Carbon-14 wiggle-match dating of peat deposits: advantages and limitations

✍ Scribed by Maarten Blaauw; Bas Van Geel; Dmitri Mauquoy; Johannes Van Der Plicht

• Book ID: 102420793
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2004
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 100 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0267-8179
• DOI: 10.1002/jqs.810

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Carbon‐14 wiggle‐match dating (WMD) of peat deposits uses the non‐linear relationship between ^14^C age and calendar age to match the shape of a series of closely spaced peat ^14^C dates with the ^14^C calibration curve. The method of WMD is discussed, and its advantages and limitations are compared with calibration of individual dates. A numerical approach to WMD is introduced that makes it possible to assess the precision of WMD chronologies. During several intervals of the Holocene, the ^14^C calibration curve shows less pronounced fluctuations. We assess whether wiggle‐matching is also a feasible strategy for these parts of the ^14^C calibration curve. High‐precision chronologies, such as obtainable with WMD, are needed for studies of rapid climate changes and their possible causes during the Holocene. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.