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Deglacial reservoir age and implications, Foxe Peninsula, Baffin Island

✍ Scribed by Kayla J. Vickers; Brent C. Ward; Daniel J. Utting; Alice M. Telka


Book ID
102920701
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2010
Tongue
English
Weight
509 KB
Volume
25
Category
Article
ISSN
0267-8179

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✦ Synopsis


Abstract

Marine reservoir age is reported for Foxe Basin, Canada, during deglaciation of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. Radiocarbon (^14^C) measurements were made on pairs of contemporaneous molluscs and Salix (willow) macrofossils, yielding a mean marine reservoir age of 985 ± 10 ^14^C a. Mean regional Δ__R__ is calculated to be 615 ± 20 ^14^C a relative to a mean global reservoir age of ca. 400 ^14^C a. Previous studies in the Canadian Arctic that have been conducted on modern pre‐bomb molluscs give Δ__R__ values of ca. 100–300 ^14^C a. The difference between modern and deglacial reservoir ages indicates that Δ__R__ in Foxe Basin has changed over time, which has implications for the reconstruction of past events based on marine ^14^C dates. We recalculate the timing of deglaciation of Hudson Strait with this new reservoir age and relate this to the 8.2 cal. ka event. We recommend that local Δ__R__ be determined for the time period being examined whenever possible, and that in cases where this is impossible a Δ__R__ value of 615 ^14^C a be applied when calibrating marine samples from Foxe Basin and vicinity during deglaciation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.