Articles | Volume 4, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-435-2022
© Author(s) 2022. 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-4-435-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
05 Jul 2022
Research article |
| 05 Jul 2022
| 05 Jul 2022
Cosmogenic nuclide and solute flux data from central Cuban rivers emphasize the importance of both physical and chemical mass loss from tropical landscapes
Mae Kate Campbell
Department of Geology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405,
USA
Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
Paul R. Bierman
Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources, the
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
Department of Geosciences, Oberlin College, Oberlin, OH 44074, USA
Rita Sibello Hernández
Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Departamento de Estudio de la Contaminación Ambiental. AP 5, 59350, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Alejandro García-Moya
Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Departamento de Estudio de la Contaminación Ambiental. AP 5, 59350, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Lee B. Corbett
Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources, the
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
Alan J. Hidy
Atmospheric, Earth, and Energy Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94550, USA
Héctor Cartas Águila
Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Departamento de Estudio de la Contaminación Ambiental. AP 5, 59350, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Aniel Guillén Arruebarrena
Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Departamento de Estudio de la Contaminación Ambiental. AP 5, 59350, Ciudad Nuclear, Cienfuegos, Cuba
Greg Balco
Berkeley Geochronology Center, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
David Dethier
Department of Geosciences, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
Marc Caffee
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Catherine M. Collins, Nicolas Perdrial, Pierre-Henri Blard, Nynke Keulen, William C. Mahaney, Halley Mastro, Juliana Souza, Donna M. Rizzo, Yves Marrocchi, Paul C. Knutz, and Paul R. Bierman
Clim. Past, 21, 1359–1381, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1359-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-1359-2025, 2025
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The Camp Century subglacial core stores information about past climates and glacial and interglacial processes in northwestern Greenland. In this study, we investigated the core archive, making large-scale observations using computed tomography (CT) scans and micron-scale observations observing physical and chemical characteristics of individual grains. We find evidence of past ice-free conditions, weathering processes during warmer periods, and past glaciations.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 7, 247–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, 2025
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This paper describes measurements of cosmogenic neon-21 concentrations in a widely distributed mineral standard material that is routinely used for quality control and interlaboratory comparison for measurements of other cosmic-ray-produced nuclides useful for various geochronology applications. Broadly, this facilitates improvement of precision and accuracy of these measurements and their applications in geochronology.
Christopher T. Halsted, Paul R. Bierman, Alexandru T. Codilean, Lee B. Corbett, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 7, 213–228, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-213-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-213-2025, 2025
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Sediment generation on hillslopes and transport through river networks are complex processes that influence landscape evolution. In this study, we compiled sand from 766 river basins and measured its subtle radioactivity to unravel timelines of sediment routing around the world. With these data, we empirically confirm that sediment from large lowland basins in tectonically stable regions typically experiences long periods of burial, while sediment moves rapidly through small upland basins.
Marie Bergelin, Greg Balco, and Richard A. Ketcham
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3033, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3033, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Geochronology (GChron).
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We developed a faster and simpler way to measure helium gas in rocks to determine how long they have been exposed at Earth's surface. Instead of separating minerals within the rocks by hand, our method uses heat to release gas from specific minerals. This reduces time, cost, and physical work, making it easier to collect large amounts of data when studying landscape change or when only small rock samples are available.
Anna Ruth W. Halberstadt and Greg Balco
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2008, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-2008, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for The Cryosphere (TC).
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We developed a new framework for testing how well computer models of the Antarctic ice sheet match geological measurements of past ice thinning. By using more data and higher-spatial-resolution modeling, we improve how well models capture complex regions. Our approach also makes it easier to include new data as they become available. We describe multiple metrics for comparing models and data. This can help scientists better understand how the ice sheet changed in the past.
Richard A. Becker, Aaron M. Barth, Shaun A. Marcott, Basil Tikoff, and Marc W. Caffee
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1370, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1370, 2025
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We report 31 new 10Be and 26 recalculated 36Cl dates from the Sierra Nevada Mountains (USA) and conclude that deglaciation’s final and rapid phase began at 16.4 ± 0.8 ka. In comparing this timing with high-resolution regional paleoclimate proxies, we interpret that rapid deglaciation most likely began at 16.20 ± 0.13 ka, which is indistinguishable in timing from Heinrich Event 1. We interpret that the range’s deglaciation was likely driven by a reunification of the polar jet stream at this time.
Marie Bergelin, Andrew Gorin, Greg Balco, and William Cassata
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-928, 2025
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Helium gas accumulates over time in minerals, but loss can occur depending on temperature. If partially retained, its loss can potentially be used for determining past surface temperatures. This study uses a model that accounts for complex gas loss to analyze helium retention in two minerals commonly found on the surface of Antarctica. We find one of the minerals retains helium while the other loses nearly all of the gas within hundred years, making it unsuitable as a climate reconstruction.
