Life Sciences Commons^™

A 200 Year Record Of Carbon-13 And Carbon-14 Variations In A Bermuda Coral, Y. Nozaki, D. M. Rye, K. K. Turekian, Richard E. Dodge

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

A 200 year old brain coral, captured in Bermuda in 1976 was slabbed and x-rayed. Using the annual growth bands sequential, dated samples were taken over the entire growth period of the coral and analyzed for Δ¹⁴C, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O. During the past 80 years atmospheric variations in Δ¹⁴C and δ¹³C due to human effects, such as release of bomb C-14 and dilution of both C-14 and C-13 by fossil fuel burning, are closely tracked by the coral. Prior to 1900 divergences between the coral and tree Δ¹⁴C …