U) was sufficiently high. Alternatively this may be the result of open‐system behaviour, and loss of uranium, or incorporation of initial unsupported 230Th, which render samples unsuitable for 234U–230Th dating. Micromorphological appearance and cathodoluminescence behaviour are used to explore these possibilities. This study exemplifies the need for careful sample selection, and highlights the importance of analysing multiple subsamples from any tufa sample. The detailed methodology applied proves to be a powerful tool for identifying the range of problems that can be encountered when selecting suitable candidate samples for successful dating. It also shows that semi‐arid tufa sequences may contain very little material suitable for dating. A reliable age of c 80 ka was obtained for a banded unit within a large fluvial barrage, with less reliable dates suggesting tufa deposition during times since >350 ka through to the late Holocene. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

9.
Two coeval stalagmites from Katerloch Cave show pronounced intervals of low δ18O values around 8.2, 9.1, and 10.0 kyr (all ages are reported before the year 2000 AD) and represent an inorganic U–Th dated climate archive from the southeast of the European Alps, a region where only very few well-dated climate records exist. The O isotope curves, providing near-annual resolution, allow a direct comparison to the Greenland ice core records, as temperature was the primary factor controlling the O isotopic composition of Katerloch speleothems.The 8.2 kyr climate anomaly lasted about one century, from 8196 to 8100 yr, with a maximum amplitude of 1.1‰ at 8175 yr. The event is characterized by a rapid onset and a more gradual demise and U–Th data as well as annual lamina counting support a rapid climate change towards cooler conditions within 10–20 yr. There is no strong evidence that the 8.2 kyr anomaly was superimposed on a pronounced longer-term cooling episode, nor do the new data support two separate cooling events within the 8.2 kyr event as reported by other studies. Our record also shows a distinct climate anomaly around 9.1 kyr, which lasted 70–110 yr and showed a maximum amplitude of 1.0‰, i.e. it had a similar duration and amplitude as the (central) 8.2 kyr event. Compared to the 8.2 kyr event, the 9.1 kyr anomaly shows a more symmetrical structure, but onset and demise still occurred within a few decades only. The different progression of the 8.2 (asymmetrical) and 9.1 kyr anomaly (symmetrical) suggests a fundamental difference in the trigger and/or the response of the climate system. Moreover, both stalagmites show evidence of a climate anomaly around 10.0 kyr, which was of comparable magnitude to the two subsequent events.Using a well constrained modern calibration between air temperature and δ18O of precipitation for the study area and cave monitoring data (confirming speleothem deposition in Katerloch reflecting cave air temperature), a maximum cooling by ca 3 °C can be inferred at 8.2 and 9.1 kyr, which is similar to other estimates, e.g., from Lake Ammersee north of the Alps. The O isotopic composition of meteoric precipitation, however, is a complex tracer of the hydrological cycle and these temperature estimates do not take into account additional effects such as changes in the source area or synoptic shifts. Apart from that, the relative thickness of the seasonally controlled lamina types in the Katerloch stalagmites remains rather constant across the intervals comprising the isotopic anomalies, i.e. the stalagmite petrography argues against major shifts in seasonality during the early Holocene climate excursions.  相似文献   

10.
A new natural rutile reference material is presented, suitable for U‐Pb dating and Zr‐in‐rutile thermometry by microbeam methods. U‐Pb dating of rutile R632 using laser ablation ICP‐MS with both magnetic sector field and quadrupole instruments as well as isotope dilution‐thermal ionisation mass spectrometry yielded a concordia age of 496 ± 2 Ma. The high U content (> 300 μg g?1) enabled measurement of high‐precision U‐Pb ages despite its young age. The sample was found to have a Zr content of 4294 ± 196 μg g?1, which makes it an excellent complementary reference material for Zr‐in‐rutile thermometry. Individual rutile grains have homogeneous compositions of a number of other trace elements including V, Cr, Fe, Nb, Mo, Sn, Sb, Hf, Ta and W. This newly characterised material significantly expands the range of available rutile reference materials relevant for age and temperature determinations.  相似文献   

11.
Some speleothems (CaCO3 cave deposits) can be demonstrated to have been formed in oxygen isotopic equilibrium with their parent seepage waters and thus a record of relative fluctuations in depositional temperature can be obtained from the δ18O variations in successive growth layers of such deposits. These temperature fluctuations reflect variations in the average annual air temperature at the surface above the cave, and therefore permit inference of past continental climate changes. Equilibrium deposits have been obtained from caves in San Luis Potosi, Bermuda, Kentucky, West Virginia, Iowa, and Alberta, ranging in age from 200,000 years BP to the present, as determined by 230Th234>U dating of the speleothems. The δ18O time curves for the six sites show the following synchronous climatic fluctuations: warm periods from 190 to 165 and from 120 to 100 Ka, at 60 and 10 Ka, and cold periods from 95 to 65 and from 55 to 20 Ka. The periods of thermal maxima correspond in time to the interglacial periods of the marine foraminiferal isotopic and faunal temperature records and to periods of high sea stand as observed from radiometric dating of raised coral reefs. Maxima and minima in insolation appear to be synchronous with this record as well.  相似文献   

