14C dating of paleosol and animal remains in loess deposit: A comparative study

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-1-2005

Abstract

Dating paleosol and animal remains accurately and reliably is of crucial importance in reconstructing environmental change processes and researching the relationship between natural environments and human evolution. Dating different components in the same specimen and differentiating their ages is also important for tackling problems such as carbon storage state and soil carbon sources. Conventional 14C and AMS dating on animal remains (fossil bone and teeth) and inorganic and organic soil matter from a typical loess section at Xinglong Mountain, Yuzhong County, Gansu Province reveal that three different substances in the specimen from the same sampling position possess different 14C ages: the age of inorganic matter is 2624 years older than that of organic matter, which is dated at (3682 ± 70)a. According to the reliability analysis of these 14C ages, laboratory error is negligible, but the 14C resources, the component of 14C and the proportion of dead carbon are the main factors influencing 14C dating results. It is only possible to date the geological events correctly and reliably by analyzing the reasons generating these differences and the age comparison of different substances may provide information on paleoclimate and paleoenvironment. A 2000 year difference between the 14C ages of fossil and organic soil matter might indicate that a sediment gap exists, which is very important when reconstructing paleoclimate by loess section.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Diqiu Kexue - Zhongguo Dizhi Daxue Xuebao/Earth Science - Journal of China University of Geosciences

First Page

589

Last Page

596

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS