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Electron Paramagnetic Resonance as a Dating Tool for Determining the Age of Marine Mollusk Shells

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Advances in Geomorphology and Quaternary Studies in Argentina

Part of the book series: Springer Earth System Sciences ((SPRINGEREARTH))

Abstract

We have performed electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments on a set of bivalves (Ameghinomya antiqua) collected from the Quaternary marine deposits of the Argentinean Patagonian coast. We have analyzed the EPR signal of these shells to carry out an exploratory study of the EPR absorption lines. We have observed absorptions associated to SO2¯ radicals (g = 2.0057 and g = 2.0031) and of CO2¯ (isotropic at g = 2.0006 and anisotropic with gx = 2.0017, gy = 1.9975 and gz = 2.0033). The intensity of the EPR signal increases according to the estimated age of the bivalve. The microwave power dependence of the spectra reveals that for this type of shells it is desirable to work at high powers in order to obtain a well-defined radiation sensitive signal at g = 2.0006. According to the literature, this absorption can be associated to a freely rotating CO2¯ radical.

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Acknowledgments

JG would like to thanks Dr. A. Butera, Dr. G. Alejandro and Dr. C. Ramos for advices and comments about the interpretation of the EPR signals and writing the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Atómico Bariloche, Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) and Instituto de Nanociencia y Nanotecnología (INN), Av. E. Bustillo 9500, R8402AGP, San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina

    Javier Gómez

  2. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Córdoba, Argentina

    Gabriella Boretto

  3. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas Y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra, (CICTERRA), Ciudad Universitaria, Av. Vélez Sársfield 1611 Edificio, CICTERRA, 1° Piso of. 18, X5016CGA, Córdoba, Argentina

    Gabriella Boretto

  4. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades, Museo de Antropología, Córdoba, Argentina

    Sandra Gordillo

  5. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba (IDACOR), Avenida Hipólito Yrigoyen 174, X5000 JHO, Córdoba, Argentina

    Sandra Gordillo

Authors
  1. Javier Gómez
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  2. Gabriella Boretto
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  3. Sandra Gordillo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Javier Gómez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Patagónico para el Estudio de los Ecosistemas Continentales (IPEEC) CONICET, Centro Nacional Patagonico, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Pablo Bouza

  2. Laboratorio de Geomorfología y Cuaternario, CADIC-CONICET, Ushuaia, Argentina

    Jorge Rabassa

  3. Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología (IPGP) CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina

    Andrés Bilmes

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Gómez, J., Boretto, G., Gordillo, S. (2021). Electron Paramagnetic Resonance as a Dating Tool for Determining the Age of Marine Mollusk Shells. In: Bouza, P., Rabassa, J., Bilmes, A. (eds) Advances in Geomorphology and Quaternary Studies in Argentina. Springer Earth System Sciences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66161-8_14

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