Joanne S. Johnson, John Woodward, Ian Nesbitt, Kate Winter, Seth Campbell, Keir A. Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Scott Braddock, Brent M. Goehring, Brenda Hall, Dylan H. Rood, and Greg Balco
The Cryosphere, 19, 303–324, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-19-303-2025, 2025
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Determining where and when the Antarctic ice sheet was smaller than present requires recovery and exposure dating of subglacial bedrock. Here we use ice sheet model outputs and field data (geological and glaciological observations, bedrock samples, and ground-penetrating radar) to assess the suitability for subglacial drilling of sites in the Hudson Mountains, West Antarctica. We find that no sites are perfect, but two are feasible, with the most suitable being Winkie Nunatak (74.86°S, 99.77°W).
Gordon R. M. Bromley, Greg Balco, Margaret S. Jackson, Allie Balter-Kennedy, and Holly Thomas
Clim. Past, 21, 145–160, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-21-145-2025, 2025
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We constructed a geologic record of East Antarctic Ice Sheet thickness from deposits at Otway Massif to directly assess how Earth's largest ice sheet responds to warmer-than-present climate. Our record confirms the long-term dominance of a cold polar climate but lacks a clear ice sheet response to the mid-Pliocene Warm Period, a common analogue for the future. Instead, an absence of moraines from the late Miocene–early Pliocene suggests the ice sheet was less extensive than present at that time.
Joseph P. Tulenko, Greg Balco, Michael A. Clynne, and L. J. Patrick Muffler
Geochronology, 6, 639–652, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, 2024
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Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an exceptional tool for reconstructing glacier histories, but reconstructions based on common target nuclides (e.g., 10Be) can be costly and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present a cost-effective proof-of-concept 21Ne exposure age chronology from Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA, that broadly agrees with nearby 10Be chronologies but at lower precision.
Bradley W. Goodfellow, Marc W. Caffee, Greg Chmiel, Ruben Fritzon, Alasdair Skelton, and Arjen P. Stroeven
Solid Earth, 15, 1343–1363, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-1343-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/se-15-1343-2024, 2024
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Reconstructions of past earthquakes are useful to assess earthquake hazard risk. We assess a limestone scarp exposed by earthquakes along the Sparta Fault, Greece, using 36Cl and rare-earth elements and yttrium (REE-Y). Our analyses indicate an increase in the average scarp slip rate from 0.8–0.9 mm yr-1 at 6.5–7.7 kyr ago to 1.1–1.2 mm yr-1 up to the devastating 464 BCE earthquake. REE-Y indicate clays in the fault scarp; their potential use in palaeoseismicity would benefit from further study.
Greg Balco, Andrew J. Conant, Dallas D. Reilly, Dallin Barton, Chelsea D. Willett, and Brett H. Isselhardt
Geochronology, 6, 571–584, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-571-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-571-2024, 2024
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This paper describes how krypton isotopes produced by nuclear fission can be used to determine the age of microscopic particles of used nuclear fuel. This is potentially useful for international safeguard applications aimed at tracking and identifying nuclear materials, as well as geoscience applications involving dating post-1950s sediments or understanding environmental transport of nuclear materials.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Joerg M. Schaefer, Greg Balco, Meredith A. Kelly, Michael R. Kaplan, Roseanne Schwartz, Bryan Oakley, Nicolás E. Young, Jean Hanley, and Arianna M. Varuolo-Clarke
Clim. Past, 20, 2167–2190, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-2167-2024, 2024
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We date sedimentary deposits showing that the southeastern Laurentide Ice Sheet was at or near its southernmost extent from ~ 26 000 to 21 000 years ago, when sea levels were at their lowest, with climate records indicating glacial conditions. Slow deglaciation began ~ 22 000 years ago, shown by a rise in modeled local summer temperatures, but significant deglaciation in the region did not begin until ~ 18 000 years ago, when atmospheric CO2 began to rise, marking the end of the last ice age.
Paul R. Bierman, Andrew J. Christ, Catherine M. Collins, Halley M. Mastro, Juliana Souza, Pierre-Henri Blard, Stefanie Brachfeld, Zoe R. Courville, Tammy M. Rittenour, Elizabeth K. Thomas, Jean-Louis Tison, and François Fripiat
The Cryosphere, 18, 4029–4052, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4029-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-4029-2024, 2024
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In 1966, the U.S. Army drilled through the Greenland Ice Sheet at Camp Century, Greenland; they recovered 3.44 m of frozen material. Here, we decipher the material’s history. Water, flowing during a warm interglacial when the ice sheet melted from northwest Greenland, deposited the upper material which contains fossil plant and insect parts. The lower material, separated by more than a meter of ice with some sediment, is till, deposited by the ice sheet during a prior cold period.
