Accurate Lacustrine and Wetland Sediment Accumulation Rates Determined from 14C Activity of Bulk Sediment Fractions

Abstract

In the absence of identifiable macrofossils in lacustrine sediments, radiocarbon dating must rely on pollen or bulk sediment fractions. Bulk sediment fractions are not generally preferred because they contain an unknown mixture of organic material of variable age, they may contain dead carbon such as lignite that is difficult to eliminate, and material of aquatic origin may be subject to reservoir effects. If the various processes that contribute carbon to the system are relatively constant over time, however, changes in 14C activity with depth may be used to accurately estimate sediment accumulation rates even if the absolute ages are erroneous. In this study, fine-grained fractions (250–710 μm organic material, humic acids extracted from <250-μm fraction, and untreated <250-μm fraction combusted at low temperature) were analyzed and compared with terrestrial plant stems (twigs), charcoal, and wood fragments in sediments from an oxbow lake in Mississippi, USA. The 14C activities of the bulk fractions were highly linear with depth and produced consistent calculated sediment accumulation rates similar to, and perhaps more reliable than, rates determined using twigs or charcoal.