Articles | Volume 2, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020
© Author(s) 2020. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
16 Dec 2020
Research article |
| 16 Dec 2020
| 16 Dec 2020
Calibrating a long-term meteoric 10Be delivery rate into eroding western US glacial deposits by comparing meteoric and in situ produced 10Be depth profiles
Travis Clow
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA,
USA
Jane K. Willenbring
Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA,
USA
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Earth Surface
Geochemistry, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Mirjam Schaller
Geodynamics, University of Tübingen, Wilhelmstraße 56, 72076
Tübingen, Germany
Joel D. Blum
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of
Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
Marcus Christl
ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, HPK G23, Schafmattstrasse
20, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Peter W. Kubik
ETH Zurich, Laboratory of Ion Beam Physics, HPK G23, Schafmattstrasse
20, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Earth Surface
Geochemistry, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
Related authors
No articles found.
Rahmantara Trichandi, Klaus Bauer, Trond Ryberg, Benjamin Heit, Jaime Araya Vargas, Friedhelm von Blanckenburg, and Charlotte M. Krawczyk
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1813, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-1813, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study investigates subsurface weathering zones, revealing their structure through shear wave velocity variations. The research focuses on the arid climate of Pan de Azúcar National Park, Chile, using seismic ambient noise recordings to construct pseudo-3D models. The resulting models show the subsurface structure, including granite gradients and mafic dike intrusions. Comparison with other sites emphasizes the intricate relationship between climate, geology, and weathering depth.
Ferdinand J. Hampl, Ferry Schiperski, Christopher Schwerdhelm, Nicole Stroncik, Casey Bryce, Friedhelm von
Blanckenburg, and Thomas Neumann
Earth Surf. Dynam., 11, 511–528, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-511-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-11-511-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the mineral content and geochemical composition of the upper 6 m of regolith, formed by weathering of granitic rocks in Mediterranean and humid climate zones. We found that the development of the upper regolith in the Mediterranean climate is controlled by secondary minerals which cause fracturing and thus facilitate fluid infiltration to depth. The upper regolith in the humid climate is controlled by secondary minerals that cause a reduction of fluid infiltration to depth.
Jamey Stutz, Andrew Mackintosh, Kevin Norton, Ross Whitmore, Carlo Baroni, Stewart S. R. Jamieson, Richard S. Jones, Greg Balco, Maria Cristina Salvatore, Stefano Casale, Jae Il Lee, Yeong Bae Seong, Robert McKay, Lauren J. Vargo, Daniel Lowry, Perry Spector, Marcus Christl, Susan Ivy Ochs, Luigia Di Nicola, Maria Iarossi, Finlay Stuart, and Tom Woodruff
The Cryosphere, 15, 5447–5471, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-5447-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the long-term behaviour of ice sheets is essential to projecting future changes due to climate change. In this study, we use rocks deposited along the margin of the David Glacier, one of the largest glacier systems in the world, to reveal a rapid thinning event initiated over 7000 years ago and endured for ~ 2000 years. Using physical models, we show that subglacial topography and ocean heat are important drivers for change along this sector of the Antarctic Ice Sheet.
Gilles Brocard, Jane Kathrin Willenbring, Tristan Salles, Michael Cosca, Axel Guttiérez-Orrego, Noé Cacao Chiquín, Sergio Morán-Ical, and Christian Teyssier
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 795–822, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-795-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-795-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The rise of a mountain affects the circulation of water, both in the atmosphere and over the land surface, thereby affecting the erosion of the land surface. We document how the rise of a mountain in central Guatemala has affected the erosion of an older range nearby. The new range intercepts precipitation formerly delivered to the older range. River response to the uplift of the new range has decreased incision across the older one. Both have reduced hillslope erosion over the old range.
Dominik Amschwand, Susan Ivy-Ochs, Marcel Frehner, Olivia Steinemann, Marcus Christl, and Christof Vockenhuber
The Cryosphere, 15, 2057–2081, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2057-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-15-2057-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We reconstruct the Holocene history of the Bleis Marscha rock glacier (eastern Swiss Alps) by determining the surface residence time of boulders via their exposure to cosmic rays. We find that this stack of lobes formed in three phases over the last ~9000 years, controlled by the regional climate. This work adds to our understanding of how these permafrost landforms reacted in the past to climate oscillations and helps to put the current behavior of rock glaciers in a long-term perspective.
Lyla L. Taylor, Charles T. Driscoll, Peter M. Groffman, Greg H. Rau, Joel D. Blum, and David J. Beerling
Biogeosciences, 18, 169–188, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-169-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-169-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Enhanced rock weathering (ERW) is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategy involving soil amendments with silicate rock dust. Over 15 years, a small silicate application led to net CDR of 8.5–11.5 t CO2/ha in an acid-rain-impacted New Hampshire forest. We accounted for the total carbon cost of treatment and compared effects with an adjacent, untreated forest. Our results suggest ERW can improve the greenhouse gas balance of similar forests in addition to mitigating acid rain effects.
