Skip to main content
Log in

Validity of radiocarbon dates on ground water

Geophysical surveys Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Carbonate species, dissolved in appreciable quantities in all ground waters, can be extracted and used for radiocarbon dating. The material is mainly of biogenic origin, but contains some bicarbonate produced from limestone. This causes a dilution of the radiocarbon activity of the total carbonate species in the water and a correction is necessary in order to determine absolute radiocarbon ages, i.e., the time since the waters went underground.

Three methods of evaluating the limestone contributions are examined critically: carbonate species ratios, carbon-13 variations, and concurrent tritium measurements. All possess uncertainties. The largest errors occur in the carbon-13 procedure, due to the wide natural fluctuation of the stable isotope content in plants and the occurrence of isotope effects in the soil air-water carbon dioxide exchange. Comparisons of the limestone dilution correction techniques show that they produce analogous results in actual aquifer studies, but with small differences in the calculated radiocarbon ages. The reasons for these inconsistencies have not yet been unequivocally established. Two problems are: the possibility of irreversible exchange of the ground water dissolved carbonate species with limestone in the aquifer matrix, and the significance of exchange of carbon dioxide in the water with that of the soil air in the surface layer of the catchment zone. Experiments are suggested that could resolve these questions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, T. F.: 1969,J. Geophys. Res. 74, 3918.

    Google Scholar 

  • Back, W. and Hanshaw, B. B.: 1971,Adv. Chemistry, No. 106, 77.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bender, J. B.: 1968,Radiocarbon 10, 468.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinkman, R., Münnich, K. O., and Vogel, J. C.: 1959,Naturwissenschaften 46, 10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brinkman, R., Münnich, K. O., and Vogel, J. C.: 1960,Geol. Rundschau 49, 244.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craig, H.: 1953,Geochim. Cosmochim, Acta 3, 53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conrod, G. and Fontes, J. C.: 1972,Compt. Rend. 275D, 165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Custodio, E.: 1967,Isotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 352.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emiliani, C.: 1956,J. Geology 64, 281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emrich, K., Ehhalt, D. H., and Vogel, I. c.: 1970,Earth Planetary Sci. Letters 8, 363.

    Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, E.: 1973,Scientific American 228, No. 5, 48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eriksson, E.: 1962,Application of Isotope Techniques in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fairhall, A. W. and Young, J. A.: 1970,Adv. Chemistry No. 93, 401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Führ, F. and Sauerbeck, D.: 1968,Isotopes and Radiation in Soil Organic Matter Studies, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Galimov, E. M.: 1966,Geochim. Int. 3, 889.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A.: 1970,Isotope Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 215.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A.: 1972a,24th Int. Geol. Conf., p. 227.

  • Geyh, M. A.: 1972b,Proc. Int. Conf. Radiocarbon Dating, Wellington, New Zealand, p. D58.

  • Geyh, M. A.: 1973,Z. Deutsch. Geol. Ges. 124, 515.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A.: 1974,Oesterreichische Wasserwirtschaft 26, 49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A. and Wendt, I.: 1965,Proc. Int. Conf. C-14, T-3 Dating Conf., Pullman, Wash. CONF-650652, 597.

  • Geyh, M. A. and Mairhofer, J.: 1970,Steir. Beitr. Hydrogeol. 22, 63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A. and Kreysing, K.: 1973,Revista Brasileira Geociencias 3, 53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A. and Michel, G.: 1974,Fortschr. Geol. Rheinle. Westf. 20, 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyh, M. A. and Tamers, M. A.: 1974, in preparation.

  • Geyh, M. A., Benzler, J. H., and Roeschmann, G.: 1971,Int. Soil Soc. Conf., Amsterdam, 63.

  • Geyh, M. A., Merkt, J., and Muller, H.: 1971,Arch. Hydrobiol. 69, 366.

    Google Scholar 

  • Godwin, H.: 1962,Nature 195, 984.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, R. L.: 1967,Michigan Archaeologist 13, 3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatch, M. D. and Slack, C. R.: 1966,Biochem. J. 101, 103.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haul, R. A. W. and Stein, L. H.: 1955,Trans. Faraday Soc. 51, 1280.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herrera, R. and Tamers, M. A.: 1971,Paleopedology-Origin, Nature and Dating of Paleosols, Intern. Soc. Soil Sci., Jerusalem, p. 109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal, D.: 1965,Proc. Int. Conf. C-14 and T-3 Dating Conf., Pullman, Wash., CONF-650652, p. 541.

  • Lerman, J. C.: 1967,Ciencia e Investigacion 24, 268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerman, J. C.: 1972a,Proc. Int. Conf. Radiocarbon Dating, Wellington, New Zealand, p. H16.

  • Lerman, J. C.: 1972b,Proc. Int. Conf. Radiocarbon Dating, Wellington, New Zealand, p. D93.

