Marsh-Accumulation Rates Based on Calibrated Ages vs Wiggle-Match Dating: Advantages, Traps and Trade-Offs
Abstract
We compare two sets of marsh-accumulation records from four coastal marshes (three in Connecticut, USA and one in Newfoundland, Can.). One set of records is based on individually calibrated dates and the other on wiggle-match dating of the same series of dates. The results show that wiggle-match dating leads to more precise and objective reconstructions of longer (500-1000 year) changes in accumulation rate than interpolation of individually calibrated dates. On (sub-)century time scales, wiggle match dating can reveal steps in the calibrated marsh-accumulation envelope as artifacts of the 14C-calibration curve, but may also leave short-term changes in accumulation rate undetected. Wiggle-matches are non-unique; they depend on the number, quality and distribution of radiocarbon dates in a sequence, how a series of dates is subdivided into groups (representing intervals of uniform accumulation rate), and what is considered a 'best match'. We show that it is important to consider evidence from lithostratigrapic and biostratigraphic data when interpreting the accumulation records.
- Publication:
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AGU Spring Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- May 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001AGUSM...B52C07V
- Keywords:
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- 3344 Paleoclimatology;
- 4235 Estuarine processes;
- 4556 Sea level variations