Daniel A. Frick, Rainer Remus, Michael Sommer, Jürgen Augustin, Danuta Kaczorek, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 6475–6490, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-6475-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Silicon is taken up by some plants to increase structural stability and to develop stress resistance and is rejected by others. To explore the underlying mechanisms, we used the stable isotopes of silicon that shift in their relative abundance depending on the biochemical transformation involved. On species with a rejective (tomato, mustard) and active (wheat) uptake mechanism, grown in hydroculture, we found that the transport of silicic acid is controlled by the precipitation of biogenic opal.
Nathan J. Lyons, Pedro Val, James S. Albert, Jane K. Willenbring, and Nicole M. Gasparini
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 893–912, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-893-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-893-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Organisms evolve in ever-changing environments under complex process interactions. We applied a new software modelling tool to assess how changes in river course impact the evolution of riverine species. Models illustrate the climatically and tectonically forced landscape changes that can drive riverine biodiversity, especially where topographic relief is low. This research demonstrates that river course changes can contribute to the high riverine biodiversity found in real-world lowland basins.
Ralf A. Oeser and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 17, 4883–4917, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4883-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4883-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel strategy to decipher the relative impact of biogenic and abiotic drivers of weathering. We parameterized the nutrient fluxes in four ecosystems along a climate and vegetation gradient situated on the Chilean Coastal Cordillera. We investigated how nutrient demand by plants drives weathering. We found that the increase in biomass nutrient demand is accommodated by faster nutrient recycling rather than an increase in the weathering–release rates.
Renee van Dongen, Dirk Scherler, Hella Wittmann, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Earth Surf. Dynam., 7, 393–410, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-393-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-7-393-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The concentration of cosmogenic 10Be is typically measured in the sand fraction of river sediment to estimate catchment-average erosion rates. Using the sand fraction in catchments where the 10Be concentrations differ per grain size could potentially result in biased erosion rates. In this study we investigated the occurrence and causes of grain size-dependent 10Be concentrations and identified the types of catchments which are sensitive to biased catchment-average erosion rates.
David E. Archer and Joel D. Blum
Biogeosciences, 15, 6297–6313, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6297-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6297-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Humans have had a huge impact on the mercury cycle in the biosphere, but it is difficult to follow the mercury cycle because mercury has so many mobile forms, as gases in the atmosphere and solutes in water. Mercury isotopes constrain mercury fluxes and sources, because mercury has many stable isotopes, and different fractionation mechanisms have different fingerprints in those isotopic compositions. We present the first model of mercury isotopic composition in the ocean.
Jean L. Dixon, Friedhelm von Blanckenburg, Kurt Stüwe, and Marcus Christl
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 895–909, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-895-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-895-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We quantify the glacial legacy of Holocene erosion at the eastern edge of the European Alps and add insight to the debate on drivers of Alpine erosion. We present the first data explicitly comparing 10Be-based erosion rates in previously glaciated and non-glaciated basins (n = 26). Erosion rates vary 5-fold across the region, correlating with local topography and glacial history. Our approach and unique study site allow us to isolate the role of glacial topographic legacies from other controls.
S. Emmanuel, J. A. Schuessler, J. Vinther, A. Matthews, and F. von Blanckenburg
Biogeosciences, 11, 5493–5502, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5493-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5493-2014, 2014
J. K. Willenbring, A. T. Codilean, K. L. Ferrier, B. McElroy, and J. W. Kirchner
Earth Surf. Dynam. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-1-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurfd-2-1-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript has not been submitted
Related subject area
Cosmogenic nuclide dating
Short communication: Cosmogenic noble gas depletion in soils by wildfire heating
Local Beryllium-10 production rate for the mid-elevation mountainous regions in Central Europe, deduced from a multi-method study of moraines and lake sediments in the Black Forest
Early Holocene ice retreat from Isle Royale in the Laurentian Great Lakes constrained with 10Be exposure-age dating
Technical note: Studying lithium metaborate fluxes and extraction protocols with a new, fully automated in situ cosmogenic 14C processing system at PRIME Lab
Cosmogenic 10Be in pyroxene: laboratory progress, production rate systematics, and application of the 10Be–3He nuclide pair in the Antarctic Dry Valleys
Technical note: A software framework for calculating compositionally dependent in situ 14C production rates
10Be age control of glaciation in the Beartooth Mountains, USA, from the latest Pleistocene through the Holocene
Constraining the aggradation mode of Pleistocene river deposits based on cosmogenic radionuclide depth profiling and numerical modelling
Technical note: Evaluating a geographical information system (GIS)-based approach for determining topographic shielding factors in cosmic-ray exposure dating
Combined linear-regression and Monte Carlo approach to modeling exposure age depth profiles
Cosmogenic nuclide weathering biases: corrections and potential for denudation and weathering rate measurements
Cosmogenic nuclide and solute flux data from central Cuban rivers emphasize the importance of both physical and chemical mass loss from tropical landscapes
Technical note: Accelerator mass spectrometry of 10Be and 26Al at low nuclide concentrations
Reconciling the apparent absence of a Last Glacial Maximum alpine glacial advance, Yukon Territory, Canada, through cosmogenic beryllium-10 and carbon-14 measurements
Cosmogenic ages indicate no MIS 2 refugia in the Alexander Archipelago, Alaska
In situ-produced cosmogenic krypton in zircon and its potential for Earth surface applications
Cosmogenic nuclide exposure age scatter records glacial history and processes in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica
Technical Note: Noble gas extraction procedure and performance of the Cologne Helix MC Plus multi-collector noble gas mass spectrometer for cosmogenic neon isotope analysis
Exposure dating of detrital magnetite using 3He enabled by microCT and calibration of the cosmogenic 3He production rate in magnetite
Delayed and rapid deglaciation of alpine valleys in the Sawatch Range, southern Rocky Mountains, USA
Technical note: A prototype transparent-middle-layer data management and analysis infrastructure for cosmogenic-nuclide exposure dating
Isolation of quartz for cosmogenic in situ 14C analysis
Chlorine-36∕beryllium-10 burial dating of alluvial fan sediments associated with the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault system, California, USA
Greg Balco, Alan J. Hidy, William T. Struble, and Joshua J. Roering
Geochronology, 6, 71–76, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-71-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new method of reconstructing the long-term, pre-observational frequency and/or intensity of wildfires in forested landscapes using trace concentrations of the noble gases helium and neon that are formed in soil mineral grains by cosmic-ray bombardment of the Earth's surface.