12.
《Geodinamica Acta》1999,12(3-4):179-191
The study of growth anomalies of speleothems in a karstic environment can provide potential evidence for palaeoearthquakes. These data are used to study the recurrence times of major earthquakes in areas where evidence for historic seismicity is lacking. A study has been carried out in the epicentral area of the 1356 Basel earthquake (epicentral intensity = VII–VIII, macroseismic magnitude = 6.2). The Bättlerloch and Dieboldslöchli caves, situated in the area of greatest damage, show growth anomalies of speleothems possibly related to a seismic event (several breaks of speleothems and offsets of the axis of the regrowths). The first U/Th disequilibrum measurements by alpha spectrometry show recent ages (less than several tens of thousands of years and probably historic). 14C dating by AMS of carbonate laminations taken on both sides of the anomalies confirm the evidence of a seismic event around 1300 AD. More accurate darings by U/Th TIMS are carried out in order to compare the information provided by the two different dating methods.  相似文献   

13.
Abstract

The study of growth anomalies of speleothems in a karstic environment can provide potential evidence or palaeoearthquakes. These data are used to study the recurrence times of major earthquakes in areas where evidence for historic seismicity is lacking. A study has been carried out in the epicentral area of the 1356 Basel earthquake (epicentral intensity = VII-VIII, macroseismic magnitude = 6.2). The Bättlerloch and Dieboldslöchli caves, situated in the area of greatest damage, show growth anomalies of speleothems possibly related to a seismic event (several breaks of speleothems an offsets of the axis of the regrowths). The first U/Th disequilibrum measurements by alpha spectrometry show recent ages (less than several tens of thousands of years and pro a y historic). 14C dating by AMS of carbonate laminations taken on both sides of the anomalies confirm the evidence of a seismic event around 1300 AD. More accurate datings by U/Th TIMS are carried out in order to compare the information provided by the two different dating methods. © Elsevier, Paris  相似文献   

14.
Tropical landscapes evolve at a rapid rate, creating stepped alluvial terraces, dense basin and cone topographies and multilevel cave systems. An understanding of the rate of landscape evolution is crucial for understanding how landscapes respond to tectonic instability and for reconstructing landscapes that have changed over archaeological timescales. The rate of landscape incision as a proxy for karst landscape evolution in Indonesia, a key region in the path of human dispersal, has been established using the rate of karstification – by estimating a chronology for stages of cave development using thermal ionisation mass spectrometry U‐series dating on flowstones, and the rate of downcutting – by establishing a chronology for a series of alluvial terraces using red thermoluminescence dating. Using these techniques we have determined that the estimated rate of karstification (113 ± 26 mm ka?1) is slower than the average rate of downcutting (305 ± 24 mm ka?1), and the combined rate of landscape incision (217 ± 18 mm ka?1) is slower than the known rate of tectonic uplift for this region derived from raised coral terraces (450 ± 50 mm ka?1). This suggests that rivers are quicker to respond to tectonic instability, but both cave and river systems display a slower rate of incision and karstification than uplift. Correlations between these components of the landscape system reveal a strong, interacting relationship where defined phases of uplift are reflected in the pattern of karstification and cycles of downcutting. An understanding of this relationship has been pivotal in reconstructing the formation and geomorphic history of archaeological caves such as Liang Bua. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

15.
The suitability of speleothems for interpreting palaeoclimate is typically determined by using either the Hendy Test, overlapping analysis or long‐term cave environment monitoring. However, in many cases, these methods are not applicable, because a speleothem lacks clearly traceable layers for the Hendy Test, it is difficult to obtain an overlapping speleothem nearby, or long‐term cave monitoring is impractical. The authors propose a multiple cave deposit approach to assess the suitability of speleothems for palaeoclimate study. Speleothems collected from two sites within Raccoon Mountain Cave, Tennessee (USA) exhibit remarkable spatial variation (δ13C: ?10·3‰ to ?2·2‰) over a relatively short distance (ca 260 m). Drip water δ18O values exhibit a seasonal precipitation signal at Site 1 and an annual signal at Site 2. Combining field observations, water isotope analysis and trace‐element data, the authors propose that the speleothem formation at Site 1 and Site 2 tapped distinct sources of CO2: (i) CO2 derived from overlying soils for Site 1; and (ii) limestone dissolved inorganic carbon induced by ground water dissolution for Site 2. Using fresh cave deposits (modern speleothem) δ13C (100% C3 vegetation) as an analogue, a simple model was developed to estimate land surface vegetation for speleothems. The speleothem formation temperature estimated using fresh cave deposit δ18O values generally reflects the mean annual temperature in this region. This study indicates that spatial variations in carbon isotopes could be caused by different carbon sources dominating in different parts of the cave, which should be taken into consideration by researchers when using speleothem δ13C values to reconstruct temporal palaeo‐vegetation changes. This study demonstrates a practical sampling strategy for verifying suitability of speleothems for palaeo‐vegetation and palaeo‐temperature reconstructions by analysing multiple cave deposits, especially for cases in which the Hendy Test, parallel sampling and long‐term monitoring of cave environment are not feasible.  相似文献   

