Measurements of Cosmogenic 14C Produced by Spallation in High-Altitude Rocks

Abstract

The production of radioisotopes at the Earth's surface by cosmic-ray effects has been discussed for many years. Only in the past few years, with the higher sensitivity provided by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) in detecting 10Be, 26A1 and 36C1, have the radioisotopes produced in this way been measured. We report here our measurements of cosmogenic 14C in terrestrial rocks at high altitude, and comparisons to other exposure-dating methods.