Felix Martin Hofmann, Claire Rambeau, Lukas Gegg, Melanie Schulz, Martin Steiner, Alexander Fülling, Laëtitia Léanni, Frank Preusser, and the ASTER Team
Geochronology Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2023-27, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2023-27, 2024
Revised manuscript under review for GChron
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new 10Be production rate for the mid-elevation mountain ranges of central Europe. Beryllium-10 surface exposure dating of moraines and radiocarbon dating of presumably younger lake sediments allowed for determining the accumulation rate of 10Be in the surfaces of large boulders on moraines. The accumulation of 10Be was slower at most European reference sites. The estimated rate will not only be useful for future age determinations but also for revising existing age estimates.
Eric W. Portenga, David J. Ullman, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 5, 413–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-413-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-413-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
New exposure ages of glacial erratics on moraines on Isle Royale – the largest island in North America's Lake Superior – show that the Laurentide Ice Sheet did not retreat from the island nor the south shores of Lake Superior until the early Holocene, which is later than previously thought. These new ages unify regional ice retreat histories from the mainland, the Lake Superior lake-bottom stratigraphy, underwater moraines, and meltwater drainage pathways through the Laurentian Great Lakes.
Nathaniel Lifton, Jim Wilson, and Allie Koester
Geochronology, 5, 361–375, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-361-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-361-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We describe a new, fully automated extraction system for in situ 14C at PRIME Lab that incorporates more reliable components and designs than our original systems. We use a LiBO2 flux to dissolve a quartz sample in oxygen after removing contaminant 14C with a lower-temperature combustion step. Experiments with new Pt/Rh sample boats demonstrated reduced procedural blanks, and analyses of well-characterized intercomparison materials tested the effects of process variables on 14C yields.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Roseanne Schwartz, Jennifer L. Lamp, Laura Penrose, Jennifer Middleton, Jean Hanley, Bouchaïb Tibari, Pierre-Henri Blard, Gisela Winckler, Alan J. Hidy, and Greg Balco
Geochronology, 5, 301–321, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-301-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides like 10Be are rare isotopes created in rocks exposed at the Earth’s surface and can be used to understand glacier histories and landscape evolution. 10Be is usually measured in the mineral quartz. Here, we show that 10Be can be reliably measured in the mineral pyroxene. We use the measurements to determine exposure ages and understand landscape processes in rocks from Antarctica that do not have quartz, expanding the use of this method to new rock types.
Alexandria J. Koester and Nathaniel A. Lifton
Geochronology, 5, 21–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-21-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-5-21-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In situ 14C’s short half-life (5.7 kyr) is unique among cosmogenic nuclides, making it sensitive to complex exposure and burial histories since 25 ka. Current extraction methods focus on quartz, but the ability to extract it from other minerals would expand applications. We developed MATLAB® scripts to calculate in situ 14C production rates from a broad range of mineral compositions. Results confirm O, Si, Al, and Mg as key targets but also find significant production from Na for the first time.
Aaron M. Barth, Elizabeth G. Ceperley, Claire Vavrus, Shaun A. Marcott, Jeremy D. Shakun, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 4, 731–743, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-731-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-731-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Deposits left behind by past glacial activity provide insight into the previous size and behavior of glaciers and act as another line of evidence for past climate. Here we present new age control for glacial deposits in the mountains of Montana and Wyoming, United States. While some deposits indicate glacial activity within the last 2000 years, others are shown to be older than previously thought, thus redefining the extent of regional Holocene glaciation.
Nathan Vandermaelen, Koen Beerten, François Clapuyt, Marcus Christl, and Veerle Vanacker
Geochronology, 4, 713–730, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-713-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-713-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We constrained deposition phases of fluvial sediments (NE Belgium) over the last 1 Myr with analysis and modelling of rare isotopes accumulation within sediments, occurring as a function of time and inverse function of depth. They allowed the determination of three superposed deposition phases and intercalated non-deposition periods of ~ 40 kyr each. These phases correspond to 20 % of the sediment age, which highlights the importance of considering deposition phase when dating fluvial sediments.
