Radiocarbon Anomalies Observed for Plants Growing in Icelandic Geothermal Waters
We have studied plant remains in thick beds of lacustrine sediments in the upper part of the Markarfljót drainage area in southern Iceland. We collected small samples of plant species from the same horizon and 14 C dated them at the Aarhus AMS Dating Laboratory. Terrestrial plants yielded an age of...
| Published in: | Radiocarbon |
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
1992
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0033822200063980 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0033822200063980 |
| Summary: | We have studied plant remains in thick beds of lacustrine sediments in the upper part of the Markarfljót drainage area in southern Iceland. We collected small samples of plant species from the same horizon and 14 C dated them at the Aarhus AMS Dating Laboratory. Terrestrial plants yielded an age of 9 ka BP, whereas aquaic moss ( Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw.) yielded the surprisingly old 14 C age of 16 ka bp. We believe the age of the terrestrial plants reflects the true age of the sediment. The anomalously old 14 C age of the aquatic moss may be an effect of geothermal water on the moss, as the area is known to be geothermally active today. Modern aquatic moss growing in geothermal water showed a similar 14 C anomaly, with measured ages ranging from 6 to 8 ka BP, which may be explained by the equally old ages measured for the corresponding water samples. The 14 C content of geothermal springs and neighboring rivers in the area ranges from 9 to 50 pMC, equivalent to an apparent age of 20–5.5 ka bp. |
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