Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Dating Torrential Processes on Fans and Cones pp 265–282Cite as

Radiocarbon Dating: Alluvial Fan/Debris Cone Evolution and Hazards

  • Chapter
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Advances in Global Change Research ((AGLO,volume 47))

Abstract

Radiocarbon dating has contributed considerably to the understanding of alluvial fan and debris cone evolution, as well as their hazard and risk potential. This development mirrors the contributions made in investigations of other depositional environments since invention of the technique in the 1950s (Cook and van der Plicht 2007; Jull 2007). Radiocarbon dating involves measuring the amount of the radioisotope 14C preserved in fossil organic materials and using the rate of radioactive decay to calculate the age for a given sample. The application of radiocarbon dating to secure the development and evolution of alluvial fans requires the deposition and preservation of organic materials within the sedimentary stratigraphy. The dating technique has been used widely to reconstruct the development of alluvial fans in temperate to sub-arctic regions where environmental conditions are conducive to the presence and preservation of organic materials. The age limit to the application of radiocarbon dating ranges from approximately 45,000 years to typically several hundred years. Thus the technique is relevant for constraining the age of alluvial fans since the middle of the last cold stage, Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 (45–11.5 ka) through the current interglacial (11.5–0 ka), the Holocene.

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

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   89.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   119.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  • Blockley SPE, Lowe JJ, Walker MJC, Asioli A, Trincardi F, Coope GR, Donahue RE, Pollard AM (2004) Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon chronologies: examples from the European Late-glacial. J Quat Sci 19(2):159–176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buck CE, Cavanagh WG, Litton CD (1996) The Bayesian approach to interpreting archaeological data. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Burr GS (2007) Radiocarbon dating: causes of temporal variations. In: Elias SE (ed) Encyclopedia of quaternary science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 2924–2941

    Google Scholar 

  • Cannon SH, Gartner JE (2005) Wildfire-related debris flow from a hazards perspective. In: Jakob M, Hungr O (eds) Debris flows and related phenomena. Springer/Praxis, Berlin, pp 363–381

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Harvey AM, Foster GC (2007) Hillslope gullying in the Solway Firth – Morecambe Bay region: responses to human impact and/or climatic deterioration? Geomorphology 84:317–343

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Harvey AM, Hunter SY, Millington J, Richardson NJ (2008) Late Holocene environmental change in the Howgill Fells, Northwest England. Geomorphology 100:41–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Foster GC, Thomas GSP, Marshall P, Hamilton D (2009a) Robust chronologies for landform development in fluvial environments. Earth Surf Process Landf 34:319–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Foster GC, Marshall P, Harvey AM, Thomas GSP (2009b) Coupling relationships: hillslope-fluvial linkages in the Hodder catchment, NW England. Geomorphology 109:222–235

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Foster GC, Marshall P, Thomas GSP (2010) Sediment transmission and storage: the implications for reconstructing landform development. Earth Surf Process Landf 35:4–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiverrell RC, Thorndycraft VR, Hoffmann TO (2011) Cumulative probability functions and their role in evaluating the chronology of geomorphological events during the Holocene. J Quat Sci 26(1):76–85

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clague JJ, Friele PA, Hutchinson I (2003) Chronology and hazards of large debris flows in the Cheekye River basin, British Columbia, Canada. Environ Eng Geosci 8:75–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook GT, van der Plicht J (2007) Radiocarbon dating: conventional method. In: Elias SE (ed) Encyclopedia of quaternary science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 2899–2911

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ekes C, Friele PA (2003) Sedimentary architecture and post-glacial evolution of Cheekye fan, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. In: Bristow CS, Jol HM (eds) Ground penetrating radar in sediments, Geological Society special publication 211. Geological Society, London, pp 87–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekes C, Hickin EJ (2001) Ground penetrating radar facies of the paraglacial Cheekye fan, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Sediment Geol 143:199–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foster GC, Chiverrell RC, Harvey AM, Dearing JA, Dunsford H (2008) Catchment hydro-geomorphological responses to environmental change in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. Holocene 18:935–950

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friele PA, Clague JJ (2002a) Readvance of glaciers in the British Columbia Coast Mountains at the end of the last glaciation. Quat Int 87:45–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friele PA, Clague JJ (2002b) Younger Dryas readvance in Squamish River valley, southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. Quat Sci Rev 21:1925–1933

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friele PA, Clague JJ (2005) Multifaceted hazard assessment of Cheekye fan, a large debris flow fan in southwestern British Columbia. In: Jakob M, Hungr O (eds) Debris-flow hazards and related phenomena. Springer/Praxis, Heidelberg, pp 659–683

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Friele PA, Clague JJ (2009) Paraglacial geomorphology of quaternary volcanic landscapes in the southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. In: Knight J, Harrison S (eds) Periglacial and paraglacial processes and environments, Geological Society special publications, 320. Geological Society, London, pp 219–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Friele PA, Ekes C, Hickin EJ (1999) Evolution of Cheekye fan, Squamish, British Columbia: Holocene sedimentation and implications for hazard assessment. Can J Earth Sci 36:2023–2031

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey AM (1996) Holocene hillslope gully systems in the Howgill Fells, Cumbria. In: Brooks SM, Anderson MG (eds) Advances in hillslope processes, vol 2. Wiley, Chichester, pp 731–752

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvey AM (1997) Coupling between hillslope gully systems and stream channels in the Howgill Fells, northwest England: temporal implications. Géomorphol Relief Process Environ 1:3–20