Felix Martin Hofmann
Geochronology, 4, 691–712, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-691-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-691-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
If topographical obstructions are present in the surroundings of sampling sites, exposure ages of rock surfaces need to be corrected. A toolbox for the ESRI ArcGIS software allows for quantifying topographic shielding with a digital elevation model, but it has only been validated with few field data. In this study, the output of the toolbox is evaluated with a more extensive dataset. If suitable elevation data are chosen, the toolbox provides a sound approach to determine topographic shielding.
Yiran Wang and Michael E. Oskin
Geochronology, 4, 533–549, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-533-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-533-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
When first introduced together with the depth profile technique to determine the surface exposure age, the linear inversion approach has suffered with the drawbacks of not incorporating erosion and muons into calculation. In this paper, we increase the accuracy and applicability of the linear inversion approach by fully considering surface erosion, muogenic production, and radioactive decay, while maintaining its advantage of being straightforward to determine an exposure age.
Richard F. Ott, Sean F. Gallen, and Darryl E. Granger
Geochronology, 4, 455–470, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-455-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-455-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides are a tool to quantify denudation – the total removal of mass from near the Earth's surface. Chemical weathering can introduce biases to cosmogenic-nuclide-based denudation rates measurements. Here, we investigate the effects of weathering on cosmogenic nuclides and develop tools to correct for this influence. Our results highlight which additional measurements are required to determine accurate denudation rates in regions where weathering is not negligible.
Mae Kate Campbell, Paul R. Bierman, Amanda H. Schmidt, Rita Sibello Hernández, Alejandro García-Moya, Lee B. Corbett, Alan J. Hidy, Héctor Cartas Águila, Aniel Guillén Arruebarrena, Greg Balco, David Dethier, and Marc Caffee
Geochronology, 4, 435–453, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We used cosmogenic radionuclides in detrital river sediment to measure erosion rates of watersheds in central Cuba; erosion rates are lower than rock dissolution rates in lowland watersheds. Data from two different cosmogenic nuclides suggest that some basins may have a mixed layer deeper than is typically modeled and could have experienced significant burial after or during exposure. We conclude that significant mass loss may occur at depth through chemical weathering processes.
Klaus M. Wilcken, Alexandru T. Codilean, Réka-H. Fülöp, Steven Kotevski, Anna H. Rood, Dylan H. Rood, Alexander J. Seal, and Krista Simon
Geochronology, 4, 339–352, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-339-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-339-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclides are now widely applied in the Earth sciences; however, more recent applications often push the analytical limits of the technique. Our study presents a comprehensive method for analysis of cosmogenic 10Be and 26Al samples down to isotope concentrations of a few thousand atoms per gram of sample, which opens the door to new and more varied applications of cosmogenic nuclide analysis.
Brent M. Goehring, Brian Menounos, Gerald Osborn, Adam Hawkins, and Brent Ward
Geochronology, 4, 311–322, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-311-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-311-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We explored surface exposure dating with two nuclides to date two sets of moraines from the Yukon Territory and explain the reasoning for the observed ages. Results suggest multiple processes, including preservation of nuclides from a prior exposure period, and later erosion of the moraines is required to explain the data. Our results only allow for the older moraines to date to Marine Isotope Stage 3 or 4 and the younger moraines to date to the very earliest Holocene.
Caleb K. Walcott, Jason P. Briner, James F. Baichtal, Alia J. Lesnek, and Joseph M. Licciardi
Geochronology, 4, 191–211, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-191-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-191-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present a record of ice retreat from the northern Alexander Archipelago, Alaska. During the last ice age (~ 26 000–19 000 years ago), these islands were covered by the Cordilleran Ice Sheet. We tested whether islands were ice-free during the last ice age for human migrants moving from Asia to the Americas. We found that these islands became ice-free between ~ 15 100 years ago and ~ 16 000 years ago, and thus these islands were not suitable for human habitation during the last ice age.
Tibor János Dunai, Steven Andrew Binnie, and Axel Gerdes
Geochronology, 4, 65–85, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-65-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-65-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We develop in situ-produced terrestrial cosmogenic krypton as a new tool to date and quantify Earth surface processes, the motivation being the availability of six stable isotopes and one radioactive isotope (81Kr, half-life 229 kyr) and of an extremely weathering-resistant target mineral (zircon). We provide proof of principle that terrestrial Krit can be quantified and used to unravel Earth surface processes.
Andrew J. Christ, Paul R. Bierman, Jennifer L. Lamp, Joerg M. Schaefer, and Gisela Winckler
Geochronology, 3, 505–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-505-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-505-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating is commonly used to constrain the timing of past glacier extents. However, Antarctic exposure age datasets are often scattered and difficult to interpret. We compile new and existing exposure ages of a glacial deposit with independently known age constraints and identify surface processes that increase or reduce the likelihood of exposure age scatter. Then we present new data for a previously unmapped and undated older deposit from the same region.
