Issue Date
1986-01-01Keywords
flowstonesHeggen Cave
West Germany
Germany
Holocene
Central Europe
Europe
Cenozoic
Quaternary
geochronology
C 14
carbon
dates
isotopes
radioactive isotopes
absolute age
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Geyh, M. A., & Hennig, G. J. (1986). Multiple dating of a long flowstone profile. Radiocarbon, 28(2A), 503-509.Publisher
American Journal of ScienceJournal
RadiocarbonDescription
From the 12th International Radiocarbon Conference held in Trondheim, June 24-28, 1985.Additional Links
http://radiocarbon.webhost.uits.arizona.edu/Abstract
Dense speleothem samples are considered as closed systems and are, therefore, possibilities for any dating method. Four dating methods (14C, U/Th, paleomagnetism, and electron spin resonance = ESR) were used for samples up to 1,000,000 yr old and taken along a vertical flowstone profile in the Heggen cave in West Germany. Also delta-18O and delta-13C analyses were carried out. The reliability of the results of each method is dependent on the diagenetic processes that took place during the complex growth history of the flowstone. Speleothem growth was interrupted during glacial periods. During interglacial periods, at least the stalagmite growth rate was greater by one order of magnitude than during interstadial periods. During the periods of low interstadial growth rate various processes might have changed the 14C, 18O, and 13C concentrations, leaching might have removed uranium, recrystallization might have moved thorium several centimeters, and increased content of radon in the cave might have exaggerated the accumulated dose (AD) at the speleothem surface. As a result, 14C ages may be too small and U/Th as well as ESR data may be too large.Type
Proceedingstext
Language
enISSN
0033-8222ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1017/S0033822200007645