scholarly journals The IntCal20 Northern Hemisphere Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55 cal kBP)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 725-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula J Reimer ◽  
William E N Austin ◽  
Edouard Bard ◽  
Alex Bayliss ◽  
Paul G Blackwell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Calibration Curves ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Ocean Surface Layer ◽  
Reservoir Age

ABSTRACTRadiocarbon (14C) ages cannot provide absolutely dated chronologies for archaeological or paleoenvironmental studies directly but must be converted to calendar age equivalents using a calibration curve compensating for fluctuations in atmospheric 14C concentration. Although calibration curves are constructed from independently dated archives, they invariably require revision as new data become available and our understanding of the Earth system improves. In this volume the international 14C calibration curves for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, as well as for the ocean surface layer, have been updated to include a wealth of new data and extended to 55,000 cal BP. Based on tree rings, IntCal20 now extends as a fully atmospheric record to ca. 13,900 cal BP. For the older part of the timescale, IntCal20 comprises statistically integrated evidence from floating tree-ring chronologies, lacustrine and marine sediments, speleothems, and corals. We utilized improved evaluation of the timescales and location variable 14C offsets from the atmosphere (reservoir age, dead carbon fraction) for each dataset. New statistical methods have refined the structure of the calibration curves while maintaining a robust treatment of uncertainties in the 14C ages, the calendar ages and other corrections. The inclusion of modeled marine reservoir ages derived from a three-dimensional ocean circulation model has allowed us to apply more appropriate reservoir corrections to the marine 14C data rather than the previous use of constant regional offsets from the atmosphere. Here we provide an overview of the new and revised datasets and the associated methods used for the construction of the IntCal20 curve and explore potential regional offsets for tree-ring data. We discuss the main differences with respect to the previous calibration curve, IntCal13, and some of the implications for archaeology and geosciences ranging from the recent past to the time of the extinction of the Neanderthals.

scholarly journals Marine20—The Marine Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curve (0–55,000 cal BP)

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 779-820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J Heaton ◽  
Peter Köhler ◽  
Martin Butzin ◽  
Edouard Bard ◽  
Ron W Reimer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
General Circulation ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Box Model ◽  
Polar Regions ◽  
Total Uncertainty ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Global Average ◽  
Reservoir Age

ABSTRACTThe concentration of radiocarbon (14C) differs between ocean and atmosphere. Radiocarbon determinations from samples which obtained their 14C in the marine environment therefore need a marine-specific calibration curve and cannot be calibrated directly against the atmospheric-based IntCal20 curve. This paper presents Marine20, an update to the internationally agreed marine radiocarbon age calibration curve that provides a non-polar global-average marine record of radiocarbon from 0–55 cal kBP and serves as a baseline for regional oceanic variation. Marine20 is intended for calibration of marine radiocarbon samples from non-polar regions; it is not suitable for calibration in polar regions where variability in sea ice extent, ocean upwelling and air-sea gas exchange may have caused larger changes to concentrations of marine radiocarbon. The Marine20 curve is based upon 500 simulations with an ocean/atmosphere/biosphere box-model of the global carbon cycle that has been forced by posterior realizations of our Northern Hemispheric atmospheric IntCal20 14C curve and reconstructed changes in CO2 obtained from ice core data. These forcings enable us to incorporate carbon cycle dynamics and temporal changes in the atmospheric 14C level. The box-model simulations of the global-average marine radiocarbon reservoir age are similar to those of a more complex three-dimensional ocean general circulation model. However, simplicity and speed of the box model allow us to use a Monte Carlo approach to rigorously propagate the uncertainty in both the historic concentration of atmospheric 14C and other key parameters of the carbon cycle through to our final Marine20 calibration curve. This robust propagation of uncertainty is fundamental to providing reliable precision for the radiocarbon age calibration of marine based samples. We make a first step towards deconvolving the contributions of different processes to the total uncertainty; discuss the main differences of Marine20 from the previous age calibration curve Marine13; and identify the limitations of our approach together with key areas for further work. The updated values for ΔR, the regional marine radiocarbon reservoir age corrections required to calibrate against Marine20, can be found at the data base http://calib.org/marine/.

scholarly journals Intcal04 Terrestrial Radiocarbon Age Calibration, 0–26 Cal Kyr BP

Radiocarbon ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 1029-1058 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Statistical Approach ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Calibration Data ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
A Site

A new calibration curve for the conversion of radiocarbon ages to calibrated (cal) ages has been constructed and internationally ratified to replace IntCal98, which extended from 0–24 cal kyr BP (Before Present, 0 cal BP = AD 1950). The new calibration data set for terrestrial samples extends from 0–26 cal kyr BP, but with much higher resolution beyond 11.4 cal kyr BP than IntCal98. Dendrochronologically-dated tree-ring samples cover the period from 0–12.4 cal kyr BP. Beyond the end of the tree rings, data from marine records (corals and foraminifera) are converted to the atmospheric equivalent with a site-specific marine reservoir correction to provide terrestrial calibration from 12.4–26.0 cal kyr B P. A substantial enhancement relative to IntCal98 is the introduction of a coherent statistical approach based on a random walk model, which takes into account the uncertainty in both the calendar age and the 14C age to calculate the underlying calibration curve (Buck and Blackwell, this issue). The tree-ring data sets, sources of uncertainty, and regional offsets are discussed here. The marine data sets and calibration curve for marine samples from the surface mixed layer (Marine04) are discussed in brief, but details are presented in Hughen et al. (this issue a). We do not make a recommendation for calibration beyond 26 cal kyr BP at this time; however, potential calibration data sets are compared in another paper (van der Plicht et al., this issue).

