OCE-9632215 This project will develop a new technique (U-Th) for dating marine aragonite sediments beyond the range achievable by 14C. Preliminary results on aragonite have produced ages for Stages 5 and 7 in agreement with the orbitally-tuned 18O scale. The project will test these results by attempting to duplicate them elsewhere, extend the dating to Stage 9, and improve the precision. Direct and independent age control on deep-sea carbonates is essential for models concerning the ocean's role in global climate change, especially such aspects as regional linkages and feedbacks.