Benedikt Ritter, Andreas Vogt, and Tibor J. Dunai
Geochronology, 3, 421–431, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-421-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We describe the design and performance of a new noble gas mass laboratory dedicated to the development of and application to cosmogenic nuclides at the University of Cologne (Germany). At the core of the laboratory are a state-of-the-art high-mass-resolution multicollector Helix MCPlus (Thermo-Fisher) noble gas mass spectrometer and a novel custom-designed automated extraction line, including a laser-powered extraction furnace. Performance was tested with intercomparison (CREU-1) material.
Florian Hofmann, Emily H. G. Cooperdock, A. Joshua West, Dominic Hildebrandt, Kathrin Strößner, and Kenneth A. Farley
Geochronology, 3, 395–414, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-395-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-395-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We use microCT scanning to improve the quality of 3He exposure ages measured in detrital magnetite. We show that the presence of inclusions can significantly increase the measured amount of 3He and thereby the exposure age. By prescreening magnetite with microCT and analyzing only inclusion-free grains, this problem can be avoided. We also calibrate the cosmogenic 3He production rate in magnetite relative to 10Be in quartz, which can be used for similar studies in the future.
Joseph P. Tulenko, William Caffee, Avriel D. Schweinsberg, Jason P. Briner, and Eric M. Leonard
Geochronology, 2, 245–255, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-245-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-245-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the timing and rate of retreat for three alpine glaciers in the southern Rocky Mountains to test whether they followed the pattern of global climate change or were majorly influenced by regional forcing mechanisms. We find that the latter is most likely for these glaciers. Our conclusions are based on a new 10Be chronology of alpine glacier retreat. We quantify retreat rates for each valley using the BACON program in R, which may be of interest for the audience of Geochronology.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 2, 169–175, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-169-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Geologic dating methods generally do not directly measure ages. Instead, interpreting a geochemical measurement as an age requires a middle layer of calculations and supporting data, and the fact that this layer continually improves is an obstacle to synoptic analysis of geochronological data. This paper describes a prototype data management and analysis system that addresses this obstacle by making the middle-layer calculations transparent and dynamic to the user.
Keir A. Nichols and Brent M. Goehring
Geochronology, 1, 43–52, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-43-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-43-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We describe observations of anomalously high measurements of C-14 made from geologic material. We undertake a systematic investigation to identify the source of contamination, which we hypothesise is sourced from a commonly used method that is used prior to sample analysis. We find that the method does introduce modern carbon to samples and elevates C-14 measurements. We describe a standard procedure that effectively removes contamination from the aforementioned method.
Greg Balco, Kimberly Blisniuk, and Alan Hidy
Geochronology, 1, 1–16, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-1-1-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This article applies a new geochemical dating method to determine the age of sedimentary deposits useful in reconstructing slip rates on a major fault system.
Cited articles
Bacon, A. R., Richter, D. D., Bierman, P. R., and Rood, D. H.: Coupling
meteoric 10Be with pedogenic losses of 9Be to improve soil residence time
estimates on an ancient North American interfluve, Geology, 40, 847–850,
https://doi.org/10.1130/G33449.1, 2012
Barg, E., Lal, D., Pavich, M. J., Caffee, M. W., and Southon, J. R.:
Beryllium geochemistry in soils; evaluation of 10Be/9Be ratios in
authigenic minerals as a basis for age models, Chem. Geol., 140,
237–258, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2541(97)00051-X, 1997.
Blum, J. D. and Erel, Y.: Rb/Sr isotope systematics of a granitic soil
chronosequence: The importance of biotite weathering, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 61, 3193–3204,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7037(97)00148-8, 1997.
Borchers, B., Marrero, S., Balco, G., Caffee, M., Goehring, B., Lifton, N., Nishiizumi, K., Phillips, F., Schaefer, J., and Stone, J.: Geological calibration of spallation production rates in
the CRONUS-Earth project, Quat. Geochronol., 31, 188–198,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2015.01.009, 2016.
Boschi, V. and Willenbring, J. K.: The role of pH, organic matter composition and
mineralogy on the sorption behavior of beryllium, Environ. Chem., 13, 711–722,
https://doi.org/10.1071/EN15107, 2016a.
Boschi, V. and Willenbring, J. K.: Beryllium Desorption from Minerals and
Organic Ligands Over Time, Chem. Geol., 439, 52–58,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.06.009, 2016b.
Bourlès, D.: Étude de la géochimie de l'isotope cosmogénique
10Be et de son isotope stable 9Be en milieu océanique: application
à la datation des sédiments marins, PhD thesis, Université
Paris XI, Centre d'Orsay, Paris, France, 227 pp., 1988.
Brown, L.: 10Be as a tracer of erosion and sediment transport, Chem.
Geol., 65, 189–196,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-9622(87)90002-9, 1987.
Brown, L., Pavich, M. J., Hickman, R. E., Klein, J., and Middleton, R.: Erosion
of the Eastern United States observed with 10Be, Earth Surf. Proc.
Land., 13, 441–457, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3290130509, 1988.