scholarly journals Marine04 Marine Radiocarbon Age Calibration, 0–26 Cal Kyr Bp

Radiocarbon ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 1059-1086 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konrad A Hughen ◽  
Mike G L Baillie ◽  
Edouard Bard ◽  
J Warren Beck ◽  
Chanda J H Bertrand ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Ring ◽  
Mixed Layer ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Companion Paper ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Calibration Data ◽  
Surface Mixed Layer ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
Marine Data

New radiocarbon calibration curves, IntCal04 and Marine04, have been constructed and internationally ratified to replace the terrestrial and marine components of IntCal98. The new calibration data sets extend an additional 2000 yr, from 0–26 cal kyr BP (Before Present, 0 cal BP = AD 1950), and provide much higher resolution, greater precision, and more detailed structure than IntCal98. For the Marine04 curve, dendrochronologically-dated tree-ring samples, converted with a box diffusion model to marine mixed-layer ages, cover the period from 0–10.5 cal kyr BP. Beyond 10.5 cal kyr BP, high-resolution marine data become available from foraminifera in varved sediments and U/Th-dated corals. The marine records are corrected with site-specific 14C reservoir age information to provide a single global marine mixed-layer calibration from 10.5–26.0 cal kyr BP. A substantial enhancement relative to IntCal98 is the introduction of a random walk model, which takes into account the uncertainty in both the calendar age and the 14C age to calculate the underlying calibration curve (Buck and Blackwell, this issue). The marine data sets and calibration curve for marine samples from the surface mixed layer (Marine04) are discussed here. The tree-ring data sets, sources of uncertainty, and regional offsets are presented in detail in a companion paper by Reimer et al. (this issue).

scholarly journals SHCal20 Southern Hemisphere Calibration, 0–55,000 Years cal BP

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 62 (4) ◽  
pp. 759-778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan G Hogg ◽  
Timothy J Heaton ◽  
Quan Hua ◽  
Jonathan G Palmer ◽  
Chris SM Turney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Southern Hemisphere ◽  
Northern Hemisphere ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Errors In Variables ◽  
Time Intervals ◽  
Tree Ring Data ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Statistical Approaches

ABSTRACTEarly researchers of radiocarbon levels in Southern Hemisphere tree rings identified a variable North-South hemispheric offset, necessitating construction of a separate radiocarbon calibration curve for the South. We present here SHCal20, a revised calibration curve from 0–55,000 cal BP, based upon SHCal13 and fortified by the addition of 14 new tree-ring data sets in the 2140–0, 3520–3453, 3608–3590 and 13,140–11,375 cal BP time intervals. We detail the statistical approaches used for curve construction and present recommendations for the use of the Northern Hemisphere curve (IntCal20), the Southern Hemisphere curve (SHCal20) and suggest where application of an equal mixture of the curves might be more appropriate. Using our Bayesian spline with errors-in-variables methodology, and based upon a comparison of Southern Hemisphere tree-ring data compared with contemporaneous Northern Hemisphere data, we estimate the mean Southern Hemisphere offset to be 36 ± 27 14C yrs older.

scholarly journals A Computer Program for Radiocarbon Age Calibration

Radiocarbon ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 28 (2B) ◽  
pp. 1022-1030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minze Stuiver ◽  
Paula J Reimer
Keyword(s):  
Standard Deviation ◽  
Computer Program ◽  
Data Base ◽  
Calibration Curve ◽  
Radiocarbon Age ◽  
Calibration Curves

The calibration curves and tables given in this issue of RADIOCARBON form a data base ideally suited for a computerized operation. The program listed below converts a radiocarbon age and its age error os (one standard deviation) into calibrated ages (intercepts with the calibration curve), and ranges of calibrated ages that correspond to the age error. The standard deviation oC in the calibration curve is taken into account using (see Stuiver and Pearson, this issue, for details).

scholarly journals Obstacles and benefits of the implementation of a reduced rank smoother with a high resolution model of the Atlantic ocean

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1187-1229 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Freychet ◽  
E. Cosme ◽  
P. Brasseur ◽  
J.-M. Brankart ◽  
E. Kpemlie
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Ocean ◽  
Ocean Circulation ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Circulation Model ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Optimal Interpolation ◽  
The North ◽  
Observation Network ◽  
North Brazil ◽  
Resolution Model

Abstract. Most of oceanographic operational centers use three-dimensional data assimilation schemes to produce reanalyses. We investigate here the benefits of a smoother, i.e. a four-dimensional formulation of statistical assimilation. A square-root sequential smoother is implemented with a tropical Atlantic ocean circulation model. A simple twin experiment is performed to investigate its benefits, compared to its corresponding filter. Results show that the smoother leads to a better estimation of the ocean state, both on statistical (i.e. mean error level) and dynamical point of view. Smoothed states are more in phase with the dynamics of the reference state, an aspect that is nicely illustrated with the chaotic dynamics of the north-Brazil rings. We also show that the smoother efficiency is strongly related to the filter configuration. One of the main obstacles to implement the smoother is then to accurately estimate the error covariances of the filter. Considering this, benefits of the smoother are also investigated with a configuration close to situations that can be managed by operational centers systems, where covariances matrices are fixed (optimal interpolation). We define here a simplified smoother scheme, called half-fixed basis smoother, that could be implemented with current reanalysis schemes. Its main assumption is to neglect the propagation of the error covariances matrix, what leads to strongly reduce the cost of assimilation. Results illustrate the ability of this smoother to provide a solution more consistent with the dynamics, compared to the filter. The smoother is also able to produce analyses independently of the observation frequency, so the smoothed solution appears more continuous in time, especially in case of a low frenquency observation network.

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