Testing the use of quartz ‘micro-hole’ photon-simulated luminescence for dating sediments from the central Lomonosov Ridge,Arctic Ocean

In the Arctic Ocean, direct dating methods are needed as an alternative to the radiocarbon (¹⁴C) method and to various indirect approaches for a longer stratigraphy. In past attempts to develop a luminescence sediment dating, the use of fine-silt (4–11 μm) mixture of quartz and feldspar grains from core tops has often produced large age overestimates by several ka. A recent application of micro-focused laser (‘micro-hole’) photon-stimulated luminescence (PSL) to medium-silt to fine-sand quartz grains (11–105 μm) from the core tops at the Alaska margin has been usefully accurate. To extend this approach to the central Arctic Ocean and to a larger grain size range, we applied micro-hole PSL dating to >11 μm quartz grains from core tops (0.5–2 cm horizon) from two sites on the central Lomonosov Ridge. We obtain a burial age estimate of ca. 2 ka for 11–62 μm grains at a multicore site 18 MC within a perched intra-ridge basin, in accord with ¹⁴C ages obtained on foraminifers. At nearby site 19 MC on the erosive ridge top, the micro-hole PSL dating of >90 μm quartz grains produces a burial age estimate of ∼ca. 25 ka, in accord with a foraminiferal ¹⁴C age of ca. 26 ka. However, the 11–90 μm grains from the same sample produce a much younger burial age estimate of ca. 9 ka. Thus, these two size fractions of quartz grains record different burial times and different deposition agents (icebergs vs. sea ice), providing insight into past sedimentary processes. Overall, our results confirm an earlier conclusion from micro-hole PSL dating study at the Alaska margin that medium to coarse silt fractions of quartz grains (11–90 μm or at least 62 μm) is the preferred material for direct dating of the last daylight exposure of detrital sediment in the Arctic Ocean.     

OSL chronology and accumulation rate of the Nakdong deltaic sediments,southeastern Korean Peninsula

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was performed on Late Quaternary deltaic sequences from a 55-m-long core sampled from the Nakdong River estuary, Korea. OSL ages obtained from chemically separated fine (4–11 μm) and coarse (90–212 μm) quartz grains ranged from 29.4 ± 2.6 to 0.4 ± 0.04 ka, revealing clear consistency between the grain-size fractions. The D_e values from the standardized growth curve (SGC) are consistent with those from the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) procedure, which suggests that the SGC is valid for the Nakdong deltaic sediments. The ¹⁴C ages of shells and wood fragments ranged from 11 to 2.9 ka, demonstrating reasonable agreement with the OSL ages, within the error range. However, the limited number and random sampling interval of the ¹⁴C age data (10 ages) result in a simple linear and exponential trend in the depth–age curve. In contrast, OSL ages obtained by high-resolution sampling show down-section variations in the depth–age curve, indicating the occurrence of rapid changes in sedimentation rate. It is suggested that the high-sampling-resolution OSL ages provide a more realistic and detailed depth–age curve and sedimentation rate. The Nakdong deltaic sediments were divided into five units based on sedimentation rate. The lowest (unit 5) shows a break in sedimentation between the last glacial maximum (LGM) and the Holocene. The sedimentation rate increased in units 4 and 3, presumably corresponding to the early to middle Holocene sea level rise and high stand. Unit 2 shows a gradually decreasing sedimentation rate following the regression of the shoreline, until about 2 ka. The progradation of the Nakdong River delta resulted in the rapid accumulation of unit 1 during the last 2000 years.     

OSL chronostratigraphy of a loess-palaeosol sequence in Saxony/Germany using quartz of different grain sizes

Luminescence dating is one of the leading techniques to establish chronologies for loess-palaeosol sequences and has been successfully applied to different minerals and grain size fractions. Using optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) from quartz, we present for the first time a high resolution chronology for the loess section Ostrau in Saxony/Germany. We compare OSL ages derived from two different grain size fractions, coarse (90–200 μm) and the fine grain (4–11 μm) separates. Our results show that the loess section is divided into two parts, separated by a hiatus. OSL samples from the upper part of the loess section show equivalent doses of D_e < 100 Gy. D_e values >180 Gy are observed for the lower part of the loess section. The coarse and fine grain ages agree and also fit to the litho- and pedostratigraphy for the upper part of the profile. For the lower part of the profile the coarse grained quartz OSL is in saturation. The fine grained quartz OSL is not saturated but it appears that the fine grain OSL ages underestimate the sedimentation age. Approaches to explain the D_e differences between the grain size fractions are presented (e.g. post-depositional translocation, dosimetry). A modified SAR protocol for the fine grain fraction produced ages that are in good agreement with expected ages based on litho- and pedostratigraphy. Although further investigations are needed, our results show the suitability of the Saxonian loess belt for OSL dating.     