Brown, E. T., Edmond, J. M., Raisbeck, G. M., Bourlès, D. L., Yiou, F.,
and Measures, C. I.: Beryllium isotope geochemistry in tropical river
basins, Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac., 56, 1607–1624,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90228-B, 1992.
Chadwick, O. A. and Chorover, J.: The chemistry of pedogenic
thresholds, Geoderma, 100, 321–353,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(01)00027-1, 2001.
Chmeleff, J., von Blanckenburg, F., Kosser, K., and Jakob, D.: Determination
of the 10Be half-life by multicollecter ICP-MS and liquid scintillation
counting, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 268, 192–199,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2009.09.012, 2010.
Christl, M., Lippold, J., Steinhilber, F., Bernsdorff, F., and Mangini, A.:
Reconstruction of global 10Be production over the past 250 ka from highly
accumulating Atlantic drift sediments, Quaternary Sci.
Rev., 29, 2663–2672,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.06.017, 2010.
Deng, K., Wittmann, H., and von Blanckenburg, F.: The depositional flux of
meteoric cosmogenic 10Be from modelling and observation, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 550, 116530, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116530,
2020.
Dixon, J. L., Chadwick, O. A., and Pavich, M. J.: Climatically controlled
delivery and retention of meteoric 10Be in soils, Geology, 46, 899–902,
https://doi.org/10.1130/G45176.1, 2018.
Dunai, T. J.: Scaling factors for production rates of in situ produced
cosmogenic nuclides: a critical reevaluation, Earth Planet. Sc.
Lett., 176, 157–169, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(99)00310-6,
2000.
Easterbrook, D. J., Pierce, K., Gosse, J., Gillespie, A., Evenson, E., and
Hamblin, K.: Quaternary geology of the western United States, in: Quaternary
Geology of the United States, edited by: Easterbrook, D. J., Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA, 19–79, 2003.
Ebert, K., Willenbring, J., Norton, K. P., Hall, A., and Hättestrand,
C.: Meteoric 10Be concentrations from saprolite and till in northern Sweden:
Implications for glacial erosion and age, Quat. Geochronol., 12,
11–22, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2012.05.005, 2012.
Field, C. V., Schmidt, G. A., Koch, D., and Salyk, C.: Modeling production
and climate-related impacts on 10Be concentration in ice cores, J.
Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 111, D15017,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2005JD006410, 2006.
Frank, M., Schwarz, B., Baumann, S., Kubik, P. W., Suter, M., and Mangini,
A.: A 200 kyr record of cosmogenic radionuclide production rate and
geomagnetic field intensity from 10Be in globally stacked deep-sea
sediments, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 149, 121–129,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0012-821X(97)00070-8, 1997.
Gosse, J. C., Klein, J., Lawn, B., Middleton, R., and Evenson, E. B.:
Beryllium-10 dating of the duration and retreat of the last Pinedale glacial
sequence, Science, 268, 1329–1333,
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.268.5215.1329, 1995.
Graly, J. A., Bierman, P. R., Reusser, L. J., and Pavich, M. J.: Meteoric
10Be in soil profiles – a global meta-analysis, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 74, 6814–6892,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2010.08.036, 2010.
Graly, J. A., Reusser, L. J., and Bierman, P. R.: Short and long-term
delivery rates of meteoric 10Be to terrestrial soils, Earth Planet.
Sc. Lett., 302, 329–336,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2010.12.020, 2011.
Guelke-Stelling, M. and von Blanckenburg, F.: Fe isotope fractionation
caused by translocation of iron during growth of bean and oat as models of
strategy I and II plants, Plant Soil, 352, 217–231,
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0990-9, 2012.
Hall, R. D. and Shroba, R. R.: Soil evidence for a glaciation intermediate
between the Bull Lake and Pinedale glaciations at Fremont Lake, Wind River
Range, Wyoming, USA, Arctic Alpine Res., 27, 89–98,
https://doi.org/10.2307/1552071, 1995.
Heikkilä, U. and Smith, A. M.: Influence of model resolution on the atmospheric transport of 10Be, Atmos. Chem. Phys., 12, 10601–10612, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-12-10601-2012, 2012.
Heikkilä, U. and Von Blanckenburg, F.: The global distribution of
Holocene meteoric 10Be fluxes from atmospheric models, GFZ Data Services, GFZ Potsdam, Germany, https://doi.org/10.5880/GFZ.3.4.2015.001, 2015.
Hostetler, S. W. and Clark, P. U.: Climatic controls of western US glaciers
at the last glacial maximum, Quaternary Sci. Rev., 16, 505–511,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0277-3791(96)00116-3, 1997.
Jagercikova, M., Cornu, S., Bourlès, D., Evrard, O., Hatté, C., and
Balesdent, J.: Quantification of vertical solid matter transfers in soils
during pedogenesis by a multi-tracer approach, J. Soil
Sediment., 17, 408–422, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1560-9, 2016.
Jelinski, N., Willenbring, J. K., Schumacher, T. E., Li, S., Lobb, D. A.,
Papiernik, S. K., and Yoo, K.: Meteoric Beryllium-10 as a tracer of
cumulative erosion due to post-settlement land use in west-central
Minnesota, USA, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 124,
874–901, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004720, 2019.
