Establishing a precise chorology is a critical issue when employing cold-water coral as paleoenvironmental archives. Currently, U-Th, 14C and 210Pb dating techniques are the most frequently used methods. The high-magnesium calcite skeleton of bamboo coral has clear growth bands, which is appropriate for 14C and 210Pb dating methods and holds a great potential to be high-resolution archives of mid-to-deep ocean evolution. Aragonitic stony coral is appropriate for both U-Th and 14C dating methods, which is valuable in paleoceanographic research. Because the U-Th method can provide the absolute chronology of coral samples, it can further be used to calculate the 14C age of ocean carbon reservoirs. Therefore, U-Th and 14C dating results of stony coral are currently the most reliable data for exploring the evolution of ocean carbon reservoirs through the Last Glacial Maximum to the present. It has been found that the 14C ventilation ages of intermediate water masses of the equatorial Atlantic and Southern Ocean significantly decreased at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1. This suggests a massive carbon transfer from deep oceans to the atmosphere, or the Atlantic intermediate depths were ventilated by the southern- and the northern-sourced water masses, respectively, before and after the Heinrich Stadial 1.
Keywords：Cold-water corals
;
U-Th Dating
;
Radiocarbon Dating
;
South China Sea
;
Last Deglaciation
;
Carbon Cycle.
Huang Enqing, Kong Le, Tian Jun. Dating Methods of Cold-water Corals and Their Application in Reconstructing Carbon-reservoir Ages of Intermediate and Deep Oceans. Advances in Earth Science[J], 2019, 34(12): 1243-1251 DOI:10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2019.12.1243
Dating methods of cold-water corals and their application in reconstructing carbon-reservoir ages of intermediate and deep oceans[J].Advances in Earth Science,2019,34(12):1243-1251.DOI：10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2019.12.1243
Fig.1
Lifespan of several types of cold-water coral (blue), and the relative age span of different dating techniques used in chronology studies (dark brown)[1]
Fig.2
Photos of cold-water coral from Xisha, South China Sea
（a）~(d) are bamboo and stony coral, respectively. Fossil of bamboo coral comprises of two components, the carbonate internodes（white） and the gorgonin nodes（black）
Table 1
Table 1U/Th和14C dating results of cold-water corals from Xisha, South China Sea
末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30]。虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35]。由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]。
Fig.4
Atmospheric CO2 and Δ14C changes between 25 and 0 ka BP
(a) Reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations[29,30], which rose in two stages over the last deglaciation: A first 50×10-6 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 and a later 25×10-6 rise during the Younger Dryas(YD) interval; (b) A comparison of reconstructed and simulated atmospheric Δ14C changes[17,32]. The model output is from the BICYCLE model, which was forced by changing production rates of cosmic rays and a constant carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean. The offset between the reconstruction and the simulation suggests a significant change in the carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean in the past
Fig.5
Changes of intermediate-deep ocean carbon reservoirs ages between 25 and 0 ka BP, derived from cold-water coral and foraminifera
(a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP)
... [1]Lifespan of several types of cold-water coral (blue), and the relative age span of different dating techniques used in chronology studies (dark brown)<sup>[<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="R1">1</xref>]</sup>Fig.1
... (a) Reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations[29,30], which rose in two stages over the last deglaciation: A first 50×10-6 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 and a later 25×10-6 rise during the Younger Dryas(YD) interval; (b) A comparison of reconstructed and simulated atmospheric Δ14C changes[17,32]. The model output is from the BICYCLE model, which was forced by changing production rates of cosmic rays and a constant carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean. The offset between the reconstruction and the simulation suggests a significant change in the carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean in the past ...
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
Penetration of bomb 14C into the deepest ocean trench
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Atmospheric CO2 concentrations over the last glacial termination
3
2001
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
... (a) Reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations[29,30], which rose in two stages over the last deglaciation: A first 50×10-6 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 and a later 25×10-6 rise during the Younger Dryas(YD) interval; (b) A comparison of reconstructed and simulated atmospheric Δ14C changes[17,32]. The model output is from the BICYCLE model, which was forced by changing production rates of cosmic rays and a constant carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean. The offset between the reconstruction and the simulation suggests a significant change in the carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean in the past ...