The equivalent dose of different grain size quartz fractions from lakeshore sediments in the arid region of north China

Equivalent dose (D_e) values were measured by using medium aliquots of different grain size quartz fractions of five lakeshore sediments from the arid region of north China. There are two different relationships between D_e values and grain sizes of these five samples. The first relationship is that the D_e values obtained from various grain sizes are in agreement within 1 delta errors. The second relationship is that D_e values are similar to each other for fractions between 125 and 300 μm, while the D_e value of the 63–90 μm fraction is 40～55% smaller than others. For example, the D_e values obtained for sample #3 are 20.15 ± 1.19 Gy, 19.80 ± 0.83 Gy and 20.93 ± 1.06 Gy for fractions of 90–125, 125–150 and 250–300 μm respectively, but are 10.79 ± 0.84 Gy for the 63–90 μm fraction. The second relationship can't be interpreted by previous studies of both dosimetry and heterogeneous bleaching. It is deduced for sample #2, #3 and #6 that fine particles (<90 μm) intruded after the dominant sedimentation. Comparison of OSL ages from different grain size fractions of sample #2 with a radiocarbon age from the same lithologic layer supports that fractions coarser than 125 μm yield more reliable burial ages, while the fraction finer than 90 μm yields underestimated ages for some lakeshore sediments from this arid region.     

Luminescence dating of a megaflood event on a terrace of the Jinsha River,China

The numerical dating of megaflood sediments is a worldwide challenge, a fact that has impeded a full understanding of Late Quaternary dam-outburst flood processes that occurred along the river courses of the Tibetan Plateau. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has been widely used on such sediments. Due to their short transportation distances prior to deposition, the OSL signals of megaflood sediments are often partially bleached, resulting in age overestimations. Here, we report on a comparison of OSL ages obtained using both quartz (4–11 μm FG; 90–125, 180–250 μm CG) and K-feldspar (180–250 μm CG) extracted from sediments taken from the Binghong-Bingnong Neolithic-Bronze Age site on the second Jinshan River terrace (T2), in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Contrary to previous experience suggesting that CG fractions are usually better bleached than FG fractions prior to deposition, our results showed that the OSL ages for the FG quartz fraction were generally younger than those for the CG fraction. This would suggest that the two fractions may have come from different sources, and may have been subject to different geomorphological processes prior to deposition. FG quartz fractions may be suitable to define the maximum age of sediments located in alpine gorge regions. CG quartz fractions can be used by applying the minimum age model (MAM) to select relatively well-bleached grains yielded ages close to the ‘true’ burial ages of the sediments. The results showed that the post-IR IRSL₂₂₅ ages of single grain K-feldspar were overestimated by > 3 ka, suggesting K-feldspar may not be suitable dating material for megaflood sediments <30 ka. The OSL dates suggest that the T2 terrace was formed ∼8.4 ka, that aeolian sediments were deposited during ∼2.6–1.5 ka, and that the megaflood event occurred after ∼1.5 ka.     

Optimizing radiocarbon chronologies in peat profiles with examples from Xinjiang,China