Jungers, M. C., Bierman, P. R., Matmon, A., Nichols, K., Larsen, J., and
Finkel, R.: Tracing hillslope sediment production and transport with in situ
and meteoric 10Be, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 114, F04020,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JF001086, 2009.
Kaste, J. M. and Baskaran, M.: Meteoric 7Be and 10Be as process tracers in
the environment, in: Handbook of environmental isotope geochemistry, edited
by: Baskaran, M., Springer, Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany, 61–85,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10637-8_5, 2012.
Kohl, C. P. and Nishiizumi, K.: Chemical isolation of quartz for
measurement of in-situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 56, 3583–3587,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90401-4, 1992.
Kubik, P. W. and Christl, M.: 10Be and 26Al measurements at the Zurich 6 MV
Tandem AMS facility, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B, 268, 880–883,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nimb.2009.10.054, 2010.
Lal, D. and Peters, B.: Cosmic ray produced radioactivity on the Earth, in:
Kosmische Strahlung II/Cosmic Rays II, edited by: Sitte, K., Springer,
Berlin and Heidelberg, Germany, 551–612,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46079-1_7, 1967.
Mahaney, W. C. and Halvorson, D. L.: Rates of mineral weathering in the
Wind River Mountains, western Wyoming, in: Rates of chemical weathering of
rocks and minerals, edited by: Colman, S. and Dethier, D., Academic Press,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 147–167, 1986.
Maher, K. and von Blanckenburg, F.: Surface ages and weathering rates from
10Be (meteoric) and 10Be/9Be: insights from differential mass balance and
reactive transport modeling, Chem. Geol., 446, 70–86,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2016.07.016, 2016.
Masarik, J. and Beer, J.: Simulation of particle fluxes and cosmogenic
nuclide production in the Earth's atmosphere, J. Geophys.
Res.-Atmos., 104, 12099–12111,
https://doi.org/10.1029/1998JD200091, 1999.
Masarik, J. and Beer, J.: An updated simulation of particle fluxes and
cosmogenic nuclide production in the Earth's atmosphere, J.
Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 114, D11103,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2008JD010557, 2009.
Mckean, J. A., Dietrich, W. E., Finkel, R. C., Southon, J. R., and Caffee, M. W.:
Quantification of Soil Production and Downslope Creep Rates from Cosmogenic
Be-10 Accumulations on a Hillslope Profile, Geology, 21, 343–346,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1993)021<0343:QOSPAD>2.3.CO;2, 1993.
Monaghan, M. C., McKean, J., Dietrich, W., and Klein, J.: 10Be chronometry
of bedrock-to-soil conversion rates, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett.,
111, 483–492, https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-821X(92)90198-5, 1992.
Ouimet, W., Dethier, D., Bierman, P., Wyshnytzkyr, C., Shea, N., and Rood,
D. H.: Spatial and temporal variations in meteoric 10Be inventories and
long-term deposition rates, Colorado Front Range, Quaternary Sci.
Rev., 109, 1–12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2014.12.008, 2015.
Pavich, M. J., Brown, L., Harden, J., Klein, J., and Middleton, R.: 10Be
distribution in soils from Merced River terraces, California, Geochim.
Cosmochim. Ac., 50, 1727–1735,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(86)90134-1, 1986.
Phillips, F. M., Zreda, M. G., Gosse, J. C., Klein, J., Evenson, E. B.,
Hall, R. D., Chadwick, O. A., and Sharma, P.:
Cosmogenic 36CI and 10Be ages
of Quaternary glacial and fluvial deposits of the Wind River Range, Wyoming,
Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 109, 1453–1463,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1997)109<1453:CCABAO>2.3.CO;2, 1997.
Phillips, F. M., Argento, D. C., Balco, G., Caffee, M. W., Clem, J., Dunai, T. J., Finkel, R., Goehring, B., Gosse, J. C., Hudson, A. M., and Jull, A. T.: The CRONUS-Earth project: a synthesis,
Quat. Geochronol., 31, 119–154,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quageo.2015.09.006, 2016.
Pigati, J. S. and Lifton, N. A.: Geomagnetic effects on time-integrated
cosmogenic nuclide production with emphasis on in situ 14C and 10Be, Earth
Planet. Sc. Lett., 226, 193–205,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2004.07.031, 2004.
Portenga, E. W., Bierman, P. R., Trodick Jr., C. D., Greene, S. E., DeJong, B. D.,
Rood, D. H., and Pavich, M. J.: Erosion rates and sediment flux within the
Potomac River basin quantified over millennial timescales using beryllium
isotopes, Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., 131, 1295–1311,
https://doi.org/10.1130/B31840.1, 2019.
Reusser, L., Graly, J., Bierman, P., and Rood, D.: Calibrating a long-term
meteoric 10Be accumulation rate in soil, Geophys. Res.
Lett., 37, L19403, https://doi.org/10.1029/2010GL044751, 2010.
Richmond, G. M.: Geologic map of the Fremont Lake south quadrangle, Sublette
County, Wyoming, Map 1138, United States Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA, https://doi.org/10.3133/gq1138, 1973.
