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Variability in North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir effects at c.1000 AD

Ascough, PL; Cook, GT; Church, MJ; Dugmore, AJ; Arge, SV; McGovern, TH

Variability in North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir effects at c.1000 AD Thumbnail


Authors

PL Ascough

GT Cook

AJ Dugmore

SV Arge

TH McGovern



Abstract

14C age measurements made on samples from three archaeological sites located on North Atlantic coasts were used to investigate the marine reservoir effect (MRE) at c.1000 AD. This is an important period within human cultural and paleoenvironmental research as it is a time when Norse expansion to the North Atlantic islands occurred, during what appears to be a period of ameliorating climatic conditions. This makes improved chronological precision and accuracy at this time highly desirable. The data indicate a significant latitudinal variation in MRE at c.1000 AD from a ΔR of –152 ± 26 14C yr at Omey Island (530 32’ N) to 57 ± 22 14C yr at Undir Junkarinsfløtti (610 51’ N). The results are compared with modern assessments of MRE values within the context of oceanographic and climatic regimes that provide a possible driving mechanism for spatial and temporal variation in MRE.

Citation

Ascough, P., Cook, G., Church, M., Dugmore, A., Arge, S., & McGovern, T. (2006). Variability in North Atlantic marine radiocarbon reservoir effects at c.1000 AD. Holocene, 16(1), 131-136. https://doi.org/10.1191/0959683606hl913rr

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jan 1, 2006
Deposit Date Dec 2, 2008
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Holocene
Print ISSN 0959-6836
Electronic ISSN 1477-0911
Publisher SAGE Publications
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 16
Issue 1
Pages 131-136
DOI https://doi.org/10.1191/0959683606hl913rr
Keywords North Atlantic, Radiocarbon, Marine reservoir effect, Delta R, Norse archaeology, Late Holocene.
Publisher URL http://hol.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/16/1/131

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Copyright Statement
The final definitive version of this article has been published in the journal The Holocene, 16/1, 2006 © Edward Arnold (Publishers) Ltd 2006 by SAGE Publications Ltd at The Holocene page: http://hol.sagepub.com/





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