Correcting 14 C Histograms for the Non-Linearity of the Radiocarbon Time Scale

Large numbers of 14 C dates of the base and top of Holocene peat layers may be plotted in 14 C histograms in order to establish statistically a chronology of periods of essentially clastic sedimentation and peat formation. Due to the non-linearity of the 14 C time scale in terms of calendar years, c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRadiocarbon Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 169 - 177
Main Authors Stolk, Ad, Hogervorst, Koos, Berendsen, Henk
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 1989
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Summary:Large numbers of 14 C dates of the base and top of Holocene peat layers may be plotted in 14 C histograms in order to establish statistically a chronology of periods of essentially clastic sedimentation and peat formation. Due to the non-linearity of the 14 C time scale in terms of calendar years, clustering of 14 C dates on random peat growth may occur. This seriously hampers the interpretation of histograms. A quantitative method and computer program were developed to correct the histograms for this effect. The correction factor that has to be applied depends on the calibration curve and the interval width of the correction parameter dy. For peat samples, an interval width of 100 14 C yr and a calibration curve based on a 100-yr moving average seems to be a reasonable choice.
ISSN:0033-8222
1945-5755
DOI:10.1017/S0033822200044830