Matias Romero, Shanti B. Penprase, Maximillian S. Van Wyk de Vries, Andrew D. Wickert, Andrew G. Jones, Shaun A. Marcott, Jorge A. Strelin, Mateo A. Martini, Tammy M. Rittenour, Guido Brignone, Mark D. Shapley, Emi Ito, Kelly R. MacGregor, and Marc W. Caffee
Clim. Past, 20, 1861–1883, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1861-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-20-1861-2024, 2024
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Investigating past glaciated regions is crucial for understanding how ice sheets responded to climate forcings and how they might respond in the future. We use two independent dating techniques to document the timing and extent of the Lago Argentino glacier lobe, a former lobe of the Patagonian Ice Sheet, during the late Quaternary. Our findings highlight feedbacks in the Earth’s system responsible for modulating glacier growth in the Southern Hemisphere prior to the global Last Glacial Maximum.
Marie Bergelin, Greg Balco, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
Geochronology, 6, 491–502, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, 2024
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Cosmogenic nuclides, such as 10Be, are rare isotopes produced in rocks when exposed at Earth's surface and are valuable for understanding surface processes and landscape evolution. However, 10Be is usually measured in quartz minerals. Here we present advances in efficiently extracting and measuring 10Be in the pyroxene mineral. These measurements expand the use of 10Be as a dating tool for new rock types and provide opportunities to understand landscape processes in areas that lack quartz.
Alia J. Lesnek, Joseph M. Licciardi, Alan J. Hidy, and Tyler S. Anderson
Geochronology, 6, 475–489, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, 2024
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We present an improved workflow for extracting and measuring chlorine isotopes in rocks and minerals. Experiments on seven geologic samples demonstrate that our workflow provides reliable results while offering several distinct advantages over traditional methods. Most notably, our workflow reduces the amount of isotopically enriched chlorine spike used per rock sample by up to 95 %, which will allow researchers to analyze more samples using their existing laboratory supplies.
Peyton M. Cavnar, Paul R. Bierman, Jeremy D. Shakun, Lee B. Corbett, Danielle LeBlanc, Gillian L. Galford, and Marc Caffee
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2233, 2024
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To investigate the Laurentide Ice Sheet’s erosivity before and during the Last Glacial Maximum, we sampled sand deposited by ice in eastern Canada before final deglaciation. We also sampled modern river sand. The 26Al and 10Be measured in glacial deposited sediments suggests that ice remained during some Pleistocene warm periods and was an inefficient eroder. Similar concentrations of 26Al and 10Be in modern sand suggests that most modern river sediment is sourced from glacial deposits.
Bradley W. Goodfellow, Arjen P. Stroeven, Nathaniel A. Lifton, Jakob Heyman, Alexander Lewerentz, Kristina Hippe, Jens-Ove Näslund, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 6, 291–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, 2024
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Carbon-14 produced in quartz (half-life of 5700 ± 30 years) provides a new tool to date exposure of bedrock surfaces. Samples from 10 exposed bedrock surfaces in east-central Sweden give dates consistent with the timing of both landscape emergence above sea level through postglacial rebound and retreat of the last ice sheet shown in previous reconstructions. Carbon-14 in quartz can therefore be used for dating in landscapes where isotopes with longer half-lives give complex exposure results.
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
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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.
Andrew G. Jones, Shaun A. Marcott, Andrew L. Gorin, Tori M. Kennedy, Jeremy D. Shakun, Brent M. Goehring, Brian Menounos, Douglas H. Clark, Matias Romero, and Marc W. Caffee
The Cryosphere, 17, 5459–5475, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5459-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-5459-2023, 2023
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Mountain glaciers today are fractions of their sizes 140 years ago, but how do these sizes compare to the past 11,000 years? We find that four glaciers in the United States and Canada have reversed a long-term trend of growth and retreated to positions last occupied thousands of years ago. Notably, each glacier occupies a unique position relative to its long-term history. We hypothesize that unequal modern retreat has caused the glaciers to be out of sync relative to their Holocene histories.
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
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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.
Jacob T. H. Anderson, Toshiyuki Fujioka, David Fink, Alan J. Hidy, Gary S. Wilson, Klaus Wilcken, Andrey Abramov, and Nikita Demidov
The Cryosphere, 17, 4917–4936, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4917-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-4917-2023, 2023
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Antarctic permafrost processes are not widely studied or understood in the McMurdo Dry Valleys. Our data show that near-surface permafrost sediments were deposited ~180 000 years ago in Pearse Valley, while in lower Wright Valley sediments are either vertically mixed after deposition or were deposited < 25 000 years ago. Our data also record Taylor Glacier retreat from Pearse Valley ~65 000–74 000 years ago and support antiphase dynamics between alpine glaciers and sea ice in the Ross Sea.
