Current practices in building and reporting age-depth models. Issue 1 (July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lacourse, Terri; Gajewski, Konrad
• Is Part Of: Quaternary research. Volume 96:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 28
• Page End: 38
• Publication Date: 2020-07
• Subjects: age-depth modelling, -- chronology, -- accumulation rates, -- radiocarbon dating, -- varves; Geology, Stratigraphic -- Quaternary -- Periodicals; Glacial epoch -- Periodicals; Stratigraphie -- Quaternaire -- Périodiques; Époque glaciaire -- Périodiques; Geology, Stratigraphic; Glacial epoch; Quaternary Geologic Period; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 551.79
• DOI: 10.1017/qua.2020.47
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0033-5894

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Age-depth models provide essential temporal frameworks in paleoenvironmental science. We use a sample of 80 recently-published age-depth models to comment on current practices in building and reporting radiocarbon-based age-depth models. We address options for model building, sampling strategies, dating densities, and best practices for reporting age-depth models and associated data. Our review reveals incomplete reporting of 14 C ages, model-building methods, age-depth models and associated meta-data in many recent studies. All information needed to evaluate, reproduce and update an age-depth model should accompany every published model. We also present a case study of building age-depth models for a lake sediment core that has both 14 C ages and an independent varve chronology. The case study illustrates that choosing the 'best model' is not a simple task, and that model accuracy is ultimately controlled by differences between 14 C ages and true age that likely occur in many late Quaternary records.