Consistent dating for Antarctic and Greenland ice cores
3
29
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
... (a) Reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations[29,30], which rose in two stages over the last deglaciation: A first 50×10-6 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 and a later 25×10-6 rise during the Younger Dryas(YD) interval; (b) A comparison of reconstructed and simulated atmospheric Δ14C changes[17,32]. The model output is from the BICYCLE model, which was forced by changing production rates of cosmic rays and a constant carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean. The offset between the reconstruction and the simulation suggests a significant change in the carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean in the past ...
Glacial/interglacial variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide
1
2000
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Quantitative interpretation of atmospheric carbon records over the last glacial termination
3
2005
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
... (a) Reconstructed atmospheric CO2 concentrations[29,30], which rose in two stages over the last deglaciation: A first 50×10-6 rise during Heinrich Stadial 1 and a later 25×10-6 rise during the Younger Dryas(YD) interval; (b) A comparison of reconstructed and simulated atmospheric Δ14C changes[17,32]. The model output is from the BICYCLE model, which was forced by changing production rates of cosmic rays and a constant carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean. The offset between the reconstruction and the simulation suggests a significant change in the carbon exchange rate between the atmosphere and the ocean in the past ...
Variation of atmospheric CO2 by ventilation of the ocean's deepest water
1
1999
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Midlatitude westerlies, atmospheric CO2, and climate change during the ice ages
1
2006
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Deep ocean ventilation, carbon isotopes, marine sedimentation and the deglacial CO2 rise
1
2011
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Ventilation of the deep southern ocean and deglacial CO2 rise
4
2010
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
The Southern Ocean’s role in carbon exchange during the last deglaciation
5
2012
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
Wind driven upwelling in the Southern Ocean and the deglacial rise in atmospheric CO2
1
2009
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Dual modes of the carbon cycle since the Last Glacial Maximum
1
1999
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
Carbon isotope constraints on the deglacial CO2 rise from ice cores
1
2012
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
The cause of carbon isotope minimum events on glacial terminations
1
2002
... 末次冰消期时，大气CO2浓度呈现两阶段的上升：Heinrich Stadial 1时期(HS1,17.5~14.5 ka BP)上升了约50×10-6，新仙女木时期(12.7~11.6 ka BP)上升了约25×10-6(图4)[29,30].虽然可能有多种因素导致冰消期时CO2浓度上升[28,31,32]，但普遍认为HS1时期CO2主要来自大洋内部的转移[33,34,35].由于南大洋层结结构的破坏以及上升流作用加强[36,37,38]，冰期时大洋老碳库可能通过释气作用向大气排放CO2[39,40]，并通过亚南极模态水和南极中层水向中低纬温跃层输出了δ13C和Δ14C值负偏的水团[41]. ...
A 190‰ drop in atmosphere’s Δ14C during the “Mystery Interval” (17.5-14.5 kyr)
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
Synchronous centennial abrupt events in the ocean and atmosphere during the last deglaciation
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
... (a) Geographic locations and water depths of coral samples and sediment cores, plotted against the pre-industrial distribution of seawater Δ14C values[57]； (b),(c) Reconstructed intermediate-deep ocean ΔΔ14C values in the equatorial tropical Atlantic and the Drake Strait, derived from cold-water coral samples[37,58]； (d),(e) Reconstructed ΔΔ14C values of the deep Southern Ocean, derived from foraminiferal samples[36,59]； (f) Reconstructed atmospheric Δ14C changes[17]； ΔΔ14C indicates the Δ14C value offset between the contemporary ocean and atmosphere； Note a significant decline of ΔΔ14C values at different water depths occurred at the end of the Heinrich Stadial 1 (about 14.6 ka BP) ...