Benoit S. Lecavalier, Lev Tarasov, Greg Balco, Perry Spector, Claus-Dieter Hillenbrand, Christo Buizert, Catherine Ritz, Marion Leduc-Leballeur, Robert Mulvaney, Pippa L. Whitehouse, Michael J. Bentley, and Jonathan Bamber
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 3573–3596, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3573-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-3573-2023, 2023
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The Antarctic Ice Sheet Evolution constraint database version 2 (AntICE2) consists of a large variety of observations that constrain the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet over the last glacial cycle. This includes observations of past ice sheet extent, past ice thickness, past relative sea level, borehole temperature profiles, and present-day bedrock displacement rates. The database is intended to improve our understanding of past Antarctic changes and for ice sheet model calibrations.
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
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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.
Giulia Sinnl, Florian Adolphi, Marcus Christl, Kees C. Welten, Thomas Woodruff, Marc Caffee, Anders Svensson, Raimund Muscheler, and Sune Olander Rasmussen
Clim. Past, 19, 1153–1175, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1153-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-19-1153-2023, 2023
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The record of past climate is preserved by several archives from different regions, such as ice cores from Greenland or Antarctica or speleothems from caves such as the Hulu Cave in China. In this study, these archives are aligned by taking advantage of the globally synchronous production of cosmogenic radionuclides. This produces a new perspective on the global climate in the period between 20 000 and 25 000 years ago.
Greg Balco, Nathan Brown, Keir Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Jonathan Adams, Scott Braddock, Seth Campbell, Brent Goehring, Joanne S. Johnson, Dylan H. Rood, Klaus Wilcken, Brenda Hall, and John Woodward
The Cryosphere, 17, 1787–1801, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1787-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1787-2023, 2023
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Samples of bedrock recovered from below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet show that part of the ice sheet was thinner several thousand years ago than it is now and subsequently thickened. This is important because of concern that present ice thinning in this region may lead to rapid, irreversible sea level rise. The past episode of thinning at this site that took place in a similar, although not identical, climate was not irreversible; however, reversal required at least 3000 years to complete.
Anna Ruth W. Halberstadt, Greg Balco, Hannah Buchband, and Perry Spector
The Cryosphere, 17, 1623–1643, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1623-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1623-2023, 2023
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This paper explores the use of multimillion-year exposure ages from Antarctic bedrock outcrops to benchmark ice sheet model predictions and thereby infer ice sheet sensitivity to warm climates. We describe a new approach for model–data comparison, highlight an example where observational data are used to distinguish end-member models, and provide guidance for targeted sampling around Antarctica that can improve understanding of ice sheet response to climate warming in the past and future.
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
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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.
Jonathan R. Adams, Joanne S. Johnson, Stephen J. Roberts, Philippa J. Mason, Keir A. Nichols, Ryan A. Venturelli, Klaus Wilcken, Greg Balco, Brent Goehring, Brenda Hall, John Woodward, and Dylan H. Rood
The Cryosphere, 16, 4887–4905, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4887-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4887-2022, 2022
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Glaciers in West Antarctica are experiencing significant ice loss. Geological data provide historical context for ongoing ice loss in West Antarctica, including constraints on likely future ice sheet behaviour in response to climatic warming. We present evidence from rare isotopes measured in rocks collected from an outcrop next to Pope Glacier. These data suggest that Pope Glacier thinned faster and sooner after the last ice age than previously thought.
Benjamin J. Stoker, Martin Margold, John C. Gosse, Alan J. Hidy, Alistair J. Monteath, Joseph M. Young, Niall Gandy, Lauren J. Gregoire, Sophie L. Norris, and Duane Froese
The Cryosphere, 16, 4865–4886, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4865-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-4865-2022, 2022
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The Laurentide Ice Sheet was the largest ice sheet to grow and disappear in the Northern Hemisphere during the last glaciation. In northwestern Canada, it covered the Mackenzie Valley, blocking the migration of fauna and early humans between North America and Beringia and altering the drainage systems. We reconstruct the timing of ice sheet retreat in this region and the implications for the migration of early humans into North America, the drainage of glacial lakes, and past sea level rise.
