Stable lead geochronology of fine-grained sediments in Southern Lake Michigan

In a previous article, it was shown that the vertical distribution of stable lead in the fine-grained sediments of Lake Michigan reflects the history of cultural lead inputs. It was found that the lead distributions in dated cores are quantitatively described by a universal time-dependent loading or source function which is a linear combination of estimated annual inputs of atmospheric lead derived from the combustion of leaded gasoline and the burning of coal in and around Chicago since about 1800. The existence of such a source function for lead implies that stable lead itself may be used to date sediment cores. Mercury depth profiles in western Lake Erie sediments have shown several horizons which correspond to the development of local industrial use of mercury over the past forty years or so. The construction of the lead source function for Lake Michigan sediments was based on only four lead-210 dated cores. To establish the validity of the source function concept, it is applied to the distribution of lead determined in many cores previously obtained from southern Lake Michigan