Abstract Speleothem organic matter can be a powerful tracer for past environmental conditions and karst processes. Carbon isotope measurements (δ 13 C and 14 C) in particular can provide crucial information on the provenance and age of speleothem organic matter, but are challenging due to low concentrations of organic matter in stalagmites. Here, we present a method development study on extraction and isotopic characterization of speleothem organic matter using a rapid procedure with low laboratory contamination risk. An extensive blank assessment allowed us to quantify possible sources of contamination through the entire method. Although blank contamination is consistently low (1.7more »
14 C Blank Corrections for 25–100 μg Samples at the National Ocean Sciences AMS Laboratory
ABSTRACT Replicate radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements of organic and inorganic control samples, with known Fraction Modern values in the range Fm = 0–1.5 and mass range 6 μg–2 mg carbon, are used to determine both the mass and radiocarbon content of the blank carbon introduced during sample processing and measurement in our laboratory. These data are used to model, separately for organic and inorganic samples, the blank contribution and subsequently “blank correct” measured unknowns in the mass range 25–100 μg. Data, formulas, and an assessment of the precision and accuracy of the blank correction are presented.
- Award ID(s):
- 1755125
- Publication Date:
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10136161
- Journal Name:
- Radiocarbon
- Volume:
- 61
- Issue:
- 5
- Page Range or eLocation-ID:
- 1403 to 1411
- ISSN:
- 0033-8222
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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