Natacha Gribenski, Marissa M. Tremblay, Pierre G. Valla, Greg Balco, Benny Guralnik, and David L. Shuster
Geochronology, 4, 641–663, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-641-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-641-2022, 2022
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We apply quartz 3He paleothermometry along two deglaciation profiles in the European Alps to reconstruct temperature evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum. We observe a 3He thermal signal clearly colder than today in all bedrock surface samples exposed prior the Holocene. Current uncertainties in 3He diffusion kinetics do not permit distinguishing if this signal results from Late Pleistocene ambient temperature changes or from recent ground temperature variation due to permafrost degradation.
Adrian M. Bender, Richard O. Lease, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, Marc W. Caffee, James V. Jones, and Doug Kreiner
Earth Surf. Dynam., 10, 1041–1053, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1041-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-1041-2022, 2022
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To understand landscape evolution in the mineral resource-rich Yukon River basin (Alaska and Canada), we mapped and cosmogenic isotope-dated river terraces along the Charley River. Results imply widespread Yukon River incision that drove increased Bering Sea sedimentation and carbon sequestration during global climate changes 2.6 and 1 million years ago. Such erosion may have fed back to late Cenozoic climate change by reducing atmospheric carbon as observed in many records worldwide.
Marie Bergelin, Jaakko Putkonen, Greg Balco, Daniel Morgan, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
The Cryosphere, 16, 2793–2817, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2793-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-2793-2022, 2022
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Glacier ice contains information on past climate and can help us understand how the world changes through time. We have found and sampled a buried ice mass in Antarctica that is much older than most ice on Earth and difficult to date. Therefore, we developed a new dating application which showed the ice to be 3 million years old. Our new dating solution will potentially help to date other ancient ice masses since such old glacial ice could yield data on past environmental conditions on Earth.
Joanne S. Johnson, Ryan A. Venturelli, Greg Balco, Claire S. Allen, Scott Braddock, Seth Campbell, Brent M. Goehring, Brenda L. Hall, Peter D. Neff, Keir A. Nichols, Dylan H. Rood, Elizabeth R. Thomas, and John Woodward
The Cryosphere, 16, 1543–1562, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1543-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-16-1543-2022, 2022
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Recent studies have suggested that some portions of the Antarctic Ice Sheet were less extensive than present in the last few thousand years. We discuss how past ice loss and regrowth during this time would leave its mark on geological and glaciological records and suggest ways in which future studies could detect such changes. Determining timing of ice loss and gain around Antarctica and conditions under which they occurred is critical for preparing for future climate-warming-induced changes.
Leah A. VanLandingham, Eric W. Portenga, Edward C. Lefroy, Amanda H. Schmidt, Paul R. Bierman, and Alan J. Hidy
Geochronology, 4, 153–176, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-153-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-4-153-2022, 2022
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This study presents erosion rates of the George River and seven of its tributaries in northeast Tasmania, Australia. These erosion rates are the first measures of landscape change over millennial timescales for Tasmania. We demonstrate that erosion is closely linked to a topographic rainfall gradient across George River. Our findings may be useful for efforts to restore ecological health to Georges Bay by determining a pre-disturbance level of erosion and sediment delivery to this estuary.
Brendon J. Quirk, Elizabeth Huss, Benjamin J. C. Laabs, Eric Leonard, Joseph Licciardi, Mitchell A. Plummer, and Marc W. Caffee
Clim. Past, 18, 293–312, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-293-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-18-293-2022, 2022
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Glaciers in the northern Rocky Mountains began retreating 17 000 to 18 000 years ago, after the end of the most recent global ice volume maxima. Climate in the region during this time was likely 10 to 8.5° colder than modern with less than or equal to present amounts of precipitation. Glaciers across the Rockies began retreating at different times but eventually exhibited similar patterns of retreat, suggesting a common mechanism influencing deglaciation.
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
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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.
Sandra M. Braumann, Joerg M. Schaefer, Stephanie M. Neuhuber, Christopher Lüthgens, Alan J. Hidy, and Markus Fiebig
Clim. Past, 17, 2451–2479, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2451-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-2451-2021, 2021
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Glacier reconstructions provide insights into past climatic conditions and elucidate processes and feedbacks that modulate the climate system both in the past and present. We investigate the transition from the last glacial to the current interglacial and generate beryllium-10 moraine chronologies in glaciated catchments of the eastern European Alps. We find that rapid warming was superimposed by centennial-scale cold phases that appear to have influenced large parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
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
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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.
Melisa A. Diaz, Lee B. Corbett, Paul R. Bierman, Byron J. Adams, Diana H. Wall, Ian D. Hogg, Noah Fierer, and W. Berry Lyons
Earth Surf. Dynam., 9, 1363–1380, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1363-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-9-1363-2021, 2021
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We collected soil surface samples and depth profiles every 5 cm (up to 30 cm) from 11 ice-free areas along the Shackleton Glacier, a major outlet glacier of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), and measured meteoric beryllium-10 and nitrate concentrations to understand the relationship between salts and beryllium-10. This relationship can help inform wetting history, landscape disturbance, and exposure duration.