Reliable chronological frameworks are crucial to paleoenvironmental studies, and high precision ¹⁴C dating is the foundation, but many factors, such as dating materials, surficial deposition (influenced by nuclear bomb), and the ¹⁴C age plateau, will affect the reliability of the ¹⁴C ages and chronology frameworks. In this paper, we present 87 ¹⁴C dates of different peat fractions from three peat sites in Xinjiang, China. Plant macrofossils, rootlets, the fine fraction of <90 μm, the mid-size fraction of 90–250 μm and the coarse fraction of >250 μm from selected peat samples were measured to investigate the alternative suitable fraction for dating except for plant macrofossils. We discovered that the 90–250 μm component of peat can provide alternative and reliable results in case of plant macrofossils are not available. Additionally, more dating samples from surficial peat deposition were collected, and accurate surface chronological control points were produced by comparing ¹⁴C results of plant macrofossils with atmospheric ¹⁴C bomb data. Furthermore, multiple data sets with wiggle matching were used along the radiocarbon age plateau to minimize calibrated errors when dates on the ¹⁴C age plateau were shown. Finally, radiocarbon chronology frameworks in peat profiles were optimized. In conclusion, we not only focus on the reliable dating materials, but also highlight that the importance of surficial deposition (after 1950AD) and the anomalous ¹⁴C dates when establishing the dating framework in peat profiles. Furthermore, we propose that the obtaining chronological control points of surficial peat is an important part of the establishing and improving of peat chronological framework in future research.     

ENSO related decadal scale climate variability from the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a climatic phenomenon that affects socio-economical welfare in vast areas in the world. A continuous record of Holocene ENSO related climate variability of the Indo-Pacific Warm pool (IPWP) is constructed on the basis of stable oxygen isotopes in shells of planktic foraminifera from a sediment core in the western Pacific Ocean. At the centennial scale, variations in the stable oxygen isotope signal (δ¹⁸O) are thought be a representation of ENSO variability, although an imprint of local conditions cannot be entirely excluded. The record for the early Holocene (10.3–6 ka BP) shows, in comparison with the mid- to late Holocene, small amplitude variations in the δ¹⁸O record of up to 0.3‰ indicating relatively stable and warm sea surface conditions. The mid- to late Holocene (6–2 ka BP) exemplified higher variability in δ¹⁸O and thus in oceanic IPWP conditions. Climatically, we interpret this change (5.5–4.2 ka BP) as a phenomenon induced by variability in frequency and/or intensity changes of El Niño. In the period 4.2–2 ka BP we identified several periods, centred on 1.9, 2.1, 2.7, 3.3, 3.7 and 4.2 ka BP, with in general heavy δ¹⁸O values. During these periods, the IPWP was relocated to a more eastward position, enhancing the susceptibility for El Niño-like conditions at the core site. Over the last 2000 yr precipitation increased in the area as a response to an increase in Asian monsoon strength, resulting in a freshening of the surface waters. This study corroborates previous findings that the present-day ENSO activity started around 5.5 ka BP.     

Towards radiocarbon calibration beyond 28 ka using speleothems from the Bahamas

We present a new speleothem record of atmospheric Δ¹⁴C between 28 and 44 ka that offers considerable promise for resolving some of the uncertainty associated with existing radiocarbon calibration curves for this time period. The record is based on a comprehensive suite of AMS ¹⁴C ages, using new low-blank protocols, and U–Th ages using high precision MC-ICPMS procedures. Atmospheric Δ¹⁴C was calculated by correcting ¹⁴C ages with a constant dead carbon fraction (DCF) of 22.7 ± 5.9%, based on a comparison of stalagmite ¹⁴C ages with the IntCal04 (Reimer et al., 2004) calibration curve between 15 and 11 ka. The new Δ¹⁴C speleothem record shows similar structure and amplitude to that derived from Cariaco Basin foraminifera (Hughen et al., 2004, 2006), and the match is further improved if the latter is tied to the most recent Greenland ice core chronology (Svensson et al., 2008). These data are however in conflict with a previously published ¹⁴C data set for a stalagmite record from the Bahamas — GB-89-24-1 (Beck et al., 2001), which likely suffered from ¹⁴C analytical blank subtraction issues in the older part of the record. The new Bahamas speleothem ?¹⁴C data do not show the extreme shifts between 44 and 40 ka reported in the previous study (Beck et al., 2001). Causes for the observed structure in derived atmospheric Δ¹⁴C variation based on the new speleothem data are investigated with a suite of simulations using an earth system model of intermediate complexity. Data-model comparison indicates that major fluctuations in atmospheric ?¹⁴C during marine isotope stage 3 is primarily a function of changes in geomagnetic field intensity, although ocean–atmosphere system reorganisation also played a supporting role.     