Schaller, M., Ehlers, T. A., Blum, J. D., and Kyrllenberg, M. A.:
Quantifying glacial moraine age, denudation, and soil mixing with cosmogenic
nuclide depth profiles, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth,
114, F01012, https://doi.org/10.1029/2007JF000921, 2009a.
Schaller, M., Blum, J. D., and Ehlers, T. A.: Combining cosmogenic nuclides
and major elements from moraine soil profiles to improve weathering rate
estimates, Geomorphology, 106, 198–205,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2008.10.014, 2009b.
Schoonejans, J., Vanacker, V., Opfergelt, S., and Christl, M.: Long-term
soil erosion derived from in-situ 10Be and inventories of meteoric 10Be in
deeply weathered soils in southern Brazil, Chem. Geol., 466, 380–388,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2017.06.025, 2017.
Sharp, W. D., Ludwig, K. R., Chadwick, O. A., Amundson, R., and Glaser, L.
L.: Dating fluvial terraces by 230Th/U on pedogenic carbonate, Wind River
Basin, Wyoming, Quaternary Res., 59, 139–150,
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-5894(03)00003-6, 2003.
Steinhilber, F., Abreu, J., Beer, J., Brunner, I., Christl, M., Fischer, H., Heikkilä, U., Kubik, P. W., Mann, M., McCracken, K. G., and Miller, H.: 9,400 years of cosmic radiation and solar activity from ice cores and tree rings, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 109, 5967–5971, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1118965109, 2012.
Stone, J. O.: Air pressure and cosmogenic isotope production, J.
Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 105, 23753–23759,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2000JB900181, 2000.
Taylor, A. and Blum, J. D.: Relation between soil age and silicate
weathering rates determined from the chemical evolution of a glacial
chronosequence, Geology, 23, 979–982,
https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0979:RBSAAS>2.3.CO;2, 1995.
Taylor, A. and Blum, J. D.: Relation between soil age and silicate
weathering rates determined from the chemical evolution of a glacial
chronosequence: Reply, Geology, 25, 382–383, 1997.
Valet, J. P., Meynadier, L., and Guyodo, Y.: Geomagnetic dipole strength and
reversal rate over the past two million years, Nature, 435, 802–805,
https://doi.org/10.1038/nature03674, 2005.
von Blanckenburg, F., Hewawasam, T., and Kubik, P. W.: Cosmogenic nuclide
evidence for low weathering and denudation in the wet, tropical highlands of
Sri Lanka, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth, 109, F03008,
https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JF000049, 2004.
von Blanckenburg, F., Bouchez, J., and Wittmann, H.: Earth surface erosion
and weathering from the 10Be (meteoric)/9Be ratio, Earth Planet.
Sci. Lett., 351, 295–305, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.07.022,
2012.
von Blanckenburg, F. and Bouchez, J.: River fluxes to the sea from the
ocean's 10Be/9Be ratio, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 387, 34–43,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.11.004, 2014.
von Blanckenburg, F., Bouchez, J., Ibarra, D. E., and Maher, K.: Stable
runoff and weathering fluxes into the oceans over Quaternary climate cycles,
Nat. Geosci., 8, 538–542, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2452, 2015.
Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC): Historical Data, available at: https://wrcc.dri.edu/ (last access:
18 September 2020), 2005.
Willenbring, J. K. and von Blanckenburg, F.: Meteoric cosmogenic
Beryllium-10 adsorbed to river sediment and soil: Applications for
Earth-surface dynamics, Earth Sci. Rev., 98, 105–122,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2009.10.008, 2010.
Wittmann, H., Von Blanckenburg, F., Bouchez, J., Dannhaus, N., Naumann, R.,
Christl, M., and Gaillardet, J.: The dependence of meteoric 10Be
concentrations on particle size in Amazon River bed sediment and the
extraction of reactive 10Be/9Be ratios, Chem. Geol., 318, 126–138,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2012.04.031, 2012.
Wittmann, H., von Blanckenburg, F., Dannhaus, N., Bouchez, J., Gaillardet, J., Guyot, J. L., Maurice, L., Roig, H., Filizola, N., and Christl, M.: A test of the cosmogenic 10Be(meteoric)∕9Be proxy for simultaneously determining basin-wide erosion rates, denudation rates, and the degree of weathering in the Amazon basin, J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 120, 2498–2528, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015JF003581, 2015.
You, C. F., Lee, T., and Li, Y. H.: The partition of Be between soil and
water, Chem. Geol., 77, 105–118,
https://doi.org/10.1016/0009-2541(89)90136-8, 1989.
Short summary
Meteoric beryllium-10 concentrations in soil profiles have great capacity to quantify Earth surface processes, such as erosion rates and landform ages. However, determining these requires an accurate estimate of the delivery rate of this isotope to local sites. Here, we present a new method to constrain the long-term delivery rate to an eroding western US site, compare it against existing delivery rate estimates (revealing considerable disagreement between methods), and suggest best practices.
Meteoric beryllium-10 concentrations in soil profiles have great capacity to quantify Earth...
