Arctic Lake Radiocarbon for Geochronology and Carbon Cycling Analyses

Radiocarbon (14C) is a useful tool to trace the age, source and bioavailability of organic carbon (OC) pools. Macrofossils (including terrestrial and aquatic plants, insects, and other remains) typically provide the most reliable depositional ages. In contrast to macrofossils, bulk sediment 14C ages integrate the ages of multiple OC sources, including autochthonous OC (produced within the lake), as well as allochthonous OC (transported from outside sources) from erosion, riverine transport, and permafrost thaw. This dataset includes 14C data from both macrofossils and bulk sediment, elemental and isotopic measurements of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and age models for several Arctic lakes in Alaska, Russia and Siberia. The dataset includes data from lakes Eight Mile, Schrader, Imandra, Bolshoye Shchuchye, Levinson-Lessing, and CF8. The purpose of these data are to 1) develop new age models for several lakes, 2) evaluate carbon cycling and 3) develop a new method to determine the 14C age of low-temperature (<250°C; degrees Celsius) component of bulk sediment.