OSL dating of fine and coarse quartz from a Palaeolithic sequence on the Bistrița Valley (Northeastern Romania)

Previous works focused on optically stimulated luminescence dating of quartz extracted from Romanian and Serbian loess reported significant discrepancies between ages obtained on fine (4–11 μm) and coarse (63–90 μm) quartz. The present study is directed at expanding these investigations. The SAR-OSL and double SAR-OSL protocols are applied on quartz of different grain sizes belonging to 9 samples extracted from a newly identified archaeological site at Bistricioara-Lutărie III on the Bistrița Valley (NE Romania). Radiocarbon ages are also obtained for the 3 uppermost cultural layers hosted in the loess-like deposit.Discrepant ages are obtained between fine (4–11 μm) and coarse (63–90 and 90–200 μm, respectively) quartz for equivalent doses higher than ∼80–100 Gy. However, a very good agreement is achieved for the youngest sample, with an age of ∼8 ka (with a D_e of 38 Gy for fine and 35 Gy for coarse grains, respectively). The comparison with independent control provided by radiocarbon dating suggests better agreement of ages calculated for coarse quartz. Our results are once again proof that concerns should be raised regarding the reliability of the equivalent doses obtained on quartz samples for which the laboratory dose response cannot be fitted by a single saturating exponential function. Further systematic investigations are required regarding the very different saturation characteristics of fine and coarse grained quartz.     

OSL dating of fine-grained quartz from Holocene Yangtze delta sediments

Holocene flood events in the Yangtze River are associated with variations in East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM) precipitation, and so Yangtze delta sediments may preserve information about the frequency and magnitude of EASM precipitation. These flood/drought cycles of the EASM directly affect the living standards of East Asian population. However, despite its importance, little chronological control is available for the Yangtze Delta sediments; because biogenic carbonate only occurs sporadically, it has proved the difficulty to discuss sedimentation mechanisms and rates in any detail.In 2013 two sediment cores (YD13-G3 and H1) were taken from the Yangtze subaqueous delta to investigate precipitation history. In this study, we investigate the potential of quartz OSL dating of the fine silt fraction (fine-grained quartz; 4–11 μm) from these cores to estimate the depositional age of the sediments. We test whether: (1) Yangtze subaqueous delta sediments contain quartz with suitable characteristics for dating, and (2) quartz grains are well-bleached during/before the transportation process, by examining a modern analogue of suspended particulate matter, and by cross-checking with the doses derived from infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals (both IR₅₀ and pIRIR₁₆₀) from feldspar in polymineral fine grains. We find that both the quartz and feldspar luminescence characteristics are satisfactory (quartz dose recovery ratio 1.067 ± 0.004; n = 250, pIRIR₁₆₀ dose recovery ratio 1.01 ± 0.02; n = 151). Modern suspended particulate matter has measured quartz equivalent doses between 0.1 and 0.2 Gy, suggesting that this material was sufficiently bleached during/before transportation to allow dating of Holocene sediments (mean dose rates of ∼3 Gy ka⁻¹). OSL ages of 44 samples from the 2 cores show apparently rapid accumulation at ∼6 ka between 9.65 and 5.50 m in core H1 and ∼2 ka throughout core G3 and between 5.0 and 0.0 m in core H1. The pIRIR₁₆₀ signals suggest less light exposure of the core top sediments and of those from the transition layer between ∼6 ka to ∼2 ka, although there is no evidence for incomplete bleaching of quartz. The question remains as to whether significant deposition took place only at these two times, or whether the record has been disturbed by erosion/reworking.     

Chronology of Lateglacial ice flow reorganization and deglaciation in the Gotthard Pass area,Central Swiss Alps,based on cosmogenic 10Be and in situ 14C

