@article {745, title = {Variability in radiocarbon ages of individual organic compounds from marine sediments}, journal = {Science}, volume = {277}, year = {1997}, note = {Xq247Times Cited:175Cited References Count:37}, month = {Aug 8}, pages = {796-799}, abstract = {Organic carbon (OC) from multiple sources can be delivered contemporaneously to aquatic sediments. The influence of different OC inputs on carbon-14-based sediment chronologies is illustrated in the carbon-14 ages of purified, source-specific (biomarker) organic compounds from near-surface sediments underlying two contrasting marine systems, the Black Sea and the Arabian Sea, In the Black Sea, isotopic heterogeneity of n-alkanes indicated that OC was contributed from both fossil and contemporary sources. Compounds reflecting different source inputs to the Arabian Sea exhibit a 10,000-year range in conventional carbon-14 ages. Radiocarbon measurements of biomarkers of marine photoautotrophy enable sediment chronologies to be constructed independent of detrital OC influences.}, issn = {0036-8075}, doi = {10.1126/science.277.5327.796}, author = {Eglinton, T. I. and BenitezNelson, B. C. and Pearson, A. and McNichol, A. P. and Bauer, J. E. and Druffel, E. R. M.} }