Radio Carbon Dating

This 24,700 year-old leaf dated by radiocarbon was found in sediment cores from Japan’s Lake Suigetsu. (Credit: Richard Staff)

This 24,700 year-old leaf dated by radiocarbon was found in sediment cores from Japan’s Lake Suigetsu. (Credit: Richard Staff)

This 33,800 year-old leaf dated by radiocarbon found in Lake Suigetsu sediment extends radiocarbon dating by thousands of years. (Credit: Richard Staff)

ຕຶກ​ອາຄານ​ໃນ​ນະຄອນ ລັສ​ເວ​ກັສ

Scientists find perfectly preserved organic materials in sediment cores in Japan’s Lake Suigetsu. (Credit: Christopher Bronk Ramsey)

With sediment cores from Lake Suigetsu scientists can now date with great accuracy the entire radiocarbon lifespan. (Credit: Christopher Bronk Ramsey)

The Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator can identify radiocarbon dates from much smaller samples than needed for standard radiocarbon dating. (Credit: Christopher Bronk Ramsey)

Plant samples are readied for radiocarbon dating. (Credit: Richard Staff)

Suigestu sediments in natural light. (Credit: Gordon Schlolaut)

Suigestu sediments in polarized light. (Credit: Gordon Schlolaut)

Varved or layers of sediments from Lake Suigetsu cores. (Credit: Gordon Schlolaut)

Cores are temporarily stored in the cold room of the local fishermen's union near Lake Suigetsu. (Credit: Takeshi Nakagawa)

Core photography and sub-sampling were performed in this open-air workshop. (Credit: Takeshi Nakagawa)