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Marine reservoir effect

Marine reservoir effect in radiocarbon dating infographic.

The marine reservoir effect (MRE) affects radiocarbon dating because the carbon consumed by organisms like shellfish in the ocean is older than the organism and further complications occur from the geographical location and make-up where the organism lived.

Adapted from Alves, E. Q., Macario, K., Ascough, P., & Bronk Ramsey, C. (2018). The worldwide marine radiocarbon reservoir effect: Definitions, mechanisms, and prospects. Reviews of Geophysics, 56, 278–305.

Rights: American Geophysical Union
Published: 16 December 2022Size: 2.02 MB