Nicolás E. Young, Alia J. Lesnek, Josh K. Cuzzone, Jason P. Briner, Jessica A. Badgeley, Alexandra Balter-Kennedy, Brandon L. Graham, Allison Cluett, Jennifer L. Lamp, Roseanne Schwartz, Thibaut Tuna, Edouard Bard, Marc W. Caffee, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, and Joerg M. Schaefer
Clim. Past, 17, 419–450, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-17-419-2021, 2021
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Retreat of the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) margin is exposing a bedrock landscape that holds clues regarding the timing and extent of past ice-sheet minima. We present cosmogenic nuclide measurements from recently deglaciated bedrock surfaces (the last few decades), combined with a refined chronology of southwestern Greenland deglaciation and model simulations of GrIS change. Results suggest that inland retreat of the southwestern GrIS margin was likely minimal in the middle to late Holocene.
Greg Balco, Benjamin D. DeJong, John C. Ridge, Paul R. Bierman, and Dylan H. Rood
Geochronology, 3, 1–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-3-1-2021, 2021
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The North American Varve Chronology (NAVC) is a sequence of 5659 annual sedimentary layers that were deposited in proglacial lakes adjacent to the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet ca. 12 500–18 200 years ago. We attempt to synchronize this record with Greenland ice core and other climate records that cover the same time period by detecting variations in global fallout of atmospherically produced beryllium-10 in NAVC sediments.
Allie Balter-Kennedy, Gordon Bromley, Greg Balco, Holly Thomas, and Margaret S. Jackson
The Cryosphere, 14, 2647–2672, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2647-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2647-2020, 2020
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We describe new geologic evidence from Antarctica that demonstrates changes in East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) extent over the past ~ 15 million years. Our data show that the EAIS was a persistent feature in the Transantarctic Mountains for much of that time, including some (but not all) times when global temperature may have been warmer than today. Overall, our results comprise a long-term record of EAIS change and may provide useful constraints for ice sheet models and sea-level estimates.
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
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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.
Michal Ben-Israel, Ari Matmon, Alan J. Hidy, Yoav Avni, and Greg Balco
Earth Surf. Dynam., 8, 289–301, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-289-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-289-2020, 2020
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Early-to-mid Miocene erosion rates were inferred using cosmogenic 21Ne measured in chert pebbles transported by the Miocene Hazeva River (~ 18 Ma). Miocene erosion rates are faster compared to Quaternary rates in the region. Faster Miocene erosion rates could be due to a response to topographic changes brought on by tectonic uplift, wetter climate in the region during the Miocene, or a combination of both.
Hannah S. Weiss, Paul R. Bierman, Yves Dubief, and Scott D. Hamshaw
The Cryosphere, 13, 3367–3382, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3367-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-3367-2019, 2019
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Climate change is devastating winter tourism. High-elevation, high-latitude ski centers have turned to saving snow over the summer. We present results of two field seasons to test and optimize over-summer snow storage at a midlatitude, low-elevation nordic ski center in the northeastern USA. In 2018, we tested coverings and found success overlaying 20 cm of wet woodchips with a reflective sheet. In 2019, we employed this strategy to a large pile and stored sufficient snow to open the ski season.
Keir A. Nichols, Brent M. Goehring, Greg Balco, Joanne S. Johnson, Andrew S. Hein, and Claire Todd
The Cryosphere, 13, 2935–2951, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-2935-2019, 2019
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We studied the history of ice masses at three locations in the Weddell Sea Embayment, Antarctica. We measured rare isotopes in material sourced from mountains overlooking the Slessor Glacier, Foundation Ice Stream, and smaller glaciers on the Lassiter Coast. We show that ice masses were between 385 and 800 m thicker during the last glacial cycle than they are at present. The ice masses were both hundreds of metres thicker and remained thicker closer to the present than was previously thought.
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
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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.
Amanda H. Schmidt, Thomas B. Neilson, Paul R. Bierman, Dylan H. Rood, William B. Ouimet, and Veronica Sosa Gonzalez
Earth Surf. Dynam., 4, 819–830, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-819-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-819-2016, 2016
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In order to test the assumption that erosion rates derived from Be-10 are not affected by increases in erosion due to contemporary agricultural land use, we measured erosion rates in three tributaries of the Mekong River. We find that in the most heavily agricultural landscapes, the apparent long-term erosion rate correlates best with measures of modern land use, suggesting that agriculture has eroded below the mixed layer and is affecting apparent erosion rates derived from Be-10.