We reconstruct the timing of ice flow reconfiguration and deglaciation of the Central Alpine Gotthard Pass, Switzerland, using cosmogenic ¹⁰Be and in situ ¹⁴C surface exposure dating. Combined with mapping of glacial erosional markers, exposure ages of bedrock surfaces reveal progressive glacier downwasting from the maximum LGM ice volume and a gradual reorganization of the paleoflow pattern with a southward migration of the ice divide. Exposure ages of ∼16–14 ka (snow corrected) give evidence for continuous early Lateglacial ice cover and indicate that the first deglaciation was contemporaneous with the decay of the large Gschnitz glacier system. In agreement with published ages from other Alpine passes, these data support the concept of large transection glaciers that persisted in the high Alps after the breakdown of the LGM ice masses in the foreland and possibly decayed as late as the onset of the Bølling warming. A younger group of ages around ∼12–13 ka records the timing of deglaciation following local glacier readvance during the Egesen stadial. Glacial erosional features and the distribution of exposure ages consistently imply that Egesen glaciers were of comparatively small volume and were following a topographically controlled paleoflow pattern. Dating of a boulder close to the pass elevation gives a minimum age of 11.1 ± 0.4 ka for final deglaciation by the end of the Younger Dryas. In situ ¹⁴C data are overall in good agreement with the ¹⁰Be ages and confirm continuous exposure throughout the Holocene. However, in situ ¹⁴C demonstrates that partial surface shielding, e.g. by snow, has to be incorporated in the exposure age calculations and the model of deglaciation.     

High resolution OSL dating back to MIS 5e in the central Sea of Okhotsk

Marine sediments contain important archives of past ocean and climate changes, but at high latitudes the absence of carbonate has prevented the construction of accurate chronological models. We have begun a study to (1) determine the accuracy of luminescence ages in deep-sea marine sediments, e.g. by comparison with marine oxygen isotope stratigraphy where possible, (2) describe changes in sedimentation rate through time, and (3) test whether it is possible to date back to marine isotope stage 5e (MIS 5e). We show here that optical dating of fine grains of quartz from the central Sea of Okhotsk is able to provide an accurate and precise chronology for the reconstruction of the palaeoceanic and palaeoclimatic environment at our site. The upper 6.5 m of the 18.42 m long core MR0604-PC07A is believed, based on its magnetic susceptibility and the oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O) records to contain the last ～150 ka. Forty OSL samples were taken from this upper part of the core. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) procedure is used for equivalent dose (D_e) determination. The luminescence characteristics of fine-grained quartz (4–11 μm) extracted from the core are described. The OSL signal is dominated by the fast component and a dose recovery test shows that we can accurately measure a known dose given in the laboratory prior to any heat treatment. Dose rates were determined using high-resolution gamma spectrometry, and vary between 0.4 and 1.6 Gy/ka. The OSL ages from this section lie between ～140 ka and ～15 ka and are in very good agreement with the δ¹⁸O stratigraphy up to MIS 5e. A clear change in sedimentation rate is identified: between ～139 and 110 ka, the sedimentation rate was ～0.09 m/ka, but then from ～110 to 15 ka, the sedimentation rate decreases to a constant value of ～0.04 m/ka. Our data confirm that OSL dating using widely distributed fine-grain quartz has great potential for dating deep-sea sediments. Because luminescence methods use clastic materials, they do not depend on the presence of biogenic carbonate. As a result it is now likely that we can establish a chronology in regions of the ocean that were previously undatable.     

Tephrostratigraphy of the last 170 ka in sedimentary successions from the Adriatic Sea

In this study are discussed new SEM-EDS analyses performed on glass shards from five cores collected in the Central Adriatic Sea and two cores recovered from the South Adriatic Sea. A total of 26 tephra layers have been characterized and compared with the geochemical features of terrestrial deposits and other tephra archives in the area (South Adriatic Sea and Lago Grande di Monticchio, Vulture volcano). The compositions are compatible with either a Campanian or a Roman provenance. The cores, located on the Central Adriatic inner and outer shelf, recorded tephra referred to explosive events described in the literature: AP3 (sub-Plinian activity of the Somma-Vesuvius, 2710 ± 60 ¹⁴C years BP); Avellino eruption (Somma–Vesuvius, 3548 ± 129 ¹⁴C years BP); Agnano Monte Spina (Phlegrean Fields, 4100 ± 400 years BP); Mercato eruption (Somma–Vesuvius, 8010 ± 35 ¹⁴C years BP; Agnano Pomici Principali eruption (Phlegrean Fields, 10,320 ± 50 ¹⁴C years BP); Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (Phlegrean Fields, 12,100 ± 170 ¹⁴C years BP). Some of these layers were also observed in the South Adriatic core IN68-9 in addition to younger (AP2, sub-Plinian eruption, Somma–Vesuvius, 3225 ± 140 ¹⁴C years BP), and older layers (Pomici di Base eruption, Somma–Vesuvius, 18,300 ± 150 ¹⁴C years BP). Significant is the tephra record of core RF95-7 that, for the first time in the Adriatic Sea, reports the occurrence of tephra layers older than 60 ka: the well known Mediterranean tephra layers X2 (ca. 70 ka), W1 (ca. 140 ka) and V2 (Roman origin, ca. 170 ka) as well as other tephra layers attributed, on the basis of geochemistry and biostratigraphy, to explosive eruptions occurred at Vico (138 ± 2 and 151 ± 3 ka BP) and Ischia (147–140 ka BP).     

