Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Dating recent lake sediments using spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP)

  • Articles
  • Published:
Chinese Science Bulletin

Abstract

Dating lake sediment using sedimentary event is the supplement and calibration to traditional dating by radionuclide such as 210Pb and 137Cs. Based on the change of spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) concentration, the age sequence of lake sediments can be deduced. It is one of the dating methods using sedimentary event. SCP is formed from combustion of fossil fuel at high temperature up to 1750°C and at a rate of heating of approaching 104 °C/s. It can be dispersed to several hundred kilometers away from its source and deposited with precipitation or dryly deposited, and kept in sediments. Compared with Cs or Pb, there is no evidence for SCP that it decays in lake sediments and is un-removable once stored except by physical disturbance because it is mainly composed of element carbon. Handy method to extract, identify and calculate has been developed. Although fossil fuel has been used early in China, combustion at high temperature started later since emergence of electricity generation. The productivity of SCP is positively related with the generated thermal power, which is reflected as the SCP concentration in lake sediments increases with the increase of generated thermal power. Therefore, reliable sediment markers from the start of the SCP record and the remarkable variation can be used for dating purpose. In China, electricity industry started from the 1950s, and rapid increase of generated power took place since 1978. Based on these time markers, SCP time sequences of lake sediment cores LH and LL-4 from Longgan Lake, the middle reach of the Yangtze River, have been established, which is comparable with the results from 137Cs and 210Pb, and has eliminated the errors of dating using 137Cs and 210Pb.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Xiang, L., Limitation of the application of 137Cs limnochronology: A case study of 137Cs profile in Crawford lake sediment, Journal of Lake Sciences (in Chinese), 1995, 7(4): 307–313.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Abril, J. M., Constraints on the use of 137Cs as a time-marker to support CRS and SIT chronologies, Environmental Pollution, 2004, 129: 31–37.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Davis, R. B., 137Cs and 210Pb dating of sediments from soft-water lakes in New England (USA) and Scandinavia, a failure of 137Cs dating, Chem. Geol., 1984, 44: 151–185.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Yang, X. D., Wang, S. M., Shen, J. et al., Lacustrine environment responses to human activities in the past 300 years in Longganhu Lake catchment, southeast China, Science in China, Ser. D, 2002, 45(8): 709–718.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Santschi, P. H., Presley, B. J., Wade, T. L. et al., Historical contamination of PAHs, PCBs, DDTs, and heavy metals in Mississippi River Delta, Galveston Bay and Tampa Bay sediment cores, Marine Environmental Research, 2001, 52: 51–79.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pan, Y. D., Richard, B., Human disturbance and trophic status change s in Crystal Lake, McHenry County, Illinois, USA, Journal of Paleolimnology, 1994, 17: 369–376.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Olsson, S., Regnell, J., Persson, A. et al., Sediment-chemistry response to land-use change and pollutant loading in a hypertrophic lake, Southern Sweden, Journal of Paleolimnology, 1994, 17: 275–294.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Rose, N. L., Harlock, S., Appleby, P. G., Within-basin profile variability and cross-correlation of lake sediment cores using the Spheroidal carbonaceous particle record, Journal of Paleolimnology, 1999, 21: 85–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Yang, H. D., Rose, N. L., Battarbee Richard W., Dating of recent catchment peats using spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) concentration profiles with particular reference to Lochnagar, Scotland, The Holocene, 2001, 11(5): 593–597.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Rose, N. L., Harlock, S., Appleby, P. G. et al., The dating of recent lake sediments in the United Kingdom and Ireland using spheroidal carbonaceous particle concentration profiles, The Hollocene, 1995, 5: 328–335.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Rose, N. L., Characterisation of carbonaceous particles from lake sediments, in Proceedings of the International Symposium “Limnplogy of Mountain Lakes” Stara Lesna, Czechoslovakia, July 1–7, 1991, Hydrobiologia, 1994, 274: 127–132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Boyle, J. F., Rose, N. L., Bennion H. et al., Environmental impacts in the Jianghan Plain: Evidence from lake sediments, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 1999, 112: 21–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Rose, N. L., A note on further refinements to a procedure for thextraction of carbonaceous fly-ash particles from sediments, Journal of Paleolimnology, 1994, 11: 201–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Wang, Q. Y., Coal industry in China: Development and prospect (Part A), China Coal (in Chinese), 2001, 27(1): 6–17.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wang, Q. Y., Coal industry in China: Development and prospect (Part B), China Coal (in Chinese), 2001, 27(2): 5–18.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Yang, Q. M., Electric power construction development in China, Electric Power Construction (in Chinese), 1995, 16(9): 2–7.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, and Key Laboratory of Lake Sedimentation and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210008, Nanjing, China

    Wu Yanhong, Wang Sumin, Xia Weilan & Liu Jian

Authors
  1. Wu Yanhong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wang Sumin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xia Weilan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Liu Jian
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wu Yanhong.

About this article

Cite this article

Yanhong, W., Sumin, W., Weilan, X. et al. Dating recent lake sediments using spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP). Chin.Sci.Bull. 50, 1016–1020 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1360/982004-321

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/982004-321

Keywords

Search

Navigation