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey AM, Renwick WH (1987) Holocene alluvial fan and terrace formation in the Bowland Fells, northwest England. Earth Surf Process Landf 12:249–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey AM, Oldfield F, Baron AF, Pearson GW (1981) Dating of post-glacial landforms in the central Howgills. Earth Surf Process Landf 6:401–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakob M (2012) Events on fans and cones: recurrence interval and magnitude. In: Schneuwly-Bollschweiler M, Stoffel M, Rudolf-Miklau F (eds) Dating torrential processes on fans and cones – methods and their application for hazard and risk assessment. Springer, Dordrecht/Heidelberg/London/New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakob M, Friele P (2010) Frequency and magnitude of debris flows on Cheekye River, British Columbia. Geomorphology 114:382–395

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jakob M, Weatherly H (2005) Debris flow hazard and risk assessment, Jones Creek, Washington. In: Hungr O, Fell R, Couture R, Eberhardt O (eds) Landslide risk management. Taylor & Francis Group, London, pp 533–541

    Google Scholar 

  • Jull AJT (2007) Radiocarbon dating: AMS method. In: Elias SE (ed) Encyclopedia of quaternary science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 2911–2918

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lewin J, Macklin MG, Johnstone E (2005) Interpreting alluvial archives: sedimentological factors in the British Holocene fluvial record. Quat Sci Rev 24:1873–1889

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews WH (1952) Mount Garibaldi, a supraglacial Pleistocene volcano in southwestern British Columbia. Am J Sci 250:553–565

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathews WH (1958) Geology of the Mount Garibaldi map area, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Part II: geomorphology and Quaternary volcanic rocks. Geol Soc Am Bull 69:179–198

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews JA (1985) Radiocarbon dating of surface and buried soils: principals, problems and prospects. In: Richards KS, Ellis S, Arnett RR (eds) Geomorphology and soils. Allen and Unwin, London, pp 269–288

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews JA (1993) Radiocarbon dating of arctic-alpine palaeosols and the reconstruction of Holocene palaeoenvironmental change. In: Chambers FM (ed) Climate change and human impact on the landscape. Chapman & Hall, London, pp 83–100

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Miall AD (1996) The geology of fluvial deposits: sedimentary facies, basin analysis, and petroleum geology. Springer, Berlin, 582 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey CB (1995) Radiocarbon calibration and analysis of stratigraphy: the OxCal program. Radiocarbon 37:425–430

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey CB (2001) Development of the radiocarbon calibration program OxCal. Radiocarbon 43:355–363

    Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey CB (2008a) Deposition models for chronological records. Quat Sci Rev 27:42–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramsey CB (2008b) OxCal 4.0 manual, online web resource. Oxford. http://c14.arch.ox.ac.uk

  • Ramsey CB (2009) Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates. Radiocarbon 51:337–360

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reimer PJ, Baillie MGL, Bard E, Bayliss A, Beck JW, Bertrand CJH, Blackwell PG, Buck CE, Burr GS, Cutler KB, Damon PE, Edwards RL, Fairbanks RG, Friedrich M, Guilderson TP, Hogg AG, Hughen KA, Kromer B, McCormac FG, Manning SW, Ramsey CB, Reimer RW, Remmele S, Southon JR, Stuiver M, Talamo S, Taylor FW, van der Plicht J, Weyhenmeyer CE (2004) IntCal04 terrestrial radiocarbon age calibration, 26–0 ka BP. Radiocarbon 46:1029–1058

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Scharpenseel HW, Becker-Heidmann P (1993) Twenty five years radiocarbon dating of soils; paradigm of erring and learning. Radiocarbon 34:541–549

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Kra RS (eds) (1986) Calibration issue, proceedings of the 12th international 14C conference. Radiocarbon 28(2B):805–1030

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuiver M, Reimer PJ, Reimer R (2005) CALIB radiocarbon calibration. Execute version 6.0html. http://intcal.qub.ac.uk/calib/. Belfast

  • van der Plicht J (2007) Radiocarbon dating: variations in atmospheric 14C. In: Elias SE (ed) Encyclopedia of quaternary science. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 2924–2931

    Google Scholar 

  • Wells SG, Harvey AM (1987) Sedimentologic and geomorphic variations in storm generated alluvial fans, Howgill Fells, northwest England. Geol Soc Am Bull 98:182–194

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Pete Marshall (Chronologies) for comments and discussions on the Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon measurements. Thanks to Sandra Mather of the University of Liverpool Cartographics Unit for her work on the diagrams.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Roxby Building, Liverpool, L69 7ZT, UK

    Richard Chiverrell

  2. BGC Engineering Inc, Suite 500-1045, Howe Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6Z 2A9

    Matthias Jakob

Authors
  1. Richard Chiverrell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Matthias Jakob
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard Chiverrell .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Berne, Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, Berne, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Michelle Schneuwly-Bollschweiler

  2. University of Berne, Laboratory of Dendrogeomorphology, Institute of Geological Sciences, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, Berne, 3012, Bern, Switzerland

    Markus Stoffel

  3. Forestry Environment &Water Management, IV/5 – Torrent & Avalanche Control, Federal Ministry for Agriculture,, Marxergasse 5, Vienna, 1030, Wien, Austria

    Florian Rudolf-Miklau

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Chiverrell, R., Jakob, M. (2013). Radiocarbon Dating: Alluvial Fan/Debris Cone Evolution and Hazards. In: Schneuwly-Bollschweiler, M., Stoffel, M., Rudolf-Miklau, F. (eds) Dating Torrential Processes on Fans and Cones. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 47. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4336-6_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation