Abstract
230Th/ 234U/ 238U dating of fossil corals by mass spectrometry is remarkably precise, but some samples exposed to freshwater over thousands of years may gain and/or lose uranium and/or thorium and consequently yield inaccurate ages. Although a δ 234U initial value equivalent to modern seawater and modern corals has been an effective quality control criterion, for samples exposed to freshwater but having δ 234U initial values indistinguishable from modern seawater and modern corals, there remains a need for additional age validation in the most demanding applications such as the 14C calibration (Fairbanks et al., 2005. Radiocarbon calibration curve spanning 0 to 50,000 years BP based on paired 230Th/ 234U/ 238U and 14C dates on pristine corals. Quaternary Science Reviews 24(16–17), 1781–1796). In this paper we enhance screening criteria for fossil corals older than 30,000 years BP in the Fairbanks0805 radiocarbon calibration data set (Fairbanks et al., 2005) by measuring redundant 230Th/ 234U/ 238U and 231Pa/ 235U dates via multi-collector magnetic sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-MS-ICPMS) using techniques described in Mortlock et al. (2005. 230Th/ 234U/ 238U and 231Pa/ 235U ages from a single fossil coral fragment by multi-collector magnetic-sector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 69(3), 649–657.). In our present study, we regard paired 231Pa/ 235U and 230Th/ 234U/ 238U ages concordant when the 231Pa/ 235U age (±2 σ) overlaps with the associated 230Th/ 234U/ 238U age (±2 σ). Out of a representative set of 11 Fairbanks0805 (Fairbanks et al., 2005) radiocarbon calibration coral samples re-measured in this study, nine passed this rigorous check on the accuracy of their 230Th/ 234U/ 238U ages. The concordancy observed between 230Th/ 234U/ 238U and 231Pa/ 235U dates provides convincing evidence to support closed system behavior of these fossil corals and validation of their 230Th/ 234U/ 238U dates for radiocarbon calibration and Δ 14C reconstruction.
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