16.
A 230Th-234U-238U dating study on pedogenic silica-carbonate clast rinds and matrix laminae from alluvium in Crater Flat, Nevada was conducted using small-sample thermal-ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) analyses on a large suite of samples. Though the 232Th content of these soils is not particularly low (mostly 0.1-9 ppm), the high U content of the silica component (mostly 4-26 ppm) makes them particularly suitable for 230Th/U dating on single, 10 to 200 mg totally-digested samples using TIMS. We observed that (1) both micro- (within-rind) and macro-stratigraphic (mappable deposit) order of the 230Th/U ages were preserved in all cases; (2) back-calculated initial 234U/238U fall in a restricted range (typically 1.67±0.19), so that 234U/238U ages with errors of about 100 kyr (2σ) could be reliably determined for the oldest, 400 to 1000 ka rinds; and (3) though 13 of the samples were >350 ka, only three showed evidence for an open-system history, even though the sensitivity of such old samples to isotopic disruption is very high. An attempt to use leach-residue techniques to separate pedogenic from detrital U and Th failed, yielding corrupt 230Th/U ages. We conclude that 230Th/U ages determined from totally dissolved, multiple sub-mm size subsamples provide more reliable estimates of soil chronology than methods employing larger samples, chemical enhancement of 238U/232Th, or isochrons.  相似文献   

17.
The oxygen isotope composition of speleothems is an important proxy of continental paleoenvironments, because of its sensitivity to variations in cave temperature and drip water δ18O. Interpreting speleothem δ18O records in terms of absolute paleotemperatures and δ18O values of paleo-precipitation requires quantitative separation of the effects of these two parameters, and correcting for possible kinetic isotope fractionation associated with precipitation of calcite out of thermodynamic equilibrium. Carbonate clumped-isotope thermometry, based on measurements of Δ47 (a geochemical variable reflecting the statistical overabundance of 13C18O bonds in CO2 evolved from phosphoric acid digestion of carbonate minerals), potentially provides a method for absolute speleothem paleotemperature reconstructions independent of drip water composition. Application of this new technique to karst records is currently limited by the scarcity of published clumped-isotope studies of modern speleothems. The only modern stalagmite reported so far in the literature yielded a lower Δ47 value than expected for equilibrium precipitation, possibly due to kinetic isotope fractionation.Here we report Δ47 values measured in natural speleothems from various cave settings, in carbonate produced by cave precipitation experiments, and in synthetic stalagmite analogs precipitated in controlled laboratory conditions designed to mimic natural cave processes. All samples yield lower Δ47 and heavier δ18O values than predicted by experimental calibrations of thermodynamic equilibrium in inorganic calcite. The amplitudes of these isotopic disequilibria vary between samples, but there is clear correlation between the amount of Δ47 disequilibrium and that of δ18O. Even pool carbonates believed to offer excellent conditions for equilibrium precipitation of calcite display out-of-equilibrium δ18O and Δ47 values, probably inherited from prior degassing within the cave system.In addition to these modern observations, clumped-isotope analyses of a flowstone from Villars cave (France) offer evidence that the amount of disequilibrium affecting Δ47 in a single speleothem can experience large variations at time scales of 10 kyr. Application of clumped-isotope thermometry to speleothem records calls for an improved physical understanding of DIC fractionation processes in karst waters, and for the resolution of important issues regarding equilibrium calibration of Δ47 in inorganic carbonates.  相似文献   

