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Calibrating a long‐term meteoric 10 Be accumulation rate in soil
Author(s) -
Reusser Lucas,
Graly Joseph,
Bierman Paul,
Rood Dylan
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2010gl044751
Subject(s) - meteoric water , cosmogenic nuclide , nuclide , precipitation , geology , environmental science , loess , physical geography , geomorphology , geography , groundwater , meteorology , nuclear physics , cosmic ray , physics , geotechnical engineering
Using 13 samples collected from a 4.1 meter profile in a well‐dated and stable New Zealand fluvial terrace, we present the first long‐term accumulation rate for meteoric 10 Be in soil (1.68 to 1.72 × 10 6 at/(cm 2 ·yr)) integrated over the past ∼18 ka. Site‐specific accumulation data, such as these, are prerequisite to the application of meteoric 10 Be in surface process studies. Our data begin the process of calibrating long‐term meteoric 10 Be delivery rates across latitude and precipitation gradients. Our integrated rate is lower than contemporary meteoric 10 Be fluxes measured in New Zealand rainfall, suggesting that long‐term average precipitation, dust flux, or both, at this site were less than modern values. With accurately calibrated long‐term delivery rates, such as this, meteoric 10 Be will be a powerful tool for studying rates of landscape change in environments where other cosmogenic nuclides, such as in situ 10 Be, cannot be used.