Michael Sigl, Tyler J. Fudge, Mai Winstrup, Jihong Cole-Dai, David Ferris, Joseph R. McConnell, Ken C. Taylor, Kees C. Welten, Thomas E. Woodruff, Florian Adolphi, Marion Bisiaux, Edward J. Brook, Christo Buizert, Marc W. Caffee, Nelia W. Dunbar, Ross Edwards, Lei Geng, Nels Iverson, Bess Koffman, Lawrence Layman, Olivia J. Maselli, Kenneth McGwire, Raimund Muscheler, Kunihiko Nishiizumi, Daniel R. Pasteris, Rachael H. Rhodes, and Todd A. Sowers
Clim. Past, 12, 769–786, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-769-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-12-769-2016, 2016
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Here we present a chronology (WD2014) for the upper part (0–2850 m; 31.2 ka BP) of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) Divide ice core, which is based on layer counting of distinctive annual cycles preserved in the elemental, chemical and electrical conductivity records. We validated the chronology by comparing it to independent high-accuracy, absolutely dated chronologies. Given its demonstrated high accuracy, WD2014 can become a reference chronology for the Southern Hemisphere.
B. W. Goodfellow, A. P. Stroeven, D. Fabel, O. Fredin, M.-H. Derron, R. Bintanja, and M. W. Caffee
Earth Surf. Dynam., 2, 383–401, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-383-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-2-383-2014, 2014
Related subject area
Cosmogenic nuclide dating
Cosmogenic 3He dating of olivine with tightly retained mantle 3He, Volcano Mountain, Yukon
Technical note: 21Ne in the CoQtz-N quartz standard material
Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide bedrock depth profiles used to infer changes in Holocene glacier cover, Vintage Peak, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia
Short communication: Updated CRN Denudation collections in OCTOPUS v2.3
Cosmogenic 21Ne exposure ages on late Pleistocene moraines in Lassen Volcanic National Park, California, USA
Technical note: Altitude scaling of 36Cl production from Fe
Production rate calibration for cosmogenic 10Be in pyroxene by applying a rapid fusion method to 10Be-saturated samples from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica
Technical note: Optimizing the in situ cosmogenic 36Cl extraction and measurement workflow for geologic applications
Cosmogenic 3He chronology of postglacial lava flows at Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa / New Zealand
Last ice sheet recession and landscape emergence above sea level in east-central Sweden, evaluated using in situ cosmogenic 14C from quartz
Regional 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
Short communication: Cosmogenic noble gas depletion in soils by wildfire heating
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
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
Calibrating a long-term meteoric 10Be delivery rate into eroding western US glacial deposits by comparing meteoric and in situ produced 10Be depth profiles
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
Jessica M. Mueller, Jeffrey D. Bond, Kenneth A. Farley, and Brent C. Ward
Geochronology, 7, 255–263, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-255-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-255-2025, 2025
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We used step heating to separate cosmogenic 3He from mantle 3He in olivine xenocrysts in which the mantle helium component is in high concentration after sample powdering. By isolating the matrix-sited cosmogenic 3He at low temperature, we were able to date four different lava flows on Volcano Mountain, the youngest eruptive center in the Fort Selkirk volcanic province in Yukon, Canada. The four flows, including the stratigraphically youngest on the mountain, erupted coevally, at 10.5 ± 1.7 ka.
Greg Balco
Geochronology, 7, 247–253, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-247-2025, 2025
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This paper describes measurements of cosmogenic neon-21 concentrations in a widely distributed mineral standard material that is routinely used for quality control and interlaboratory comparison for measurements of other cosmic-ray-produced nuclides useful for various geochronology applications. Broadly, this facilitates improvement of precision and accuracy of these measurements and their applications in geochronology.
Adam C. Hawkins, Brent M. Goehring, and Brian Menounos
Geochronology, 7, 157–172, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-157-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-157-2025, 2025
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We use a method called cosmogenic nuclide dating on bedrock surfaces and moraine boulders to determine the relative length of time an alpine glacier was larger or smaller than its current extent over the past 15 000 years. We also discuss several important limitations to this method. This method gives information on the duration of past ice advances and is useful in areas without other materials that can be dated.
Alexandru T. Codilean and Henry Munack
Geochronology, 7, 113–122, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-113-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-113-2025, 2025
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OCTOPUS v2.3 updates CRN Denudation, adding 1311 new river basins to the CRN Global and CRN Australia collections, totalling 5611 basins with recalculated beryllium-10 denudation rates and 561 with aluminium-26 rates. New fields include basin centroid latitude, effective atmospheric pressure, glacier extent, and quartz-bearing lithology percentages, improving data quality and interoperability with online erosion calculators.
