Ensuring confidence in radionuclide-based sediment chronologies and bioturbation rates
Citable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/1603As published
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2006.09.006Keyword
Bioturbation; Radioisotopes; Chronostratigraphy; Sediment mixing; Geochronometry; Fallout; Lead 210; Caesium; Sediment mixing; ModellingAbstract
Sedimentary records of naturally occurring and fallout-derived radionuclides are widely
used as tools for estimating both the ages of recent sediments and rates of sedimentation
and bioturbation. Developing these records to the point of data interpretation requires
careful sample collection, processing, analysis and data modeling. In this work, we
document a number of potential pitfalls that can impact sediment core records and their
interpretation. This paper is not intended as an exhaustive treatment of these potential
problems. Rather, the emphasis is on potential problems that are not well documented in
the literature, as follows: 1) The mere sampling of sediment cores at a resolution that is
too coarse can result in an apparent diffusive mixing of the sedimentary record at rates
comparable to diffusive bioturbation rates observed in many locations; 2) 210Pb profiles in
slowly accumulating sediments can easily be misinterpreted to be driven by
sedimentation, when in fact bioturbation is the dominant control. Multiple isotopes of
different half lives and/or origin may help to distinguish between these two possible
interpretations; 3) Apparent mixing can occur due simply to numerical artifacts inherent
in the finite difference approximations of the advection diffusion equation used to model
sedimentation and bioturbation. Model users need to be aware of this potential problem.
Solutions to each of these potential pitfalls are offered to ensure the best possible
sediment age estimates and/or sedimentation and bioturbation rates can be obtained.
Description
Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2006. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 71 (2007): 537-544, doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2006.09.006.
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Suggested Citation
Preprint: Crusius, John, Kenna, Timothy C., "Ensuring confidence in radionuclide-based sediment chronologies and bioturbation rates", 2006-09-11, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2006.09.006, https://hdl.handle.net/1912/1603Related items
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