Browsing Radiocarbon, Volume 39, Number 2 (1997) by Authors

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    • Least-Squares Fitting a Smooth Curve to Radiocarbon Calibration Data
      Knox, F. B.; McFadgen, B. G. (Department of Geosciences, The University of Arizona, 1997-01-01)
      We Fourier transformed and filtered calibration curve data to compensate for the averaging effect of radiocarbon-dating sets of adjacent tree rings. A Wiener Filter was also applied to minimize the effects of the counting errors of the dates on the resulting calibration curve and to produce a least-squares curve through the data. The method is illustrated using a short 14C-dated tree-ring sequence from New Zealand to produce a calibration curve at yearly intervals for New Zealand matai (Prumnopitys taxifolia). The resulting curve has a nominal standard error of 10 +/3 yr, which is ca. Half the average standard error of the original raw data.