  • Lowdon, J. A. and Dyck, W.: 1974,Can. J. Earth Sci. 11, 79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthess, G., Fauth, H., Geyh, M. A., and Wendt, I.: 1969,Geol. Jahrb. 87, 45.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mazor, E., Verhagen, B. T., Sellschop, J. P. F., Robins, N. S., and Hutton, L. G.: 1974,Isotope Techniques in Groundwater Hydrology 1, 203, I.A.E.A., Vienna.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mook, W. G.: 1970,Isotope Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 163.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mook, W. G.: 1972,Proc. Int. Conf. Radiocarbon Dating, Wellington, New Zealand, p. D32.

  • Mückenhausen, E., Scharpenseel, H. W., and Pietig, F.: 1968,Eiszeitalter Gegenwart 19, 190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münnich, K. O.: 1957,Naturwissenschaften 44, 32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münnich, K. O. and Roether, W.: 1963,Radioisotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münnich, K. O. and Roether, W.: 1967,Radioactive Dating and Methods of Low-Level Counting, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Münnich, K. O., Roether, W., and Thilo, L.: 1967,Isotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 305.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nydal, R. and Lövseth, K.: 1970,J. Geophys. Res. 75, 2271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nydal, R., Lövseth, K., and Syrstad, O.: 1971,Nature 232, 418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oberländer, H. E. and Roth, K.: 1968,Isotopes and Radiation in Soil Organic Matter Studies, I.A.E.A., Vienna, p. 251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oberländer, H. E. and Roth, K.: 1972,Landwirtschaftliche Forschung 25, 295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rightmire, C. T. and Hanshaw, B. B.: 1973,Water Res. Research 9, 958.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salin, M. L. and Homann, P. H.: 1971,Plant Physiol. 48, 193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samos, G.: 1949,Science 110, 663.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W.: 1970,Int. Soil Soc. Conf., Amsterdam, 77.

  • Scharpenseel, H. W.: 1972,Z. Pflanzenernährung Bodenkunde 133, 241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W.: 1974,Mitteilungen der Deutschen Bodenkundl. Gesellsch. 18, 198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W. and Pietig, F.: 1969a,Z. Pflanzenernährung Bodenkunde 122, 145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W. and Pietig, F.: 1969b,Geoderma 2, 273.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W. and Tamers, M. A.: 1970,Z. Kulturtechnik Flurbereinigung 11, 166.

    Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel, H. W. and Ohling, J.: 1974,Isotope and Radiation Techniques in Soil Physics and Irrigation Studies, I.A.E.A., p. 97.

  • Scharpenseel, H. W., Pietig, F., Kruse, E., Hesselfeld, H., and Specth, K.: 1973,Fu Jen Studies 7, 41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siegenthaler, U., Oeschger, H., and Tongiorgo, E.: 1970,Isotope Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, 373.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, B. N. and Epstein, S.: 1971,Plant. Physiol. 47, 380.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver, M. and Deevey, E. S.: 1962,Radiocarbon 4, 250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A.: 1966,Nature 212, 489.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A.: 1967a,Am. Geophys. Union Monograph 11, 143.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A.: 1967b,Compt. Rend. 264B, 344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A.: 1969,Atompraxis 15, 271.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A. and Thielen, C.: 1966,Acta Cientifica Venezolana 17, 150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A., Balke, K. D., and Scharpenseel, H. W.: 1968,Z. Kulturtechnik Flurbereinigung 9, 364.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tamers, M. A., Stipp, J. J., and Weiner, R.: 1975,Environmental Research, in press.

  • Tauber, H.: 1967,Radiocarbon 9, 246.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thilo, L. and Münnich, K. O.: 1970,Isotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, 259.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troughton, J. H.: 1972,Proc. Intern. Conf. Radiocarbon Dating, Wellington, New Zealand, E39.

  • Vogel, J. C.: 1959,Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 16, 236.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vogel, J. C. and Ehhalt, D.: 1963,Radioisotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, 383.

    Google Scholar 

  • Volk, R. J. and Jackson, W. A.: 1972,Plant Physiol. 49, 218.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendt, I.: 1971,Earth Planetary Sci. Letters 12, 439.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wendt, I., Stahl, W., Geyh, M., and Fauth, F.: 1967,Isotopes in Hydrology, I.A.E.A., Vienna, 321.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wickman, F. E.: 1952,Geochim. Cosmochim Acta 2, 243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winograd, J. J. and Farlekas, G. M.: 1974,Isotope Techniques in Groundwater Hydrology 2, 69, I.A.E.A., Vienna.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

Note: I.A.E.A.=International Atomic Energy Agency

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Tamers, M.A. Validity of radiocarbon dates on ground water. Geophysical Surveys 2, 217–239 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01447909

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01447909

Keywords

Navigation