EXAMINATION OF BULK SOIL FOR RADIOCARBON DATABLE MATERIAL FROM THE FRENCHMAN MOUNTAIN FAULT, NEVADA

Two soil samples initially were floated to recover organic fragments suitable for radiocarbon analysis. These samples were recovered from the Frenchman Mountain fault on the east side of Las Vegas, Nevada. Botanic components and detrital charcoal were identified, and potentially radiocarbon datable material was separated. Charcoal from sample WMRFMF-04 was submitted to Beta Analytic, Inc., for the AMS radiocarbon analysis using the "MicroSample AMS Counting Service" now available; however, the charcoal sample did not contain a sufficient quantity of final carbon for dating. Two additional samples from the same areas in the fault were submitted in an attempt to recover sufficient micro-charcoal for dating.最初对两份土壤样品开展浮选处理，以提取适用于放射性碳测年的有机碎屑。上述样品采自内华达州拉斯维加斯东侧的法国人山断层（Frenchman Mountain Fault）。研究人员识别出其中的植物组分与碎屑炭，并分离出具备放射性碳测年潜力的物质。编号为WMRFMF-04的炭样被送至贝塔分析公司（Beta Analytic, Inc.），依托当前可提供的"MicroSample AMS Counting Service"开展加速器质谱（AMS）放射性碳分析；但该炭样的最终碳量不足，无法完成测年。研究人员随后提交了采自该断层同一区域的另外两份样品，以期获取足够的微型炭以开展测年工作。