Ice-Core Dating of the Pleistocene/Holocene Boundary Applied to a Calibration of the¹⁴C Time Scale

Abstract

Seasonal variations in 18 O content, in acidity, and in dust content have been used to count annual layers in the Dye 3 deep ice core back to the Late Glacial. In this way the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary has been absolutely dated to 8770 BC with an estimated error limit of ± 150 years. If compared to the conventional 14 C age of the same boundary a value of Δ 14 C = 53 ± 13‰ is obtained. This Δ 14 C value suggests that 14 C levels during the Late Glacial were not substantially higher than during the Postglacial.