Published 1981 | Version v1
Book

An assessment of variability in radiocarbon dating

  • 1. Glasgow Univ. (UK). Dept. of Chemistry

Description

A series of replicate experiments, involving analysis of homogenized wood and identical tree-ring sections, suggests that the 14C counting error in radiocarbon dating quantifies only part of the total variability of measurement. Statistical modelling implies that a more realistic assessment of error is provided by a value approximately three times the counting error. The incorporation of this more realistic measure of variability into an appropriate procedure for calibrating a single date and for matching a floating chronology to a master chronology is described. (author)

Additional details

Publishing Information

Publisher
IAEA.
Imprint Place
Vienna
ISBN
92-0-030081-2
Imprint Title
Methods of low-level counting and spectrometry
Imprint Pagination
561 p.
Series
Proceedings series.
Journal Page Range
p. 371-392.

Conference

Title
International symposium on methods of low-level counting and spectrometry.
Dates
6 - 10 Apr 1981.
Place
Berlin, Germany, F.R.

INIS

Country of Publication
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
13650145
Subject category
S58: GEOSCIENCES;
Resource subtype / Literary indicator
Conference, Numerical Data
Descriptors DEI
CALIBRATION; CARBON 14; ERRORS; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; ISOTOPE DATING; LOW LEVEL COUNTING; STATISTICAL MODELS
Descriptors DEC
AGE ESTIMATION; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CARBON ISOTOPES; COUNTING TECHNIQUES; DATA; EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI; INFORMATION; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; NUCLEI; NUMERICAL DATA; RADIOISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES

Optional Information

Secondary number(s)
IAEA-SM--252/2.