Accurate characterization of exposure duration and erosion depth from glacial troughs using paired in situ 14C-10Be measurements and a Bayesian isochron analysis

Paired measurements of in situ cosmogenic 10Be and 14C in glacial troughs enable estimates of cumulative exposure duration and erosion depth. The recent application of a Bayesian isochron analysis to such measurements (Goehring et al., 2013, Quaternary Geochronology 15, 61-66) has made such estimates much more robust. We explore this technique further by testing how sensitive the resultant exposure duration and erosion depth predictions are to both the numbers of samples analyzed and their locations along a transect parallel to the Rhone Glacier, Switzerland. Results of this analysis will indicate key locations within a glacial trough for sample collection, and the number of samples required to accurately characterize exposure durations and erosion depths using paired 14C-10Be measurements. Such results can then be used to guide planning for future field studies.