Applying a Bayesian approach for refining the chronostratigraphy of the Yumidong site in the Three Gorges region,central China

Yumidong (Corn Cave) is a newly discovered Paleolithic site in the Three Gorges region of central China. Numerous Paleolithic artifacts have been excavated from the sedimentary deposits of the cave in association with faunal remains attributed to the Middle-Late Pleistocene Ailuropoda-Stegodon fauna of southern China. To establish the chronology of the sedimentary sequence (>5 m thick), ¹⁴C dating was applied to bone and charcoal samples (n = 6); the U-series method was used to date in situ precipitated speleothems (n = 12), transported speleothem samples (n = 6) and 18 subsamples of a fossil tooth; and the coupled ESR/U-series method was used to date fossil teeth (n = 6). The derived dates were combined using a hierarchical Bayesian approach to generate a unified chronostratigraphy for the Yumidong sequence. In our Bayesian analyses, the ¹⁴C and coupled ESR/U-series dates were considered to provide direct age estimates for the target layers, while the U-series dates of the in situ precipitated speleothems and fossil tooth were used as minimum age constraints and those of the transported speleothem fragments as maximum age constraints. The Bayesian analyses provided robust time intervals for the archeological layers: L2-Upper (14–23 ka), L2-Lower (27–63 ka), L3 (106–171 ka), L4 (140–192 ka), L10 (157–229 ka), L11 (181–256 ka), and L12 (214–274 ka) with a probability of 95%, allowing the establishment of a ∼300 ka long geological and archeological history for the Yumidong site and placing it as a reference site for Paleolithic cultural evolution in the Three Gorges region from the late Middle Pleistocene to Late Pleistocene.     

Optical dating of Chinese loess using sand-sized quartz: Establishing a time frame for Late Pleistocene climate changes in the western part of the Chinese Loess Plateau

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is of major interest to Quaternary geologists because it represents an important terrestrial archive of palaeoclimatic fluctuations. Previous multiple-aliquot luminescence dating studies of Chinese loess mainly used thermoluminescence (TL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signals of polymineral fine-grains; these are known to be subject to anomalous fading and thus will tend to yield age underestimations. In this paper we investigate whether the blue-light stimulated luminescence (BLSL) signals from 63 to 90 μm quartz grains extracted from three western Chinese loess sites (Zhongjiacai, Le Du and Tuxiangdao) can be used to establish a reliable chronology. The single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) procedure is used for the equivalent dose (D_e) determinations and the suitability of our measurement protocol is confirmed by dose recovery tests. The influence of an IRSL signal on the quartz D_e measurements derived from BLSL has been investigated. From these results we conclude that an IRSL contamination, expressed as an IRSL/BLSL ratio, of up to 10% can be accepted before the values of D_e are significantly affected. All three sites yield stratigraphically consistent and spatially highly reproducible optical ages up to about 50–70 ka. At the Tuxiangdao site a marked hiatus in the record is identified between ∼20 and ∼30 ka; this remained undetected in previous studies and clearly highlights the importance of high-resolution optical dating in Chinese loess research. The optical ages presented in this work provide more evidence for episodic loess deposition and varying loess accumulation rates in the western part of the CLP. Our study seems to confirm the potential of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating using the SAR procedure applied to the very fine sandy quartz fraction in Chinese loess back to ∼40–50 ka (∼120–150 Gy).     

