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Science 9 October 1992:
Vol. 258. no. 5080, pp. 284 - 287
DOI: 10.1126/science.258.5080.284
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Articles

Mass-Spectrometric 230Th-234U-238U Dating of the Devils Hole Calcite Vein

Kenneth R. Ludwig 1, Kathleen R. Simmons 1, Barney J. Szabo 1, Isaac J. Winograd 2, Jurate M. Landwehr 2, Alan C. Riggs 1, and Ray J. Hoffman 3

1 U.S. Geological Survey, Mail Stop 963, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225
2 U.S. Geological Survey, National Center, Mail Stop 432, Reston, VA 22092
3 U.S. Geological Survey, 705 Plaza Street, Carson City, NV 89701

The Devils Hole calcite vein contains a long-term climatic record, but requires accurate chronologic control for its interpretation. Mass-spectrometric U-series ages for samples from core DH-11 yielded 230Th ages with precisions ranging from less than 1,000 years (2sgr) for samples younger than sim140 ka (thousands of years ago) to less than 50,000 years for the oldest samples (sim566 ka). The 234U/238U ages could be determined to a precision of sim20,000 years for all ages. Calcite accumulated continuously from 566 ka until sim60 ka at an average rate of 0.7 millimeter per 103 years. The precise agreement between replicte analyses and the concordance of the 230Th/238U 234U/238U ages for the oldest samples indicate that the DH-11 samples were closed systems and validate the dating technique in general.

Submitted on April 22, 1992
Accepted on August 21, 1992


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