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Precision of Calibrated Radiocarbon Ages of Historic Earthquakes in the Dead Sea Basin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

Revital Ken-Tor ,
Mordechai Stein ,
Yehouda Enzel ,
Amotz Agnon ,
Shmuel Marco  and
Jorg F W Negendank
Revital Ken-Tor
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem 95501, Israel
Mordechai Stein
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Yehouda Enzel
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Amotz Agnon
Affiliation:
Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
Shmuel Marco
Affiliation:
Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhei Israel St., Jerusalem 95501, Israel Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
Jorg F W Negendank
Affiliation:
GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany
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Abstract

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The precise determination of the age of historical and geological events by radiocarbon dating is often hampered by the long intersection ranges of the measured data with the calibration curve. In this study we examine the possibility of narrowing the calibrated range of the 14C ages of earthquake-disturbed sediments (seismites) from the Late Holocene lacustrine section in the Dead Sea Basin. The calibrated ranges of samples collected from seismites were refined by applying stratigraphic constraints and tuning the calibrated ranges to known historical earthquakes. Most of the earthquakes fall well within the 1σ error envelope of the 14C age. This refinement demonstrates that the lag period due to transport and deposition of vegetation debris is very short in this arid environment, probably not more than a few decades. This assessment of seismite 14C ages attests to the validity of 14C ages in Holocene sediments of the arid area of the Dead Sea. Furthermore, it demonstrates our ability to achieve highly precise (correct to within several decades) 14C ages.

Type
Near East Chronology: Archaeology and Environment
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 43 , Issue 3: Proceedings of the 17th International Radiocarbon Conference (Part 3 of 3) , 2001 , pp. 1371 - 1382
Copyright
Copyright © 2001 The Arizona Board of Regents on behalf of the University of Arizona 

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