Joseph P. Tulenko, Greg Balco, Michael A. Clynne, and L. J. Patrick Muffler
Geochronology, 6, 639–652, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-639-2024, 2024
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Cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating is an exceptional tool for reconstructing glacier histories, but reconstructions based on common target nuclides (e.g., 10Be) can be costly and time-consuming to generate. Here, we present a cost-effective proof-of-concept 21Ne exposure age chronology from Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA, that broadly agrees with nearby 10Be chronologies but at lower precision.
Angus K. Moore and Darryl E. Granger
Geochronology, 6, 541–552, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-541-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-541-2024, 2024
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Cosmogenic nuclide geochronology requires accurately scaling production rates with altitude. The energy spectrum of cosmic radiation changes with altitude, and reactions that are sensitive to different energies may have different scaling behavior. Here, we model the altitude scaling of 36Cl production from Fe and evaluate this model against calibration data. The data are broadly consistent with the prediction of larger-altitude scaling factors for 36Cl from Fe than for other reactions.
Marie Bergelin, Greg Balco, Lee B. Corbett, and Paul R. Bierman
Geochronology, 6, 491–502, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-491-2024, 2024
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Cosmogenic nuclides, such as 10Be, are rare isotopes produced in rocks when exposed at Earth's surface and are valuable for understanding surface processes and landscape evolution. However, 10Be is usually measured in quartz minerals. Here we present advances in efficiently extracting and measuring 10Be in the pyroxene mineral. These measurements expand the use of 10Be as a dating tool for new rock types and provide opportunities to understand landscape processes in areas that lack quartz.
Alia J. Lesnek, Joseph M. Licciardi, Alan J. Hidy, and Tyler S. Anderson
Geochronology, 6, 475–489, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-475-2024, 2024
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We present an improved workflow for extracting and measuring chlorine isotopes in rocks and minerals. Experiments on seven geologic samples demonstrate that our workflow provides reliable results while offering several distinct advantages over traditional methods. Most notably, our workflow reduces the amount of isotopically enriched chlorine spike used per rock sample by up to 95 %, which will allow researchers to analyze more samples using their existing laboratory supplies.
Pedro Doll, Shaun Robert Eaves, Ben Matthew Kennedy, Pierre-Henri Blard, Alexander Robert Lee Nichols, Graham Sloan Leonard, Dougal Bruce Townsend, Jim William Cole, Chris Edward Conway, Sacha Baldwin, Gabriel Fénisse, Laurent Zimmermann, and Bouchaïb Tibari
Geochronology, 6, 365–395, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-365-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-365-2024, 2024
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In this study, we use cosmogenic-sourced 3He to determine the eruption ages of 23 lava flows at Mt Ruapehu, Aotearoa New Zealand, and we show how this method can help overcome challenges associated with traditional dating methods in young lavas. Comparison with other methods demonstrates the accuracy of our data and the method's reliability. The new eruption ages allowed us to identify periods of quasi-simultaneous activity from different volcanic vents during the last 20 000 years.
Bradley W. Goodfellow, Arjen P. Stroeven, Nathaniel A. Lifton, Jakob Heyman, Alexander Lewerentz, Kristina Hippe, Jens-Ove Näslund, and Marc W. Caffee
Geochronology, 6, 291–302, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-291-2024, 2024
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Carbon-14 produced in quartz (half-life of 5700 ± 30 years) provides a new tool to date exposure of bedrock surfaces. Samples from 10 exposed bedrock surfaces in east-central Sweden give dates consistent with the timing of both landscape emergence above sea level through postglacial rebound and retreat of the last ice sheet shown in previous reconstructions. Carbon-14 in quartz can therefore be used for dating in landscapes where isotopes with longer half-lives give complex exposure results.
Felix Martin Hofmann, Claire Rambeau, Lukas Gegg, Melanie Schulz, Martin Steiner, Alexander Fülling, Laëtitia Léanni, Frank Preusser, and ASTER Team
Geochronology, 6, 147–174, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-147-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-6-147-2024, 2024
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We determined 10Be concentrations in moraine boulder surfaces in the southern Black Forest, SW Germany. We applied three independent dating methods to younger lake sediments. With the aid of independent age datasets, we calculated the growth of 10Be concentrations in moraine boulder surfaces.
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
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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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Travis Clow, Jane K. Willenbring, Mirjam Schaller, Joel D. Blum, Marcus Christl, Peter W. Kubik, and Friedhelm von Blanckenburg
Geochronology, 2, 411–423, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-2-411-2020, 2020
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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.
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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
We used cosmogenic radionuclides in detrital river sediment to measure erosion rates of...
