Abstract:
In the 1950s and 1960s, nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean resulted in an atmospheric spike of radiocarbon (14C), which has become a useful tracer in aging applications. Here, we have compiled available Δ14C data collected from corals and fish otoliths in the Gulf of Mexico.
Suggested Citation:
Jenna D Bennett, Amy A Wallace, William F Patterson III, David J Duffy, Hannah B Vander Zanden. Gulf of Mexico coral and otolith radiocarbon curve. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/5vsz0kfh
Data Parameters and Units:
Reference: Source of 14C measurements in short format reference
Sample_type: Measurements were either from corals or fish otoliths
Location: General location of sample collection
Year: Year of formation determined from Δ14C measurements
D14C: Reported Δ14C measurements in units per mil
Δ14C_error: Reported Δ14C standard deviation in units per mil
F14C: Fraction modern is a measurement of the deviation of the 14C/12C ratio of a sample from “Modern.” Modern is defined as 95% of the radiocarbon concentration (in AD 1950) of NBS Oxalic Acid I (SRM 4990B, OX-I) normalized to δ13CVPDB = 19 ‰ (Olsson, 1970).
F14C_error: One standard deviation to represent error of fraction modern.
Olsson, I.U., 1970. The use of Oxalic acid as a Standard. In I.U. Olsson, ed., Radiocarbon Variations and Absolute Chronology, Nobel Symposium, 12th Proc., John Wiley & Sons, New York, p. 17.
Methods:
The Δ14C measurements were compiled from the literature, so the original sources can be consulted for the methods. There some previously unpublished points from Ellen Druffel and Beverly Barnett that are indicated as such, and they are included here with their permission.
Provenance and Historical References:
Complete reference info:
Druffel EM. 1980. Radiocarbon in annual coral rings of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans [Dissertation]. [San Diego, CA]: University of California. http://pascal-francis.inist.fr/vibad/index.php?action=getRecordDetail&idt=PASCAL82X0051815.
Druffel ERM. 1989. Decadal time scale variability of ventilation in the North Atlantic: high-precision measurements of bomb radiocarbon in banded corals. J Geophys Res. 94(C3):3271–3285. https://doi.org/:10.1029/JC094iC03p03271.
Wagner AJ. 2009. Oxygen and carbon isotopes and coral growth in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea as environmental and climate indicators. [Galveston, Texas]: Texas A&M University. https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2009-12-7260.
Wagner AJ, Guilderson TP, Slowey NC, Cole JE. 2009. Pre-bomb surface water radiocarbon of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean as recorded in hermatypic corals. Radiocarbon. 51(3):947–954. https://doi.org/:10.1017/S0033822200034020.
Moyer RP, Grottoli AG. 2011. Coral skeletal carbon isotopes (δ13C and Δ14C) record the delivery of terrestrial carbon to the coastal waters of Puerto Rico. Coral Reefs. 30(3):791–802. https://doi.org/:10.1007/s00338-011-0758-y.
Barnett BK, Thornton L, Allman R, Chanton JP, Patterson WF. 2018. Linear decline in red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) otolith Δ14C extends the utility of the bomb radiocarbon chronometer for fish age validation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico. ICES J Mar Sci. 75(5):1664–1671. https://doi.org/:10.1093/icesjms/fsy043.
Barnett BK. 2021. Inferring aspects of northern Gulf of Mexico reef fish ecology via radiocarbon analysis of fish otoliths and tissues [Dissertation]. [Gainesville, FL]: University of Florida. https://ufdc.ufl.edu/UFE0057470/00001.
Chamberlin DW, Siders ZA, Barnett BK, Ahrens RNM, Patterson WF. 2023. Highly variable length-at-age in vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) validated via Bayesian analysis of bomb radiocarbon. Fish Res. 264:106732. https://doi.org/:10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106732.
DeLong KL, Palmer K, Wagner AJ, Weerabaddana MM, Slowey N, Herrmann AD, Duprey N, Martínez-García A, Jung J, Hajdas I, et al. 2023. The Flower Garden Banks Siderastrea siderea coral as a candidate Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point for the Anthropocene series. Anthr Rev. 10(1):225–250. https://doi.org/:10.1177/20530196221147616.
Barnett unpublished data
Druffel unpublished data