Several specific questions about RadioCarbon Dating using AMS

Hello PhiloNibbler, and welcome to the fray From what I see and know, this is about calibrating the machines to determine their potential error envelope So the potential error in measurement of an actual sample would be +/-0.05% of the i4C/i3C ratio for the modern reference standard. Seeing as this measurement of age is based on exponential decay this does not result in a major error in ages <50,000 yr BP, which is considered the current limit of 14C/13C testing. There are a couple of members that are involved with 14C testing\measurements. PurpleYouko comes to mind, as does Coyote, and they may be able to help.Enjoy

Indeed. You have the problem of the reservoir effect, and this is difficult to quantify for past data. There is a compilation of known present day reservoir effects due to the delay in moving CO₂ from the atmosphere into the water and where sea water wells up from deep ocean currentsCorrections to radiocarbon dates.and an interactive maphttp://radiocarbon.pa.qub.ac.uk/marine/but this doesn't help you with fresh water reservoirs or where the carbon is accumulated from old dissolved calcite, limestone and the like.one can assume that they are the same now as in the past, but that is an assumption that should be tested by other correlations.EnjoyEdited by RAZD, : .