Ice-Core Dating of the Pleistocene/Holocene Boundary Applied to a Calibration of the 14 C Time Scale

• Published in: Radiocarbon
• Main Authors: Hammer, Claus U, Clausen, Henrik B, Tauber, Henrik
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1986
• Subjects: Dye 3; Dye-3; ice core
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033822200007384; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033822200007384

Seasonal variations in 18 O content, in acidity, and in dust content have been used to count annual layers in the Dye 3 deep ice core back to the Late Glacial. In this way the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary has been absolutely dated to 8770 BC with an estimated error limit of ± 150 years. If compared to the conventional 14 C age of the same boundary a value of Δ 14 C = 53 ± 13‰ is obtained. This Δ 14 C value suggests that 14 C levels during the Late Glacial were not substantially higher than during the Postglacial.