TY - JOUR T1 - Separating natural and bomb-produced radiocarbon in the ocean: The potential alkalinity method JF - Global Biogeochemical Cycles Y1 - 2002 A1 - Rubin, S. I. A1 - Key, R. M. KW - bomb-produced radiocarbon KW - CO2 KW - indian-ocean KW - inventory KW - natural radiocarbon KW - pacific-ocean KW - potential alkalinity method KW - radiocarbon inventory KW - radiocarbon separation KW - silicate method KW - thermocline KW - ventilation KW - woce AB - [1] The use of radiocarbon (Delta(14)C) as a tracer for oceanic processes generally requires differentiation of naturally occurring radiocarbon from the bomb component produced by atmospheric nuclear weapons testing. We present a new separation method based on the strong linear correlation between Delta(14)C and potential alkalinity. Unlike previous techniques the new algorithm is applicable at all latitudes. Additionally, the potential alkalinity method provides an estimate of surface ocean prebomb Delta(14)C concentrations. Predictions with the technique appear to be unbiased and have uncertainties which are less than previous techniques. VL - 16 SN - 0886-6236 IS - 4 N1 - 646xuTimes Cited:44 Cited References Count:35 JO - Global Biogeochem Cy ER -