Radiocarbon dating considerations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The variation in the 14
C/12
C ratio in different parts of the carbon exchange reservoir means that a straightforward calculation of the age of a sample based on the amount of 14
C it contains will often give an incorrect result. There are several other possible sources of error that need to be considered. The errors are of four general types:
- Variations in the 14
C/12
C ratio in the atmosphere, both geographically and over time - Isotopic fractionation
- Variations in the 14
C/12
C ratio in different parts of the reservoir - Contamination