Neodymium isotopes in benthic foraminifera: Core-top systematics and a down-core record from the Neogene south Atlantic

Records of the past neodymium (Nd) isotope composition of the deep ocean can resolve ambiguities in the interpretation of other tracers. We present the first Nd isotope data for sedimentary benthic foraminifera. Comparison of the ?_Nd of core-top foraminifera from a depth transect on the Cape Basin side of the Walvis Ridge to published seawater data, and to the modern dissolved SiO₂–?_Nd trend of the deep Atlantic, suggests that benthic foraminifera represent a reliable archive of the deep water Nd isotope composition. Neodymium isotope values of benthic foraminifera from ODP Site 1264A (Angola Basin side of the Walvis Ridge) from the last 8 Ma agree with Fe–Mn oxide coatings from the same samples and are also broadly consistent with existing fish teeth data for the deep South Atlantic, yielding confidence in the preservation of the marine Nd isotope signal in all these archives. The marine origin of the Nd in the coatings is confirmed by their marine Sr isotope values. These important results allow application of the technique to down-core samples.The new ?_Nd datasets, along with ancillary Cd/Ca and Nd/Ca ratios from the same foraminiferal samples, are interpreted in the context of debates on the Neogene history of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) export to the South Atlantic. In general, the ?_Nd and δ¹³C records are closely correlated over the past 4.5 Ma. The Nd isotope data suggest strong NADW export from 8 to 5 Ma, consistent with one interpretation of published δ¹³C gradients. Where the ?_Nd record differs from the nutrient-based records, changes in the pre-formed δ¹³C or Cd/Ca of southern-derived deep water might account for the difference. Maximum NADW-export for the entire record is suggested by all proxies at 3.5–4 Ma. Chemical conditions from 3 to 1 Ma are totally different, showing, on average, the lowest NADW export of the record. Modern-day values again imply NADW export that is about as strong as at any stage over the past 8 Ma.     

Refining the Quaternary Geomagnetic Instability Time Scale (GITS): Lava flow recordings of the Blake and Post-Blake excursions

The Blake excursion was among the first recognized with directional and intensity behavior known mainly from marine sediment and Chinese loess. Age estimates for the directional shifts in sediments are poorly constrained to about 118−100 ka, i.e., at the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e/5d boundary. Moreover, sediments at Lac du Bouchet maar, France and along the Portuguese margin reveal what may be a "post-Blake" excursion at about 105−95 ka. The excursional directions are associated with a prominent paleointensity minimum between about 125 and 95 ka in global stacked records. Lava flow recordings of the Blake excursion(s) have, however, been questionable because precise ages required for correlation with these sediment records are lacking. To establish new, independent records of the Blake excursion, and link these into a larger Quaternary GITS, we have undertaken ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating and unspiked K-Ar experiments on groundmass from the transitionally magnetized Inzolfato flow on Lipari Island. We also obtained ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating results for a lava flow on Amsterdam Island originally thought to record the Mono Lake excursion and from the transitionally magnetized El Calderon basalt flow, New Mexico that was K-Ar dated by Champion et al. (1988) at 128 ± 66 ka.Unspiked K-Ar ages of four samples from the Inzolfato flow are 102.5 ± 4.7, 101.3 ± 3.3, 97.1 ± 2.6, and 96.8 ± 3.1 ka and thus indistinguishable from one another. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar results are more complex, with three samples yielding discordant age spectra. Based on incremental heating data obtained in both the UW-Madison and Gif-sur-Yvette ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar laboratories, a fourth sample yields six concordant age plateaus and a weighted mean age of 105.2 ± 1.4 ka that we take as the best estimate of time since the flow erupted. Five ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating experiments on the Amsterdam Island lava yield a plateau age of 120 ± 12 ka, whereas ages from two sites in the Calderon flow are 112 ± 23 and 101 ± 14 ka, together giving a weighted mean of 104 ± 12 ka. The age of 120 ± 12 ka from Amsterdam Island, though imprecise, correlates with the Blake excursion. In contrast, the 104–105 ka age obtained from both Lipari and New Mexico indicates that these lavas record a younger period of dynamo instability, most probably associated with the post-Blake excursion. These radioisotopic ages are consistent with the astronomical ages of two paleointensity minima in the PISO-1500 global stack. Our findings indicate that the Blake and post-Blake excursions are both global features of past geodynamo behavior and support the hypothesis that Brunhes chron excursions are temporally clustered into two groups of at least a half-dozen each spanning over 220 to 30 ka and 720 to 520 ka.     

