Radiocarbon dates from the Antarctic Peninsula region - problems and potential

A large set of terrestrial, lacustrine, and marine samples from the Antarctic Peninsula region was analysed with respect to ¹⁴C age and ∂¹³C content. The main conclusion is that interpretations and evaluations of ¹⁴C dates on marine and especially lacustrine deposits have to be made with great caution. Possibly reliable dates are mixed with largely erroneous dates. Lacustrine surface sediments may be very old due to erosion by bottom freezing. The true marine reservoir effect in this region seems to be in the order to 1200-1300 yr. Terrestrial mosses are regarded as giving the most correct ages, but aquatic mosses in lakes without any hardwater effect also seem to give reliable ages. -from Authors