ANSTO's research capabilities, led by the OPAL nuclear research reactor and associated instruments provide access to users investigating areas as diverse as materials, life sciences, climate change and mining/engineering.
Atmospheric bomb 14C data for age calibration
ANSTO researchers have compiled bomb 14C data for the troposphere from selected atmospheric records, tree rings, and recent organic material.
| Compiled atmospheric 14C curves for four different zones for age calibration. |
The compilation consists of zonal (three for the Northern Hemisphere and one for the whole Southern Hemisphere), hemispheric and global 14C data sets for the summer, and zonal atmospheric 14C curves at (mostly) monthly resolution. The former can be employed for calibrating and comparing carbon cycle models, while the latter can be used for age calibration of recent organic matter dated by the 14C method.
Project team members
Mike Barbetti (Faculty of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Naresuan University, Thailand) and Quan Hua (ANSTO).
| World map showing the areas covered by the four zones. |
Publications related to this project
Hua, Q. (2009), Radiocarbon: A chronological tool for the recent past, Quaternary Geochronology, 4, 378-390. doi:10.1016/j.quageo.2009.03.006.
Hua, Q., and M. Barbetti (2004), Review of tropospheric bomb radiocarbon data for carbon cycle modelling and age calibration purposes, Radiocarbon, 46, 1273-1298.
Hua, Q., M. Barbetti, M. Worbes, J. Head, and V.A. Levchenko (1999), Review of radiocarbon data from atmospheric and tree ring samples for the period 1945-1997 AD, International Association of Wood Anatomists (IAWA) Journal, 20, 261-283.
Abstracts related to this project
Hua, Q., Radiocarbon calibration and marine reservoir ages, The 4th Ainse Quaternary Dating Workshop, 26-27 Mar 2008, Lucas Heights, Sydney.
Hua, Q., Recent 14C as a chronological tool, OZPACs 2nd Meeting, 20-21 April 2006, Canberra, Australia.