18.
The oxygen and carbon stable isotope compositions of cave speleothems provide a powerful method for understanding continental climate change. Here, we examine the question of the regionality of this isotopic record and its linkage with the marine isotopic record in the Eastern Mediterranean (EM) region. The study presents a new, accurately dated 250-kyr δ18O and δ13C record determined from speleothems of the Peqiin Cave, Northern Israel. Its comparison with the continuous 185-kyr isotopic record of the Soreq Cave speleothems from Central Israel reveals striking similarities. Thus, a strong regional climatic signal, brought about by variations in temperature and rainfall amount, is reflected in both cave records. Low δ18O minima in the Peqiin profile for the last 250- to 185-kyr period (interglacial marine isotopic stage 7) match the timing of sapropels 9 to 7 and are indicative of high rainfall in the EM region at these times. The combined Soreq and Peqiin δ18O record for the last 250 kyr excellently matches the published Globigerinoides ruber (G. ruber) marine δ18O record for the EM Sea, with the isotopic compositional difference ΔG.ruber-speleothems remaining relatively constant at −5.6 ± 0.7‰, thus establishing for the first time a robust, exploitable link between the land and the marine isotopic records. The correspondence of low δ18O speleothem values and high cave water stands with low G. ruber δ18O values during interglacial sapropel events indicates that these periods were characterized by enhanced rainfall in the EM land and sea regions. By use of sea surface temperatures derived from alkenone data as a proxy for land temperatures at the Soreq Cave, we calculate the paleorainfall δ18O values and its amounts. Maximum rainfall and lowest temperature conditions occurred at the beginning of the sapropel events and were followed by decrease in rainfall and increase in temperatures, leading to arid conditions. The record for the last 7000 yr shows a trend toward increasing aridity and agrees well with climatic and archeological data from North Africa and the Middle East.  相似文献   

19.
Few terrestrial Holocene climate records exist from south‐eastern Europe despite its important geographical position as a transitional climatic zone between the Mediterranean and mainland continental Europe. Here we present new petrographic and stable isotope data for two Holocene speleothems from Modri? Cave, Croatia (44°15′N, 15°32′E), a coastal Adriatic site (120 m inland). Modern meteorological and cave conditions have been monitored for 2 years to understand the links between climate variability and stable isotope time‐series records in speleothems. Typical of a Mediterranean‐type climate, a negative water balance exists between April and September, so that recharge of the aquifer is restricted to the winter months. The weighted mean δ18O of the rainfall is ?5.96‰ (2σ = 2.83), and the weighted mean D/H rainfall value is ?36.83‰ (2σ = 19.95), slightly above the Global Meteoric Water Line, but well below the Mediterranean Meteoric Water Line. Modern calcite from the tops of each stalagmite exhibits δ18O values that are close to isotopic equilibrium with their respective drip water values. Unfortunately, the relatively young ages and low uranium contents (ca. 50 p.p.b.) of both stalagmites hamper the use of U‐series dating. Radiocarbon dates have been used instead to constrain their chronology using a dead carbon correction. Apart from some Isotope Stage 3 material (ca. 55 ka), both stalagmites were deposited during the late Holocene. Climatic conditions during the late Holocene are inferred to have been sufficiently wet to maintain stalagmite growth and any hiatuses appear to be relatively short lived. Inferred changes in the stalagmite diameters during deposition are linked to δ13C and δ18O variations, indicating alternating periods of drier and wetter conditions. Drier conditions are inferred for the late Roman Ages warm period and the mid‐Medieval Warm Period. Wetter conditions are associated with the Little Ice Age. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

20.
Absolute chronology of marine sediment beyond the 14C age range provides a test for models of climate change and has many other applications. U-Th techniques have been used for such chronology by dating corals, but extending these techniques to marine sediment is complicated by the presence of significant initial 230Th—both in detrital material and scavenged from seawater. In this study, we investigate four methods of solving the initial 230Th problem for a particular type of marine sediment—the aragonite-rich sediments of carbonate platforms and slopes. Bulk sediment U-Th analyses can be corrected for initial Th to yield ages with ≈2 to 3 kyr precision for highstand periods when sediment aragonite contents are particularly high. Uncertainty on the corrections causes inadequate precision for sediment from other periods, however. Removal of scavenged Th before analysis would enable a dramatic increase in this precision but has not proved successful despite a range of chemical leach approaches. Using heavy liquids to separate the various carbonate minerals found in Bahamas sediment enables an isochron approach to correct for initial Th, but the presence of initial Th from two sources requires correction or removal of one source of initial Th before the other is deconvolved by the isochron. Quantitative removal of detrital material before isochron analysis proves a successful approach. Such isochron data demonstrate that, although sediment remains closed to U-Th on a centimetre scale, nuclides are moved from grain to grain by α-recoil. Such intergrain exchange is expected to be observed in all sediments containing mineral grains with different U concentrations. Measured 234U/238U allows the recoil movement to be corrected and results in isochron ages with precision sometimes as low as 3 kyr. The accuracy of this approach has been proved by dating samples within the 14C age range. Sediments spanning the penultimate deglaciation have also been dated. After a small correction for bioturbation, the age for this event is found to be 135.2 ± 3.5 ka. This date is ≈8 kyr before the peak in northern hemisphere insolation and suggests that deglaciation is initiated by a mechanism in the southern hemisphere or tropics. This isochron approach shows considerable promise for dating of sediments older than this event, which will provide further information about the timing and mechanisms of global climate change.  相似文献   

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