Marine Sediments: Dating by the Racemization of Amino Acids
Abstract
Isoleucine has been found to undergo a slow racemization reaction in a 5-meter sediment core taken from the Atlantis fracture zone (water depth, 4014 meters; actual location, 30 degrees 15.7'N, 43 degrees 18.9'W). The amount of racemization increases with increasing depth below the sediment-seawater interface. This isoleucine racemization reaction was used to calculate an age of 1.23 million years for the bottom of the core.
- Publication:
-
Science
- Pub Date:
- November 1970
- DOI:
- 10.1126/science.170.3959.730
- Bibcode:
- 1970Sci...170..730B