The Impact of Humans on Carbon-14 Dating

  • Thread starter Thread starter poopflinger15
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Impact
AI Thread Summary
Human activities significantly influence carbon-14 dating results through various mechanisms. Calibration for original delta-14C values is essential to maintain accuracy, as nuclear tests have increased carbon-14 levels, while fossil fuel emissions and oceanic CO2 discharges have decreased the ratio of carbon-14 to carbon-12. Current calibration methods, such as dendrochronology and lacustrine varve analysis, extend the reliability of carbon dating to approximately 50,000 years, though substantial error margins exist. In particular, the last 300 years present challenges for accurate dating, and significant CO2 releases between 9,000 and 11,000 years ago further complicate the reliability of results during that period.
poopflinger15
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
how do humans effect the results of carbon 14 dating, or how do we change the rate of production of carbon 14(chage the ration of C-12 to C-14)?
 
Chemistry news on Phys.org
Your question is rather loaded. How about carbon dating is not affected if we calibrate for the original d14C. Nuclear tests have increased the 14C count but so does randomly increased cosmic radioactivity, the massive release of 14C depleted fossile fuel has decreased the 14C ratio but so has massive discharge of oceanic CO2 in the past.

Nowadays carbon dating has been calibrated using dendrochronology (tree rings) and lacustrine varve (lake sediment layers) counting all the way to its maximum usuable extend of some 50,000 years. Carbon dating may be considered reliable now but there are big error margins. The indicated problems make carbon dating rather unusable for the last 300 years. Also between about 9000 and 11000 years ago there are large margins due to massive CO2 release.
 
Last edited:
I want to test a humidity sensor with one or more saturated salt solutions. The table salt that I have on hand contains one of two anticaking agents, calcium silicate or sodium aluminosilicate. Will the presence of either of these additives (or iodine for that matter) significantly affect the equilibrium humidity? I searched and all the how-to-do-it guides did not address this question. One research paper I found reported that at 1.5% w/w calcium silicate increased the deliquescent point by...
I was introduced to the Octet Rule recently and make me wonder, why does 8 valence electrons or a full p orbital always make an element inert? What is so special with a full p orbital? Like take Calcium for an example, its outer orbital is filled but its only the s orbital thats filled so its still reactive not so much as the Alkaline metals but still pretty reactive. Can someone explain it to me? Thanks!!
I'm trying to find a cheap DIY method to etch holes of various shapes through 0.3mm Aluminium sheet using 5-10% Sodium Hydroxide. The idea is to apply a resist to the Aluminium then selectively ablate it off using a diode laser cutter and then dissolve away the Aluminium using Sodium Hydroxide. By cheap I mean resists costing say £20 in small quantities. The Internet has suggested various resists to try including... Enamel paint (only survived seconds in the NaOH!) Acrylic paint (only...

Similar threads

Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
1K
Replies
6
Views
4K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
54
Views
6K
Replies
8
Views
2K
Back
Top