Bomb-Curve Radiocarbon Dating
Definition
A method that exploits the spike in atmospheric carbon-14 caused by nuclear weapons tests in the 1950s-60s. The outermost growth layer of a tusk incorporates the C14 signature of the year of death, which can be read against the calibration curve to give a death-year estimate.
- Exploits
- Atmospheric carbon-14 spike from 1950s-60s nuclear tests
- Sample tissue
- Outermost growth layer of a tusk
- Output
- Estimated year of death of the elephant
- Field
- Wildlife forensics, ivory trade investigation
Common questions
Why does dating a tusk's outer layer indicate when ivory was poached?+
Ivory dated to before an international trade ban indicates it may have entered legal stock before the cutoff, while ivory dated after the ban points to recent, illegal poaching, so establishing the death year is central to distinguishing legal antique or pre-ban stock from contraband.
How precise is bomb-curve dating for recent tusks?+
Precision depends on where the sample falls on the bomb curve. Because the curve rose sharply then declined more gradually after the 1963 test-ban treaty, tusks from the rising phase can be dated quite precisely, while those from the long declining tail carry wider uncertainty because the curve is flatter there.
Related terms
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- Savanna vs Forest Elephant
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- Schreger Angle
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- Wasser Map
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