U-series,ESR and 14C studies of the fossil remains from the Mousterian levels of Zafarraya Cave (Spain): A revised chronology of Neandertal presence

Zafarraya Cave is considered a reference site for the last presence of Homo neanderthalensis presence in the south of the Iberian Peninsula. In this paper, accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates were carried out on charcoals and faunal remains, U–Th dating using either alpha spectrometry or Thermal-Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) and ESR dating were performed on faunal remains. These analyses were carried out on samples from the Mousterian levels of the site (archaeostratigraphic units UC, UD, UE, UF, UG). The ¹⁴C AMS dates of charcoal samples (n = 11) were scattered and displayed no coherence with the stratigraphy suggesting possible alteration. The delicate charcoal and faunal samples underwent the gentle RR, ZR (ABA) or AG (ABA) pretreatment procedures at ORAU. The RR protocol is currently considered too gentle and the results are considered with caution. Four ZR charcoal pretreatments failed due to the fact that the charcoal samples were altered. Only two charcoals samples subjected to the ZR pretreatment yielded a reliable % C (>60%) (OxA-9001 and OxA-9002, 40,294–42,761 and 38,763–40,604 cal BP). Their ages are consistent with the stratigraphy and are considered to provide the best age estimate for the level bearing the Z2 Neandertal mandible (Unit UE). For the dentine and the bone samples, the ¹⁴C AMS were less dispersed. ¹⁴C analyses failed for four bone samples due to insufficient collagen content. Moreover, the %C is very low for two samples, suggesting alteration of the fossil remains at Zafarraya. Only two other samples with enough %C (>30%) were retained: OxA-8024 and OxA-8999 (Unit UE). The respective ¹⁴C ages range from ∼34 to 39 ka cal BP. The U/Th (TIMS) analyses of enamel samples displayed an extremely low uranium content (< ∼ 0.02–0.04 ppm). Moreover, the U/Th age range of faunal remains is large, thus providing no conclusive results. ESR dating was chosen for this exercise as, in combination with U-series, it can be used to assess U-uptake in open systems. The combined ESR and U/Th (TIMS) age estimates on tooth enamel yielded US-ESR ages between 33 (+3/−4) ka to 43 ± 3 ka (MIS3) for two Equus teeth and one Capra tooth in unit UE, overlapping with the oldest charcoal and bone ¹⁴C dates. The age of the Zafarraya fossil remains was derived from the US-ESR time range of 30–46 ka (MIS 3). We consider this age range to be more representative of the Neandertal occupations at the site than the hitherto widely cited uncalibrated ¹⁴C age of around 30 ka.     

Glacial–interglacial sediment transport to the Meiji Drift,northwest Pacific Ocean: Evidence for timing of Beringian outwashing

A large sediment deposit known as the Meiji Drift, located in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, is thought to have formed from deep water exiting the Bering Sea, although no notable deep water forms there presently. We determine the terrigenous sources since 140 ka to the drift using bulk sediment ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar and Nd isotopic analyses on the silt-sized (20–63 μm) terrigenous fraction from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 884 to reconstruct paleo-circulation patterns. There are large changes in both isotopic tracers, varying on glacial–interglacial cycles. During glacial intervals, bulk sediment ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar ages range between 40 and 80 Ma, while Nd isotopic values range from ε_Nd = ? 1 to + 2. During interglacial intervals, sediments become much younger and more radiogenic, with bulk sediment ages falling to 2–15 Ma and Nd isotopic values ranging between ε_Nd = + 5 and + 9. These data and quantitative comparison to potential source rocks indicate that the young Kamchatkan and Aleutian Arcs, lying NW and NE of the Meiji Drift, contribute the majority of sediment during interglacials. Conversely, older source rocks, such as those drained by the Yukon River and northeast Russia are the dominant origin of sediments during glacials. Mixing model calculations suggest that as much as 35–45% of the sediment deposited in the Meiji Drift during glacials is from the Bering Sea. It remains unclear whether thermohaline-type circulation or focussing of Bering Sea flow lead to the glacial–interglacial sediment source changes observed here.