Applications of environmental 14C measured by AMS as a carbon tracer

AMS techniques have been applied to measure 14C concentrations, or Δ14C values, of annual tree rings (1945-1983) of a Kiso hinoki tree grown in Gifu prefecture, and of acid-insoluble carbonaceous compounds extracted from cored sediments (surface to 30 cm deep) of Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture. An increase in Δ14C values was found for both tree rings and cored sediments, resulting from 14C artificially produced by nuclear weapon tests. Activities of 210Pb and 214Pb were measured to estimate the sedimentation rate of the Lake Biwa sediments and to provide a temporal control. A primitive model of carbon exchange between the troposphere, surface ocean water, and the biosphere was applied to the annual changes in Δ14C of the hinoki tree rings and also of coral rings from Florida, USA. The times required to transfer bomb-carbon from the troposphere to surface sea water and to the biosphere were estimated to be about 11 and 23 years, respectively. (orig.)