Advances in Earth Science ›› 2024, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 71-81. doi: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2023.082

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Application of 210Pb Isotope in Dating Anthropocene Sediments

Yani WU 1( ), Yang CHEN 1 , 2( ), Ye WANG 1 , 2, Pengjun MO 1 , 2, Weibin GAO 1 , 2   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Surficial Geochemistry, Ministry of Education, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
    2.Frontier Science Center for Critical Earth Material Cycle, Nanjing 210023, China
  • Received:2023-09-18 Revised:2023-11-24 Online:2024-01-10 Published:2024-01-26
  • Contact: Yang CHEN E-mail:929083670@qq.com;chenyang@nju.edu.cn
  • About author:WU Yani, Master student, research area includes geochemistry. E-mail: 929083670@qq.com
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(41991252)

Yani WU, Yang CHEN, Ye WANG, Pengjun MO, Weibin GAO. Application of 210Pb Isotope in Dating Anthropocene Sediments[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2024, 39(1): 71-81.

Research on the Anthropocene—a newly determined geological chronological unit—requires higher temporal resolution, which necessitates the identification of appropriate dating methods. Currently, the main dating methods involve 137Cs, 210Pb, and 239, 240Pu isotopes. Compared with 137Cs and 239, 240Pu dating, 210Pb dating has a wider application range, relatively stable geochemical behavior and distribution in the environment, and relatively high dating reliability. It can be used to estimate sedimentation rates in Anthropocene estuaries, lakes, oceans, and other sedimentary environments. This paper summarizes the 210Pb dating method, dating principle, and model, and expounds the application of 210Pb dating for the establishment of the Anthropocene age scale and acquisition of sedimentary rates in different sedimentary environments, such as estuaries, lakes, and oceans. It also discusses its influencing factors, and indicates that there are certain error sources in the 210Pb dating method, such as changes in sedimentary rates, which require further study. Future research should combine 210Pb dating with other dating methods to obtain a more comprehensive and accurate Anthropocene chronological framework. 210Pb will continue to play an important role in the study of the Anthropocene, helping us to better understand the history and future of Earth.

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